Earn Your MBA Online at Rice Business
Ranked among the Best Business Schools
by U.S. News & World Report1
Successful business leaders have mastered a blend of creativity, collaboration and real-world know-how that allows them to develop innovative solutions and run their teams effectively. MBA@Rice, the online MBA program from Rice Business, is built on the same combination of innovation and practicality.
You'll gain the entrepreneurial leadership skills necessary for your own organization, as Rice Business was named the No. 1 graduate school for entrepreneurship studies for 2020.2 Beyond equipping you with the types of tools you'll need to advance your career, our program will connect you with a diverse community of leaders from around the world.
Together, you’ll work to rethink your approaches to common business challenges like managing human and financial capital, solving problems across functional teams, and integrating new technologies into your core business strategies.
The program consists of 54 credits and can be completed online in 24 months.
Why Earn an MBA Online?
Business is undergoing a digital transformation—and you’ll need the technical fluency to keep up. Getting your MBA online will prepare you to work, communicate and present work on a digital platform. No matter where you are, you can advance your education and connect with accomplished business leaders from around the world.
Our online program includes:
Live Virtual Classes
You and your professors will meet each week for face-to-face, webcam-enabled class sessions. Our small class sizes allow for rich discussion and debate.
Mobile-Friendly, Multimedia Coursework
You can complete assignments—which include real-world case studies, video simulations and collaborative projects—each week from anywhere, using any connected device.
MBA@Rice Residentials and Global Field Experiences (GFE):
Our program includes these in-person learning experiences, which are hosted both on the Rice University campus and in locations around the world, to allow you to connect in person with peers, faculty and mentors. You will participate in simulations, immersions, seminars, intersessions and study abroad opportunities to develop and practice new hands-on skills.
Our On-Campus vs. Online MBA Program
Consider the similarities and differences between online and traditional classes.
What stays the same?
The application
Our diversity and cohort selectivity
Our class offerings, MBA@Rice Residentials and credit hours to graduate
Our professors, grading system and office hours
Alumni status
What’s different with the online MBA?
Smaller cohorts
Quarterly intakes
The online platform
Your Rice Business Network Is Waiting
If you’re ready to take the next step in your business career, reach out today.
The Online MBA Curriculum
The MBA from Rice Business empowers you to act on big ideas and tackle complex challenges — giving you the tools to elevate your career, create value across your organization, and meet the demands of today and tomorrow.
Our curriculum will help develop your understanding of essential business principles such as financial accounting, business analytics, marketing strategy, leadership and finance. You’ll then learn to apply these larger concepts throughout an organization as you hone your skills in a focused specialization of study.
Explore the curriculum and course structure.
A General Management Approach
For example, a general management elective portfolio might include these courses:
- Using Financial Statements
- Applied Finance
- Brand Strategy
- Corporate Investment Policy
- Strategic Issues for Global Business
- Strategic Innovation and Competitive Advantage
- Power and Influence in Organizations
- Optimizing the Workforce of the Future
- Process Management & Quality Improvement
A Focus on MBA Career Paths
Choosing a career path focus area is entirely optional. It’s a way to customize your own academic experience in the program and include career-focused courses in your overall elective portfolio, should you wish. All career path focus area courses are suggested, and there are no additional credit requirements.
Corporate Strategy
Focusing your learning in corporate strategy prepares you to align interests across diverse business units to create value and drive growth. This is the ideal focus area if you are interested in devising companywide strategies that achieve a stronger competitive advantage and better bottom-line results. If you are interested in this field, we suggest you consider the following courses:
- Using Financial Statements
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Brand Strategy
- Strategic Issues for Global Business
- Strategic Innovation and Competitive Advantage
Club/organization: Consulting Association
Corporate Finance
Focusing your learning in corporate finance gives you both the analytical and managerial tools to start or advance your career in the field. Rice Business is now ranked No. 3 Best MBA for Finance by the Princeton Review3 and offers a robust set of finance electives. If your goal is a career in corporate finance, we suggest you consider the following courses:
- Using Financial Statements
- Accounting-Based Valuation
- Applied Finance
- Corporate Investment Policy
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Futures & Options
Club/organization: Finance Association
Investment Management
AFocusing your learning in investment management gives you in-depth knowledge in portfolio management, asset valuation, and risk management. Choose this focus area if you are interested in working in asset management or valuation. Rice Business is now ranked No. 3 Best MBA for Finance by the Princeton Review3 and offers a robust set of finance electives. If you are interested in investment management, you should consider the following courses:
- Using Financial Statements
- Accounting-Based Valuation
- Applied Finance
- Futures and Options I
- Portfolio Management
- Real Estate Finance: Asset Valuation
Club/organization: Finance Association
Marketing
Focusing your learning in marketing prepares you with the frameworks and the quantitative skills you need to help your organization succeed. If you are interested in starting or advancing your career in consumer insights, product management or brand strategy, this is the path for you. If you are interested in this field, we suggest you consider the following courses:
- Pricing Strategies
- Brand Strategy
- Strategic Innovation and Competitive Advantage
Club/organization: Marketing Association
Entrepreneurship
At Rice Business, entrepreneurship is more than a class. It is a way of thinking that drives our entire MBA@Rice program. All MBA@Rice students take New Enterprise and Enterprise Acquisition as integrating capstone courses in the core curriculum. You can extend and deepen both your entrepreneurial skills and mindset by engaging in the applied learning offered through the Entrepreneurship Lab. We suggest you consider the following courses:
- Entrepreneurship Lab
- Process Management and Quality Improvement
- Strategic Innovation and Competitive Advantage
- Brand Strategy
- Power and Influence in Organizations
- Using Financial Statements
Club/organization: Entrepreneurship Association
An Industry Tilt
We offer industry-oriented electives in energy and in healthcare. These courses provide the context that allows you to leverage learnings across the rest of the curriculum in these industries.
Energy
If your interest is in the energy field, we suggest you complement a general management, entrepreneurial or career path focus with the following courses:
- Geopolitics of Energy
- Process Management & Quality Improvement
- Strategic Issues for Global Business
- Power and Influence in Organizations
- Optimizing the Workforce of the Future
Club/organization: Energy Association
Healthcare
If your interest is in the healthcare field, we suggest you complement a general management, entrepreneurial or career path focus with the following courses:
- Business of Healthcare
- Process Management & Quality Improvement
- Strategic Innovation and Competitive Advantage
- Power and Influence in Organizations
- Optimizing the Workforce of the Future
Club/organization: Healthcare Association
Sample Course Schedule
The online MBA program allows you to fit your degree into your schedule without sacrificing personal and professional commitments. You will take up to six credits in each 10-week term. At the end of each term, there will be a week reserved for exams and an additional week that can either be used for an MBA@Rice Residential, a Global Field Experience (GFE) or an extended break between terms. Take a look at a sample course schedule for the 24-month and 36-month tracks.
Are You Ready?
Build the core skill set and accomplished network you need to nourish your bold ideas.
Rice Business Faculty
Recognized for their achievements in teaching, research and practice, Rice Business faculty members consistently publish groundbreaking business insights while working with students one-on-one to help them explore their own big ideas.
Learn more about individual leadership and faculty members below or at Rice Business Wisdom, our online ideas magazine that features clear, quick translations of faculty research that will change the way you think.
Visit Rice Business Wisdom External link Meet Our Faculty
The Rice Business Alumni Community
At Rice Business, we are proud of the amazing things our alumni have accomplished across almost every major industry. Our alumni community of more than 6,360 professionals spans 59 countries and nearly every U.S. state. As an MBA@Rice student, you will have access to our alumni, who regularly connect with current students looking for advice, mentorship or professional opportunities.
MBA for Military Service Members and Veterans
If you are an active-duty service member, veteran, or military spouse or family member, you may be eligible for benefits that can help make your MBA more affordable. Based on your individual eligibility, the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program are two options to consider.
Post-9/11 GI Bill: If you are eligible for this bill, you can receive funding that includes tuition and fee coverage for up to 36 months, a monthly housing allowance while you are enrolled, and as much as $1,000 a year for books and supplies.
Yellow Ribbon Program: The Yellow Ribbon Program, which is a component of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, can help you fund the tuition and fee expenses that exceed the tuition and fee amounts payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill annual allotment.
Learn more about military benefits.
Admissions
MBA@Rice seeks ambitious professionals with a diverse array of experiences, backgrounds and skill sets. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and we evaluate your candidacy for our online MBA program based on a variety of elements in addition to your test scores and work experience (including your essays, virtual interview, leadership roles, community involvement and career progression).
Learn more about MBA@Rice admissions requirements and deadlines.
GMAT/GRE and Admissions Requirements
To help our admissions team evaluate your fit for our program and your potential as a business leader, GMAT or GRE scores may be required as one element of the application process. GMAT and GRE Waivers are available for professionals with seven or more years of relevant work experience or who can demonstrate a high level of quantitative and analytical knowledge.
Learn more about GMAT and GRE waiver eligibility.
Take the First Step
Request information about the MBA@Rice today to lead change in business tomorrow.