World-Class Business Education with Convenience in Mind
OBU is known for academic excellence. With its broad liberal arts curriculum, small class sizes, outstanding professors and biblical worldview permeating through all of its areas of study, the University offers transformational learning in a personal environment.
While that tradition was birthed in undergraduate studies, OBU’s Graduate College has continued that legacy in its master’s degree course offerings in business, nursing, Christian studies and marriage and family therapy. With the MFT program taught in Shawnee, and the other degrees delivered online, the Graduate College offers degrees in both spaces.
While the MBA degree has been offered online for several years, the Graduate College began delivering the degree on-campus in Shawnee this fall as well. The on-campus courses are taught in the evenings so students can complete a degree entirely in-person, fully online or a combination of the two. Since the courses are designed for working professionals, students can take classes at their own pace but can complete the program in as little as 16 months.
Quality, Taught from a Biblical Perspective
While many universities offer an MBA, OBU is unique for its combination of academic quality and biblical perspective. Students learn the practical business knowledge needed in the workplace along with the value of ethics and integrity from professors with practical, real-world experience.
Professors have a wide variety of industry and professional experience. Their desire to develop future leaders through the integration of faith and academic excellence creates an environment fostering personal and professional success. The learning environment is engaging and practical, and guest lecturers bring added dynamics to the learning experience.
“One of the things that makes the OBU MBA program unique is that every professor in the program has industry experience doing the things that we teach. We work hard to make the material applicable and as relevant as possible for each student both now and in the future as a manager.”
– Dr. Rich Rudebock
Robert L. & Sara Lou Cargill Chair and Professor of Business
Transformational Business Leadership Education
Will Brantley, director of recruitment for OBU’s Graduate College, is excited to launch MBA classes on the University’s campus in Shawnee.
“While many students prefer online courses due to the time flexibility they afford, others still need that in-person contact and wish to pursue graduate course work in a convenient, on-ground format,” Brantley said. “We are pleased to host MBA students here on our Shawnee campus as they work to build their careers and their organizations through our innovation-focused MBA program. The personal interaction with OBU professors and Oklahoma business leaders will greatly enhance the MBA journey for those who meet with us in Shawnee.”
The on-campus program provides an excellent opportunity for area businesses to send employees to master’s level business training without having to commute a great distance.
Brantley not only recruits students into the Graduate College, but he is close to earning his MBA from OBU this fall after taking classes over the last two years online.
“Our MBA program has been challenging,” he said. “I’ve encountered new ideas and been challenged to rethink how I approach leadership and problem solving. Our program has helped me grow as a leader.”
Nationally accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, OBU’s MBA in Transformational Leadership places a heavy emphasis on creating value through innovation and problem solving.
“This degree teaches students how to transform organizations and teams they lead, and how to transform themselves personally and professionally,” he said. “The curriculum challenges students to think in ways that aid in making complex decisions thoroughly and creatively, all from a biblical worldview.”
An MBA continues to be one of the most popular postgraduate degrees in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Education. Studies show that an investment in an MBA degree can return between 30 and 150 percent in increased earnings potential.
Students in the on-campus program also have the option to complete a 12-hour certificate in corporate innovation or business operations. Both certificates contain courses from the MBA program and may be continued into the full MBA degree. Three additional nine-hour certificates are offered online-only in project management, leadership or energy management.
The program is 33 credit hours. Tuition is $550 per credit hour with no additional fees. Students may apply now, as classes begin approximately every eight weeks, whether online or in-person.