Program Summary
Learn to strategically manage high-performance teams and solve complex, real-world business challenges. With more than 20 concentrations available, you can customize this top-ranked online MBA to suit your unique career goals.
Earn Your Penn State MBA Online
When it comes to selecting an MBA program, you want a quality education that fits your needs. The Penn State Online MBA, delivered through Penn State World Campus and the Penn State Smeal College of Business, offers you an experience customized to fit your busy lifestyle and unique career goals.
The program’s contemporary, interdisciplinary curriculum integrates and unifies all functional areas of business, allowing you to effectively approach problem-solving from a more holistic perspective. You will be able to concentrate on the functional areas in which you want to specialize while working at a pace that works for you.
Curriculum Designed for the Real World
The core course work will prepare you to become a more effective business professional by exposing you to the principles and practices essential to modern management. You will develop marketable skills tied to business analytics, problem-solving, influencing others, critical thinking, and cross-functional business savvy.
Critical to your success is our focus on the application of new knowledge to solving real-world business problems in a team setting. Every core course includes teamwork.
Our graduates can expect to:
- gain an in-depth understanding of how businesses operate
- integrate knowledge across functional areas
- work effectively in high-performing teams
- lead and manage strategically for the future
The Smeal-led MBA draws upon expert faculty from the Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend, Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies, and Penn State Harrisburg School of Business Administration.
Why an Online MBA at Penn State?
A trusted leader in online education. Penn State World Campus has been the most recognized institution in U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings of Best Online Programs since 2017. We know how to support the unique needs of adult learners.
Strong partnership with Smeal College. You will have access to faculty experts from the internationally ranked Penn State Smeal College of Business. Students in this Smeal-led program can receive specialized career coaching, personal advising, access to global immersion trips, and additional networking opportunities. Learn more about the Penn State Smeal Advantage.
Greater flexibility and choice. You can start in any semester, customize your education, and create a path to completion around your schedule.
Earn more than one credential. The MBA curriculum is part of a larger integrative portfolio of professional graduate business programs. By sharing courses across programs, we can often help students add a graduate certificate or second master’s degree in less time than if earned separately.
Stand Out with a Concentration
Develop tightly focused, career-ready skills tailored to your personal strengths and unique goals. The Penn State Online MBA allows you to customize your program with one of 24 concentrations. Few top-tier online MBA programs offer this level of depth. Choose from the following 9-credit concentrations:
- accounting foundations
- advanced accounting
- business analytics
- business architecture
- business sustainability strategy
- community and economic development
- corporate innovation and entrepreneurship
- cybersecurity intelligence leadership
- engineering leadership and innovation management
- finance
- financial engineering
- general management
- health care business
- homeland security
- human resource management
- international affairs
- management consulting
- marketing analytics
- negotiation and influence
- project management
- public administration
- strategic leadership
- supply chain management
- taxation
Depending on the concentration you select, you can meet most or all of the requirements to earn a graduate certificate in that discipline.
Virtual or On-Campus Residency Experience
The residency provides you the opportunity to meet program faculty and fellow students while immersing you in the first core course in the program, Team Performance. You will also participate in other highly engaging sessions that focus on professional development and using online technology.
Students can now select the residency format that best suits their needs. If you require a virtual residency, you should plan to begin your program in the fall or spring semester. Students who opt to begin the program in summer will enjoy an on-campus residency for maximum engagement. This face-to-face event will resume in summer 2022. Learn more about the residency experience.
Information for Military and Veterans
Are you a member of the military, a veteran, or a military spouse? Please visit our military website for additional information regarding financial aid, transfer credits, or application instructions.
Ready to Learn More?
Get the resources you need to make informed decisions about your education. Request information on this program and other programs of interest by completing this form.