Princeton Review ranks University of Nevada, Reno Executive MBA Program in the Top 25

The University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Business Online Executive Masters of Business Administration has been named one of the “Top 25 Online MBA Programs for 2015” by the Princeton Review. The list is the first ranking of online MBA programs that is based on both surveys of administrators at the schools and of students enrolled in the schools' online MBA.

The University’s Executive MBA program, offered in partnership with Extended Studies, is designed to accommodate the schedules of working mid-career executives and experienced professionals. It ranked No. 24 on the list of 25 top programs in the country. The Princeton Review chose the schools for the list based on its surveys in 2014 of 80 institutions offering online MBAs and of about 2,000 students enrolled, plus graduates of the online programs. Data points were weighted in more than 60 unique fields to tally the final list. Criteria focused on five areas: academics, selectivity, faculty, technical platforms and career outcomes.

“Each of our top 25 schools offers a first-rate MBA online as well as on campus,” Robert Franek, senior VP-Publisher, The Princeton Review, said. “Like highly successful businesses, these highly respected business schools are serving their customers with innovative options. For working professionals unable to move to a ‘brick and mortar’ campus for an MBA, these schools offer an opportunity to learn from some of the world's best business school professors and earn the degree from anywhere in the world.”

Courses for the Online Executive MBA at the University are taught by College of Business faculty and focus on managerial skills in problem identification and analysis, and application of those skills. The program offers professionals an affordable option from a nationally top-ranked school while allowing students to continue work in their career.

“The sustained excellence and national recognition of the College of Business Executive MBA is a great asset to the Graduate School and the University,” David Zeh, University vice provost of graduate education and dean of the graduate school, said.

The University’s Executive MBA program had its first graduating cohort in the fall of 2011. A number of factors have contributed to the program’s success including careful planning to determine program feasibility and readiness; comprehensive implementation; the quality of students selected for the program and the quality of faculty teaching the program. Additionally, the Executive MBA has maintained a student retention rate of 90 percent, which is much higher than the national average.

"We are incredibly proud of the Online Executive MBA programs we have built in the College of Business," Kambiz Raffiee, the program's director and associate dean of the College of Business, said. "This is a huge deal and a major milestone for the program. The hard work of faculty, students and administration of the program have made this possible. We develop our courses with students’ future success as our ultimate goal, making sure they are both challenged and supported as they develop advanced business skills."

Raffiee also credits the College of Business’s Corporate Partners program and the additional national rankings the program has received for its success.

In January 2015, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Online Executive MBA No. 29 of 195 schools in the “Best Online MBA Programs” category. The College’s Part-Time MBA program is also nationally ranked by Bloomberg BusinessWeek at No. 24 for Part-Time MBA programs. The Princeton Review also gave a nod to the College including it in “The Best 296 Business Schools: 2015 Edition.”

The College of Business’s Online Executive MBA meets the accreditation standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the highest attainable level of accreditation in business education.

For more information about the program, go here.

— Nicole Shearer is a Communications Officer for the University of Nevada, Reno. She can be reached at
nshearer@unr.edu