The University of La Verne built the online Master of Business Administration for Experienced Professionals (MBAX) around the aspirations of workers in the middle of their careers. For this reason, all interested applicants need to have at least three (3) years in the workforce, regardless of whether they earned an undergraduate business degree. The curriculum broadens your existing knowledge while emphasizing leadership and management strategies and real-world applications throughout functional business concepts. All online MBAX students then select a specialized concentration to hone their skills further.

In developing future business leaders, this online professional MBA:

• stresses effective communication, teamwork, management, and problem-solving skills
• lays down a solid foundation in all functional and operational areas of business
• examines business applications of information technology and techniques for managing financial resources, improving staff productivity, structuring effective organizations, and developing business plans
• encourages ethical, informed decision making in a global context

Online MBA for Experienced Professionals Curriculum

In total, MBAX students must earn a minimum of 33 semester hours to graduate. Depending upon the number of credits transferred, the degree may be completed within one to three years.

Foundational courses cover key accounting, finance, economics, and statistics principles. These courses may be waived if a student earned a “C” or higher in an equivalent undergraduate subject at an accredited college or university.

The core courses continue to expand upon the foundational courses, touching on advanced topics related to technology, finance, designing and managing business operations, and marketing.

The online MBAX requires at least 12 semester hours of electives, which students often decide to fulfill with a concentration. Because modern-day business professionals are both generalists and specialists, a concentration allows you to tailor your skills to one or more operational areas and gain the knowledge to work toward your career goals. Online MBAX concentrations include:

• accounting
• finance
• health services management
• healthcare analytics
• information technology
• international business
• management and leadership
• marketing
• supply chain management

Additionally, MBAX students may also select one of the three concentrations  from the Master of Science in Leadership and Management program:

• organizational development
• human resource management
• nonprofit management

Review the curriculum for a full picture of the structure and expectations.

The Benefits of La Verne’s Online Professional MBA Program

For professionals that have moved up from an entry-level to a mid-career role and see a management or leadership position as the next step, it becomes clear that advanced, tailored education is just as important as experience. Since taking time off to attend school full time is seldom an option, the online format creates a pathway to acquire this advanced credential around your existing obligations:

• La Verne uses an asynchronous format for all online MBAX courses, with most classes taught by esteemed on-ground instructors.
• Rigorous curriculum challenges you to do your best through projects and weekly assignments and opens up opportunities for collaboration via Blackboard with your instructors and classmates.
• If you want to connect with others face-to-face, you have the option to take courses at campuses that offer the program, including the La Verne Campus and Bakersfield, Burbank, Irvine, Ontario, Santa Clarita, and Naval Base Ventura County regional campuses.
• Online students have access to on-campus support services via phone and video conferencing meetings, including financial aid counseling, academic advising, the library, the Career Center, the Academic Success Center, the Sara and Michael Abraham Center for Veteran Student Success, and other programs.

Careers with an MBA Degree

Projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicate demand for management jobs will increase 7 percent from 2018 to 2028 across a range of industries. Behind this trend, businesses will require more than 700,000 new higher-level jobs in expanding existing or forming new organizations.

In the business world, a bachelor’s degree gets you through the door, and with experience and certifications, you move up from an entry-level role. Yet, an MBA is often needed to continue this trajectory, and based on research from the BLS, an advanced degree comes with a significant wage premium, particularly in the following sectors:

• financial services and management;
• logistics and distribution;
• market research;
• sales and marketing;
• accounting;
• general operations; and
• human resources.