Best West Virginia MBA Schools and Programs

Search Programs Offering MBA Majors

Make a list of your top five school choices or use the ones listed above. Check the accreditation for each to be sure they are reputable schools; ask your employer and coworkers their opinion of the business programs at each school. Go online and look for reviews for each school and check for student forums to see what current attendees think about the program. When you hear or read a negative comment about the school, make a note of it and see if it’s repeated by others. One or two disgruntled students may be an anomaly; several dozen indicate there’s probably a valid concern.

If you have a dream job in mind, go to the company website and look at the executive team. Note what schools they attended. If one or more of your schools is listed, it’s a good indication they will hold your degree in high esteem and give you a boost in the future hiring process.

Make sure your GPA and prerequisites meet the requirements of the MBA program at each school. Check the list closely and make notes of any possible issues with being accepted in the program. If there’s a problem, don’t cross the school off your list just yet; call the admissions office and clarify first.

Consider whether the school is within driving distance. Although you can earn your MBA entirely online there may be a class, seminar, or meetings you’d like to attend. You may decide at a later date that there’s an on-campus class you’d like to take, so it might be a good thing to be able to visit without too much hassle.

Check for other requirements, such as an internship or global program, you’ll need to complete in order to graduate. Confer with your employer if you think there’s a potential problem, as they may be able to give you flex time or training hours to meet your requirements. There may be options available that aren’t required but are highly recommended. Contact the business school itself to see what they recommend you add to your schedule as you earn your MBA.

Don’t let the program cost shock you into not enrolling. Once you’ve narrowed your choices, contact the financial aid office and see what scholarships and grants you might qualify for. See if your employer offers a tuition reimbursement program and check with local organizations and business groups to find out if you qualify for financial assistance.

Sign up for one or more scholarships, search online programs and enter as much detail as possible. There are thousands of scholarships available for everything from redheads to ethnic groups, and you may find the time well spent.

Look online for organizations dedicated to specific aspects of business such as healthcare administrators and chief executives. Often these organizations sponsor and mentor MBA students and they can be an important source of support before, during, and after you earn your degree.

Remember the tuition won’t be the only expense you’ll face when earning your MBA. Check with the individual schools for other costs such as books, labs, and field trips you might need to attend.

Investigate the business concentrations offered by each school on your list. If you’re already sure of the concentration and field you plan to enter, it will help you narrow your school choices; if you’re not sure, look deeper into each concentration and see if it meets your needs. Keep in mind, even if a school doesn’t offer a specific concentration you may be able to use your electives to take the classes specific to a concentration, so check the other courses offered. For example, you may plan to go into healthcare administration, but a school only offers a general healthcare MBA. Add the extra administration courses to your class load and you may have the equivalent of a specific concentration from another school.

Do some investigating on job boards to see if there are openings in your chosen field. Even if you plan to stay with your current employer it’s a good idea to confirm your concentration is a marketable degree. If you think you might move from West Virginia in the future, check the job boards in your dream state to see if it is marketable in that area of the country.

Remember that any MBA is a marketable degree; for example, assisted living facilities will accept most concentrations for an administrative position. You can also take additional courses after you earn your degree if you feel you need more specialized knowledge.

Although an online degree means you won’t have to commute to campus every day, it doesn’t mean you have time in your daily schedule. Look closely at the course load; most schools have a calculation of how many hours you’ll be spending on reading, homework, and other class requirements.

Online school means you’ll be in charge of completing your work in a timely manner, so make sure you can discipline yourself when it comes to getting your school work done. You’ll need a quiet area to study and do homework and if you have children you may need a sitter for a few hours a week while you learn.

Check with your employer and see if the company allows time for degree work. You may be able to claim a few hours on the clock while you do your homework. Keep in mind, you’ll still have your other responsibilities such as family time and home maintenance to keep up while you’re earning your MBA, so make sure you have a support system in place if at all possible.