Looking for an affordable way to earn your Master of Business Administration? The University of Houston-Clear Lake ranks as one of the 10 most affordable MBA programs in the country, and the school offers three different programs. Its online MBA program is a good choice for those living outside the surrounding community, while its traditional MBA program is perfect for anyone living nearby. Students can also opt for a joint MBA program and earn two degrees at the same time. Find out more about the school and its programs before enrolling.
How to Choose an MBA Program
When you picked an undergraduate school, you didn’t simply pick a school at random. You looked at the professors teaching in the school, the types of programs available and other factors. It’s important that you research the same factors before choosing a business school. Peterson’s recommends that you look at the networking available through the school, the flexibility of the program and the teachers working in that program. Even if you plan to attend graduate school full-time, you never know when you might need to take a semester off or switch to a part-time schedule. Not all schools offer this type of flexibility, but the University of Houston-Clear Lake lets students switch between the traditional and online program with ease. UHCL also offers a number of networking opportunities for its students. You can meet and greet with graduates on campus or through events that take place off campus. The school also has some of the best professors in the world working in its MBA program.
University of Houston-Clear Lake Facts
Whether you’re still shopping around for a school, or you already know where you want to go, take some time to learn more about the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Founded in 1971, classes meet on a large 524 acre campus in the heart of Houston. Though the school has a small connection to the University of Houston School System, it provide students with some of the same opportunities as that larger system does. When the university first opened, it primarily offered technology and science classes for students who would later work for NASA and in engineering fields. The university later added a new graduate school to its campus, which led to increased enrollment and an expansion into other programs and fields, including business. Enrollment at the school now tops 8,000 students, and nearly half of those students enroll in business programs and other graduate programs.
Online MBA
According to Stacy Blackman, one of the biggest mistakes that Master of Business Administration students make is not paying attention to their test scores. The University of Houston-Clear Lake is a competitive school that only accepts a fraction of applicants every year. Whether you want to enroll in the online, traditional or joint MBA program, you must take either the GRE or GMAT and submit your scores to the school. The higher that you score on the test, the better your chances of acceptance are. The online MBA program through the University of Houston-Clear Lake is the newest program available through the school. Designed for students unable or unwilling to take classes on campus, this program consists of a web program that provides students with the same classes and resources as traditional students have. Students can take classes on a full-time or part-time schedule to graduate in two years or longer.
Traditional MBA Program
Looking for a Master of Business Administration program that works around your busy schedule? At the University of Houston-Clear Lake, students have the option of taking eight week or 16 week classes based on their schedules and needs. Accredited by the AACSB, this program offers students the opportunity to learn from real working professionals and experts, with more than 90 percent of all professors possessing a doctorate degree. Students must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours of work, which includes 12 credit hours in a specific concentration. The two concentrations available through this program are environmental management and human resource management. Environmental management students take electives and courses on environmental law and environment risk management, while human resource management students take one elective and courses on human resource management processes, legal environment of human resource management and employee planning, staffing and selection. The remaining credit hours required for graduation cover general business administration topics.
Joint MBA Program
Healthcare administration is a quickly growing field, and the University of Houston-Clear Lake understands that a simple MBA isn’t enough to gain employment in the field. The university introduced a joint program that lets students earn a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Healthcare Administration. Students earning a joint MBA/MHA work as managers and human resource directors in hospitals, community clinics, mental health institutions and doctors’ offices. They order new supplies, hire new employees, balance budgets and do other administrative work. Students take courses on both healthcare administration and business administration. Business administration courses include accounting for administrative control, financial policy, global environment of business, economic policy and application and executive decisions in marketing. If you enter the program without a background in business, the school asks that you take several courses before beginning the program. Those courses include accounting concepts for managers, economic principles, financial analysis and markets, marketing management and human behavior in organizations.
Business administrators work in both administrative and management positions. Depending on the company, they might find more effective ways of running a company, handle the hiring and training of new workers, keep track of employee schedules or help new launch new companies and products. While you can take an entry-level job and work your way through the ranks, you might spend years stuck in the same job without advancing. Earning an MBA lets you skip over those entry-level positions and find positions with higher salaries. The University of Houston-Clear Lake has a good reputation in the city and the state because it offers several Master of Business Administration programs that prepare future business owners and leaders for the road ahead.