The 100% online Master of Business Administration program at Northern Kentucky University empowers future business leaders by allowing them to chart their own academic journey. After mastering eight essentials courses (16 credit hours) in areas such as management, accounting, marketing and operations, students can customize their online experience by choosing 12 credit hours of stacks courses. These advanced areas of focus include:
- Finance (6 hours)
- Innovation through competitive intelligence (6 hours)
- Leadership (6 hours)
- Healthcare administration (12 hours)
- Marketing (6 hours)
- Data analytics (6 hours)
NKU’s College of Business holds AACSB accreditation, and its MBA program offers a forward-looking curriculum in an accelerated online format.
A Look at NKU’s Online Stacks Courses
Finance:
Finance professionals must understand how to allocate assets and liabilities over time while understanding the role risk and uncertainty play in those investments.
The finance courses cover corporate finance, investments and securities analysis, and international finance. Topics explored within these courses include capital budgeting, financial forecasting, portfolio theory and risk/return analysis. A focus on finance opens the door to a wide range of high-paying careers, including:
- Financial planner
- Financial analyst
- Investor relations associate
- Budget analyst
- Actuary
- Accountant
- Credit analyst
Innovation Through Competitive Intelligence:
Competitive intelligence pertains to the gathering, analyzing and distributing of intelligence about products and competitors with the goal of providing business leaders with actionable insight about the current business environment. NKU’s three courses on competitive intelligence include topics such as ideation to innovation, competitive intelligence, and ideation to value. Career paths in this field include:
- Consultant
- Project manager
- Competitive intelligence analyst
Leadership:
Leadership is a core skill for any upper-level manager or CEO. NKU’s 5-week leadership course includes organizational change, negotiation, conflict resolution and essentials of project management. Conflict resolution, team development, bargaining strategies and many other key leadership topics are explored through faculty-led classes. Leadership skills are applicable to nearly any business career path. A few prime examples include:
- Human resource manager
- Chief executive officer
- Consultants
- VP of operations
Healthcare Administration:
The field of healthcare administration can be both challenging and rewarding. Business leaders who manage health clinics, hospitals and other health-related facilities must have sharp business skills and a broad understanding of the unique needs and challenges facing medical organizations. NKU’s healthcare administration stack includes four courses: healthcare finance and reimbursement; strategic planning for health services; health law and ethical issues; and healthcare policy and economics. Careers in healthcare administration include:
- Social and community support manager
- Training and development manager
- Health insurance specialist
- Human resource manager
- Hospital CEO
Marketing:
Successful marketers possess creativity with clear messaging and a deep understanding of consumer behavior. NKU’s online MBA prepares future marketing professionals with courses on marketing strategy, consumer behavior and insights, and marketing analytics. After gleaning important marketing skills, such as theories on consumer behavior, graduates can pursue careers in:
- Public relations
- Market research
- Advertising
- Brand management
- Event planning
Data Analytics:
With more and more businesses using data to improve efficiency and maximize the bottom line, it’s no surprise that data analysts and scientists top the World Economic Forum’s “Top 10 Emerging” list in the jobs landscape for 2022. Three courses in NKU’s online MBA program — business intelligence development; data visualization and data analytics; and introduction to business analytics — cover essential tools and knowledge for navigating the intersection of business with data analytics. Graduates can pursue careers in a number of areas including:
- Marketing management
- Supply chain management
- Business intelligence
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
Meet Tomorrow’s Business Challenges With a Personalized Online MBA From NKU
NKU’s innovative approach to teaching advanced business skills puts students in the driver’s seat. No matter the career path you are currently on, this 100% online MBA can be customized to meet your needs and goals. In as few as 12 months, you’ll be ready for the next chapter in your career knowing that you have accumulated both a broad base of important business skills and insights into advanced business theories and practices.
Learn more about the NKU online MBA program.
Sources:
World Economic Forum: 5 Things to Know About the Future of Jobs
