Why Get an Online MBA in Michigan?

May 16, 2019

Spring Arbor University was named one of Michigan’s Best Online Colleges in 2018, and its online MBA program exemplifies this accolade. The online MBA program at Spring Arbor University enriches learning experiences for business professionals who are unable to commute to campus. Students aspiring for leadership roles can deepen their understanding of best management practices, business ethics, financial analysis, marketing, conflict resolution and much more. With five specialized concentrations, students tailor their education and are able to expand on competencies in their areas of interest.

Michigan At a Glance

Spring Arbor University is in a prime location for business professionals — The state of Michigan has enjoyed a relatively booming economy, with the Small Business Administration reporting annual economic growth in 2017 at a rate faster than the national average. Michigan’s unemployment rate has kept close to the national average and is less than major commerce states such as Illinois, Washington and The District of Columbia.

Job Availability

Industries targeting MBA degrees are showing growth in the state. For example, a report released by the State of Michigan forecasts an 18.4 percent growth in positions for financial managers and a nearly 9 percent growth in general managers by 2026. With future job growth anticipated, Michigan offers MBA graduates a bright outlook.

Even those seeking advanced business roles outside of the state of Michigan can enjoy positive jobs prospects. The 2018 Corporate Recruiters Survey Report from the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) revealed that more than 80 percent of respondent companies planned to hire MBA graduates within the year. Job options are slated to be even more plentiful in specialized MBA fields such as health care administration.

Job Options

Earning your MBA can be a gateway to a wide variety of career paths. Whether your goal is to manage the internal operations of a company’s human resources department or to independently develop a new company concept altogether, the online MBA degree offers a strong foundation for your next career move.

Common career outcomes for MBA graduates include:

Executive-Level Human Resources Officer
Logistics
Marketing Researchers and Managers
Information Security Analysts
Nonprofit Management
Health Care Administrator

Even those heading in a new direction can benefit from an advanced degree in business. A 2017 survey of MBA alumni from the GMAC, for instance, showed that more than half of those questioned had accepted roles with different capabilities or within different industries from where they worked prior to pursuing their graduate degree. Higher education promotes job opportunities and innovative leadership skills are valued in many fields.

Exceptional Value

Ranked among the top 15 online MBA programs in Michigan, Spring Arbor University offers students competitive credentialing and professional development so graduates gain a competitive edge when pursuing advanced positions. SAU prides itself on a number of awards, including recognition for strong Christian values, affordable tuition and exceptional service to students.

The Economist ranked SAU as No. 1 among Christian universities for long-term economic value and No. 2 among all universities in Michigan. SAU’s accredited online MBA program offers top-tier education from Michigan. Pacing options are flexible — students can choose to take one course at a time or earn their degree in just one year with the accelerated track.

An MBA Program That Can Make You More Marketable in Michigan

An online MBA in Michigan can make you more marketable in the Michigan job market as well as provide you with the hard and soft skills that are transferable to many different roles. Michigan MBA graduates benefit not only from the opportunity to earn an online MBA in Michigan quickly while continuing to work, jobs close to home can also offer the perfect stepping stone to advance your career.

What Employers Value in Job Applicants With an Online MBA

When employers interview applicants with online MBAs for positions they seek to fill, they look for a school’s accreditation which guarantees its quality, according to usnews.com contributor Jordan Friedman. In many cases, employers regard regional accreditation more highly than national accreditation because of the perceived rigor in attaining them as well as the likelihood of the transferability of a student’s credits.

Spring Arbor University was ranked as one of the Best Online Colleges in Michigan for 2018 by bestcolleges.com, and was ranked in Midwestern regional universities’ top tier in U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Colleges 2017 edition. Rated by Online MBA Today as among the top 15 online MBA programs in Michigan, this is a flexible, top ranked, 100 percent online Michigan MBA programs that is tailored to your needs and requires no GRE or GMAT.

The popularity of online study for Michigan residents is grounded in students’ ability to complete MBA degrees while continuing to work. With the maximum flexibility that online study affords, Michigan MBA students can complete classwork as easily at home or in a commuter train as in a nearby coffee shop. According to Steve Logsdon, global recruiting and staffing firm Aerotek’s account manager in a recent Forbes article, they provide “a work-life balance for individuals that might not have had the opportunity to go to the traditional school and take time out of their schedules, or needed to work while they’re doing it as well.”

Why are Specializations Important When Pursuing an Online MBA Program in Michigan

Online MBA programs in Michigan that incorporate specializations are important because they can give you an edge and help you stand out to employers seeking candidates with expertise in specialized areas. This can enable you to carve the career you want in today’s competitive economy and lead to your greater success in business.

While a Michigan MBA program with a management concentration can prepare you to take on increased responsibilities in more senior general operations or business development management roles, a human resources development concentration can prepare you to join the next generation of human resources leaders. With current changes in health care, which accounts for 17.1 percent of America’s GDP as a nearly $3 trillion industry, and the high turnover rates experienced by many health care facilities, graduates of online MBA programs in Michigan with a healthcare administration concentration can enjoy an earning potential of $126,989, according to US News & World Report.

Organizational consulting leaders who complete an online MBA in Michigan can look forward to applying organizational leadership and behavioral science principles to become leaders of change, and executive leadership Michigan MBA graduates can position themselves for C-suite executive careers. In addition to core courses that provide solid groundwork in accounting, business leadership, statistics in business, marketing and international business, Spring Arbor University Online specifically offers five specialized concentrations in our Michigan MBA program:

Making a Difference with Michigan Online MBA Programs

Graduates of Spring Arbor University’s online MBA program in Michigan can make the most profound difference by striving for a purpose higher than the maximization of profit. Standing on principles of service to positively impact communities and people, business professionals with a Michigan MBA from SAU can achieve greater results, whether as corporate executives on Wall Street or as small-business entrepreneurs.

SAU’s online MBA programs integrate Christian values and can transform you into a successful leader who ensures greater success for both businesses and organizations.

Sources

“2017 Alumni Perspectives Survey Report.” The Graduate Management Admissions Council.

Accessed 23 April 2019 from: https://www.gmac.com/market-intelligence-and-research/research-library/measuring-program-roi/2017-alumni-perspectives-survey-report

“2018 Corporate Recruiters Survey Report.” The Graduate Management Admissions Council.

Accessed 23 April 2019 from: https://www.gmac.com/-/media/files/gmac/research/employment-outlook/gmac-2018-corporate-recruiters-survey-report.pdf

“2018 Small Business Profile – Michigan.” United States Small Business Office of Advocacy.

Accessed 23 April 2019 from: https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/advocacy/2018-Small-Business-Profiles-MI.pdf

“2026 Career Outlook.” State of Michigan. Accessed 23 April 2019 from:

https://milmi.org/Portals/198/publications/CareerOutlook_2026.pdf?ver=2018-08-06-100602-650

“Local Area Unemployment Statistics.” United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 23

April 2019 from: https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm