The Martin J. Whitman School of Management’s online MBA program, MBA@Syracuse, was named No. 44 in the U.S. News & World Report’s top 50 “Best Online MBA Programs” in the nation.

“No. 44 has a special meaning at SU,” said Lezlie Labbe, a student in the program. “It is known that each player that has worn the jersey carried great hopes and great expectations. That is how I feel about my education at Whitman.”

U.S. News & World Report factors student engagement, admissions selectivity and peer reputation in descending order of weight, according to the publication’s website.

At No. 44, SU is tied with several other universities, including Creighton University, Florida State University, George Washington University, University of Michigan—Dearborn and the University of Utah. GWU is one of SU’s peer institutions.

The ranking includes 167 colleges from across the United States. U.S. News & World Report undergo qualitative and quantitative research in order to produce the rankings.

Whitman was previously ranked at No. 57, said Amy McHale, assistant dean for Master’s programs at Whitman.

She added that there are more than 600 students registered for the program.

The program requires 54 credits like the on-campus version of the MBA program, McHale said, but three of those credits are derived from three one-credit residencies, which take place in global business cities.

Students attend these three-day residency programs, including one in Syracuse along with two other residencies. In the past, students have visited New York City, Dublin, Dubai and London, according to the MBA@Syracuse website.

“The online MBA program provides a competitive curriculum with a flexible course schedule,” said Donna-Marie Walters, a student in the program from New York City, in an email.

Walters, who is studying marketing management, said the ranking is “amazing.”

“When students have the support and foundation to succeed,” she said, “it shows and translates into higher rankings.”

The faculty associated with the online program take time to conduct face-to-face chats with their students, who are scattered nationally and internationally, Walters said.

“… The staff and faculty genuinely care about their students and their success,” Walters said.

The online MBA program offers five distinct specializations: accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing management and supply chain management, according to the MBA@Syracuse website.

McHale said she has not had the opportunity to study the data provided by U.S. News & World Report. She recognized the intense data research undergone by the website, and she said she wants to build off of it.

With modern technology, students partake in large online sessions, and then connect through smaller live sessions, McHale said.

“You are actually connecting with students and the faculty member,” McHale said.

MBA@Syracuse uses online education service platform 2U to develop videos and interactive case studies, said Andrew Hermalyn, 2U’s regional executive vice president.

Will Geoghegan, an assistant professor of management in Whitman, said he is happy about the MBA@Syracuse program’s ranking. He added that he thinks the program has a legacy of being ranked “very, very well.”

Geoghegan credits 2U for a part of Whitman’s success, saying it has been “awesome” to work with the service.

Geoghegan is an instructional leader for the strategic management concentration, where he records online content and incorporates various case studies into lessons. Geoghegan and other professors use 2U to create and deliver content to the students.

Labbe said she is excited about the ranking, but said there is room for improvement. She added that she appreciates the flexible scheduling associated with the program. In addition to having a full-time job during the week, Labbe is working toward her graduate degree on weekends in the comfort of her own home.

Labbe is a current member of the United States Army Reserves, and 25 percent of the program’s students are either current or former military personnel. Last year, the Military Times ranked Whitman the second best school for veterans in the country.

Although SU and its counterparts are proud of No. 44 and all that it stands for, MBA@Syracuse is ready to move further up the ladder.

“I know that the 44 has symbolic meaning,” said Geoghegan, but with the program trending in an upward direction, he said he believes the program can be even more aspirational moving forward.

Published on January 24, 2016 at 10:12 pm

Contact Kenneth: kmintz@syr.edu