U.S. News & World Report Recognizes UCM for Best Online MBA, Including Program for Veterans, Master’s in Nursing Programs

By Jeff Murphy, February 4, 2020

WARRENSBURG, MO – A positive reflection on the University of Central Missouri’s efforts to make quality academic programs accessible and affordable, U.S. News & World Report includes UCM’s online MBA and Master’s in Nursing degrees in its 2020 best online program rankings.

UCM’s online MBA was ranked 83rd on a list of 334 schools, and its ranking was the highest among all Missouri public and private institutions that offer this online degree. The UCM online MBA moved up in the rankings from being unranked in 2017 to 164th in 2018 and 126th in 2019. Demonstrating a commitment to military personnel, UCM also was ranked 48th among Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans, making it the highest ranking school in Missouri in this rankings category.

UCM offers an online Master of Science in Nursing. Although a specific numerical ranking was not provided, U.S. News & World Report included UCM on its Best Online Master’s of Nursing feature that includes schools ranked between 132-172. This UCM degree is one of only four such programs in Missouri to be included on this list.

The methodology used by U.S, News & World Report to determine its rankings includes five categories, each with a percentage of weight given toward the overall score. These categories relate to student engagement with instructors and classmates; expert opinion, which consists of a survey of high-ranking  academic officials at other academic MBA and nursing programs; faculty credentials and training; student excellence; and student services and technologies. The latter measure relates to the amount of financial, technical and vocational support available to students who are participating in distance learning. The highest weight is given to student engagement, which is 30 percent of the total score. The rankings also favor colleges where instructors are not only accessible and responsive, but “they are tasked with helping to create an experience rewarding enough that students stay enrolled and complete their degree in a reasonable time.”  The ranking methodology is based on the collection of data from schools that offer an online MBA and an online Master’s in Nursing.

U.S. News & World Report notes that an MBA is the most popular graduate business degree program, and that prospective students frequently focus their research exclusively on business programs that offer this degree. A Master’s in Nursing is a credential that will pave the way for individuals to serve in more advanced roles in administration and leadership in the nursing field.

“Three short years ago, I set a goal of being in the top 100 online programs,” said Ginger Killian, UCM MBA director. “I’m really proud of how far we’ve come.”
Both the online MBA and the online Master’s in Nursing are offered through UCM’s Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies. MBA programs at UCM are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the gold standard of business school accreditation. U.S. News & World Report notes that UCM’s 33-hour program is flexible and among the most affordable in the U.S.

UCM’s online MS in Nursing degree program emphasizes advanced practice nursing knowledge, skills and attitudes as well as the application of scholarly inquiry. The Nurse Educator emphasis stresses the use of academic technologies including simulation in the educator role, and course work covers components for the certification of nurse educators. The Family Nurse Practitioner provides graduates with course work and practica needed to sit for the certification exam.

To learn more about UCM’s online MBA, contact Ginger Killian, MBA director, at 660-543-8192 or email mba@ucmo.edu. For more information about the online MS in Nursing, call 816-282-1100, 660-543-6600, or email nursing@ucmo.edu.

To learn more about these rankings, visit US News & World Report’s online rankings.