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The business world considers the Master of Business Administration to be one of the best ways to advance a career, and there are several MBA programs in Iowa that offer students options for career advancement.
The business world never stops for anyone to play catch-up, and a degree is one of the best tools a person can use to find a rewarding and well-paying career.
After graduation, students may find employment in a variety of thriving Iowa cities like Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Sioux City. Many large industries make their homes in Iowa from the insurance industry in Des Moines to a strong arts and culture presence in Cedar Rapids.
Kaplan University
School of Business
Kaplan University was established in the 1930s as the American Institute of Commerce. Many students choose to enroll in distance learning programs, but the university also has five different campuses in Iowa including sites in Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, and Mason City. Some of the areas where the university focuses its efforts include information technology, healthcare, and nursing. Students may also take criminal justice, business, and legal studies courses. The university has an open admissions policy, and students are eligible for loans through the federal student loan program. The school also offers reduced tuition rates to members of the military.
Master of Business Administration
Kaplan University describes the objective of its program as one that helps students understand how to lead others in business, as well as to compete in competitive industries. Students who graduate from the program are expected to accomplish several objectives including integrating business knowledge into real-life situations and creating business innovations when there is a need for new processes. Students are also taught to understand the social implications and ethical issues that may impact certain business decisions, as well as the qualities of strong leadership. Some of the classes students will take include Business Analytics, Financial Accounting Principles & Analysis, and Strategic Human Resource Management. Kaplan also offers several specializations for their MBA program including specializations in Finance, Health Care Management, and Human Resources. Students may also specialize in Information Technology, Marketing, or Project Management. Additionally, Kaplan offers a non-specialization track for students who don’t wish to specialize in one of the offered areas of specialization.
Accreditation
- The Accreditation Council for Business School Programs (ACBSP)
Contact
Kaplan University
7009 Nordic Drive
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Phone: (319) 277-0220
Email: infoku@kaplan.edu
Cedar Falls
Cedar Rapids
Davenport
Des Moines
Mason City
St. Ambrose University
College of Business
St. Ambrose University is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and is located in Davenport. Around 3,600 students attend school at the university, which was founded in 1882. The campus offers a small-town environment and offers a variety of majors and minors for students. The school began its life as a seminary and a school of commerce. The first classes at the school were held in just two rooms in a local building. The school wasn’t made officially coeducational until 1968, but women had already been taking classes at the campus for a few decades. It’s MBA program began in 1977 and was the first graduate program offered at the school.
Master of Business Administration
The program at St. Ambrose is designed to offer students a solid understanding of business leadership while also creating socially conscious business people. Classes required in the MBA program at St. Ambrose include Accounting for Managers, Financial Management, and Operations Management. Students will also learn about marketing Management and Data Analysis for Decision Making. The program is designed to help students excel in business through a learning environment that focuses on the students. Graduates of the MBA program at St. Ambrose have gone on to more than 100 non-profit and for-profit entities. The average age of people in the program is late 30s, and about half of the students enrolled are female. The school also considers its program to be a very diverse program with students hailing from a variety of backgrounds from legal to medical and engineering to accounting. Students will need to complete 39 credit hours to receive their MBA.
Accreditation
- The Accreditation Council for Business School Programs (ACBSP)
Contact
St. Ambrose University
MBA Program
518 W. Locust Street
Davenport, IA 52803
Phone: (563) 333-5825
Email: mba@sau.edu
Program Website
University of Phoenix – Des Moines
College of Business
The University of Phoenix was founded in the 1970s in Arizona and had just eight students in its first class. After a few years, the school expanded to other geographical locations like San Jose, California. After a few decades of operation, the school was taken public on Wall Street, and the university grew swiftly with many locations around the country, including Iowa. Today, the University of Phoenix boasts around 250,000 undergraduate students and more than 51,000 post-graduates. There are more than 100 degree programs available at levels from associate’s degrees to doctoral degrees. In addition to degree programs, the school also offers many continuing professional education courses and professional development classes.
Master of Business Administration
At the University of Phoenix’s Des Moines campus, students may choose to attend on-campus classes or pursue an online degree program. Like other MBA programs in Iowa, students may choose to earn an MBA without a specialization or earn an MBA with a specialization track like Accounting, Human Resource Management, or Marketing. Classes required in the MBA program include Management, Business Law, and Organizational Leadership. Students will also learn about Corporate Finance, Marketing, and Operations Management. At the end of the program, students will take Strategic Planning & Implementation, which is a capstone course that features concepts gathered from all the other courses a student has already taken. The number of credits a student will need to complete to receive their MBA will range from 36 to 54 credit hours. The first 36 credit hours will cover the core business courses in areas like management, law, and economics. The final credit hours will be spent on elective courses for the student’s concentration.
Accreditation
- The Accreditation Council for Business School Programs (ACBSP)
Contact
University of Phoenix – Des Moines
317 6th Avenue, Suite 102
Bank of American Building
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: (866) 229-5743
Email: admissions@phoenix.edu
Program Website
Many students who decide to earn a graduate degree in business have already been in the workforce for several years, and the choice to return to school is a major life decision for anyone above the traditional college age. It’s important to research different business programs to get a good idea of the type of classes and specializations offered at each university, as well as to compare features like price, available scholarships, and location. Students have many choices when they choose to enroll in MBA programs in Iowa.
