Students looking for fully accredited business administration degree programs in Minnesota have plenty of options, and many of them bear not only regional accreditation but also accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Known as the AACSB, the body is the single most prestigious accreditation for business schools at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Students who are looking to put their careers on the fast track, or simply obtain a distinguished degree for better career advancement and teaching prospects, can benefit directly from seeking a Minnesota program with this powerful pair of accreditations from major regional and international organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Minnesota State University, Moorhead
College of Business and Industry
Minnesota State’s Moorhead campus serves students in the western part of the state, and even draws a large student body from neighboring Fargo, ND. The school has long had one of the best business programs in the region for students at the undergraduate level, driven largely be a wealth of internship opportunities in Fargo and a large number of professors with terminal degrees. The program gives students the opportunity to exchange internship experience for elective credits and frequently hosts on-campus speakers and network events that allow students to get a foot in the door with major firms as they seek post-graduation employment. The school has an exceedingly high retention rate for business students and bears AACSB accreditation that is generally perceived as the gold standard for this area of study.
Business Administration BS
The Bachelor of Science program in business administration is one of the largest on campus, and introduces students to a wide array of concepts that are absolutely essential in the modern business world. All students must satisfy the business program core, which teaches the fundamentals of marketing, management, accounting, finance, and economics. In addition to this core for all students in the business school, those pursuing a B.S. in business administration must also take a required slate of management courses. These courses introduce consumer behavior, personnel and human resources management, advanced financial management and economics, and current topics in business. Ethics and business law are also key components of this program. During their third and fourth years on campus, students can opt to pursue an internship for which they can receive up to 3 credits of elective coursework credit in the business program.
Business Administration Minor
A minor in business administration pairs well with many disciplines outside the business school, and it’s a great choice for a large segment of students. As part of this program, which ranges rom 18 to 21 credits depending on the student’s academic major, topics in accounting, marketing, finance, and business, will be covered. All students who elect for a minor in business administration will also be required to take courses in business law and ethical operation of a business, and they may take between 3 and 6 elective credits in ethics, accounting, marketing, management, human resources, or finance, to complete the course of study.
Accreditations
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
Minnesota State University, Moorhead
College of Business and Industry
1104 7th Ave. S.
Moorhead, MN 56563
Phone: (800) 593-7246
Website: https://www.mnstate.edu/cbi/
Minnesota State University, Mankato
College of Business
MSU Mankato is the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System’s third-largest campus, located just over 75 miles south of the state’s Minneapolis metropolitan area. As result, students enjoy access to a large number of great amenities, including high-tech campus labs, unique business simulation experiences during their undergraduate or graduate coursework, and access to networking that take advantage of Minneapolis-St. Paul’s close proximity. Professors who teach at the Mankato campus almost all have doctoral degrees, and many have extensive managerial experience in the corporate sector. Research takes center stage in the program when students advance beyond the undergraduate level, while those pursuing the bachelor’s degree in business administration focus primarily on internships and cooperative learning.
Business Administration Minor
Undergraduate students can pursue a minor in business administration that will give them a fundamental set of skills useful for budgeting, accounting, and managing personnel. The university requires at least 18 credits in business in order to officially declare this minor. Coursework includes business law and ethics, two accounting courses, and introductory courses in strategic management, business marketing and consumer behavior, basic economics, and financial management. Students may opt for an internship in the business sector as well, though such internships are not eligible for an exchange of credits for students who pursue only a minor in a given subject area at MSU Mankato.
Master of Business Administration
MSU Mankato offers a fully AACSB-accredited Master of Business Administration degree through the College of Business. Unlike the vast majority of MBA programs in the United States, this one actually uses courses that are just two credit hours in length. A total of 17 courses, or 34 credit hours, is required in order to graduate. Students will take a series of fundamental courses in business writing, analysis, and management, and then move into more advanced studies. These advanced courses cover topics like advanced business law and ethical decision-making, managerial accounting, consumer behavior and marketing strategy, strategic management and personnel services, human resources administration and management, and business-oriented research and data analysis. Students can opt to defend a graduate thesis if they wish to advance to a DBA or PhD program, though this is not a requirement of the program.
Accreditations
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
Minnesota State University, Mankato
College of Business
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone: (800) 722-0544
Website: http://cob.mnsu.edu/mgmt/
St. Cloud State University
G. R. Herberger College of Business
Located in St. Cloud, as its name suggests, this public university is the largest one in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. Students at St. Cloud who enroll in the university’s MBA program will gain access to experienced managers, accountants, and executives, as they combine advanced management studies with research, investigation, and consumer behavior. Professors who teach in this program primarily have doctoral degrees, and they work alongside students in research placements and teaching assistantships that help to enrich the curriculum. St. Cloud State University enjoys full AACSB accreditation for its MBA program, which gives students access to a prestigious diploma, excellent research possibilities, and the ability to study and teach at the doctoral level in business-related academia.
Master of Business Administration
St. Cloud State University offers two MBA programs, focused on different groups of business professionals. Its semester-based program is designed for those pursuing a full-time, traditional MBA on the university’s main campus. This program is most often targeted to younger business professionals or those who are continuing directly from work at the undergraduate level. For adult students, a program is offered with eleven 8-week sessions over the course of 26 months. This part-time program is frequented by older managers and executives who need evening courses and a lesser workload. Both programs focus on strategic and advanced management concepts, human resources management, managerial accounting, and business strategy. Marketing strategy and financial management are also studied at a high level, with students engaging in a great deal of academic research regarding business ethics while they take the program’s core requirements.
Accreditations
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
St. Cloud State University
G. R. Herberger College of Business
720 4th Ave. S.
St. Cloud, MN 56301
Phone: (320) 308-0121
Email: advising@stcloudstate.edu
Website: http://www.stcloudstate.edu/mba/
University of Minnesota – Duluth
Labovitz School of Business and Economics
The University of Minnesota’s satellite campus in Duluth is focused on a limited number of undergraduate programs and an expanded number of graduate-level opportunities. Those studying business can take advantage of programs at both levels, with professors who often bring real-world management experience into the classroom. That’s because the campus sits in Minnesota’s fifth-largest city, and a corporate center for numerous regional businesses serving the Upper Midwest. This allows students to pursue a number of great internships, which may count for undergraduate elective credits. Students at the graduate level can join the all-doctoral faculty in teaching assistantships, or they can opt to perform research and defend a thesis as they move onto the doctoral level of business study on their own. A series of networking and meet-and-great events, combined with AACSB accreditation, give students high job placement numbers in the months immediately following graduation.
Bachelor of Business Administration
Business students at UMD will earn a Bachelor of Business Administration, or BBA, for their efforts. This requires intensive studies of several different business topics. During their first four semesters, students will work on satisfying liberal arts and business core requirements, as well as the prerequisites needed for advanced business studies. These courses include six credits in economics, another six in accounting, and courses in marketing, finance, and basic management. Students will also be required to take classes in basic computer systems for business and several liberal arts disciplines during this time. When they enter into more advanced coursework, students will study human resources management, strategic management, organizational behavior, corporate finance, calculus, and advanced business law and ethics. An internship is required, though academic credit is awarded for students’ efforts in this area.
Master of Business Administration
The MBA at UMD is accredited by AACSB International and offers a few distinct tracks based on students’ post-graduation ambitions. The most popular track includes a series of core courses, followed by concentrated electives in either marketing, finance, accounting, management, or human resources. This sees students take advanced managerial accounting, financial and marketing management, managerial economics, advanced management, and data analysis, followed by electives in a concentration area. Other students opt to do away with the concentration and focus instead on directed research alongside a UMD professor during their time in the program. This requirement also sees the student present and defend a thesis prior to graduation, setting them up for doctoral work in business. A third option, known as “improvisational theater in business,” focuses on simulations, case studies, and hands-on experiences that relate directly to executive-level management functions.
Accreditations
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
University of Minnesota – Duluth
Labovitz School of Business and Economics
1318 Kirby Dr.
Duluth, MN 55812
Phone: (866) 311-1157
Email: lsbe@d.umn.edu
Website: https://lsbe.d.umn.edu/bba.php
University of Minnesota
Carlson School of Management
The University of Minnesota’s main campus serves the largest metropolitan area in the state of Minnesota, straddling the “twin cities” of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Thanks to the campus’ flagship status, the Carlson School of Management is one of the largest and most prestigious in the state, with professors at both the doctoral and adjunct levels who bring a great deal of corporate sector experience into the classroom. Students learn through traditional lectures, laboratory and simulation experiences, and off-campus co-op placements in the broader Minneapolis-St. Paul business community. AACSB accreditation and a local chapter of the business-specific Beta Gamma Sigma honor society, give students a prestigious diploma that will find them in high demand by local employers.
Business Administration M.B.A.
The University of Minnesota offers one of the highest-ranked MBAs in the state and one of the most prestigious in the country. As a highly affordable and flexible option, this program can also be completed in accelerated sessions that more closely align with the needs of adult learners. While students can pursue a generalist MBA without a concentration, most choose to take elective credits in concentrated subject areas like executive leadership, ethics, marketing, accounting, or finance. Students will study advanced accounting and managerial finance, business analytics and data modeling, corporate finance and financial management, strategic communication, and executive management, as they complete the program. Opportunities exist for guided research and thesis defense as well.
Business Administration Minor
A minor in business administration pairs well with virtually any program offered on campus outside of the actual business school. This 18-credit program fills in for many free electives enforced by other programs, and focuses on the basics of accounting and financial reporting, business finance, personnel management, economics, and strategic communication. Students learn basic management styles and how to ethically manage the financial and public faces of a small enterprise, and can even be placed in a relevant internship toward the end of their studies.
Business Administration Ph.D.
The doctoral business program is offered as a Ph.D., rather than an MBA, and therefore is a more theoretical and academic pursuit. Students will be required to select a topic of research upon entry into the program, and they will spend the entirety of their time at the University of Minnesota cooperating with several professors as they assemble data and defend their thesis. Coursework in business ethics, the philosophy of corporate governance, and the role of the corporation in society, serve as the academic core of this business program. Doctoral students will participate in teaching assistantships at the university as well, preparing them for a role in academia upon graduation.
Accreditations
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
University of Minnesota
Carlson School of Management
321 19th Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: (612) 625-0027
Email: gsadmit@umn.edu
Website: http://www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/mba/
University of St. Thomas – Minnesota
Opus College of Business
UST serves a large and growing student body of more than 10,000 individuals, and is currently Minnesota’s largest private institution of higher education. The Opus School of Business, which offers both distance education and on-campus coursework to students, focuses on undergraduate and master’s-level graduate education fro students in the St. Thomas community. Professors are a mix of doctoral and adjunct, experienced and academic, and give students insight through high-tech business simulations, laboratory business classes, and a series of electives that showcase specific areas of the business world. At the graduate level, students also learn by engaging in research and a thesis defense, graduate assistantships, and instructional opportunities in undergraduate courses.
Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
Students at the Opus College of Business receive a B.A. degree in business administration, and enjoy on of the most well-rounded business programs anywhere in the state. All students must begin their studies with courses in business ethics and basic financial accounting, before moving on to courses like macroeconomics, microeconomics, corporate finance, marketing and consumer behavior, and strategic management. Students can choose up to 12 business electives, and most opt for a series of concentrated courses in a single area of study like marketing, finance, or accounting. These courses prepare students for work in a specialized field, and help them pursue a relevant internship during their final year on campus. That internship counts for academic credit, and is arranged in consultation with each student’s academic advisor. AACSB accreditation ensures rigorous coursework and excellent job placement rates for graduates.
Business Administration Minor
The business minor at St. Thomas involves between 15 and 21 credits, all of it focused on the most fundamental skills required of a business owner or an entry-level manager. Students will learn the basics of accounting and financial reporting, corporate finance, budgeting, personnel management, human resources, and business law. Many of these courses are “cross-compatible” with university liberal arts requirements, which means students won’t add extra time to their four-year program of study at St. Thomas.
Master of Business Administration
The MBA program is offered as both a traditional, on-campus program, or a part-time alternative that uses both online classes and on-campus lectures. Whether it’s a traditional approach, a distance education option, or the hybrid degree experience, all students must take the same slate of courses in order to move to degree candidacy and eventually to conferral. This includes managerial accounting, financial considerations for managers, advanced economics and corporate budgeting, advanced management and ethical decision-making, and a course on national and international regulations governing modern corporations. Students can opt for guided research in defense of a thesis, or they can choose instead to take a capstone course that simulates a large corporation and places students into the decision-making roles they’ll soon be faced with after they obtain their degree.
Accreditations
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
University of St. Thomas – Minnesota
Opus College of Business
Mail # MCH128
2115 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
Phone: (651) 962-5544
Email: cobundergrad@stthomas.edu
Website: https://business.stthomas.edu/degrees-programs/index.html
Winona State University
College of Business
Winona State is the oldest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, and also one of the smallest. For those pursuing their undergraduate education in business, this means a combination of prestigious credentials and small class sizes that permit for more individualized instruction from professors. The WSU College of Business utilizes all doctoral faculty members with extensive experience in business management, marketing, accounting, economics, or finance, giving students insight into both the academic nature of business and the practical application of the skills they learn from textbooks and lectures. Students are encouraged to seek internships and attend on-campus meet-and-greet events with local business leaders, enhancing their job prospects when they graduate either with a business degree or a minor in business administration from the university.
Business Administration Major
The business administration program at Winona State is highly comprehensive, giving students insight into each department within a large, corporate organization. To that end, the program focuses on operations and supply-side analysis, marketing and advertising, accounting, finance, corporate budgeting, and strategic management of personnel. Students will also study human resources management and related topics, business law, ethical decisions in management, and technological concepts that affect the modern business. Electives comprise 9 total credits, and can be in any business-related field. An internship is required of most traditional students, with placement assistance arranged by the academic advisor and the College of Business.
Business Administration Minor
Those who opt to minor in business will take a condensed curriculum that focuses on only the most essential management topics. These include accounting and financial management, personnel management and strategic communication, marketing principles, advertising, and economics. Students are eligible to seek a business-related internship as part of their business minor, but this is not currently required by the College of Business.
Accreditations
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
Winona State University
College of Business
859 30th Ave. SE
Rochester, MN 55904
Phone: (507) 285-7448
Email: sdewan@winona.edu
Website: http://www.winona.edu/rochester/businessadmin.asp
Each of these business programs offers students a compelling education that can travel with them from undergraduate coursework straight through the doctoral level. Each of these accredited business administration degree programs in Minnesota features both regional and AACSB marks of approval, making them among the top programs nation.