Top 10 U.S. News Ranking Demonstrates Sustained Excellence of Foster Hybrid MBA

Hybrid MBA recognized for strength of student community, academic excellence in finance, business analytics and management

The Foster Hybrid MBA earned a top 10 ranking for the second year in row, according to the U.S. News & World Report Best Online MBA Programs. Hybrid MBA retains its place as #1 in the state, #1 in the Pacific Northwest, and #2 in the Western United States in the Online MBA category. The Hybrid MBA program also rose to the top of new specialty academic rankings: #10 in Finance, #16 in Business Analytics and #17 in General Management.

Foster stood out from the growing crowd of nearly 300 online MBA options, earning high marks in Student Excellence and Faculty Credentials and Training, a measurement that determines instructor readiness for remote teaching.  The program also earned the distinction of being #8 for Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans.

High Ratings in Student Excellence

Hybrid MBA ranked #4 in the Student Excellence category which evaluates the quality of students admitted into the program, including factors such as standardized test scores, undergraduate GPA and professional work experience. When evaluating applicants to the Hybrid MBA program, the admissions committee looks at several selection criteria, ensuring students can meet the demands of rigorous coursework while continuing their careers.

In addition to this focus on raw horsepower, the admissions committee works to ensure that candidates offer strong alignment with Foster School values of inclusivity, innovation mindset, and bettering humanity through business. Hybrid MBA students learn more not just because they are talented professionals working with talented faculty and staff but also because they can and do contribute greatly to the learning of their peers in the cohort.

Hybrid MBA students are leaders in their field with extensive work experience and prior education. In the class of 2022, the average work experience for students is 8.2 years and 18% of the class held an advanced degree prior to starting their MBA. Additionally, this program emphasizes diversity in all forms: 40% of current students are from out of state, 40% are women, and students represent 70 companies.

Who is sitting next to you in the classroom impacts your learning greatly. The Foster School works diligently to evaluate its candidates, ensuring that its classrooms can be a place for learning from the world class faculty, but also one another, resulting in a multi faceted learning experience.“
– Dan Turner, Associate Dean of Masters Programs

 

Premier Online Environment

During the turbulence of 2020, students everywhere transitioned quickly to a wide range of online education experiences.  However, online learning was not new for the Hybrid MBA program. The Hybrid MBA’s winning combination of thoughtful course design and effective online instructors scored high in the Faculty Credentials and Training category. Additionally, this benefited the entire Foster School community as it leaned heavily on Hybrid’s remote learning infrastructure to continue a world-class learning experience across all programs.

This last year has magnified online learning and the understanding that to have an effective class it must be completely redesigned starting with the learning outcomes and assignments, and ending with thoughtful execution of content delivery and student engagement. For the first time, online learning is getting the credit it deserves.”
– Jodey Farwell, Director of the Hybrid MBA

 

In front of the camera, Foster’s dynamic faculty bring online courses to life. Hybrid MBA Instructors lead weekly synchronous classes that happen in real time over Zoom. The faculty facilitate an active classroom environment, requiring cameras on, and calling on students to participate in discussions just as they would during an in-person class.

Behind the camera, Foster’s Hybrid MBA Course Development Team receives continual acknowledgement for its innovation excellence in course design and commitment to accessibility. They work with faculty to break down the curriculum into deliverable chunks and develop assessments that are best suited for the online environment.

Student Engagement

Student engagement is heavily weighted in the ranking decision and the Hybrid MBA excelled due to its robust student engagement opportunities. Lack of in-person interactions does not block Hybrid MBA students from being involved, forming networks and working together. At the heart of the student engagement aspect is its team-based nature. Diverse groups of students are formed at the start of the program and work together closely throughout the entirety of the MBA program.

Popular student opportunities offered are the Hybrid MBA student council, a newly formed student group named JEDI for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Peer Mentor Program, and a mental health group that offers support to current students.  Additionally there are many opt- in career management opportunities including global immersion, regional career treks, Alumni Mentorship Program, Job Search Work Teams, Board Fellows Program, and ability for students to form their own groups.

The Hybrid MBA program is proud to be a pioneer in a world becoming increasingly digital. Through a sustained commitment to student well-being, diversity and accessibility the Hybrid MBA program will continue to be an innovative leader in its field. While the School recognizes the value of rankings bodies in helping inform prospective students, earning high rankings is not the School’s purpose. “Our community doesn’t build and deliver programs to earn high rankings. We deliver transformative development experiences so that students can elevate the impact of their ideas on the world. Accelerating student development while living our shared community values is our key measure of success,” said Dan Turner, Associate Dean of Masters Programs.