Online MBAs are seen in business education circles as a way to redress the gender imbalance on campus. Many institutions struggle with this, but have strived to recruit more women into online education where there can be a far better gender balance than on campus.
Online MBAs appeal to women because of their flexibility, with students tuning into classes remotely whenever and wherever it is convenient for them to do so. The ability to “earn while you learn” is also attractive to women who may prioritize job security with most Online MBAs taught on a part-time basis.
The gender pay gap may deter some women from incurring the high opportunity cost of not working while they study a full-time course. An MBA can be a fast ticket up the greasy pole, however, with many corporations striving to redress their own gender imbalances in the top brass.
However, the coronavirus pandemic is causing some women not to enrol in MBAs because of uncertainty over the job market which has been hit hard by Covid-19, while the rise of remote working can make achieving a good work-life balance harder.
Other schools though, report a rise in number of women applying to their Online MBAs, which are seen as a way to shelter from the economic storm. Below, we have charted the best Online MBAs for women in terms of the proportion of women enrolling, as well as the support offered to female students, such as scholarship funding.
The Frank G. Zarb School of Business, at Hofstra University in New York, is AACSB-accredited, which ensures a high quality of teaching. An impressive 55 percent of the Online MBA class is female. They may be drawn to the school’s location, so close to the Big Apple, which is a hub of both commerce and culture, and home to leading companies in the financial services, fashion, and media sectors, among others.
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At the Chapman Graduate School of Business, Florida International University, 53 percent of Online MBA students are women. The school’s digital degree has been ranked third in the US and ninth in the world by QS. For students on the program, a performance-based, $15,000 scholarship is available to help defray the cost of tuition.
View School ProfileThe Fox School of Business, at Temple University in Philadelphia, has achieved gender parity with 50 percent of the Online MBA students being women. The course is super flexible, with students given the option to earn the credential in just 20 months or in up to six years. That means they can fit the degree around their professional or personal lives.
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The Northeastern University D'Amore-McKim School of Business has an Online MBA that is 40 percent female in terms of the student intake. The Financial Times ranks the course as the eighth best in the US. The program focuses on the practical application of the theory, with a range of experiential learning opportunities for students to put their newfound knowledge into practice in real business environments.
View School ProfileSMU Cox School of Business in Dallas, Texas, has enrolled an Online MBA class comprising 40 percent women. One of the strengths of the SMU Cox Online MBA is that students have access to all the opportunities that the on-campus students have including Career Management Center resources and hundreds of events, speakers and networking opportunities annually.
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IE Business School, in Madrid in Spain, is the world’s second-best MBA, according to the FT. Little wonder the school attracts many women, with 38 percent of the Online cohort comprised of female students. IE is renowned for its entrepreneurial culture, investments in educational technology and is also the FT’s top-ranked school when it comes to teaching about corporate social responsibility.
View School ProfileAt the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, 36 percent of the students in the school’s respected Online MBA are women. The course can be completed 100 percent online, or through a combination of remote study and campus-based learning across Massachusetts. There are 1,200 students enrolled, many with more than 10 years of work experience, which provides a useful professional network.
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The Warrington College of Business, of the University of Florida, has enrolled an Online MBA class with 35 percent women. A unique factor of the course is the “accelerated” 12-month option, which is available for those who have an undergraduate degree in business and graduated in the past seven years. There is a 24-month option for those who do not have an academic background in business.
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This respected European institution in Ghent, Belgium, has a relatively new Online MBA with a third of the class being female. It is ranked as the twelfth-best digital degree by the FT. What is more, Vlerick is one of precious few business schools that holds the “triple crown”, or accreditation from the EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB awarding bodies.
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