If you’ve been thinking about taking the next step in your career, but you aren’t quite ready to step away from your job, you’re not alone.
Many professionals reach a point where growth requires something more: deeper leadership skills, broader business acumen and a stronger network. At Rice Business, our working professional MBA programs are designed with exactly that moment in mind.
Earn an MBA While Working
No MBA is one-size-fits-all. That’s why Rice offers a range of programs for working professionals, including evening and weekend in-person formats, a fully online learning experience and options in between.
Whether you're aiming for a promotion, considering a career pivot, or simply looking to expand your impact, our MBA programs and Career Development Office team meet you where you are — and help move you forward faster than you might expect.
One of the most consistent themes we hear from our students is how quickly they begin to see tangible career results. Why? Because here, at Rice Business, you don’t just learn theory.
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An Executive MBA student shares his perspective.
Our research-based curriculum emphasizes real-world application from day one. You’ll bring current workplace challenges into the classroom and leave with practical strategies you can apply immediately. That means you’re not just building knowledge — you’re actively demonstrating value at work in real time.
Rice working professional MBAs often:
Lead new initiatives based on frameworks learned in class
Introduce data-driven decision-making processes to their teams
Confidently step into leadership conversations with senior stakeholders
This kind of immediate contribution doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s a key reason why many of our students earn promotions or expanded responsibilities during the program, not after.
The combination of enhanced self-awareness and improved teamwork skills has been transformative. I feel better equipped to navigate complex situations and work successfully with others towards shared goals.
SJ Kim
Executive MBA Class of 2025
Learn and Apply Hands-on Skills
Building Visibility and Credibility for Your Next Promotion
Promotions don’t just come from doing your job well; they come from demonstrating readiness for what’s next. Rice Business helps you build that readiness in tangible ways:
Leadership development in real time: Through team-based projects and experiential learning, you practice leading diverse groups, managing conflict and driving outcomes.
Strategic thinking skills: Courses in finance, strategy and operations help you move from execution to big-picture thinking, positioning you as someone who can contribute at a higher level.
Confidence and executive presence: As you refine how you communicate ideas and influence decisions, you naturally begin to stand out within your organization.
Rice MBA students often find that as their skills and mindset shift, their roles begin to evolve accordingly. And because our culture is rooted in giving back, promotions and new roles are frequently found through the help of others within the community.
Hear how Liam Morris ’23 advanced his career with Rice's Online MBA:
Make a Career Pivot Without Starting Over
For working professionals considering a career switch, our MBA programs are intentionally designed to support that transition through:
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Ruth Reitmeier, director of coaching at Rice Business.
Flexible electives across programs: You can explore new areas, like consulting, energy, healthcare, entrepreneurship or tech, without being locked into a single path.
Access to Houston’s diverse economy: As one of the most dynamic business hubs in the U.S., Houston offers exposure to multiple industries, making it easier to test and transition into new roles.
Peer network across industries: Your classmates become a valuable resource, offering insights, referrals and real-world perspectives that help you navigate a pivot more strategically.
Rather than starting from scratch, you’ll build on your prior experience through networking events, career advising, fellowships, leadership coaching and career treks — both here in Houston and around the world.
How a Rice MBA Can Fit Your Goals
Career growth looks different for everyone. Depending on your experience, industry and long-term goals, Rice Business offers multiple formats designed for working professionals: Professional MBA, Hybrid MBA, Online MBA (MBA@Rice) and Executive MBA.
There’s never a “right time” to invest in your growth. But you don’t have to pause your career to accelerate it, and you don’t have to take the leap alone. Explore our Rice MBA programs to see which format best aligns with your lifestyle. Your next career move may be closer than you think.
For Bodie Gilbert ’26 and team, the Rice Global Field Experience (GFE) project culminated in a go-to-market strategy so impactful it helped land the client in the pages of Forbes Brasil.
Wondering how earning an MBA will affect your earning potential? Read about how the degree can grow your skills and salary immediately and long after graduation.
