Five-Year Anniversary for MBA@Rice

It’s hard to believe MBA@Rice, our online MBA program, is celebrating five years since welcoming its first students. From the time it launched in July 2018, it has become the fastest growing program at Rice Business — a pretty impressive accomplishment considering our full-time MBA added another cohort during COVID.

Ranked No. 12 for online programs by U.S. News and top 5 for online programs by Princeton Review and Poets & Quants, MBA@Rice is recognized for its rigor and service to students. That’s due to staff and faculty working hard behind the scenes to make it thrive, improve student satisfaction and keep the feel as seamless as the on-campus programs.

Of the currently enrolled students, 25% are outside of Texas and 24% are veterans. The program’s success has also allowed Rice Business to grow its tenure-track faculty by 40%.

The online MBA has grown our overall enrollment. Students and alumni from the program also engage in the life of the school while securing promotions at work and transitioning to new positions in different industries. For instance, one student was promoted from business development engineer to strategic account manager during the program and has since been promoted to project development manager. Several other graduates have switched careers — from oil and gas to consulting or tech. There are remarkable stories such as a student who pivoted from sales engineer to finance, and another graduate who transitioned from being an actress in musical theater in New York City to a consultant with Accenture.

Alumnus Brian Jackson ’21 is another success story. He hails from Boston via the MBA@Rice program and was named the newest alumni board president, the first online alum in that role. As Brian and so many other graduates prove, our online MBA program broadens our school’s reach and impact, which has been our intention from the beginning.

Happy 5-year anniversary, MBA@Rice. We're so happy you're a part of the family. 

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Barbara Bennett Ostdiek is senior associate dean of degree programs and associate professor of finance and statistics.