Advance your career with our highly ranked1 online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree designed and taught by world-class Rice MBA faculty alongside industry practitioners who lead the live sessions. Backed by an accomplished alumni network and tight-knit community, we deliver a robust academic curriculum and set our students up to make meaningful connections, no matter the distance. At Rice Business, you’ll gain a strategic edge and nourish your creative ideas while maintaining your current professional and personal commitments.
Duration: Two years (54 credits)
Format: Online with an on-campus Rice Residential Immersion and a Global Field Experience
Track options: An Early Career Track for candidates with fewer than three years of work experience is now available (currently only for the October 2026 cohort), in addition to the Experienced Track (available year-round)
Class profile: Average seven years of work experience for students in the Experienced Track
Admissions: Cohorts are admitted quarterly; test waivers are available depending on experience
Princeton Review, 2027 (Top 10 Six Years in a Row)
#1
Graduate Entrepreneurship Program
Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine, 2020-2026
#6
Best Online MBA Program
Princeton Review, 2026
Top 20
Best Online MBA Program
Financial Times, 2026
#1
Graduate Entrepreneurship Program
Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine, 2020 - 2026
INTERESTED IN RICE BUSINESS?
Curriculum and Structure
In our 54-credit Online MBA program at Rice Business, you’ll master fundamental business principles and emerging topics alike, with the freedom to customize your elective choices to specialize in an industry or gain a broader understanding of management in different areas. With AI transforming how companies collaborate with AI agents, process and manage data, and lead organizational change, the curriculum helps prepare MBAs to navigate AI and other technologies critically, creatively and responsibly.
You’ll also have the option to choose from two different tracks. The Experienced Track is best suited to MBA candidates with three-plus years of work experience, while the Early Career Track is ideal for candidates who are nearer to the start of their careers.
Early Career Track: Who It's For
The Early Career Track is designed for candidates with fewer than three years of work experience who possess a strong undergraduate academic background. Students in this track join a dedicated cohort of fellow recent graduates and early-career professionals for their first year of study before integrating into the mainstream Online MBA student body. We offer one annual intake for Early Career Track students. Connect with an enrollment specialist for more information about the next start date.
In the Early Career Track, you can expect:
Same world-class faculty and curriculum as the Experienced Track
Identical program duration and fees as the Experienced Track
Dedicated peer cohort for the first year of study
Admissions requirements for the Early Career Track include:
Bachelor’s degree with a strong undergraduate academic background
Fewer than three years of work experience
At least one professional letter of recommendation
The MBA@Rice is structured for your life in motion. In a primarily online model, you’ll engage in live virtual sessions and asynchronous self-paced coursework over either five or 10 weeks per course. Students in the Online MBA program benefit from both world-class faculty and experienced business practitioners. Faculty design the curriculum and lead the asynchronous coursework, while live sessions are facilitated by practitioners who bring real-world expertise. Our purpose-built digital campus provides a space to collaborate with business leaders across the United States. The program also includes two in-person engagements: a required four-day residential immersion in Houston and an international Global Field Experience (GFE). While travel to the client's location is encouraged as part of the GFE, it is not required.
Most students complete the program in two years, though a flexible three-year track is also available for those who need additional time to balance work, life and academic commitments.
Structure:
100% online classes
Asynchronous coursework with synchronous live sessions
One four-day, in-person immersion in Houston, Texas
One Global Field Experience
Opportunities for organizations and activities locally and globally
Online MBA Admissions
Our student-centered admissions process ensures you can develop your talent without unnecessary complexity. Applications to our Online MBA program are accepted on a rolling basis, and we evaluate your candidacy based on a variety of elements, including test scores and/or work experience, essays, a virtual interview, leadership roles, community involvement and career progression.
Requirements include:
Experienced Track
Early Career Track
Bachelor’s degree
Professional work experience
At least one professional letter of recommendation
Our curriculum is delivered through a blend of live, face-to-face online classes and self-paced coursework. Designed for intellectually curious, purpose-driven candidates eager to create a meaningful impact, this format ensures your education evolves alongside your career, whether you are at home or working across the globe. You can access our digital campus from any device. Learn more about our Online MBA curriculum here.
Leverage Rice’s deep ties to the energy, healthcare and technology sectors. As the No. 1 school for entrepreneurship5 and the No. 7 best MBA for finance2 in the nation, we provide the tools you need to innovate within your current company or launch your own venture. Our network is global, but our heart is in Houston — a city known for its diversity, grit and welcoming spirit. Learn more how we develop leaders in our Online MBA program here.
As an Owl, you’re part of something bigger. Rice is known for small class sizes, an extensive network and an intimate learning environment, and MBA@Rice is no different. Weekly live Zoom sessions with peers and faculty spark meaningful discussion and leadership development, while assignments — from real-world case studies to collaborative projects — can be completed from anywhere. Our required on-campus Rice Residential Immersion also allows you to build lifelong relationships at our beautiful Houston campus. Learn more about our student experience here.
A distinguishing feature of the Early Career Track is the Leadership Accelerator and Professional Development Seminar, which runs throughout the first academic year. Held live online approximately every two weeks, these sessions are led by faculty and feature alumni engagement.
Designed to complement classroom learning, the seminar focuses on leadership development, professional communication, career exploration and readiness, and networking while helping students build meaningful connections with peers, faculty, alumni and program leadership. Participation is required. Learn more about the Early Career Track here.
Military
We are proud to support those who serve. Rice Business is ranked #17 among the best online MBAs for veterans by U.S. News & World Report.
24% of our students are military-affiliated, representing those who identify as active duty, veterans, reservists, or military affiliates.
TheVeterans Business Battleat Rice is the nation’s largest veteran business competition and helps military heroes launch successful startups. The competition has awarded over $10 million in investment since 2015.
The Military Veteran Startup Accelerator Entrepreneurship Lab offers hands-on experience collaborating with veteran entrepreneurs to refine business ventures, evaluate pitch competition applicants and develop a pipeline for the Veterans Business Battle.
We offer dedicated resources to help military members transition their unique leadership skills into the corporate world. Explore military benefits today.
Rice has been instrumental to my career transition from technical engineering in oil and gas to industrials, and now even further growth in strategic planning.
Emmanuel Amadasun,
Online MBA Alum
Costs and Financial Aid
Investing in our Online MBA program (MBA@Rice) is an investment in your own long-term ROI. We provide a transparent breakdown of tuition and fees, along with dedicated financial aid counselors to help you navigate scholarships, federal aid and employer sponsorship.
Learn from the elite faculty of the online MBA@Rice: accomplished innovators, researchers and business people who teach the same transformative content of our full-time program. They bring real-world expertise, with the help of practitioners, into every session, transforming complex theory into actionable strategy. Join a community where the faculty amplify your potential for a rigorous educational experience.
The MBA@Rice begins with a cohort that becomes your lifelong personal advisory board, proving that distance is no barrier to the “Texas-friendly” spirit. You gain full, unconditional access to a global powerhouse of 82,000+ Owls, including over 10,000 Rice Business alumni, who are as invested in your career acceleration as you are. From your first live session to the corner office, you will be part of a community that transcends geography to open doors in every major industry.
Rice University’s Online MBA program mirrors the rigor of the on-campus MBA. Live, weekly sessions encourage interaction with faculty and peers, while asynchronous materials allow you to study on your schedule.
You’ll have access to one-on-one career coaching, resume and interview preparation, networking events and personalized guidance from Rice Business’ Career Development Office — designed to help you advance or pivot your career during and after the program.
Online courses are developed and taught by renowned Rice Business faculty. The digital platform also integrates real-time discussions, group projects and multimedia resources for a highly interactive experience.
This four-day, in-person intensive brings Online MBA students to our campus in Houston for hands-on learning, networking and leadership development with classmates, professors and alumni.
Online MBA integrates real-world business challenges into coursework, helping you immediately apply new skills at work. The program’s leadership development and networking opportunities prepare graduates to move into senior-level or cross-functional roles.
Graduates go on to leadership roles across industries like consulting, finance, energy, technology and healthcare. Many also leverage the Rice alumni network to explore entrepreneurship or transition into new sectors.
Yes. You’ll participate in live classes, team projects, breakout sessions and virtual networking events that foster strong professional relationships and collaboration across cohorts.
The primary difference between the Experienced and Early Career Tracks is the experience level of the students who enroll. The Experienced Track requires a minimum of three years of work experience for admission, whereas the Early Career Track does not have a minimum work experience requirement — making it ideal for recent graduates and young professionals. Both tracks share the same faculty, curriculum, duration, fees and online support services. Students in the Early Career Track will join a dedicated cohort of fellow early-career professionals for the first year of study before integrating into the mainstream online student body. Finally, the Early Career Track is currently only available for the October 2026 cohort.
One of the top questions we get about the online MBA student experience is how do you become part of the Rice Business community if you’re taking classes solely online?
Your decision to earn an MBA means you’re serious about your career. So are we. Our number one goal is to help you elevate your career and help you design a personalized development plan.
Meet Brandon Nimmers, Chaundra Frank and Josh Obregon — three Rice MBAs who are helping ensure the 2026 FIFA World Cup runs smoothly in Dallas, TX.
Contact Us About the Online MBA at Rice Business
Join the Online MBA at Rice Business to stand at the forefront of experiential learning with a community that’s as ambitious as you are. Ready to climb the ladder or pivot into a new field? Here, you’ll find the prestige, network and skills to get there.
