Southern Miss MBA Program Ranked Among Nations Best

The University of Southern Mississippi's MBA program has been rated among the nation's Top 200 part-time business programs in rankings for 2014 by U.S. News & World Report.

Part-time business programs play a vital role for working people who can't go to school full time because of family or financial reasons. Southern Miss currently has approximately 50 students enrolled in the MBA program with most (78 percent) pursuing their degrees on a part-time basis.

“This national recognition affirms the quality of the Southern Miss MBA and the hard work of our graduate faculty and MBA students,” said Dr. Beth LaFleur, associate dean of the College of Business and MBA director. “Furthermore, it confirms the continued tradition of excellence that I experienced when earning my Southern Miss MBA.”

U.S. News & World Report's part-time MBA ranking is based on five factors: average peer assessment score (50 percent of the school's overall score); the average GMAT score and average GRE quantitative and verbal scores of part-time MBA students entering in fall 2012 (15 percent), which took into account the admissions test scores of the entire entering class; their average undergraduate GPA (5 percent); work experience (15 percent); and the percentage of the business school's fall 2012 MBA enrollment that is part time (15 percent). The statistical data were collected in fall 2012 and early 2013.

LaFleur points out that Southern Miss MBA students come from many different fields and undergraduate backgrounds. In addition to the traditional business fields – accounting, finance, management, marketing – many students come from other disciplines such as science, technology, engineering and medicine.

“Increasingly, applicants to the MBA program come from non-business fields,” said LaFleur. “We are noticing a marked increase in applicants with degrees and work experience in the sciences – particularly coastal, marine and atmospheric – medicine, other health care fields, and all engineering degree backgrounds.”

The Southern Miss MBA program is offered on the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses. Dr. Faye Gilbert, dean of the College of Business and a graduate of the Southern Miss MBA program, says the national ranking by U.S. News & World Report helps send a significant message to prospective students.

“The quality of the faculty and students is affirmed by the ranking and by our accreditation by AACSB,” said Gilbert. “Dr. Beth LaFleur does a great job in coordinating our efforts to deliver a nationally competitive experience for our students.”

To view the U.S. News & World Report best part-time MBA program rankings, visit: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/part-time-rankings. To learn more about the Southern Miss MBA program, call 601.266.4659 or visit: http://www.usm.edu/business/master-business-administration-mba