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Sector Portrait: Continuing Education
MBA Programs in Florida
A Florida Trend in-depth report on the state's top MBA programs.
DEAN'S PERSPECTIVE
 |
dean, Andreas School of Business,
Barry University, Miami Shores
Barry University's graduate business programs are trying to capitalize on the diversity of its students' backgrounds. With the economy still lagging, professionals from a wide assortment of fields are seeking training to run their own businesses successfully. Some are out of work and interested in entrepreneurial opportunities. Others are veering off from an existing job to branch out on their own.
The diverse backgrounds, Mandakovic says, are "great for classroom environment. You analyze different situations from different perspectives. You learn a lot from other people by being with them in the classroom."
Another trend, Mandakovic says, is an increased emphasis on service-oriented learning. That, he says, addresses general comments from the business world. MBA students gain practical, useful experience working with non-profits and other organizations in the community. "They're learning and at the same time seeing the usefulness," he says.
Mandakovic says he encourages prospective students to get two years of experience in the workforce before seeking their MBAs. "It's an issue of maturity,'' he says. "The students are coming here to learn — and not be taught."
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Steven Foley,
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach
Steven Foley won't be scouting for employment after school. He's already accepted a job in global customer management at Rolls-Royce. He says the opportunity arose through school.
Before enrolling in the MBA program, Foley worked for several years as a commercial banking officer and served on the Wausau, Wisc., City Council. During school, he interned at Orlando International Airport, worked as a graduate assistant for his college's marketing director and participated in extra team projects. Part of his goal, he says, was to take advantage of the networking benefits.
Returning for an MBA after being in the workforce was an approach that Foley, 31, recommends. "You just know how to relate that education to the real world,'' he says.
| University | Enrollment (2010) | Cost |
| Barry University — Andreas School of Business | 107 | $31,500 - $34,125 |
| DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management* | 197 | $33,600 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | 154 | $40,000 |
| Florida A&M University | 81 | N/A |
| Florida Atlantic University — College of Business | 630 | $42,090 |
| Florida Gulf Coast University —Lutgert College of Business | 300 | $39,000 |
| Florida Institute of Technology — Nathan M. Bisk College of Business | 1,000 | $19,000 - $36,000 |
| Florida International University — Chapman Graduate School of Business | 862 | $54,000 |
| Florida Southern College — School of Business | 47 | $24,000 |
| Florida State University — College of Business | 349 | online: $20,700 (in-state); $23,800 (out-of-state); on campus: $15,600 (in-state), $42,100 (out-of-state) |
| Jacksonville University — Davis College of Business | 160 | $49,000 |
| John Sykes College of Business — University of Tampa | 336 | $39,600 |
| Keiser University | 430 | $25,914 |
| Nova Southeastern University — H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship | N/A | $26,600 - $31,000 |
| Palm Beach Atlantic University | 113 | $16,560 |
| Rollins College — Crummer Graduate School of Business | 475 | $88,000 (2-year cost) |
| Saint Leo University — School of Business | 1,429 | $13,752 - $23,304 |
| Stetson University — School of Business Administration | N/A | $45,600 |
| University of Central Florida — Executive Development Center | 470 | $44,000 |
| University of Florida — Hough Graduate School of Business | 930 | $46,000 |
| University of Miami — School of Business | 178 | $76,000 |
| University of North Florida — Coggin College of Business | 376 | $13,283 (in-state) |
| University of South Florida — College of Business | 270 | N/A |
| University of South Florida Polytechnic | N/A | $14,998 - $19,457 |
| University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee | 54 | $17,057 |
| University of South Florida St. Petersburg — College of Business | 141 | $12,874 |
| University of West Florida — College of Business | 164 | $7,950 |
