The U.S. News & World Report announced today that Oklahoma City University has one of the best online graduate business programs in the country for the fourth year in a row. OKCU’s Meinders School of Business is ranked 30th in the country, which is the highest in Oklahoma in the Best Online Business Programs (non-MBA) list and one higher place from last year.
The rankings assess master's-level discipline-specific business degree programs that are not general MBA programs. The Meinders School of Business was specifically recognized for its online offerings in the master’s Energy Management and Energy Legal Studies programs. The school ranked especially high for faculty credentials and training and in student engagement.
“We are thrilled that U.S. News & World Report ranked our live-streaming, online master’s energy programs highest among all Oklahoma universities and colleges, public or private,” said business school Dean Steven Agee. “Being ranked number one in Oklahoma for the third year in a row is a significant accomplishment, and being ranked number 30 among all colleges and universities nationwide is a prestigious honor and a true differentiator for the Meinders School of Business.”
The full list and methodology can be viewed on the U.S. News & World Report website.
The Meinders School of Business started offering online components of its two graduate-level energy business programs — Master of Science in Energy Management and Master of Science in Energy Legal Studies — soon after they were launched in 2012.
U.S. News ranked the schools on five general categories: student engagement, a measure of how well students can interact with their instructors and fellow classmates; admissions selectivity; peer reputation, which is essentially how much respect the school has achieved among high-ranking academic officials and outside employers; faculty credentials and training; and student services technology. U.S. News selects factors, known as ranking indicators, to assess each program in those categories.
The Meinders School of Business boasts live-streaming video and an instruction-enhancing technology that enable off-campus students across the U.S. to participate — in real time — with the course, the instructor and with their fellow students. The classrooms have electronic SmartBoards, video cameras, monitors and projectors linked together for instructors to utilize a teaching tool called JoinProf.com, which allows students to actively participate in live class discussions from anywhere with internet access. Students can watch lectures and ask questions by typing text into a field that is displayed on the professor’s monitor. The professor can also direct questions to the class, and all students can submit responses through the website whether they are physically in the classroom or are far away. The Meinders School of Business ranks in the top 4.5 percent of business schools in the world and has earned accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The MS in Energy Management and MS in Energy Legal Studies programs are also accredited by the American Association of Professional Landmen.
