Baylor’s Online MBA, Nursing Master’s Program Move Up in U.S. News Online Rankings

January 15, 2020

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-6275
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WACO, Texas (Jan. 15, 2020) – Baylor University online graduate programs that lead to a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Leadership and Innovation are moving up in the U.S. News 2020 Best Online Programs rankings released Jan. 14.

The Online MBA in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business made the largest jump in the U.S. News rankings, moving up 26 places to rank No. 47 overall among Best Online MBA Programs. The program also is No. 14 among Best Online General Management MBA Programs for students to gain a well-rounded business education with a concentration in management. Baylor’s Online MBA also offers concentrations in cybersecurity, executive communication and marketing.

The Online MSN in Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing is in the top 25% nationally, moving up to No. 41 among Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs. In addition, LHSON’s online MSN in Leadership and Innovation is ranked at No. 8 nationally among Best Online Master’s in Nursing Administration Programs. LHSON also offers Online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs in executive nurse leadership, family nurse practitioner, neonatal nurse practitioner, nurse-midwifery and pediatric nurse practitioner.

Baylor Online MBA

The U.S. News Best Online MBA programs are highly ranked programs that have strong traditional academic foundations based on the excellence of entering students, graduation rates and instructor credentials. They also excel at educating distance learners while providing robust career and financial support, according to the U.S. News methodology.

Using five categories, U.S. News ranked online MBA programs in Engagement (30%) between students and with their instructors; Expert Opinion (25%) through a survey of high-ranking academic officials at MBA programs; Faculty Credentials and Training (15%); Student Excellence (15%); and Student Services and Technologies (15%).

“We are still a fairly new program, and I think the market is just now beginning to recognize the quality of our program,” said Timothy R. Kayworth, Ph.D., associate dean for graduate business programs and professor of information systems at Baylor.

The Baylor Online MBA caters to a more experienced population of working professionals, who average 11 years of work experience, Kayworth said.

“This allows students from diverse industries to interact with each other and share their ideas and insights, as well as take concepts from classes led by experienced full-time Baylor faculty and apply them immediately at work,” he said. “We also are student-focused, and our outstanding online MBA staff does a great job meeting student needs from recruitment through graduation. While many of these students have never been to campus, our staff make them feel welcome as Baylor Bears.”

Baylor Online Master of Science in Nursing

The U.S. News Online Master of Science in Nursing programs are highly ranked programs that have strong traditional academic foundations based on student-instructor access, graduation rates and instructor credentials. They also excel at educating distance learners while offering robust career and financial support, according to the U.S. News methodology.

Using five categories, U.S. News ranked online nursing programs in Engagement (30%) between students and with instructors; Faculty Credentials and Training (20%); Expert Opinion (20%) from a survey of high-ranking academic peers in nursing; Services and Technologies (20%); and Student Excellence (10%).

“We are honored to be listed in the top 25% of distinguished nursing graduate programs ranked by U.S. News,” said Shelley F. Conroy, Ed.D., MS, RN, CNE, dean of Baylor’s LHSON. “Our programs are designed to prepare graduates to lead and transform today’s complex health care environments. We see a great potential for nurses with graduate nursing degrees from the Louise Herrington School of Nursing who are uniquely prepared in accordance with the Baylor mission and vision for the future to serve as key leaders in population health locally and around the world.”

As an area of focus in the University’s Illuminate strategic plan, Baylor’s growing graduate and professional programs, including online programs, provide non-traditional, innovative and transformational learning opportunities. In addition to the MBA and graduate nursing programs, Baylor offers online master’s degree programs in communication sciences and disorders, litigation management, public health and social work, and doctoral programs in physical therapy, education (learning and organizational change), occupational therapy and social work.

For more information about Baylor’s online programs, visit www.baylor.edu/online.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

At Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, integrity stands shoulder-to-shoulder with analytic and strategic strengths. The School’s top-ranked programs combine rigorous classroom learning, hands-on experience in the real world, a solid foundation in Christian values and a global outlook. Making up approximately 25 percent of the University’s total enrollment, undergraduate students choose from 16 major areas of study. Graduate students choose from full-time, executive or online MBA or other specialized master’s programs, and Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The Business School also has campuses located in Austin and Dallas, Texas. Visit www.baylor.edu/business and follow on Twitter at twitter.com/Baylor_Business.

ABOUT LOUISE HERRINGTON SCHOOL OF NURSING AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (LHSON) in Dallas was established in 1909 as a diploma program within Baylor Hospital in Dallas, which is now Baylor Scott & White Health’s Baylor University Medical Center, and in 1950 became one of the six degree-granting schools of Baylor University. The first baccalaureate degrees were granted in 1952, establishing the school among the earliest baccalaureate nursing programs in Texas. In 1999, the School was renamed after Louise Herrington Ornelas, a 1992 Baylor Alumna Honoris Causa, who made an endowment gift to the School. Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, LHSON offers Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees through a traditional program and the one-year accelerated FastBacc® program. LHSON also offers an online Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Innovation program and an online Doctor of Nursing Practice program, including tracks as a Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwifery and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Best Graduate Schools ranked LHSON’s DNP program No. 41 and Nurse Midwifery No. 10 nationally in the health disciplines category, while its 2020 Best Online Graduate Programs ranked LHSON’s MSN Leadership and Innovation online degree program No. 8 nationally. Visit www.baylor.edu/nursing to learn more.