What’s Driving Record Interest In Ohio State’s Working Professional MBA? Flexibility And ROI

The decision to pursue an MBA while working full-time was one that Marc Stellato took seriously. His job in health care already required long, odd hours. Putting in the work to earn an MBA would mean more time spent away from his family.

But when Stellato, an ICU nurse in Phoenix, Arizona, weighed those considerations against his desire to accelerate his career, the decision ended up being an easy one: he enrolled in the online Working Professional MBA (WPMBA) program at The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business.

“I want to move into an upper management role, and the part-time WPMBA provides me with a flexible path to achieving that dream,” says Stellato, who enrolled in 2023. “I’m able to work full-time and go to school at the same time. Having my MBA from a university that is as recognized as Ohio State will go a long way in my career development.” 

The flexibility of Fisher’s WPMBA was a major draw for Stellato. Students can take classes entirely online, on-campus or via a mix of both ― and they have opportunities to control the pace of the program and take semesters off. While most graduate from the WPMBA program in 2.5 years, students have up to six years to complete their coursework.

That flexibility continues to drive interest nationwide and has set the WPMBA apart as one of Ohio State’s most popular graduate degree offerings. With more than 500 students currently enrolled in the program, the WPMBA has grown by more than 60% since the 2021-22 school year. 

Julia Wilson (MBA ’23) was among those who enrolled in the WPMBA following the pandemic. With two children under the age of 10, and having just started a new job, Wilson wasn’t sure if the time was right to pursue an MBA. 

“I had wanted to get my master’s for some time but was very concerned about the possibility of juggling my work and personal life ― especially with the uncertainty of the times,” she says. “But the WPMBA program stood out to me because of the flexibility of weeknight and weekend classes. When I did more research, I realized that the core coursework covers material that is applicable to any career direction I took next. And even though I didn’t have a business background, I would be able to jump into the material right away.”

“It just seemed like a great door opener.”

The program Wilson discovered was much more than classroom lectures and group projects. The WPMBA incorporates staples of the Fisher educational experience ― namely a challenging curriculum led by world-class faculty, and opportunities to put classroom knowledge to work through experiential learning programs.

All WPMBA students have access to a multitude of offerings including Fisher’s Global Applied Projects (GAP) program, the Washington Campus, various one-credit workshops on key topics such as AI and sustainability, and many other co-curricular events, including engagement and opportunities with Fisher alumni on campus and throughout the region.

Wilson was a GAP participant in 2023, traveling to Vicenza, Italy, with five other MBA students to consult for a company interested in exporting its products to the U.S. The opportunity exemplified how the WPMBA’s flexible, hybrid delivery can create meaningful student experiences. 

“I couldn’t recommend this option enough,” Wilson says. “Not only did I love the learning that came from a hands-on, real business problem, but the experience of traveling abroad with a group of incredibly smart and talented MBA students is something I’ll never forget. I learned as much from them as I did from the instructor and faculty advisor.”

Like Wilson, Stellato began his WPMBA experience entirely online. 

“A concern I had was how the online experience was going to be and whether it would make learning difficult,” he says. “The way it’s set up, and with the technology, there’s high interaction with classmates and learning is fun. I’ve gotten to know all of my classmates and they’re available to help me when needed.”

Whether attending classes exclusively online or blending virtual and in-person opportunities on the Columbus campus, as Wilson eventually did for many of her electives, the creation of strong connections among WPMBA classmates stands out as a key part of the program, she says.

“Having classmates from a wide variety of backgrounds was also a huge benefit of the WPMBA,” says Wilson, a program coordinator at Ohio State’s Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens. “I was surprised by how much of a difference it made for me to get outside of my ‘bubble’ and learn from different people and disciplines.”

Having completed the program in three years, Wilson who, at one point considered a master’s degree in public administration, looks back now at all the deliberation that went into deciding to pursue an MBA at Ohio State. She’s confident she made the right choice.

“The differentiator for me was the WPMBA’s selection of coursework and its applicability to nearly any career,” she says. “Who couldn’t benefit from having some finance, accounting, leadership, marketing and strategy under their belt? And, I was able to tailor my WPMBA to use some of my electives to get a certificate from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs.”

“The WPMBA trained me in coaching, leadership and presentation skills, strategy, marketing and so much else that I’ve been able to apply to my position at the Arboretum. I’ve already begun to see the return on my investment. My supervisors cited my MBA education as a reason for an annual salary increase initially and, just recently, I was promoted to program manager ― a position that didn’t exist here until now.”

Learn more and see if Ohio State’s Working Professional MBA is right for you.