Professional MBA Program

Personalized, rigorous, connected: The two-year, part-time Professional MBA at SMU Cox is your route to new career avenues or accelerating the path you’re on. The Cox PMBA program for working professionals lets you focus your curriculum and schedule your classes with a flexibility that few PMBA programs offer.

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Career Growth with the Part-Time Professional MBA

At Cox, you'll find small classes led by inspiring professors with open doors, powerful leadership training, and career management services that alumni call life-changing. Tack on the connections you'll build to Dallas business leaders and the value of our tight-knit global alumni network, and the Cox PMBA will propel you long after you graduate.

MBA rankings graphic - professional mba ranks 16

A Perfect Fit for Real Life

You’re juggling a lot. Create your career trajectory on your terms. We work with you and your schedule to advance your career while you stay in the workforce. At SMU Cox you get a full-time experience in a two-year part-time program.


Mai Bui

"Going into the SMU Cox Professional MBA program gave me exposure to people of different experience levels and different industries that really helped me see a greater picture of business and how an organization works."

Mai Bui
PMBA 2021

The Cox Advantage

Renowned Faculty

SMU Cox has renowned faculty who blend industry insights with academic research.

NextGen Curriculum

We help students become future prepared through our NextGen Curriculum which highlights the SMU Cox pillars of Leadership, Analytics, and Experiential Learning.

Cohort Of Peers

Join a cohort of diverse and driven peers whose goals align with yours.

100+ Companies

At SMU Cox, you'll engage regularly with 100+ companies and get extensive support from our Career Management Center.

42,000+ Global Alumni

Connect with 42,000+ global alumni through the SMU Cox network to enhance and accelerate your career.

Global Classroom

Through our Global Leadership Programs, tap into a global classroom and lean into experiential learning.

Alumni Success Stories

The SMU Cox network is a powerful, supportive community that opens doors and creates real opportunities for Mustangs.
Harner

Lauren Harner, PMBA 2016

Director, Business Analytics and Strategy

Two years into her job as mechanical engineer at Halliburton, Lauren Harner decided it was time to enhance her business skills. She wanted to leverage her experience as a product development lead at Halliburton to become a strategic consultant in the oil and gas industry. Lauren immediately started applying what she was learning at SMU Cox , and leveraged that knowledge to take make a career move.  Working with her Cox career advisor, Lauren negotiated the opportunity to pilot a leadership development program with Holly Frontier Corporation.


Dane Karras | PMBA Success Stories

Dane Karras, PMBA 2016

Chief Operating Officer, Noble Royalties

Dane Karras had come back from a role in Alaska as a drilling engineer when, after six years of on-site work, he decided to focus on the business side of the oil and gas industry. He enrolled in the PMBA program at SMU Cox and steered his academic career while he worked as a senior engineer in his company's business development arm. Less than a year after graduating, Dane's first career move was to Vice President of Engineering at Accelerate Resources.


Bruce Rideaux | PMBA Success Stories

Bruce Rideaux, PMBA 2012

Managing Director at Hilltop Securities

Grit and heart — they're at the core of the SMU Cox experience. For Bruce Rideaux, the grit was what he discovered in himself when he was diagnosed with early stage cancer as he was preparing for finals while managing a full-time career as an investment banker. The heart was what he experienced at Cox. It was the support system that buoyed him as he underwent treatment, aced the finals and graduated with his class.


Frequently Asked Questions: Professional MBA Program


A graduate management education is one of the most important investments you'll ever  make, and it's likely to produce one of your biggest ROIs — you won't just boost your  career and earning potential, but you'll reap personal gains too. View the current tuition and fees here.

Yes. The Cox PMBA provides rigorous training that aligns with working life: you can apply what you learn immediately, leverage small classes and leadership development, access our Dallas-area business ecosystem, and benefit from a flexible schedule — all without pausing your career.  

There are 2 flexible start terms offered each Fall (late August) and Spring (beginning of January). 

Typically, PMBA students study and do coursework 10-20 hours per week outside of class times. 

The Professional MBA (PMBA) at SMU Cox is a two-year, part-time MBA designed for working professionals. With weeknight evening classes, two start terms each year, and 11 elective courses, you’ll build foundational business skills in your first year and deepen expertise via electives and concentrations in your second.  

The Professional MBA is intended for working professionals with an average of 6 years of work experience, often earlier or mid-career, who want leadership growth plus flexibility. Cohorts begin in both January and August. An Executive MBA (EMBA) targets senior leaders with more years of experience, with a structure emphasizing executive strategy, often with alternative scheduling (intensives, modular formats). Cox’s PMBA offers flexible scheduling, weekly evening classes, elective specialization etc., whereas the EMBA is built around a different cohort (August start) and format. (Note: specific EMBA schedule and experience vary).

No. Unlike a full-time traditional MBA, the Professional MBA is structured for part-time attendance so you can keep working. It matches academic rigor with flexibility, evening and weeknight classes, and elective specialization, rather than requiring full-day commitment away from work.  

With the PMBA, you’ll gain leadership, analytics, strategy and problem-solving skills that many alumni report applying immediately in their roles. You’ll also tap into the Cox Career Management Center, experiential learning and the global alumni and business network, which together help open new leadership roles, promotions or pivots.  

The PMBA is traditionally delivered over six consecutive terms across 24 months. Students have the flexibility to slow down coursework (6 years maximum), and the ability to speed up the program to 21 months.

Yes. The curriculum includes electives and concentrations that allow you to deepen expertise in new areas, plus career services and a strong alumni network to support transitions. While staying employed, you can shape your program toward roles that align with your desired career path.

Yes. All PMBA applicants are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships at the time of admission. The maximum direct merit award is $15,000. For early applicants (Early Review / Round 1), there are guaranteed scholarships ($2,500 for Early Review, $2,000 for Round 1) if admitted. Military benefits like the Yellow Ribbon program also apply to eligible students. 

Schedule an On-Campus, Phone Call, or Zoom meeting with a member of the Professional MBA Admissions team
Join an upcoming Admissions Event
For questions regarding the application or admissions process, reach out to gradadmissions@smu.edu or 214-768-1214. Office hours are Monday Friday, 8:30 AM -5:00 PM CT.


graduates

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