Graduate programs

Online MBA

Continue working and pursue your MBA simultaneously

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Program format

Live online, weekday evenings; optional in-person electives

Commitment

Part time

Duration

24 months

Overview

The SMU Cox Online MBA: Experienced Professional Track is designed for working professionals who want to advance their careers without sacrificing the collaborative experience of a traditional MBA. Through a flexible part-time format, students participate in live online evening classes, complete asynchronous coursework on their own schedules and engage with classmates and faculty in meaningful, face-to-face virtual discussions. The result is an MBA experience that fits the demands of a busy career while preserving the interaction, accountability and community that help students succeed.

Students build advanced business knowledge through a curriculum centered on leadership, analytics and experiential learning, with opportunities to customize their studies based on their professional goals. Experiential projects, the Global Learning Program and courses taught by accomplished faculty and industry leaders ensure students develop practical skills they can apply immediately in the workplace. Throughout the program, students collaborate with a cohort of experienced professionals whose diverse perspectives enrich classroom discussions and expand professional networks.

Beyond the virtual classroom, students benefit from personalized career support, leadership development and opportunities to engage with the broader SMU Cox community through in-person events, networking opportunities and global experiences. The combination of flexibility, personal connection and real-world learning allows graduates to earn a respected MBA while remaining fully engaged in their careers.

See what SMU Cox can do for you

Advance your career without pausing it. The Online MBA combines flexibility, live learning and a powerful network to build leadership skills and drive real-time career impact from anywhere.

Student success

Online MBA students receive the same comprehensive career support that distinguishes every SMU Cox MBA program. Through individualized career coaching, leadership development, networking opportunities and connections to employers and alumni, students gain the guidance and confidence to pursue promotions, navigate career transitions and expand their professional impact. This personalized support helps students translate their MBA experience into meaningful career outcomes—wherever they live and work.

This program prepares you to excel in the following areas and professions:

  • Strategy
  • Management
  • Finance
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Technology and digital transformation
  • Operations
  • Organizational leadership
  • Marketing
  • Global business
  • Business analytics

Top 20%

Online MBA in the U.S.

Fortune (2026)

61%

promoted within four months of graduation

2025 Online MBA Employment Report

39%

average increase in salary

2025 Online MBA Employment Report

Requirements

  1. Required and optional essays: Follow and submit your answers to the essay prompts in the application.
  2. Unofficial transcripts: Upload with your application; or send electronically to coxgradtranscripts@smu.edu. (Note: Official transcripts are ultimately required from all colleges and universities where you completed 12 or more credit hours)
  3. Submit standardized test scores (GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment): SMU Cox is test optional and not required.
  4. Two professional references: Names and contact information of two people who can speak to your character and professional background.

View all requirements

Ready to apply?

Get started here. No application fee required.

Tuition and financial aid

Tuition and costs

Explore the cost breakdown of tuition for graduate programs.

Financial aid

Find information on scholarships and financial support available at SMU.

Curriculum and learning

Featured courses

FINA 6205

Finance Theory and Practice

This course examines the tools and concepts that form the core of modern finance theory, with an emphasis on practical applications

BA 6015

Executive Leadership

A study of leadership that promotes an academic and practical understanding of the subject, including similarities and differences between effective management and leadership

MNO 6248

Complex Problem Solving

Provides students with the skills and practice necessary to identify and solve complex business problems that are ambiguous, uncertain and unstructured

Outside the classroom

Research

The research conducted by SMU Cox faculty informs the conversations taking place in every Online MBA course. By exploring emerging trends, evolving markets and the challenges facing organizations today, faculty bring timely, evidence-based insights into the virtual classroom. Students graduate with a deeper understanding of the issues shaping business and the confidence to apply those insights in their own organizations.

Faculty

Online MBA students learn from the same accomplished faculty who teach across the in person SMU Cox MBA programs. As respected researchers, experienced consultants and trusted advisers to organizations, they bring academic rigor and practical perspective to every class while creating an engaging, collaborative learning environment. Through live instruction and meaningful interaction, students benefit from the expertise, accessibility and personalized support that define the Cox School experience.

Facilities

Students in online MBA programs at Cox can collaborate with the Career Management Center.

Career Management Center

The pioneering Career Management Center is your go-to for everything from personalized career strategy and coaching to personal branding, job search and innovative mentoring programs. From the moment you enroll, the CMC is ready to help you accelerate or transition your career.

The Business Leadership Center at SMU Cox helps top online MBA students learn to lead.

Business Leadership Center

The Edwin L. Cox Business Leadership Center enhances classroom experiences by developing MBA students’ leadership skills through seminars, executive speaker series, experiential learning programs and coaching.

Frequently asked questions

SMU Cox offers a top-ranked Online MBA that balances flexibility and rigor with live weekday evening classes, AACSB accreditation, access to extensive alumni and employer networks that lead to stellar career outcomes and a curriculum built on leadership, analytics and experiential learning.

Look for AACSB accreditation, faculty with academic and industry experience, formats that let you work while studying, live online interaction, immersion experiences and proven career outcomes. SMU Cox checks all of these boxes.

Yes. The SMU Cox Online MBA is AACSB accredited and delivers the same rigorous curriculum as the University's on-campus MBA programs. Students learn from the same accomplished faculty, earn the same Master of Business Administration degree and receive the same comprehensive career support, providing a credential that is respected by employers and recognized for its academic quality.

For many working professionals, an online MBA offers a strong return on investment because it allows them to continue advancing their careers while earning their degree. At SMU Cox, students apply what they learn immediately in the workplace, benefit from personalized career support and leadership development, and build lasting connections through a collaborative cohort and global learning experiences. Together, these advantages help prepare graduates for career advancement, expanded leadership opportunities and long-term professional growth.

The Online MBA: Experienced Professional Track can be completed in as little as 24 months, while the Online MBA Direct: Early Career Track is designed as a three year program. Both tracks allow students the flexibility to complete the program within six years.

For 2025-2026, tuition is about $1,970 per credit hour (includes a $100 distance-learning fee). Estimated totals for the entirety of the program: Experienced Professional track ~52 credits over 6 terms ≈ $107,640; Early Career (MBA Direct) track ~53 credits over 8 terms ≈ $110,010.

SMU Cox automatically considers all applicants for merit-based scholarships, which are awarded upon admission. In addition, we encourage you to explore external scholarship opportunities.

Seek live online classes (not fully asynchronous), strong faculty, interaction with peers, immersion experiences, flexible pacing, meaningful electives, robust support services and AACSB accreditation. SMU Cox offers all of the above.

Look for accreditation from AACSB International. SMU Cox is AACSB-accredited, signaling rigorous standards in faculty excellence, curriculum quality, learning outcomes and continuous improvement.

The SMU Cox Online MBA is designed to deliver the flexibility of online learning without sacrificing the connection and engagement of a traditional MBA experience. Students participate in live online evening classes, complete coursework on their own schedules and collaborate closely with classmates and faculty throughout the program. They also have opportunities to take select electives on campus, participate in immersive learning experiences and access the same career resources and student support available across SMU Cox MBA programs.

Employers value accredited programs that build real skills. The SMU Cox Online MBA is AACSB-accredited, with experiential curriculum and classes taught by the same faculty who teach in our on campus programs. Additionally, all SMU Cox MBA graduates earn the same Master of Business Administration degree, no matter what program they completed.

The Global Learning Program is a four-day international experience where you tackle real business challenges, meet leaders and apply classroom learning in a global context—often cited by students as among the most rewarding parts of the program. You will meet and work together on immersion projects with your program cohort.

Within six months of graduation, members of the Class of 2025 reported meaningful career advancement: 85% earned a promotion, 66% changed employers, more than one-third transitioned to a new industry and more than one-third moved into a new job function.