Note: This op-ed written by Dr. Les Guice appeared in BIZ Magazine on Jan. 21, 2020. 

For those looking to advance their careers, a Master of Business Administration is a great option for both professional and personal growth. At Louisiana Tech, we understand that return on investment is one of the biggest factors when selecting an MBA, so we’re proud our programs are consistently recognized for both value and quality. In fact, U.S. News & World Report ranks the College of Business in the Top 230 of graduate schools and the Professional Online MBA is ranked No. 2 in the Nation and No. 1 in Louisiana for Best Value by Online MBA Today. 

That value can be seen in the excellent jobs our alumni are getting. For 2017-18 MBA grads, 96 percent were hired within six months of graduation at notable companies across the globe — CenturyLink, Ernst and Young, ExxonMobil, the FDIC, IBM, GDIT, JP Morgan, and Merrill Lynch, to name only a few. 

These companies know that our students understand how to lead innovation in an organization and utilize technology to its fullest. Starting next year, the MBA curriculum — from finance to marketing — will integrate a living case study focused on strategic decision making in a specific organization. This integrative case study will be woven throughout each course and give our students the unique opportunity to engage directly with a Fortune 500 leadership team.

While each course will incorporate this common study and the themes of technology and innovation, our programs are tailored to fit any student’s goals. They can choose from the 30-hour Professional Online MBA that provides a solid foundation in all business disciplines or the Traditional MBA with classes held on our Ruston campus. The Traditional MBA allows students to specialize in a specific area of business by adding an additional six hours to their curriculum. Concentrations are available in Finance, Marketing, Information Assurance, Innovation, and Six Sigma. 

We continue to expand our program offerings in Shreveport-Bossier. The popular Executive MBA program is specifically designed for students who already have management experience and thus relies heavily on integrating each individual’s experience to enhance the overall learning of the entire cohort. Structured to provide minimal disruption to busy work schedules and personal lives, the Executive MBA program allows students to meet for classes every other weekend at Tech’s Academic Success Center in the National Cyber Research Park in Bossier City.

The Hybrid MBA is another option for students wishing to study in Bossier, and is particularly appealing as the need for an expanded workforce in information assurance and cyber security continues to grow in our region. The Hybrid format is a 24-month, 36-hour MBA program with concentrated coursework in Computer Information Systems and Information Assurance. 

Louisiana Tech strives to meet the needs of our region’s workforce, and these graduate programs help students deepen their knowledge base and develop highly sought-after skills to fill those needs. 

Dr. Les Guice | President of Louisiana Tech University