Management Schools and Programs in The United States

Management Studies in The United States

Management in the United States is taught mainly in business schools. Students meet it as a major or concentration inside a bachelor's degree in business, and again at graduate level in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and in specialised master's degrees. Business is the largest field of undergraduate study in the country. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 375,400 of the 2.0 million bachelor's degrees conferred in 2021-22, or 19 percent, were in business. SpainExchange lists 156 colleges and universities in the United States under management.

How management studies are organised

• Associate degree: a two-year programme, usually at a community college, that leads to a job or to a transfer into a bachelor's degree
• Bachelor's degree: usually four years of full-time study. Students take classes in a wide range of subjects in addition to the major, and each institution sets the number of credits needed to graduate
• Master's degree: MBA programmes typically last one to two years. Some schools also offer a shorter Master of Science in Management
• Doctorate: a research degree of five to eight years for those who want to teach or do research

The name of the degree varies. Binghamton University's School of Management offers a BS in Business Administration, an MBA and a PhD. Keuka College awards a B.S. in Management built on courses in accounting, business law, strategic management, economics, finance, marketing, human resources and statistics. At Bentley University, management majors take the general major or choose a concentration in Entrepreneurship, Global Management, Human Resources Management, Leadership, or Supply Chain and Operations Management. At Carnegie Mellon University, the Tepper School of Business teaches a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration based on management science and quantitative analytics, and a Master of Science in Management that takes nine months.

Accreditation and recognition

The United States has no national ministry that approves degrees. Recognition of credits and degrees by other institutions and by employers is linked to the accreditation of the institution. Business schools can also hold a specialised accreditation. AACSB describes its accreditation as a framework for quality assurance and continuous improvement in business education. Fort Lewis College, for example, presents its Katz School of Business as AACSB-accredited, and Keuka College states that its business programmes are accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). Graduates who want to use a U.S. degree in another country should ask the authority in that country how it is recognised.

Admission and language

For a bachelor's degree, applicants must in general have completed high school and be at least 17 years old. Each college sets its own requirements, and EducationUSA, the U.S. Department of State's advising network, recommends starting the search 12 to 18 months before the academic year of entry. Classes are taught in English, and colleges ask international applicants for proof of their English level. The academic year usually runs from August to May.

International students need a student visa. Once accepted by a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the school's international student office issues the Form I-20 used in the visa application. With permission from that office, international students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week in their first year.

Costs

Fees are set by each institution. According to NCES, average tuition and fees for first-time, full-time undergraduates in 2022-23 were $9,800 at public four-year institutions, $40,700 at private nonprofit four-year institutions and $4,000 at public two-year institutions. Starting at a community college and transferring after two years, the "2+2" route, can lower the total cost of a bachelor's degree.

Where to study management

Baltimore has the most schools in this directory (five), followed by New York and Boston (four each) and Los Angeles, New Haven, Ithaca and Miami (three each). The list includes large universities such as The Ohio State University, The University of Texas at Austin, Purdue University, Carnegie Mellon University and Binghamton University; Bentley University in Waltham; Hofstra University in Hempstead, whose Frank G. Zarb School of Business has a Department of Management and Entrepreneurship; smaller colleges such as Keuka College, Hope College and Fort Lewis College; and community colleges such as Des Moines Area Community College, College of Lake County and Laramie County Community College.

Careers

A management degree does not lead to one regulated profession. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that top executives typically need at least a bachelor's degree and considerable work experience, and that those in large corporations may hold an MBA. BLS projects that employment in management occupations will grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035, with about 1.1 million openings a year. For management analysts, often called consultants, a bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement, although some employers prefer an MBA; BLS projects 10 percent growth from 2025 to 2035 and about 94,100 openings a year.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study management in the United States?

A bachelor's degree usually takes four years of full-time study and an associate degree two. An MBA typically lasts one to two years.

Is a master's in management the same as an MBA?

No. The MBA is the general graduate business degree and typically lasts one to two years. A Master of Science in Management is usually shorter; at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business it takes nine months.

Can I start at a community college?

Yes. In the "2+2" model, students spend two years at a community college and then two years at a university to earn the bachelor's degree. Check early which credits the university accepts.