Top 10 Part-time MBA Programs Globally

The Evening and Weekend MBA program from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business was ranked by US News the country’s top part-time MBA in 2018. Graduate students from the business school benefit from its location near Silicon Valley, a hotbed for jobs at major tech companies like Google and Visa. It is no surprise, then, that notable Haas MBA alumni include the former CEO of Electronic Arts and CFO of Hewlett-Packard. Part-time MBA candidates earn the MBA in three years, attending classes in evenings and weekends. 

The University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Business and Economics is one of Asia’s finest management institutes. HKU runs a part-time MBA program that can be completed in a minimum of two years and a maximum of four. Being based in Hong Kong is a clear benefit, a major global financial hub with a skyscraper-studded skyline. But students can also spend a semester at London Business School or Columbia Business School in New York City. The course focuses on the challenges faced by firms in Asia, focusing on four themes: entrepreneurship, financial management, change management and marketing. 

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is number two on US News’ list of the top part-time MBA programs in the US. Booth has a reputation for housing one of the world’s leading finance faculties, home to nine Nobel Laureates. The school has both an Evening and a Weekend MBA program, which are based in Chicago and last for up to three years. Most part-time students are from outside Chicago and travel to the Windy City to study. That means the cohort is extremely diverse and represents a myriad of industries from consulting to banking and from manufacturing to education and healthcare.  

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management is another top-ranked business school in the US. Part-time MBA students go to school in the evenings or on Saturdays and the course is highly flexible, with exit points at between one and five years. Kellogg is renowned for its “Leadership Journey” that stresses the importance of reflection and accountability. The concept is embedded throughout the syllabus and it aims to prepare participants to embrace new challenges and focus intensely on their personal and career goals. 

NYU Stern School of Business runs a top-rated part-time MBA program in New York City. The location is a major advantage for students, since it’s a global mecca for business and culture, from finance to fashion. Students on Stern’s part-time “Langone” MBA take classes in Manhattan during weeknights, on Saturdays, or through an accelerated two-year track. One important feature of the program is the Langone speaker series, which exposes students to the diverse perspectives of highly successful executives. Past speakers have come from big corporations like the Home Depot, and De Beers.

Imperial College Business School in London is one of the world’s leading MBA providers. And its Weekend MBA is taken part-time, so students do not need to give up their day jobs to get the renowned qualification. The 21-month program sees students attend Imperial’s London campus for one weekend each month. That is a big draw, since the UK capital is a vibrant global business hub, giving students access to companies, ideas and people in abundance. Being based in a leading STEM university means the business school also focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship, and this is a key theme for the part-time MBA. 

Mannheim Business School in Germany has achieved the “triple crown” of AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS accreditation, ensuring the highest standard of business education. What’s more, Mannheim runs a part-time MBA program that is one of the best in Europe in terms of both the course and the value for money. The highly international cohort learn through practical experiences, for example guest speakers from renowned companies and the “Social Project” on which groups of students work on a key sustainability challenge for a real company. The course is also designed to nurture “soft skills” like communication and creativity, which are increasingly important to corporate recruiters. 

The University of California — Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management is one of America’s best business schools, ranked highly by a bevy of major publications. The school runs a Fully Employed MBA that students take part-time on weekends and evenings. The program is very diverse with 915 students from 600 companies representing nearly 50 nationalities. The part-time MBA boasts excellent graduate career prospects: 80 per cent of students received a promotion or switched careers during the course and they boosted their salaries by between 23 and 34 per cent. 

Nanyang Business School in Singapore runs a Professional MBA Programme over 18 months in the vibrant city-state, a hub for commerce and culture. Part-time MBA participants attend weekday classes in the evenings, at weekends and also tune in to online sessions. Nanyang has a history of educating some of Asia’s most influential leaders, including politicians, businesspeople and technologists. The powerful peer network comes from a wide range of organizations, industries, cultures and countries. The alumni network has more than 50,000 members, which facilitates peer learning and provides extensive networking opportunities. 

The Rotman School of Management is renowned across the globe, as it is ranked highly by many publications. The Canadian business school offers both a Morning and an Evening MBA program, with many participants earning their degree before or after work, twice a week. One notable aspect of the part-time programs is that students can innovate in the Creative Destruction Lab, one of the world’s fastest-growing business incubators that is based at Rotman. The business school is part of the University of Toronto, one of Canada’s top research universities, which informs the MBA teaching. It’s also located in the multicultural city of Toronto, one of Canada’s foremost commercial and financial capitals.