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Are you working your way up within your company, but need to hone your skills? 

Or, do you need to go back to school to learn new skills that you did not learn while earning your undergraduate degree?

Or, are you in a new management and leadership position, but lack a thorough understanding of accounting, finance, marketing, human resources and/or international business?

Fortunately, you have more than half a dozen options for earning your MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree in the Kansas City area.  Even better, the MBA programs at Rockhurst University, Baker University, the University of Kansas (Edwards Campus) and Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University are considered some of the best in the Midwest.

You can earn your degree in as little as 18 months, but it will likely take you two to three years to complete most programs (three years typically if you don't attend classes during the summer). 

At most schools, you'll go to class from one to three nights per week, or one weeknight and one weekend day.   That schedule works nicely for working adults.  And, most students take one course at a time.

Tuition ranges from the low $400's per course/credit hour to just over $600.  So, figure on investing between $14,000 and $20,000 to complete your MBA degree.  Some local employers offer tuition reimbursement for their employees, typically tied to the grade averages they earn.   Check with your Human Resources department for your company's program and policy.  Some reimbursement programs are in suspension during these challenging economic times, but could start up again as your company's performance improves.

Before you select the school and program you will attend, contact the school by phone or online to find out:

• Admission requirements (most programs require certain prerequisite courses and undergraduate degrees, and some require your having successfully completed the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
• Semester start times
• Current tuition fees
• Most current MBA Focus Areas/Curriculums
• Online (web-based) instruction options
• Orientation dates

Also, figure on spending up to $100 or so on textbooks for each course you take, and devoting four to six hours per week for textbook reading, studying, preparing for tests and writing papers.

Most important and rewarding, when you earn your MBA, your fellow students are mostly area business professionals, which makes classroom discussion both very real-world and thought-provoking.  And, at most schools, your instructors are top local business professionals during the day so they know how to relate your textbook teachings to real-world situations.  That means what you learn at each class you can likely apply the next day at your workplace.

Here are your best options, listed in alphabetical order:

Avila University - (816) 501-3601 -- MBA Focus Areas:  Accounting, Finance, General Management, Healthcare Administration, International Business, Management Information Systems, Marketing.

Baker University - (800) 955-7747 -- MBA Focus Areas:  Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, International Business, Information Systems, Marketing.

Friends University - (913) 233-8700 -- MBA Focus Areas:  For profit and nonprofit organizational leadership.

Keller Graduate School at DeVry University - (888) 653-5537 -- MBA Focus Areas:  Accounting, E-Commerce Management, Finance, General Management, Health Services, Human Resources, Information Security, Information Systems Management, Marketing, Public Administration.

Park University (School of Business) - (816) 559-5622 - MBA Focus Areas:  Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healthcare/Health Services Management, Information Systems, International Business.

Rockhurst (Helzberg School Of Management) - (816) 501-4823 -- MBA Focus Areas:  Accounting, Finance, International Business, Management, Marketing, Healthcare Leadership.

University Of Kansas (Edwards Campus) - (913) 897-8587 -- MBA Focus Areas:  Finance, Healthcare Management, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Marketing, Strategic Business Management.

Webster University - (314) 968-6900 -- MBA Focus Areas:  Environmental Management, Finance, Gerontology, Human Resources Development, International Business, Marketing, Media Communications, Web Services.

A more unique type of MBA program is offered by the University of Missouri (Block Executive MBA).  Call (816) 235-2215 for details.