Florida Tech Lauded for Online Master’s Degrees in Business

MELBOURNE, FLA. — Florida Tech’s online master’s degree programs in project management, finance and accounting are tops in the nation, according to the 2023 rankings from OnlineMastersDegrees.org.

The online programs in business earned top honors for overall quality, affordability and commitment to student success, with the results an indication that the university is recognized as one of the best schools for online learning at the master’s level, the site reported.

Three Florida Tech online master’s programs ranked at or near the top, according to the site:

• Project Management: 1^st
• OMD says: “This master’s program is ideal for individuals seeking advanced leadership positions in private, public, and military sectors.”

• Finance: 2^nd
• OMD says: “Whether you are looking for a program laser-focused on finance or a broader degree, Florida Institute of Technology has an online option for you.”

• Accounting: 5^th
• OMD says: This degree and a related one in accounting and finance “consist of 36 credit hours of classes that prepare graduates for CPA exams and to practice as professional accountants.”

To be eligible for ranking, a university must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online master’s program in the ranking subject. Just 8% of U.S. postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position. OnlineMastersDegrees.org,  which provides master’s degree rankings, financial aid guidance and grad student resources, analyzed more than 7,700 accredited universities to produce its 2023 rankings.

“This year, we focused on the schools making it easier for students to compete in today’s increasingly difficult job market,” said Kyle Darland, co-founder of OMD. “Each ranked school offers fully or partially online master’s degree programs at a time when earning a master’s has become a minimum barrier to entry for many.”

Darland is referencing a recent survey from CareerBuilder, which found that “33 percent of employers are hiring workers with master’s degrees for positions that had been primarily held by those with four-year degrees.” These employers cited an evolution of the skills needed to perform the jobs as the cause of the shift, and an increase in work quality, productivity and employee retention as the result.

“Providing students with opportunities to get a master’s online is only part of our rankings,” Darland said. “Top-ranked schools also had competitive tuition rates and/or scholarships to help drive costs down. And with grocery, gas and other expenses on everyone’s mind right now, an affordable master’s is key.”

OnlineMastersDegrees.org produced the ranking by using data pulled from the schools themselves and from the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). After the data was compiled, OMD’s data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each of the different master’s degrees specialties.

Primary data points include:

• academic counseling services
• career placement services
• student/faculty ratio
• tuition
• percent of students receiving school-based aid
• amount of school-based aid per student