JMU InfoSec MBA Program Earns National Recognition (2014)

U.S. News & World Report ranks the InfoSec program #9 in U.S.

The JMU College of Business Information Security (InfoSec) MBA program has been ranked 9th in the nation for online graduate business programs by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings included 172 other online MBA programs.  JMU is the top ranked program in Virginia. In 2013, JMU’s program was 49^th in the rankings.

For the 2014 Best Online Business Programs rankings, U.S. News decreased the emphasis on admissions selectivity and peer reputation while increasing the weight of student engagement, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology. 

Criteria used to develop the ranking include: 

• Student engagement (33 percent)
• Admissions selectivity (20 percent)
• Peer reputation (20 percent)
• Faculty credentials and training (13.5 percent)
• Student services and technology (13.5 percent)

Dean Mary Gowan says of the honor, “We are pleased to see the national recognition given to our InfoSec MBA program. This program continues to expand each year, with larger entering classes and new offerings for our students. We are proud of our faculty and their hard work and dedication which ensure the sustained success of the program.  This accolade is a testament to the strong, rigorous academic experience that the College of Business and InfoSec MBA program continue to provide students.”

MBA Program Director Dr. Michael Busing adds, “This recognition is truly an honor. It would not be possible without our outstanding program faculty. I am grateful to work with such a talented group of individuals.”

Current first-year student Adriane Lanier, security operations specialist at Fannie Mae, thinks very highly of the program, “This program is the right fit for me because the flexibility of the program allows me to continue on my career full time while continuing my education.  The rigor and high expectations on the students in the program is the same as in a traditional class setting.”

InfoSec graduate Henry Bromley, Information Systems Security Officer for Novetta Solutions, adds, “The MBA Infosec Program opened up scores of new opportunities for me professionally. In a world where internet theft of credit cards, identities, and trade/national secrets is rampant, the demand for information security professionals will always outweigh the supply. To this day, I still use many of the tools and methods learned from this program.”

This year’s ranking reports that the average completion rate for the program is 95 percent and the average class size is 15. The program cost of $775 per credit hour is significantly below most other schools in the ranking.

The full rankings and precise methodology are available at http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/mba/rankings

Here are the top 16 schools among the 172 ranked programs:

2014 Best Online Graduate Business Programs

1. Indiana University-Bloomington (Kelley)     
2. Arizona State University (Carey)
3. University of Florida (Hough)
4. University of Texas-Dallas
4. University of West Georgia (Richards)
6. University of Nebraska-Lincoln
7. Washington State University
8. Boston University
9. James Madison University
9. Quinnipiac University
9. Temple University (Fox)
12. Auburn University
12. University of Alabama (Manderson)
14. Arkansas State University-Jonesboro
14. SUNY-Oswego
14. University of San Diego

Click here to read more on this honor in the Huffington Post.