Poets&Quants, an online publication devoted to covering the graduate business education market, has ranked the Naveen Jindal School of Management as the No. 1 online MBA program in its latest ranking, the Best Online MBA Programs In The U.S. For 2025.
For two recent graduates of the Jindal School’s Professional MBA Online program, the No.1 ranking solidifies what they already knew about it: the top-notch value it offers.
Kristen Nemeth, MBA’24, who currently works at GoHealth as a senior product manager, said that what initially drew her to the Jindal School’s online program was that it existed before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I liked the idea that the Jindal School’s online program was not just reactive to the remote-centric world we were thrust into but had been created beforehand with time and intention to enhance its remote-friendly curriculum,” she said. “I was also interested in choosing a program that had classes toward Strategic Management but also provided flexibility to complement my full-time career and future travels.”
Adam Berry, MBA’24, a senior data analyst and the artificial intelligence officer for the Texas State Auditor’s Office, said the P&Q No. 1 ranking “absolutely” reflects the quality of the education and experience he received, based on the outstanding instructors and curriculum. He said that applying to the program was the best decision he ever made.
“I feel like I received the best education possible,” he said. “It is an honor to be a graduate of the best online MBA program in the United States. I already knew my degree would be valuable to my career. Now it is even more valuable to have the prestige as the No. 1 online MBA program.”
Lisa Shatz, the Jindal School’s assistant dean and director of MBA Programs, said the high quality of the faculty members that teach the MBA courses sets the school apart.
“Much of this ranking has to do with the quality of our students and technology but, at the end of the day, none of this matters unless the faculty are also great,” she said. “Because we do not have separate faculty for the Online MBA program, our faculty also teaches in the Full-Time MBA Program and the in-person Professional MBA Program. These are the same faculty whose research has brought us to the No.5 position in the FT Research Rank, which measures faculty research productivity in 50 top academic business journals. Our Online MBA students get the same benefit as all of our other graduate students of having their faculty doing all that research.”
Nemeth said that the online PMBA sets itself apart from other universities’ online MBA offerings because it caters to the flexibility needs of working professionals seeking education while sustaining their careers.
“The program structure met my needs as a professional, in a way that most programs do not, allowing me to work on my course load after work and during the weekends,” she said. “As an additional benefit, my peers brought an abundance of diverse and timely business experience to class discussions and projects, which made the application of our studies that much more relevant.”
Berry said he was initially drawn to the Naveen Jindal School of Management’s online MBA program because of its high ranking among other online MBA programs — the Jindal School was ranked No. 3 in P&Q’s 2024 ranking — as well as the variety of concentrations that allowed him to pursue higher education toward his career aspirations in business analytics and artificial intelligence.
“As someone in mid-career, the flexibility of online classes, including synchronous and asynchronous modes of instruction, allowed me to learn on my personal schedule,” he said.
Nemeth was also drawn to the online format, which she said was crucial for her ability to balance her education, career and personal life.
“From studying in Airbnb’s, the in-laws’ house in Mexico, airports, coworking spaces, camping, to taking exams while on beach vacations, I pursued my education while still living and exploring the world,” she said. “This level of flexibility to upkeep my studies would not have been possible without the online curriculum UTD has created.”
The PMBA equipped Nemeth with skills, knowledge and experiences that have been useful in her career, everything from instilling in her a business mindset to broadening her professional network. She said that while her undergraduate degree in communication design had imparted her with a user-centric mindset, pursuing an MBA expanded that mindset.
“The program allowed me to develop a duality of knowledge and empathy for both crucial parties in any company: the business and the consumer,” she said. “Along the way, I unlocked more than education. It was a practice in discipline, endurance and flexibility that I will take away with me.”
Berry said the concentration in Business Analytics equipped him with valuable technical skills in Python, R, data analytics and visualization. In addition, the core MBA classes taught him valuable management skills and soft skills that he said have helped him excel in all aspects of his career.
His managers noticed that he was applying those new skills in his role and rewarded him for it.
“I was offered a promotion during the program to be a data analyst at my organization,” he said. “After graduation, I was offered an additional promotion to senior data analyst. In addition, I was recognized as an expert in Artificial Intelligence in my office and was asked by the executive team to become the Artificial Intelligence Officer, an additional role to my main responsibilities in which I monitor the responsible use of AI in my organization — all thanks to the curriculum and instructors at UTD.”
Completing the online MBA program has favorably impacted Nemeth’s career trajectory, too.
“During the course of my studies, I maneuvered my career from an experience strategist to a product manager, staying within the technology space, but taking on a more business-centric role,” she said. “I was recently promoted to a senior product manager in Aug., the same month that I graduated from my MBA program.”
Berry said the PMBA program vastly exceeded his expectations.
“The classes were well structured and delivered, my professors were always available for questions,” he said. “I felt like I was able to interact and get to know my classmates in many of my classes through group projects and online discussions.”
As a student working full time, Berry said the online format allowed him to study and complete assignments on his own schedule.
“I was able to log in anytime that was convenient for me to complete my work, whether it be in the evenings or on the weekends,” he said.
Nemeth said that UTD offered many opportunities to network and build professional relationships, both actively and passively.
“More passively, my PMBA program was full of working professionals; therefore our class discussions and projects included experience from a robust array of backgrounds and industries,” she said. “More directly, I joined extracurriculars, like the Product Management club, Product Base, as well as participated in the MBA trip to Stockholm, Sweden, which connected me to 30 peers through an incredible international experience. From that trip, I have built an incredible network of professionals and exposure to internationally based companies from which we received hands-on tours and knowledge-sharing.”
Nemeth was impressed by the PMBA program’s No. 1 ranking.
“It’s incredible to see UTD’s online MBA program receive such recognition, and to have been part of the student body to contribute to the growth and progress of the program,” she said.
Shatz said the Jindal School’s location is a major benefit even for Online MBA students.
“Even though our online MBA students are from all over and aren’t required to come to Dallas at all, they still benefit from the dynamic and growing business environment where companies are regularly interacting with our students through webinars, class projects and, of course, hiring,” she said.
