Elite MBA Programs at Public Universities: How a Dozen Innovative Schools Are Redefining Business Education

Business education programs should practice what they preach: applying the principles of strategic analysis to play to their strengths and develop distinctive offerings that attract the most profitable customers―in this case, students, faculty, local communities, and the institutions that support them financially. With the costs of private MBA programs skyrocketing, public universities, which generally operate out of the spotlight of the Harvards and Whartons, have a tremendous opportunity to distinguish themselves as centers of innovative, high-quality education. Mimi Wolverton and Larry Penley conducted extensive research to identify the qualities of those public institutions across the country―from the University of Washington to Georgia Tech―that have successfully established competitive advantages, generally through a combination of cost leadership, differentiation, and focus.

Elite MBA Programs at Public Universities features 12 in-depth case studies by senior representatives of the respective institutions, detailing the process by which they developed and launched programs to raise their profiles and ultimately compete aggressively for talent and support. From developing strategic alliances with local businesses and complementary academic departments to establishing online and overseas courses to investing in state-of-the-art facilities, these schools are setting new standards for business education―and measuring the positive results, for example, in terms of increased funding, higher faculty research productivity, higher rankings, and greater student diversity. Wolverton and Penley frame the case studies by applying the concepts of strategy theory, drawing lessons that can be applied in other educational institutions, as well as for students of strategy and general readers interested in emerging trends in business education. The result is a fascinating peek behind the scenes at the most innovative MBA programs, as well as a rich canvas for observing the principles of strategic management in action.

MIMI WOLVERTON is Associate Professor and Higher Education Administration Program Coordinator at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. With more than 20 years of executive experience in private sector organizations, she writes extensively in the areas of leadership, organizational change, educational policy, curriculum and instructional improvement, and innovation.

LARRY EDWARD PENLEY is President of Colorado State University and Chancellor of the System. Previously he was Professor of Management and Dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University for more than a decade.