MBA in Miami | TopMBA

Miami is best known for its beautiful beaches, art-deco architecture, exciting nightlife, and sexy people. But it’s also a fast-growing economy, ripe with opportunities for the business-minded. So, it’s no wonder aspiring MBAs might be attracted to the Magic City.

Those with an interest in Latin American culture and business will fit in well in Miami. Sometimes called Little Cuba, Miami has a large immigrant population with connections to Latin America and its vicinity to Latin America is fortuitous for anyone with business goals connected to the region.

In fact, as a result of its geography and culture, Miami has become a rich international banking and investment center, according to City Data. Some banks have made their Miami outposts the hub for international trade divisions and they’ve garnered opportunities to develop economies and privatize systems in Latin American countries.

In addition, the city is home to the headquarters of more than 170 multinational companies. Tourism, services, and trade are among the top industries. Real estate and construction are also high on the list. In the wake of Hurricane Andrew in the early 1990s, the city began rebuilding and the growth never really stopped.

The entire state of Florida relies on agriculture as a driving force in its economy. Miami-Dade County’s agriculture employs more than 20,000 people and brings in more than $2.7 billion in economic impact annually, according to the county’s website.

Clearly, Miami is a business force. Along with its sunshine, these opportunities beckon MBA aspirants. After all, it might be nice to meet with your team of classmates while lying on the beach.

Of course, Miami is not as full of well-known business schools as some other US cities, but the ones that call the city home are top-notch and well-connected to the greater community. You might not have realized the Midwest’s Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management has a campus in Miami. In addition, you can consider the local University of Miami School of Business. Discover what each one has to offer:

Kellogg School of Management – Miami

As part of its executive MBA global network, Kellogg’s state-of-the-art campus in Coral Gables, Florida, is just outside Miami. The main campus of the school, which is located in Evanston, Illinois, ranks 14th in the QS Global MBA Rankings 2018.

The Coral Gables program is an executive MBA (EMBA) with a focus on general management. Students experience a rigorous curriculum that zooms in on developing strategic thinking and leadership.

Core courses include Analytical Approach to Uncertainty, Economics of Competition, and Strategic Crisis Management. Of course, students also take more expected core classes, such as negotiations, operations management, and managerial economics. Corporate Governance and Ethics & Executive Leadership are among the advanced courses.

Students can choose among a wide range of electives related to accounting and finance, management and organizations, managerial economics, marketing, operations, and other areas, including Bias and Forecasts Under Deep Uncertainty, New Venture Discovery, and Strategic Challenges in Emerging Markets.

Kellogg promises EMBA students can take advantage of the more than 60,000-strong alumni network and lifetime of support available from the Kellogg Career Management Center. The point the school is trying to make is that even on a satellite campus, you will be recognized as a Kellogg graduate. Period. And you’ll be able to make the most of your location in Miami, and the distinct opportunities it produces.

University of Miami School of Business

This school promotes its MBA programs and specialized master’s courses by highlighting its aim to “prepare students for leadership in today’s rapidly changing, global economy,” according to the school’s website. Experiential learning is a principle teaching method.

Multidisciplinary Action Projects (UMAP) are those in which teams of students work for organizations that can be anywhere in the world to help them address a challenge they are facing. There are also opportunities to study and work abroad through the Global Learning Opportunities in Business (GLOBE) and Global Business Consulting projects programs. GLOBE is a chance for students to spend their spring break in China, India, or Brazil to visit local universities, companies, and NGOs to learn best practices and get a firsthand look at how the operation works. On the other hand, the consulting projects have students working on problem-solving for real companies abroad.

In addition, like many business schools, Miami offers a student-managed investment fund. This gives MBA students the opportunity to use real money to buy and sell stocks in the portfolio. They, of course, take courses and research companies before taking action.

The school offers flexibility in the way it delivers MBA education. You can choose among eight programs, including two-year, one-year, accelerated MBA in real estate, MD/MBA, and JD/MBA. The mentor program helps students find a professional who is willing to help them navigate their careers and enhance their network.

With hands-on learning experiences and its encouragement of students to participate in case competitions, Miami stresses the importance of hitting the ground running. They want graduates to be able to immediately apply theory to the real world and make a difference in their organization. 

Florida International University Chapman Graduate School of Business

The Chapman Graduate School of Business is housed at Florida International University (FIU), the fourth largest public research university in the United States. Located in the culturally diverse international business hub of Miami, FIU is recognized for its highly-ranked business and international programs and is home to over 58,000 students. With more than 20 years of experience in online education, the institution is known for being a pioneer in distance learning.

With more than 25 master's degrees and doctorate program options, the Chapman Graduate School of Business offers students convenient and flexible schedules, relevant curriculum, and leadership development. Their faculty has exceptional knowledge, practical business expertise and enormous cultural diversity. Their programs are designed to empower students and help them advance into leadership roles to become agents of change and progress.

Whether you are just starting your professional life or have vast business acumen, FIU’s Chapman Graduate School of Business has a full spectrum of programs, with in-person or fully-online formats and various pacing options. Busy professionals can advance their education and become experts in areas such as:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Human Resource Management
  • Business Administration
  • Entrepreneurship and Innovation
  • Strategic Negotiation
  • Business Analytics
  • Leadership
  • International Business
  • Real Estate
  • Sports Management
  • Health Informatics & Analytics
  • Healthcare Administration
  • Information Systems & Cybersecurity
  • Logistics & Supply Chain Management

Their innovative curriculums - combined with experiential learning elements, networking events, and access to professional development and career management services - aim to open a horizon of new opportunities to lead you to real success.

Opportunities to work in management in tourism and all that’s related to it – including restaurants, clubs, and bars – abound in Miami. In addition, companies seeking to tap into the Latin American market often hire individuals or even entire divisions of people in the city.

Scanning the employer list for graduates of University of Miami Business School, you will notice many of the usual MBA recruiters. American Express, AT Kearney, Deloitte, and Deutsche Bank are all on the list, for example. But you’ll also find Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc., Bacardi U.S.A., Inc., Univision, and Walmart Mexico are featured, reflecting the diverse population of Miami and its coastal location.

Among the best large US employers, according to Forbes, are a number of Miami-headquartered companies. University of Miami ranked 15th in 2017, in fact. Others on the list include the Ryder System, Miami-Dade County, Mednax, B/E Aerospace, and Royal Caribbean International. All these employers potentially could use a few good MBAs.

Kellogg offers career placement data on its full-time MBA program, but you are hard-pressed to find details about those who graduate from the EMBA available in Miami. However, PayScale offers information about University of Miami MBA grads and their salaries, providing a breakdown based on the specialization.

Those earning an MBA in marketing earn on average $107,025, while those specializing in finance report earning on average $109,927. General management and international business grads earn less with an average of $89,869 and $87,500 respectively. Still, those are good salaries to have in a city, which has a cost of living somewhere between the high-end Los Angeles and the lower-end Las Vegas.

A city like Miami is sometimes overlooked by aspiring MBAs, but a couple solid choices for education and a bustling business community make it worth considering. Because Miami is a gateway to Latin America, it’s particularly appealing to anyone wishing to conduct business in that region of the world. Now is an exciting time to study and work in Miami because the city is blossoming as a formidable business center.