Since 2019, Ohio University’s College of Business has taken several steps to support service members and student veterans. U.S. News recently rewarded the college by ranking OHIO’s Online MBA one of the Best for Veterans.
ATHENS, Ohio (May 20, 2020)– Like many initiatives in Ohio University’s College of Business, it started with an idea that was mentioned in passing. Copeland Hall is notorious for hallway conversations and a drive-by culture; it’s how some of the college’s most innovative programs begin. But it didn’t take long for that single idea to grow into a concerted, multi-year effort to strengthen the experience for student veterans and service members enrolled in OHIO's Graduate Business Programs .
“It was important for us to start with the basics,” said Josh Casto, director of marketing and communications. “We wanted to learn everything we could about this special group of students, their specific needs as service members and veterans, and how we could support them every step of the way.”
It was important, he said, to not only understand how the college should recruit veterans, but also provide an outstanding academic experience. Soon, a dedicated group of graduate business program staff and faculty participated in Ohio University’s Landing Zone training, which provides participants with greater understanding of a service member’s experience and the available resources to help student veterans better handle their unique challenges.
As a follow up to conversations held during the training and to help with the cost of graduate school, the College of Business established the Student Veteran & Military Scholarship . Current active duty, guardsmen, reservists, and veterans of the United States Armed Forces, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard are eligible for a non-tuition specific scholarship of up to $5,000 toward one of OHIO's online or professional graduate business degree programs, like the Online Master of Business Analytics and the Professional MBA , or up to $1,500 toward their first Online Graduate Business Certificate . The scholarship is awarded to all eligible online and professional graduate business students and may be used to help offset additional non-tuition costs associated with pursuing graduate education.
“This incentive scholarship really demonstrates the College of Business’s commitment to our veteran and military student population. It provides a unique opportunity for our working military member to focus on their graduate studies and the curriculum without worrying about funding and incurring significant debt,” said Terry St. Peter , U.S. Army veteran and director of OHIO’s Veterans and Military Student Services Center. “Combined with other initiatives, the COB is clearly leading the nation in support of our military students. Had this been available when I was earning my MBA while serving on active duty, I would’ve definitely become a Bobcat alumnus.”
In addition to the Student Veteran & Military Scholarship, COB also worked to begin accepting transfer credits. Under the COB’s new policy, credits from any military or military-related experience deemed equivalent to graduate course credit by the American Council of Education in its Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services may be applied to an online or professional graduate business program. A maximum of six credit hours may be applied toward a graduate degree, while a maximum of three credit hours may be applied toward a graduate certificate.
“We genuinely value the unique perspectives and diverse experiences that current active-duty military personnel and veterans bring to our community of working professionals within our graduate business programs,” said Heather Lawrence-Benedict , associate dean of graduate and professional programs. “And we’re beyond proud to develop and implement efforts like the incentive scholarship and transfer credits that help military and veteran students earn their graduate education. We’re also excited to see how the conversations and activities grow within our graduate programs as more military and veteran students become Business Bobcats. I think we’re just getting started.”
So in early 2020, it was a welcome surprise that OHIO’s Online Master of Business Administration was ranked among the top in the nation for Best Online MBA for Veterans by U.S. News & World Report, coming in at #62. The ranking lists online MBA programs that help veterans reduce the cost of school and recognizes many other prestigious programs throughout the United States.
“Since it was launched in 2012, our Online MBA has been consistently recognized for its outstanding quality. But we’re especially proud of this ranking,” said Hugh Sherman , dean of OHIO’s College of Business. “Current active duty military personnel and veterans dedicate their lives to serving and protecting our country, so it’s imperative that we help them to achieve their professional and educational goals. We’ll continue to develop initiatives and provide meaningful and applicable learning experiences that will serve working professionals, specifically the military and veteran student population.”
Learn more about the Student Veteran & Military Scholarship at business.ohio.edu/professional-scholarships and the College of Business Military and Military-Related Experience Transfer Credit Policy .