Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Economic Development online

Whether your employer is a private firm or a government agency, develop the tools to cultivate opportunities for driving economic growth.

Apply by: 1/8/25
Start Class: 1/14/25
Apply Now

Program Overview

Read about our online MBA in Economic Development

$17,445* Total Tuition
As few as 12-18 months Program Duration
30 Credit Hours

Acquire essential knowledge about processes and practices related to urban and regional planning in the Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Economic Development online program. The coursework includes an in-depth study of financial concepts, methods and programs, and information sources vital to growing and sustaining development.

The relevant core curriculum helps you develop essential skills in accounting, business analytics, managerial economics, corporate finance, marketing and more. Our capstone course will strengthen your background in strategic management.

This program is designed for your success. That’s why we include free, prerequisite courses in accounting and economics, which can be completed concurrently with core coursework. Regardless of your undergraduate background, these prerequisites empower you with valuable insight in these key areas prior to learning more rigorous quantitative material.

AACSB Accredited

The Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business at Murray State University has been continuously accredited by AACSB International (AACSB) since 1981.

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Among the Best in the South

Ranked #1 among the "Best Value Schools in the South" by U.S. News & World Report (2025)

Additional benefits of this program:

  • Our students consistently score above average on ETS® Major Field Tests, reflecting preparedness and confidence in impacting businesses after graduation.
  • Our faculty is dedicated to your success both in the program and in the workforce, providing personal attention, advisement and support.
  • You will have access to the resources within the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development, which offers workshops, training and consulting services, and more for small-business owners in western Kentucky.
Additional benefits of this program:+
  • Our students consistently score above average on ETS® Major Field Tests, reflecting preparedness and confidence in impacting businesses after graduation.
  • Our faculty is dedicated to your success both in the program and in the workforce, providing personal attention, advisement and support.
  • You will have access to the resources within the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development, which offers workshops, training and consulting services, and more for small-business owners in western Kentucky.

This program will prepare you for careers such as:

  • Urban and Regional Planner
  • Economic Development Project Coordinator
  • Economic Development Director
This program will prepare you for careers such as:+
  • Urban and Regional Planner
  • Economic Development Project Coordinator
  • Economic Development Director
+
Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Also available

Murray State University offers a variety of specialized MBA concentrations. Check out all of our online MBA programs.

Tuition

Invest in yourself for less with our budget-friendly tuition

MBA online programs from Murray State University offer affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition. All fees are included in the total tuition.

Tuition breakdown:

$581.50 Per Credit Hour
$17,445* Total Tuition
View full tuition breakdown
Program Per Credit Hour Per Course Per Program
MBA – Economic Development $581.50 $1,744.50 $17,445*

*The tuition rate is subject to annual changes based on approval by the Murray State University Board of Regents and the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. Refer to Graduate Tuition Rates for more information on the cost of attendance for Murray State.

Calendar

Our course schedule is designed for flexibility

Murray State University online programs are delivered in an accelerated format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year.

Now enrolling:

1/8/25 Next Application Deadline
1/14/25 Start Classes

View full calendar  + 

TermStart DateApplication DeadlineDocument & Financial Aid DeadlinePriority Registration DeadlineTuition DeadlineLast Class DayTerm Length
Spring 11/14/251/8/251/9/251/10/251/13/253/5/257 weeks
Spring 23/11/253/5/253/6/253/7/253/10/255/6/257 weeks
Summer 15/12/255/6/255/7/255/8/255/9/256/21/257 weeks
Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from Murray State?
Apply Now

Admissions

Check out the qualifications for our online MBA in Economic Development

At Murray State University, we've streamlined the admission process to help you get started quickly and easily. Please read the requirements for the MBA with a concentration in Economic Development online, including where to send your transcripts.

The requirements include:

Online application accepted on a rolling basis
Undergraduate degree from an accredited institution
Transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended
No GMAT required for qualified applicants
View all admission requirements

For admission to this MBA online program, domestic students must meet one of the following sets of requirements:

  • Master's degree in a relevant field or doctoral-level degree from an accredited institution OR
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with:
    • 3.25 GPA, no work experience required
    • 3.0 GPA and two years of full-time relevant work experience
    • 2.75 – 2.99 GPA and four years of full-time relevant work experience
    • Domestic applicants with a 2.74 or below GPA who have extensive work experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the admissions committee and may be required to submit additional documentation, including a GMAT or GRE score.

International students have additional admission requirements. Please see the Academic Bulletin and/or the International Admissions webpage for complete requirements.

Official transcripts, test scores and other documents should be sent from issuing institutions to:

Email address:
[email protected]

Mail address:

Graduate Admissions
Murray State University
B2 Sparks Hall
Murray, KY 42071

Questions? Call 866-906-0541.

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Courses

Take a look at the online Master of Business Administration in Economic Development classes

For the MBA with a concentration in Economic Development online, you must complete 21 credit hours of core courses (including a capstone course) and nine credit hours of electives. You also must complete two free, self-paced prerequisite courses in accounting and economics, which can be taken concurrently with other core coursework in the program.

Expand All
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is a study of marketing as the firm’s strategic link with its customers in a global competitive environment. Major topics include (1) the development of marketing strategy, (2) the formulation of marketing plans, (3) the selection and implementation of marketing tactics, and (4) ethical considerations in marketing. **Suggested first course
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Business analytics refers to the techniques and practices of statistical data analyses useful to business organizations. This course covers the fundamental concepts of data analysis, and intermediary concepts such as predictive analysis and prescriptive analysis. The analytical techniques covered include visualization, regression, forecasting, simulation, optimization and risk analysis. Students get to learn and use advanced spreadsheet functions and visualization tools to analyze business data.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Possess a strong Business Analytics vocabulary.
  2. Utilize spreadsheet and data visualization software to organize, screen, and preprocess the data.
  3. Use descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive data analytics tools.
  4. Understand how and why Business Analytics techniques could be applied to assist business decision making.
  5. Gain a fundamental understanding of how to construct spreadsheet models for the purposes of conducting quantitative analysis of business problems.
  6. Demonstrate the ability to interpret analysis results, evaluate alternatives, and to apply basic sensitivity analysis in the support of a managerial decision maker.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Application of economic models and rationale to business decision-making with special emphasis on case studies. Topics include supply and demand, elasticity, production and costs, market structure, strategic interaction, pricing strategies and government intervention.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Practical application of the finance function in a company with specific emphasis on maximizing the value of the firm for its shareholders. Financial decision-making integrated with the theory of capital markets. Particular attention is given to the areas of investment, capital structure, short-term financing, and working capital management.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Defines organizations and managers’ roles in those organizations, with special emphasis upon behavioral issues. Examines individual, group and organizational processes in light of the environment within which the organization functions. Special attention is given to managing in non-U.S. settings and the ethical problems faced in the managerial job.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is the MBA capstone course in which the students must integrate all of the functional areas of business administration and analyze their impact on management policy and strategy decisions. Even though each student will bring knowledge of his or her area of specialization into the classroom, it is expected that the student will perform as a generalist rather than a specialist and as a practicing manager rather than an impartial researcher.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An in-depth study of management accounting techniques and methods needed for effective management of business enterprises. The trade-offs management makes in acquiring and using accounting information for decision-making and control are discussed. Specific topics include cost behavior and estimation, short-term decision-making, budgeting, performance evaluation, cost allocation, and product costing.

Embedded into the curriculum are two free, prerequisite courses to fully prepare you for your graduate level courses. Designed to revitalize your skills and reinforce previous concepts, these prerequisites will strengthen your understanding of accounting and economics and can be taken simultaneously with your other program courses, but prior to ACC 604 and ECO 625. These mandatory courses are pass/fail with 80 percent being the minimum score to pass.

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Introduces the application of basic accounting techniques for recording, analyzing, and communicating financial information to parties external to a corporate business entity. Topics include understanding the elements of the accounting equation, using double-entry accounting methods to create and summarize account balances, preparing the four basic financial statements, and analyzing financial ratios. Both service and merchandising business operations are discussed. Can be taken a maximum of three times.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
An introduction to basic economic theory related to supply and demand, elasticity, firm theory, market structures and government policy analysis. This course provides the theoretical and mathematical foundation for the application of economic theory to business problems. Can be taken a maximum of three times.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Course will introduce students to the process, purpose, and background needed for the local economic development process.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Course will introduce students to the methods and sources of information used in the economic development process.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Course will introduce students to the financial concepts, tools, programs, and practices needed by economic development professionals.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Course will introduce the student to the techniques of benefit-cost analysis and program evaluation tools used in business and government applications.

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