Kogod School of Business — Full-Time MBA (American University)
A fast-rising program
Kogod’s Full-Time MBA has been the fastest-climbing program in the country over the past two years — jumping 64 spots total, including a 27-spot leap in the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings alone, landing at No. 58 nationally. It’s also earned recent Top-50 recognition from both Bloomberg Businessweek (No. 47) and QS (No. 44), and clocks in as the ninth most selective full-time MBA program in the country.
Structure
The 49-credit program can be completed in 21 months, with core coursework in year one and electives — including a recommended consulting focus — in year two. Class sizes run intentionally small and close-knit, built around a cohort model rather than a large lecture-hall experience.
Consulting is built into the degree, not optional
Two standout features anchor the consulting experience:
- The Global Consulting Project — students work directly with an international client to solve a real operational problem, culminating in an on-site visit to the client’s home country to present findings. Recent cohorts have traveled to China, Colombia, India, Israel, Poland, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the UAE.
- KSB-613 Strategic Decision Making — the program’s capstone course, immersing students in real-world consulting projects with a strong sustainability emphasis.
Students also participate in local, regional, and national case competitions under faculty guidance, and the program’s broader philosophy — “solving real business challenges for real organizations” — runs through both the classroom and extracurricular experience.
DC as a working advantage
Kogod’s MBA leans on its Washington, D.C. location directly: students network with, and often work alongside, DC-based companies and organizations spanning consulting, finance, sustainability, tech, and government-adjacent industries throughout the program — not just at graduation.
A notable niche: sustainability-focused consulting
Kogod holds the No. 3 Best Green MBA ranking in the U.S. (Princeton Review) and No. 5 in the U.S. / No. 12 globally in Corporate Knights’ Better World MBA rankings — positioning it well for students interested in ESG-focused or sustainability consulting practices specifically.
