A comparative analysis of graduate management education

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the top ten Master's of Business Administration (MBA) programs and top ten Public Management programs in the United States and has established a definition of quality in graduate management education in terms of programs offered, students selected and faculty. The top ten MBA and Public Management programs were then compared to the Master of Science (MS) in Management offered at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). With these comparative data, basic similarities and differences are identified between NPS and the selected programs. The structure of the MS in Management at NPS is similar to the MBA and Public Management curricula by requiring an extensive mission-related project (thesis), prior professional work experience and learning through a team based orientation. Keeping with its mission, the Department of Systems Management offers curricula that span programs from both MBA and Public Management. Because of this broader scope, the average length for the MS in Management at NPS is about two months longer than the average MBA and Public Management program. Additionally, the average total courses taken are the same as the average MBA program but six more than the average Public Management program. Students at NPS are selected based on academic and leadership ability instead of GMAT and GRE scores used at the selected schools. Finally, the faculty are a civilian and military mix who's goal is to produce quality graduates to fill subspecialty billets for the DoD.