University of South Carolina Aiken

Full Time MBA

• Accounting for Decision-Making
• Business Strategy
• Financial Analysis for Decision-Making
• Management & Organizational Behavior
• Marketing Management
• One Flexible Core Option (based on availability)
• Four Flexible Elective Courses

Specializations

Students have the option to specialize in one of the following areas once they renroll in our on-campus program :

• Accounting
• Business Analytics
• Cybersecurity
• Finance
• Healthcare Administration
• Human Resources Management
• Management Information Systems
• Project Management
• Supply Chain

What Is the Career Outlook for MBA Graduates?

Regional projections for South Carolina as well as nearby Florida and Georgia paint a promising picture for MBA graduates. There’s a strong demand for two roles in particular: business analyst and marketing specialist. There will be 19.7% and 17.4% more jobs between 2019 and 2028 for these roles in SC, FL, and GA, says Burning Glass Technologies, a labor-market analytics firm. Both of those growth rates are more than twice the average for all occupations (7%). Market demand in these states for MBA grads is highest for these positions: project and program managers, business analysts, sales managers, and financial managers. Course Work for In-Demand Skill Clusters Employers seek MBA graduates for the managerial and strategic skills they’ll bring to the table to solve business problems. Burning Glass notes the top four skill clusters that businesses in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina are looking for in MBA grads:

1. Project management
2. Budget management
3. Business process and analysis
4. Business strategy

All of the USC Aiken online MBA programs develop these skill clusters through specific courses in the curricula. For instance, learnings from the operations management and business analytics courses apply to all four skill clusters. In addition, three courses in the MBA core that separately cover decision-making based on accounting, financial analysis, and economics strengthen skills required for managing projects and budgets, as well as devising strategies.

The Finance and Accounting specializations provide the niche expertise some students seek, with both specializations including a course on Information Systems and Analytics for Accounting and Finance. The Finance specialization includes a course on Advanced Corporate Finance, and the Accounting specialization covers Advanced Accounting Topics. The Project Management specialization equips students for the skill cluster with the highest demand in South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. The specialization includes a course on Program and Project Management and one on Supply Chain Management.

What Are Salaries Like for MBA Grads?

The pay boost of an MBA is a key benefit of earning the degree. The U.S. average for post-MBA salaries is $95,536 per year, according to Burning Glass Technologies. Here’s a look at average post-MBA salaries in South Carolina, Florida and Georgia:

Post-MBA Salaries in Finance & Accounting An MBA in Finance or Accounting paves the way for several management and leadership roles. Examples include finance analyst, investment analyst, financial controller, chief financial officer (CFO), director of finance, accounting manager, audit director, and VP of accounting. The average yearly salary for financial managers in the U.S. is $92,993, and the figure is $91,388 for accounting managers. Here are average salaries by state: