Business Schools in Oklahoma

With almost 60 schools with business programs to choose from, you should be able to find a program that suits your needs. Specializations range from accounting to global entrepreneurship. Degree Programs at all academic levels are widely available. Many programs have been established to help minority students cover the cost of education and enter the business field. One such program is the Catching the Dream MESBEC Program available to Native American students.

Advice from the State Director of Small Business Development Centers

Below, we interview Dr. William Carter, State Director of Oklahoma’s Small Business Development Centers. In this interview, Dr. Carter discusses how to spot trends, the importance of asking questions, and entrepreneurship.

Marketing Degree Programs in Oklahoma

State of Oklahoma’s Marketing Industry

With a robust energy sector bolstering its economy, Oklahoma is doing A-OK. Employment in 2012 was 6% above its level a decade earlier, an impressive statistic considering the pounding the state took during the recession.

Thanks to oil and gas mining efforts, the Sooner state is home to four Fortune 500 businesses: Oneok, Chesapeake Energy, Devon Energy and Williams. Along with their peers in manufacturing, aerospace and aviation, and agriculture, these giants regularly feed funds into marketing and public relations departments.

Rising marketing stars include the integrated communications firm Saxum and the lead-generation agency LeadMedia. Both made the list of Inc. 5000’s “Top 100 Oklahoma Companies” in 2012; Saxum boasted a solid 61% growth from 2008-2011.

Job Prospects for Oklahoma Marketing Graduates

The 2008-2018 data from Oklahoma’s Labor Market Information Unit (LMI) look pretty good. Jobs for marketing managers, public relations specialists and market research analysts are all projected to increase. Demand for market research analysts, in particular, is expected to grow by 21%.

Marketing salaries in Oklahoma fall below the national average – no surprise when you compare the cost of living – but they’re not too bad. Oklahoma marketing managers earned a median annual income of $75,000; those in the top 90% took home $148,900, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) and LMI figures.

Oklahoma’s Department of Commerce is also doing its best to keep the job market lively for graduates. They’ve developed a number of hiring incentives and tax credits for employers, including a “21st Century Quality Jobs 10-Year Cash Incentive,” according to its website.

Oklahoma Schools for Marketing

There are twenty accredited marketing schools in Oklahoma, including four in Oklahoma City and four in Tulsa. If you’re just beginning your search, have a look at:

1. University of Oklahoma – Norman Campus (OU) (https://www.ou.edu/price/marketing_supplychainmanagement)

U.S. News & World Report rated OU’s Price College of Business #84 in its “Best Business Schools” rankings in 2012. Students can opt for a Bachelor of Business Administration in either marketing or supply chain management, a degree with a minor in marketing, or an MBA or doctorate with an emphasis in marketing.

2. Oklahoma State University – Stillwater (OSU) (http://spears.okstate.edu/marketing/)

Located in the small city of Stillwater, OSU’s Spears School of Business offers an undergraduate degree in marketing, MBAs, and a Marketing doctorate.

To forge connections with big business, OSU has also developed a Center for Social and Services Marketing. The Center sponsors marketing conferences and arranges internships for marketing students.

Professional Marketing Organizations in Oklahoma

The lion’s share of major marketing associations are in Oklahoma City, but there are plenty of smaller clubs and organizations around. Many provide excellent opportunities for continuing education and networking.

• AAF Tulsa (https://www.facebook.com/aaftulsa/): Tulsa Chapter of the American Advertising Federation
• AD2 OKC (http://ad2okc.com/): A young professionals offshoot of the Oklahoma City Ad Club
• AMA OKC (http://www.amaokc.org/): Oklahoma City Chapter of the American Marketing Association
• AMA Tulsa (http://www.amatulsa.org/): Tulsa Chapter of the American Marketing Association
• OKC Ad Club (http://okcadclub.com/): Oklahoma City Ad Club
• SMPS Oklahoma (http://www.smpsoklahoma.org): Society for Marketing Professional Services in Oklahoma

Business Degree Programs in Oklahoma

As a state rich in energy resources—including crude oil and natural gas reserves—Oklahoma has been recognized as one of the largest oil producers in America for over 100 years. The state’s abundant resources have attracted large corporations dedicated to energy production, supporting lucrative jobs for talented business school graduates in the state.

Oklahoma’s top 10 Fortune 500 companies are all energy-related corporations, including Chesapeake Energy, which is the second largest producer of natural gas in the entire U.S.

Other Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Oklahoma include:

• Devon Energy in Oklahoma City – $19,566 million revenue
• Oneok in Tulsa – $12,836 million revenue
• NGL Energy Partners in Tulsa – $9,699 million revenue
• Williams in Tulsa – $7,637 million revenue
• Continental Resources in Oklahoma City – $4,802 million revenue

Doug Lawler, the CEO of Chesapeake Energy, began his career by earning a bachelor’s degree from the Colorado School of Mines and his MBA from the Jones Graduate School of Business in Rice University.

With his MBA, he went on to become the Vice President of Corporate Planning and Operations for the Southern and Appalachia Region, the Vice President of International operations for Anadarko, the Senior Vice President of International Operations for Anadarko, and finally, the Chief Executive Officer and President of Chesapeake Energy.

As President and CEO of Chesapeake Energy, Lawler received a base income of $1.25 million per year as of 2015. After accounting for cash bonuses, benefits, and shares, Lawler was expected to receive a total compensation package worth $22 million in his first year as CEO.

You don’t have to become the CEO of Oklahoma’s top company to earn great wages in the state, however. The expertise students develop while in business school gets them ready to enter specialized roles at a variety of levels.

In 2014, the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) published the median income for a number of corporate positions in Oklahoma:

• Chief Executives – $153,260
• Sales Managers – $100,650
• Computer and Information Systems Managers – $98,490
• General and Operations Managers – $98,640
• Financial Managers – $97,810
• Marketing Managers – $92,320

The Strength of Small Businesses in Oklahoma

Despite the state’s towering energy corporations, Oklahoma’s economy depends on the strength of small businesses, which support jobs in marketing, accounting, operations management and more.

Small businesses tend to move away from Oklahoma’s dominant energy industry, instead providing services in other vital industries, such as:

• Health Care & Social Assistance
• Accommodation
• Food Services
• Retail Trade

Business school students who want to be a part of Oklahoma’s small business community often earn a bachelor’s or MBA with a specialization in entrepreneurship or a vital business sub-specialty like accounting or marketing. With this kind of education, graduates will be ready to launch their own small businesses or help grow established businesses in the state.

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University of Tulsa

The full-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) option at the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa is a traditional, on-campus, cohort-based program that blends classroom study with real world, hands-on experiences. You must work on an approved summer internship before starting your second year of courses. The MBA for Working Professionals follows the same course of study, but classes are offered at times that make it possible to work full time while pursuing your degree. The school also offers two joint degree programs that offer an MBA in conjunction with a Master of Science in finance or a Juris Doctor. To complement these programs, the Collins College of Business hosts a number of organizations and facilities that benefit MBA candidates. For instance, the Graduate Business Student Association offers ongoing opportunities to network and socialize with fellow students, while the Mentor Program helps you connect with alumni in your specific field. The Williams Risk Management Center gives students hands-on experience on a modern trading as they manage an investment fund worth over $1.25 million; the Family-Owned Business Institute is a unique place to learn about the challenges of multi-generational companies; and Studio Blue is a student-run consultancy initiative, helping area organizations solve their business problems.

University of Oklahoma

You can earn your MBA full time or part time at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business. The full-time program features small class sizes for an intense and interactive experience. The eight-week modular format means that each course contains in-depth content – and that you can complete your degree in just 16 months. If you can’t take that much time away from your career, the Professional MBA option lets you work full time and attend classes one night a week. You will follow the same program taught by the same faculty, but can pace your classes to take as many as five years to finish. Both programs allow you to pursue the same specializations, which include energy, finance, entrepreneurship, management information systems and risk management. The Student Support Center is available to both full- and part-time students, connecting them to internships and recruiters. Both programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Oklahoma City University

The MBA offered at Oklahoma City University is designed for individuals with three or more years of working experience who want to build their credentials at their own pace. You have the choice of attending classes on campus in the evenings or studying online using distance learning technology. The classes are offered in five nine-week cycles to make it possible to finish in as few as 60 weeks. You can customize this general degree around an area of focus such as finance, accounting, information technology, management and marketing. The program culminates with a capstone in global competitive strategy. The school also offers two dual degree programs that combine an MBA with a Master of Science in nursing or a Juris Doctor.

Oklahoma State University

The Spears School of Business full-time MBA at Oklahoma State University is a competitive, immersive, comprehensive program. Consisting of a maximum of 52 hours, your experience will include case competitions with other competitive business schools, hands-on learning and coursework taught by leaders in their fields. You can customize your degree by picking electives that further your career goals. Areas of concentration include accounting, entrepreneurship, business intelligence, risk management, economics, information assurance, management information systems and telecommunications management. The part-time option allows you to pace your studies so that you can continue to work full time; most students complete this program in three years. In addition, the Spears School of Business has partnered with other schools within the university to offer dual degree programs that pair an MBA with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or a Master of Science in telecommunications management; you can also earn your MBA in conjunction with one of two master’s degree options from a partner university in Mexico.

Oklahoma Christian University

Oklahoma Christian University calls their graduate degree in management an “MBA for the Real World,” and they promise you that you will get “your hands dirty” solving problems. The program can be completed in an intense 12 to 16 months of study, though you can also study at a slower pace and finish within two years. You can earn your degree through evening classes on campus or take classes online, making it possible to study from anywhere and to earn your degree while balancing your studies with other obligations. Specializations include accounting, leadership and organizational development, electronic business, project management, health services management, financial services, international business, marketing and human resources.

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