COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (March 7, 2006) — Tennessee Tech University's Distance MBA program ranks as one of the Top 10 Best Buys in the country, according to GetEducated.com in its latest release of "Top 25 Best Buys for Online MBA Degrees."

GetEducated.com ranked 25 schools with online MBA programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business offering quality education to a national audience at a low cost, below the national average of $22,000. TTU's Distance MBA ranked number seven, offering an in-state tuition of $11,430 and out-of-state tuition for $23,550.

"We are producing a superior product at a very reasonable cost," said Robert Niebuhr, TTU's College of Business dean. "This is an affirmation of the message we have been sending potential students that this program offers a quality, affordable education."

The survey results are based on a fall 2005 survey of publicly-posted tuition rates at 130 distance-learning MBA programs offered through accredited U.S. universities. TTU is among the approximately 20 percent of U.S. business schools that hold AACSB accreditation, the highest attainable level of accreditation.

TTU's distance-learning approach features faculty lectures on CD-ROM combined with Internet communication among students and faculty. Case discussions, virtual project teams, and other active-learning approaches are used to make a strong connection between academic subjects and the issues facing managers in today's global, highly technological business environment.
About 160 students from such firms as BellSouth, Federal Express, HCA, TVA, and Nissan are enrolled in TTU's Distance MBA program, which was launched three years ago.

“The TTU Distance MBA program has a number of unique tracks for the working professional, including a new concentration in Risk Management and Insurance,” said Bob Wood, director of MBA studies. “We are very excited about the upcoming introduction of another new concentration that will provide an opportunity for our students to earn a Six-Sigma green belt and black belt while completing the MBA degree.”

Visit www.GetEducated.com/rankings/best_mbaaacsb.asp for the complete Top 25 list. Answers to frequently asked questions about TTU's Distance MBA can be found at www.tntech.edu/mba/FAQs_Distance.

--Karen Lykins
This information posted 7 March 2006