UNL’s Master of Business Administration program is ranked among the best online offerings for United States veterans.

According to U.S. News and World Report’s list of the “Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans,” the UNL program is No. 3 in the nation. To be included in the veteran-specific ranking, universities had to already be ranked in the U.S. News and World Report listing for best online programs.

A recent example of how the UNL program complements the career of a veteran is Brett Whorley, who needed a top MBA program that could accommodate his job as a naval officer.

“In the fall of 2009, I had just returned from sea duty in Japan,” Whorley said. “I needed a solid flexible MBA program to meet my needs, and UNL fit perfectly. I was able to accomplish my class projects and discussions in my free time on travel and between obligations as a flight instructor.”

Although online education is sometimes perceived as being not as compelling as the classroom experience, Whorley found his experience at UNL to be engaging.

“The online courses exceeded my expectations,” he said. “I thought the communication would be mostly one way. However, the collaborative online venues facilitated interaction at a level I never thought would be possible at a distance.”

One concern was completing the program on a time schedule that would fit within a 2 1/2 year shore duty obligation. The UNL modular format and rolling admission process gave him the options he needed.

“I studied for the GMAT in late fall and completed it by the end of the year. Then I was able to submit my application in January of 2010 so I could start in March. This allowed me to finish the program in March 2012 and graduate in May, just as I rotated back to sea duty in Bahrain,” he said.

Whorley said he believes completing a graduate degree is a must for a naval officer.

“The UNL MBA allowed me to study on my schedule while working full-time. I also wanted a program that had a foundation as a traditional ‘brick and mortar’ education with a good reputation. The program has already paid dividends in my current position at U.S. Naval Central Command staff where I work in the Current Operations department,” he said.

UNL’s MBA program scored 63.1 points in the U.S. News and World Report ranking for online veterans programs. Washington State University was No. 1 with a veteran score of 73. Central Michigan University ranked second at 66.3.

No other Big Ten online MBA program was included in the top 25 list.

For more information about UNL’s online MBA program, go to http://mba.unl.edu/distance/index.aspx.