Costello Online MBA program

At the beginning of 2026, Mike Derrios, MBA ’06, returned home to the Costello College of Business at George Mason University as the executive director of the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting.

When Q Miceli saw that the Costello College of Business at George Mason University was offering the Executive Mentoring Program as part of the Costello MBA, she was all in. “I had just hit a point in my career where I started supervising more people and really wanted to get some perspective,” she says.

The Costello College of Business at George Mason University is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 Graduate Students of the Year. These individuals exemplify the highest standards of academic excellence, leadership, and dedication to their field. Learn why they chose George Mason, the impact of their business education, and the advice they would give to prospective students.

In today’s business landscape, effective leadership depends as much on self-awareness and emotional intelligence as it does on strategy and analytics. Recognizing that, the Costello College of Business at George Mason University is partnering with the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being to provide Costello MBA students with a unique opportunity for one-on-one leadership coaching at no extra cost. 

The Costello MBA program at George Mason University prepares students to lead in this new era of AI—equipping them with the skills and strategic mindset to thrive. At Costello, AI isn’t a threat. It’s an opportunity.

When it came to selecting an MBA program to advance her career, the Costello College of Business was the obvious pick for Tara Herterich, BS Criminology, Law, and Society ‘22.

The Costello College of Business online MBA program jumped 19 spots with a new ranking of #55 nationally for Best Online MBA (#41 among public universities) from U.S. News & World Report. In addition, the Online MBA Program jumped 16 spots from last year for Best Program for Veterans, landing at #34 nationally (#30 among public universities). This new ranking places the Costello online MBA program #1 in Virginia for veterans.

Andrew Edwards, MBA ‘23, had recently completed his undergraduate business degree at a local university while working as a chef in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, when the COVID pandemic hit, and his job prospects seemingly dried up. While graduate school was always part of his larger plan, now was a good time as any to get started.

The Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University is committed to the active-duty military service members and veterans who come to Mason to enhance their education. We caught up with some military veterans who recently graduated from the Mason MBA program who shared the impact the MBA program has had on their career already, and how the Mason MBA could be beneficial for others.

The Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University’s Graduate Students of the Year for 2022-2023 exemplify the highest standards of academic excellence, leadership, and dedication to their field. Here, they explain why they chose Mason, and offer advice to others considering master’s degrees in business.