50 Super Free Resources for MBA Students

Being an MBA student is no easy task. There’s lectures to attend, papers to write, and exams to pass. To help you out, we gathered 50 of the Internet’s best free resources for MBA students:

 Productivity & Writing Tools

  • Grammarly.com: Grammarly searches your work for grammar and spelling mistakes, giving you useful feedback to help you avoid  making the same mistakes. It’s the perfect tool for quick proof-reading before turning a paper in.
  • HemmingwayApp.com: The Hemmingway App makes sure that you’re writing at the correct level. The app checks to make sure your writing is readable, highlighting any sentences or fragments that are hard to understand.
  • OpenOffice.org: If you don’t have access to Microsoft Office, Open Office is a fully functional substitute. Not only does it include a state-of-the-art word processing app, it also includes free alternatives to Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and more.
  • Bubbl.us: Bubble.us is a mind-mapping tool, helping you brainstorm and outline your ideas before taking them to paper.
  • BibMe.org: BibMe takes your sources and automatically creates a bibliography citation based on a variety of standard styles, such as APA and MLA.
  • Tomato.es: This app uses the Pomodora productivity technique, allowing you to track 25-minute blocks of work followed by brief breaks.
  • oTranscribe.com: If you want to record and transcribe a lecture, podcast, or MP3, oTranscribe is a free web-based application that does it for you automatically.
  • Google Docs: Google Docs is another useful alternative to Office. You’ll be able to access and edit documents on any computer or mobile device.
  • Plotly: If you need to make a graph for a presentation, Plotly’s intuitive interface makes it easy. You can even share your information directly online.
  • Cold Turkey: When you need to hunker down and study without distractions, Cold Turkey is perfect. Simply block out time to work and Cold Turkey blocks specific apps and sites that tend to distract you.
  • Rescue Time: Being an MBA student means making the most of your time. RescueTime analyzes how your time is spent online and suggests how you can start being more productive.

 Homework & Exams

  • WolframAlpha.com: This powerful calculator not only solves complex problems and statistical analysis, it can also show you a step-by-step breakdown on how the solution was found.
  • StudyBlue.com: This is a great study tool that lets you create your own flashcards or access an enormous database of cards already created by other students.
  • Chegg.com: You’ll have access to online study groups and tutors, along with textbooks at a deep discount.
  • MindGenius.com: If you need help managing your projects and a busy schedule, Mind Genius makes organizing your life a breeze.
  • Zoho.com: If you’re working with a group on a presentation or project, Zoho gives you the tools to collaborate no matter where you’re at.
  • iHomework: This handy application allows you to organize courses and assignments and access your schedule anywhere you go.
  • Evernote: It can be accessed on any computer or mobile device, and provides plenty of features to make organizing your classroom notes easy.
  • Outliner: You’ll have the ability to organize and share your papers, notes, and projects right from your iPhone or iPad.

 Communities & Organizations

  • MBA World: One of the world’s largest MBA student communities, MBA World allows you to connect with other MBAs and employers from around the globe.
  • LinkedIn.com: If you’re not on LinkedIn as an MBA student, you need to be. It’s the world’s largest community for business professionals and academics.
  • Online MBA Page: Community of like-minded business management students seeking information on accredited MBA programs via distance learning online.
  • Beta Gamma Sigma: The world’s largest honor society for business students, BGS provides resources and networking opportunities for MBA students.
  • /r/MBA: The MBA Reddit community offers a chance for past, present, and future MBA candidates to find advice and offer wisdom.

 Academic & News Sources

  • Google Scholar: If you need academic resources for a paper or your research, Google Scholar is a great free resource.
  • Financial Times: FT is one of the world’s largest international newspaper, with a strong focus on business, economics, and, of course, finance.
  • American Marketing Association: You’ll need a subscription to access every article, but even a free account grants access to lots of free articles and journals from the world’s top marketing professionals.
  • Harvard Business Review: HBR is one of the world’s leading resources for business news and research. There’s plenty of free articles, webinars, and videos, and even more if you subscribe.
  • Fortune: Run by Time, Fortune is the leading magazine for American-based businesses. Their website contains tons of free content, including articles, videos, and business conferences.
  • MIT Technology Review: Here, MIT provides a ton of free content about the latest technology and how businesses can leverage them to build a competitive advantage.
  • The Economist: When you’re looking for authoritative reporting and insight into the world’s most important business and economic stories, this is your best option.
  • Business and Economics Journal: This is an open-source, free journal with access to tons of free research and publications about the latest economic, financial, and organizational trends.
  • Forbes: Forbes offers daily business insights with a focus on technology and personal finance. It’s a bit lighter than other recognized business sources, making it easy to check out daily.
  • Scientific Research: They provide completely free access to an enormous number of peer-reviewed research and articles. There’s even an app to help you research on the run.

 Blogs & Podcasts

  • The Business Ethics Blog: Run by Chris MacDonald, a Ph.D. and professor at Toronto’s Ryerson University, this blog takes a look at the most important ethical issues facing today’s businesses.
  • ConversionCast Podcast: Run by leading marketers, this podcast takes a look at using websites and digital marketing to drive results in a variety of ways.
  • Authentic Organizations Blog: Throughout this blog, CV Harquail takes a look at what it means to be an effective manager and building authenticity in organizations.
  • Freakonomics Podcast: Run by the author of the best-selling Freakonomics, this podcast looks at the hidden side of business in an entertaining way.
  • Open IT Strategies Blog: Run by Professor Joel West, this blog talks about how you can manage IT to build better business processes.
  • The Time Management Ninja: Excelling in an MBA program means making the most of your time. This handy blog helps keep you on track at all times.
  • BusinessCast: Run by Darden School of Business, the BusinessCast includes lots of great information tailored specifically for MBA and b-school students.
  • Stacy Blackman’s The Wire: This blog is specifically for prospective MBA candidates. If you’re trying to land a spot in a top MBA program, you’ll find everything you need here.
  • Harvard Business Review Podcast Channel: Weekly ideas, insights, and tips on management from Harvard Business Review.

 Free Course Providers

  • Coursera.org: Coursera works with the world’s top universities to provide free professional development courses and works with companies like Google to act as judges for student projects.
  • Udacity: Find free online courses, make a career change, or get a new job by completing a Nanodegree program. Self paced online learning with code reviews.
  • Harvard Free Courses Online: Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. Harvard faculty are engaged with teaching and research to push the boundaries of human knowledge. The University has twelve degree-granting Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
  • EdX: Learn from the best schools, anytime, anywhere. Over 5 million people have taken free courses online from institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, Columbia and more.
  • 100+ Free Business Courses Online: The quality of education now available online has transformed how people view such courses and degrees.

 Websites

  • U.S. Small Business Administration: The SBA provides an incredible amount of resources for small business owners that MBA students can take advantage of, including plenty of free online and offline courses and seminars.
  • Sloan School of Management: If you want to supplement your education with even more classes, you can take completely free graduate business classes from MIT’s opencourseware program.
  • MBA.com: If you’re looking into MBA programs, MBA.com should be your first stop. There’re GMAT test prep materials and information on what to look for in an MBA program.
  • Kaplan Test Prep: Kaplan is another great resource for prospective MBA students, providing completely free GMAT test prep classes and materials.
  • Saylor.org: The Saylor Academy is a foundation that aims to provide free education to everybody. If you want to learn more about a particular subject, chances are good you’ll find something here.
  • Purdue Online Writing Lab: Purdue’s OWL offers an incredible selection of guides and tools to help you write and research better.
  • Beeminder: This website allows you to set and track goals, whether it’s number or hours studies or time spent on a particular assignment.