Corporate MBA Program at UIC
At the University of Illinois Chicago, the CMBA is an accelerated global MBA program that focuses on creating new knowledge and providing practical solutions to challenges that confront the constantly changing global business environment.
Building on our strengths as a major research university and our location near the heart of Chicago’s business district, the Corporate Master of Business Administration program (CMBA) at the University of Illinois Chicago offers international professionals the opportunity to learn the latest business theories in an environment where the application and practice of business are closely integrated into your studies. The city of Chicago provides not only a stimulating living environment but also a living laboratory for the study of business. Students in our program engage in case studies, business simulations, and projects. They propose new business ideas and compete for venture capital support, including “1871,” Chicago’s technology and entrepreneurship innovation hub, and the UIC Innovation Center at their fingertips. They not only learn about business—they learn how to apply their knowledge to business.
Drawing upon the range of backgrounds of our student body and UIC’s strength as one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the U.S., we are committed to developing well-rounded leaders with the practical knowledge, skills, and values to compete effectively in the global marketplace.
The CMBA Program was developed to meet the needs of international professionals who wish to further their careers by earning their MBA degree from an AACSB-accredited program in the United States and completing the program within a year.
Since 1994, the CMBA Program has allowed students to complete their degree in a shorter time frame without sacrificing attention to the learning of fundamental business knowledge and practical skills needed to succeed in today’s local and global competitive environments. A key advantage of the program is its flexibility in tailoring the MBA degree to a specific track: a customized curriculum in Strategic and International Business Management; Financial Markets and Asset Management; Management of Healthcare; Commodities, Exchanges and Derivatives; or Business Analytics.
The program develops a full range of contemporary management skills and cultural awareness that enables students to compete effectively in today's global business environment.
The UIC Advantage Heading link

As part of the UIC College of Business Administration, students of the CMBA Program have both corporate and academic advantages. Chicago has been rated among the top ten global cities across five dimensions: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement.*
Students have access to UIC’s close ties with major financial and corporate resources within walking distance from campus. These include the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the downtown “Loop,” home to major banks and multinational corporations, as well as nearby world-renowned medical centers such as Rush University, Northwestern Medicine, and the University of Chicago Medicine. Chicago is also recognized as a major logistics hub, boasting one of the best transportation, distribution, and logistics ecosystems in the world.
Students also benefit from close collaboration with renowned UIC faculty. Learn more about Life at UIC.
*A.T. Kearney 2021 Global Cities Report.
Program Overview Heading link

The CMBA program offers a world-class education in a world-class city. We welcome your interest and look forward to receiving your application.
Track-based. Students enter the program with other students in their selected track. All students in a given track take the same courses at the same time throughout the program. The academic plan for each track is constructed by the CMBA Office. Students also have the opportunity to take classes with their American counterparts in some shared MBA courses.
There are five tracks a student can choose from: Strategic and International Business Management (SIM), Financial Markets and Asset Management (FMAM), Management of Healthcare (MOH), Commodities, Exchanges and Derivatives (CED) or Business Analytics (BA).
Time efficient. The relatively shorter time frame of this program is achieved by making the program somewhat more intensive than the traditional two-year, full-time MBA programs.
Care is taken to make sure students in each track can take the full range of core and area of focus coursework within one calendar year to fulfill their degree requirements. We utilize the entire summer to achieve this goal, as well as the regular spring and fall terms.
Solid Quality. All five tracks require 54 credit hours of coursework, including MBA core courses (visit the BusinessConnect website for a list of core courses), industry exposure courses and track-specific courses. Students will gain a combination of core business skills and specialized expertise.
CMBA Program Tracks Heading link
Strategic and International Business Management (SIM)
Strategic and International Business Management seeks to foster an understanding of international business practices and culture together with knowledge of the core functional areas of business and to allow students to develop their judgment and ability in applying this knowledge in a global business environment.
Representative track-specific courses include but are not limited to:
- Corporate Strategy
- Supply Chain Management
- Marketing Strategy
- Negotiations
- Product Development
- Global Strategy
- Business Visualization
- Global Innovation Leadership
Vivian Ding, CMBA SIM 2012 graduate Heading link

“Studying at UIC helped me acquire a wealth of knowledge and skills related to my job, and moreover, the critical thinking and professionalism I learned there have been a real treasure in my life.”
CMBA SIM 2012 graduate|
CMBA Program Tracks Heading link
Financial Markets and Asset Management (FMAM)
Financial Markets and Asset Management is designed to further careers of financial professionals by enhancing their understanding of financial markets, asset management, and the operation of financial institutions in the dynamic global economy. Drawing on the resources of the financial community of Chicago, the track provides up-to-date knowledge in the theory and practice of financial markets and asset management.
Representative track-specific courses include but are not limited to:
- Investments
- Portfolio Analysis
- Statistics for Financial Markets
- Fixed Income
- Chicago Exchanges
- Alternative Investments
- Quantitative Investing
- Money and Banking
Eugene Chang, CMBA FMAM 2013 graduate Heading link

“I strongly recommend the UIC CMBA program, which helped me not only acquire the latest professional skills but also expand my knowledge, establish business contacts, and pursue new opportunities for development in my life.”
CMBA FMAM 2013 graduate|
CMBA Program Tracks Heading link
Management of Healthcare (MOH)
Management of Healthcare is designed to further the careers of healthcare professionals by encouraging the development of contemporary management skills and cultural awareness necessary to deliver innovative health care services in the twenty-first century. The track further develops international students’ understanding of general business management and healthcare management by enhancing their understanding of the U.S. public health policies, administration, services, and management practices. It strives to empower students to utilize their existing knowledge base with those developed in the track to construct a truly integrated health care system.
In addition to the track’s coursework, students are encouraged to take advantage of the variety of lectures, grand rounds, and other opportunities in healthcare on campus and in the community.
Representative track-specific courses include but are not limited to:
- Human Resources Management in Healthcare
- Strategic Management
- Healthcare Economics
- Public Health Management
- American Healthcare Institutions
- Healthcare Informatics
- Operations of Public Hospitals
- Business Data Visualization
Rebecca Liu Min, CMBA 2002 graduate Heading link

“The CMBA program offers a true combination of business training and healthcare expertise, which greatly improved my understanding of healthcare management.”
CMBA 2002 graduate|
CMBA Program Tracks Heading link
Commodities, Exchanges and Derivatives (CED)
Commodities, Exchanges and Derivatives derives a unique advantage from its prime location in the city of Chicago, which is home to the world’s largest futures exchanges, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group; and the world’s largest options exchange, the Chicago Board Options Exchange. Chicago is the origination and global center of the commodities, exchanges and financial derivatives. In addition to these institutions, many large multinational securities and futures firms have offices in the city. This environment provides students with many opportunities to interact with leading experts in the industry and to become acquainted with the most advanced technology in the field.
Representative track-specific courses include but are not limited to:
- Money and Banking
- Chicago Exchanges
- Quantitative Methods for Finance
- Investments
- Commodities and Asset Pricing
- Futures and Options
- Futures and Options, Advanced
- Introduction to Quantamental Investing
Chi-Hao Chen, CED 2020 graduate Heading link

“With six years of working experience in the futures industry…this program’s systematic training has indeed equipped me with a solid foundation in the core aspects of finance and management. I really enjoyed the CED track and believe the CMBA degree will benefit my future career. “
CMBA CED 2020 graduate|
CMBA Program Tracks Heading link
Business Analytics (BA)
Business Analytics equips students with the business knowledge and analytics skills required for evidence-based and data-driven decisions to achieve efficient business operations, superior organizational performance, and effective management in industry. The cutting-edge curriculum seamlessly integrates core courses in functional areas of business with advanced courses in data visualization, statistical modeling, data mining, and analytics strategies and practices.
Representative track-specific courses include but are not limited to:
- Programming for Data Science in Business
- Business Database Technology
- Statistics for Business
- Data Mining for Business
- Social Media and Network Analysis
- Analytics for Big Data
- Business Data Visualization
- Advanced Text Analytics for Business
Admissions Heading link
Criteria for Candidates
Ideal candidates for the CMBA Program are young professionals who want to advance their career with an MBA but find it difficult to be away from the workplace for more than one year, or recent graduates and are looking for a quality program to enhance their skills and career potential. To be considered for admission to the program, individuals should have:
- A bachelor’s degree with satisfactory grades
- Strong English language skills
- Analytical and quantitative skills and/or professional experience are preferred.
- For the FMAM and CED focuses, prior study of calculus and statistics is highly recommended.
- For the BA focus, prior study and/or work experience in business, science, engineering, technology, or related fields are preferred.
These minimum criteria only qualify a candidate for consideration and do not guarantee an offer of admission.
Frequently Asked Questions Heading link
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CMBA vs. MBA
All students earning an MBA degree from UIC will receive the same diploma irrespective of the program format.
However, traditional campus MBA programs are typically designed for students to study full time over a two-year period or part time over an extended period while still employed. Students individually choose their courses to meet the degree requirements, including an advanced area of study.
In contrast, our students go through their chosen track together—allowing the entire degree program to be tailored to the students’ needs, including sequence, delivery and selection of advanced courses or the development of special topic courses. To accomplish program goals, the CMBA Program Office, working with the sponsoring organization, may modify instructional schedules and the selection of areas of focus after the program begins.
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Program Structure
Courses for the CMBA Program are scheduled in a number of modules varying in length over the one-year period. There is one major vacation break at the end of December.
Course work in the CMBA Program is scheduled to allow students to complete program requirements within one year. The course work is tailored to both the track as well as the collective needs of the students.
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How do I apply?
Students can apply through the online application portal under UIC admissions, instructed by a sponsoring organization or corporation working in partnership with UIC. Individual applicants should contact cmba@uic.edu
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Tracks
We currently offer five tracks in Strategic and International Business Management, Financial Markets and Asset Management, Management of Healthcare, Commodities, Exchanges and Derivatives, and Business Analytics.
Other tracks may be developed based on expressions of interest from sponsoring organizations. The college has areas of particular strength in strategy, finance, accounting and entrepreneurship. Please contact our office directly for more information.
The CMBA Program is based in a major public urban research university, which allows the program to draw on the breadth and depth of faculty in the College of Business
Administration and on the broader expertise and resources of the university. The program additionally utilizes the resources of the City of Chicago and the metropolitan area.
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How is it possible to complete the degree program in one year?
The relatively shorter timeframe for the CMBA Program is achieved by making the program somewhat more intensive than the traditional full-time MBA programs and by greatly reducing the amount of vacation time. Instead of four terms of study spread over 16 to 21 months in a typical 2-year program, our program requires a slightly more demanding course load: all degree requirements are met within the one-year program.
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Program establishment
The CMBA program was established in 1994 to meet the needs of professionals who wish to further their careers by earning their MBA degree from an AACSB-accredited program and complete the program within a year. Since its foundation, it has been developing and offering specialized tracks based on the market demands.
- Strategic and International Business Management (formerly as International Management) was launched in 1994.
- Financial Markets and Asset Management (formerly as Financial Markets and Risk Management) was launched in 1994.
- Management of Healthcare, launched in 2014, was originally customized on the needs of the Ministry of Health of China.
- Commodities, Exchanges and Derivatives was launched in 2019.
- Business Analytics was launched in 2022.
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Am I eligible for OPT after completing the study in the CMBA program?
CMBA graduates can apply for one-year OPT after the study as long as they have valid F-1 student visa status. For those pursing a joint degree program (ex. CMBA-MSF joint degree), students can apply to receive up to 3-year OPT after graduating from the joint program.