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Master of Business Administration

Accelerate your career with an MBA from the UIC Business Liautaud Graduate School.

The UIC Business Liautaud Graduate School offers you the flexibility to pursue your MBA in a format that best suits your needs. You’ll earn a degree that is tailored to your specific interests and gain the hard and soft skills that will set you apart. The program is ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

GMAT/GRE Waiver Heading link

Applicants to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program must submit a GMAT/GRE waiver request if they would like to waive the exam requirement. Each waiver request is granted on a case-by-case basis, and the MBA waiver request must be submitted one month before the application deadline. Application deadlines can be found here. MBA applicants who would like to submit GRE/GMAT test scores with their application may still do so.

Waivers are considered on the basis of professional work experience and/or advanced degree. Applicants with two years or more of significant, full-time post-bachelor’s work experience and/or a master’s/terminal degree as evaluated by the UIC Business admissions review committee are strong candidates for GMAT/GRE waiver consideration. Factors such as academic performance and career advancement will be considered by the review committee.

MBA Programs Heading link

The UIC Business Liautaud Graduate School offers MBA programs designed to support your academic and professional development. With classes offered during the day, in the evening and online, you will find the option that best fits your needs.

Full-Time, Accelerated MBA
  • Fall start only
  • On-campus cohort program with daytime classes
  • Finish in three semesters (11 months) or 16 months with optional internship
  • Ideal for recent graduates looking to enhance their skills and career potential
  • Concentrations available in Business Analytics, Finance, Management and Marketing
Flexible MBA Program
  • Fall, spring or summer start
  • Set your own pace (full- or part-time)
  • Take classes at night (online and some Saturday courses are available)
  • Finish in as little as 16 months full-time or 24 months part-time
  • All concentrations available
Online MBA
  • August, October, January, March and May start options
  • Set your own pace (full- or part-time)
  • Finish in as little as 14 months full-time, 28 months part-time
  • Concentrations available: Business Analytics, Finance, Human Resource Management and Management
  • A Full Cost Recovery program and is not eligible for tuition waivers by University of Illinois employees

BA 520 Improv and Leadership

Using improvisational theatre techniques taught in a workshop style of graduating difficulty, this course creates a safe laboratory for students to experiment with the elements of their own professional presence.

MBA 590 Web Analytics

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of web analytics, including metrics like web traffic and how long customers spend at pages. Students will learn to use Google’s online and offline software tools.

MBA 590 Social Entrepreneurs Leading Change

The aim of this course is to study “the triple bottom line.” Social enterprises utilize the business itself to serve as a vehicle for social change. As business leaders, social entrepreneurs want to improve the common good and solve a social problem.

In Their Own Words Heading link

Emma Chapman, UIC MBA 2021

“Choosing UIC for my MBA has been one of the best professional and personal decisions I’ve made as I continue to advance my career. Flexibility and affordability met with superb advising, widespread course offerings, a diverse and knowledgeable student body, and fantastic professors made my MBA valuable. I cannot thank UIC enough!”

Emma Chapman  |  MBA '21

Earning Your MBA Heading link

Credits and Courses

The MBA program is 42 credits in length composed of 26 credits of core courses and 16 credits of electives. Your core courses introduce the fundamental concepts needed to understand the many facets of a complex organization and provide a foundation for further, more in-depth functional business study.

The core curriculum consists of the following seven courses:

  • Financial Accounting (4 credits)
  • Corporate Finance (4 credits)
  • Marketing (4 credits)
  • Microeconomics (4 credits)
  • Operations Management (4 credits)
  • Organizational Behavior (4 credits)
  • Capstone Course: Enterprise Strategy (2 credits) OR Strategic Management (4 credits)

Tuition

UIC Business is part of a public research university, so tuition and fees vary by residency. Also, because our programs offer flexible options, our tuition varies based on the number of classes you are taking each semester. To calculate your tuition and fees, please visit the Tuition Information page.

Don’t forget, UIC Business offers graduate assistantships, scholarships and partial tuition waivers. Ask an admissions representative about the many options we offer to help you afford your education.

Concentrations Heading link

Accounting

Accounting is the language of business. With this concentration, you’ll learn how to maintain the financial health of an organization.

Sample of courses:

  • Financial Accounting
  • Management Accounting
  • Financial Statement Analysis
  • Taxes and Business Policy

Business Analytics

Students master the use of data and models for business decisions, and how to leverage ‘big’ data and analytics for competitive advantage. MBA students within the Business Analytics concentration are prepared to meet demand in one of the most rapidly expanding fields in business.

Sample of courses:

  • Business Data Mining
  • Data Visualization
  • Social Media and Network Analysis
  • Analytics Strategy and Practice
  • Statistical Models and Methods for Business Analytics

Economics

Economics gives you an in-depth look at what drives businesses and consumers. This concentration focuses on applied economics with a focus on health, education and urban issues.

Sample of courses:

  • Managerial Economics
  • International Economics for Business
  • Labor Economics
  • Econometrics

Entrepreneurship

With this concentration, you’ll learn how to evaluate the risks and rewards of a new venture, skills which can be applied to both new and existing businesses.

Sample of courses:

  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Startup Launch
  • Entrepreneurial Electronic Commerce
  • Business Models for Technology Ventures

Finance

Students gain a better understanding of financial assets and how to manage risks and investments.

Sample of courses:

  • Corporate Finance
  • Portfolio Analysis
  • Financial Decision Making
  • Risk Management

Human Resource Management

Aligned with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), this concentration is geared toward students interested in managing the people side of an organization including recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, employment law, global human resource management and managing a diverse workforce.

International Business

Get a closer look at the global business environment. If you are looking to work abroad or for a large multinational company, these courses will deepen your understanding of business on a global scale.

Sample of courses:

  • International Finance
  • International Management
  • International Business Operations
  • Global Innovation Management

Management

This concentration focuses on mastering the knowledge to lead people and organizations with an understanding of human resource management, strategic management, leadership, managerial skills and logistics.

Sample of courses:

  • Competitive Strategy
  • Human Resource Management
  • Negotiations
  • Organizational Design

Management Information Systems

With a concentration in MIS, you’ll learn how to design and manage information and IT systems in ways that have a direct impact on strategy and operational decisions.

Sample of courses:

  • Information Systems Strategy and Policy
  • Innovation and Technology Change
  • Enterprise Information Infrastructure and Security
  • Audit and Control of Information Systems
  • Enterprise Application Development

Marketing

Students in this concentration develop a strong understanding of the entire marketing process in business from research and product development to communications planning and measurement.

Sample of courses:

  • Marketing Communication and Promotional Strategy
  • Marketing Channels Management
  • Product Planning
  • Services Marketing

Operations and Supply-Chain Management

MBA students in this concentration study the strategic management and operation of global supply chains, the flow of goods and services and complex business processes.

Sample of Courses

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Global Sourcing and Logistics Managing Service Operations
  • Quality Control and Lean Process Management
  • Revenue Management

Real Estate

Combining economics, finance, and urban planning students gain a full perspective of the field of real estate with an emphasis in urban real estate markets using metropolitan Chicago as a working laboratory.

Sample of Courses

  • Real Estate Finance
  • Urban Real Estate and Land Economics
  • Urban Economics
  • Investments

Self-Directed

If the other concentrations don’t fit the career path you are building, work with an adviser to develop one.

Study Abroad Programs Heading link

Interested in studying outside of the United States? UIC Business offers several opportunities to study abroad.

Doing Business in Brazil

Doing Business in Brazil is a two-week course in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This program takes place at the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV EAESP), which is one of the top business schools in South America. This program provides an overview of the political, economic, and social aspects of conducting business for professionals, executives, and academics who are interested in the Brazilian market. MBA students will receive four elective credits for participating in the program.

EM Normandie International Summer School

EM Normandie International Summer School offers students the opportunity to participate in a 2- or 4-week international experience in Paris and Le Havre, France. This program is offered through the EM Normandie Business School, which is one of the oldest business schools in France and a top institution for higher education. Students may take a variety of business courses (including management, marketing, and international business) and engage in business meetings and cultural visits. MBA students can earn 3 or 6 credits for participating in the program.

Doing Business in Argentina

Doing Business in Argentina is a one-week program at the IAE Business School in the suburb of Pilar in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. This program offers students insight into the Latin American business world, including the comprehensive dynamics, and opportunities and challenges. Students will delve into Latin America’s business setting and participate in company visits and conferences. MBA Students will receive two credits for participating in the program.

Program Faculty Heading link

Frequently Asked Questions Heading link