Master of Business Administration
Accelerate your career with an MBA from the UIC Business Liautaud Graduate School.
An MBA from 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 #65 by U.S. News & World Report.
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MBA Programs
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Full-Time, Accelerated MBA
- On-campus cohort program with daytime classes
- Finish in three semesters
- Build a strong career network
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Weekend MBA
- Two-year cohort program
- Meets on Saturdays
- Ideal for working professionals
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Flexible MBA Program
- Set your own pace (full- or part-time)
- Take classes at night, online or on Saturdays
- Finish in as little as 18 months
Important Dates
Featured Courses
BA 520 Improv and Leadership
Using improvisational theatre techniques taught in workshop exercise of graduating difficulty, this course creates a safe laboratory for students to experiment with the elements of their own executive 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
“The Liautaud experience has been phenomenal. As a part of the Accelerated Cohort MBA program, I appreciate the connections I’m developing with my classmates, laying down a solid foundation for my career network.”
| MBA '16
Earning Your MBA
Learn more about our MBA Program.
Credits and Courses
The MBA program is 54 credits in length composed of 26 credits of core courses and 28 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)
- Enterprise Strategy (capstone course, 2 credits)
Tuition
UIC Business is 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 Liautaud 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
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.
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
This concentration trains students in the use of data and models for business decisions, and how to leverage ‘big’ data and analytics for competitive advantage. MBA students with 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 will 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
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 will equip 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.
Program Faculty
Rong (Irene) Zhong
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Lan Zhang
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Matthew Wynter
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J Christopher Westland
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Mary Beth Watson-Manheim
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Stanley Waite
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Theja Tulabandhula
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Ann Trampas
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Elina Tang
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Ali Tafti
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Study Abroad Programs
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, at the Fundacao Getulio Vargas, considered one of the top business schools in South America. This English-language course covers Brazilian and South American business issues, the political and social climate, national culture, consumer marketing and Mercosur. MBA students receive four elective credits for participating in the program.
Know Europe
Know Europe is a four-week course, through the ESC Normandy. Study is organized in Brussels, Belgium; Haarlem, Amsterdam; Paris, Le Havre and Caen, France; and Barcelona, Spain. Professors are drawn from Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia. The program includes meetings with local businesses, field visits to seats of European government and presentations on major aspects of European administration and culture. MBA students receive six elective credits for participating in the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Weekend MBA Program and the Accelerated MBA start in the fall semester only. Students in the flexible program can start in the summer, fall or spring.
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Online courses are often very different than traditional on-campus courses in terms of how the material is presented, the nature of the interaction among class members and the overall learning experience. However, the course load is at the same level as the face-to-face version; the only amount of time saved is your commute time to and from campus. Our online courses use the Blackboard software.
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MBA applicants are expected to have at least two years of business related work experience after the completion of a 4-year bachelor’s degree. Historically, our typical admitted student had more than this level of experience prior to applying to the UIC Business MBA program.
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Joint degree applicants are required to apply separately to both programs, making sure to follow the application procedures/requirements for each program. We strongly encourage applicants to apply to one program at a time. We recommend applicants apply to their second program upon gaining admission and enrolling in their first program.
When applying to the second degree program, applicants are also required to submit the Change of Graduate Program form, with Section I completed.
We recommend that joint degree applicants work closely with academic advisors in both programs to insure proper sequencing of coursework and to assist in transferring application documents to the second application to avoid double submission of application documents.
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An undergraduate degree in business administration is not required. In fact, our Accelerated MBA Program is designed specifically for those with an undergraduate background in a non-business field. Approximately 50% of our student body does not have an undergraduate business background. We do recommend that students have had a class in statistics. If they have not, they can take one during their first semester.
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You may be admitted to the Liautaud MBA Program on a non-degree basis only in the following two cases:
1. If you have already completed an MBA or other approved management degree from an AACSB accredited institution and wish to pursue further course work, you may enroll in Liautaud MBA classes on a space-available basis as long as you maintain good academic standing. The application for admission and proof of MBA degree (a photocopy of your transcript or diploma showing a completed MBA degree) must be submitted by the application deadline for the desired term of study.
2. If you are currently enrolled in an MBA program at another AACSB institution and wish to take courses that will be accepted by your university as transfer courses. You may enroll in Liautaud MBA courses to the extent approved by your MBA program and by the Liautaud MBA Program. The Liautaud MBA application for admission, application fee, proof of baccalaureate degree and letter from the director of your MBA program indicating that you are in good academic standing and list the courses approved to be transferred must be submitted by the application deadline for the desired term of study. You may also be asked by the admissions committee to provide additional information regarding your academic credentials.