iMSM: New Online Master’s For Early Career Professionals Packs A Punch

A new online degree from the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business delivers a powerful package of academics, technical skills, and leadership development specially designed for early career professionals. The iMSM – that’s an online Master of Science in Management – costs just $11k and students can complete it in 12 to 24 months without leaving their jobs.

The iMSM is a business degree for all backgrounds, regardless of industry or job title, and pairs with any kind of undergraduate major. It is designed for early career professionals who want to add a foundation of business skills but don’t yet have extensive work experience.

“The program is focused on the business skills you need to thrive, make an impact, and advance when you’re early in your career,” said Associate Dean Brooke Elliott, who oversees strategy for Gies’ online programs. “It develops fundamentally important managerial and strategic capabilities as well as the ability to think critically about ethical issues. You learn and practice up-to-the-minute technical skills, develop the ability to lead and contribute to teams, and get core, actionable knowledge in areas including finance, accounting, and marketing. This a robust professional growth experience.”

Courses are designed for practical application, structured according to how the material will actually be used. Students have the opportunity to customize their degree by taking elective courses in areas such as global business challenges, data-driven decision-making, and communications.

The iMSM is flexible, fitting around busy work schedules. It includes a combination of live online global classrooms, online office hours with faculty and student-support teams, hands-on individual and team projects, and on-demand content. In addition, the iMSM offers optional offline immersion experiences, in which students work in teams on real-world projects in the US and abroad.

“Many professionals want to build their business knowledge and skill sets but can’t quit their jobs to do it,” said Elliott. “With this program, you can stay in your job while you earn your master’s. Not only that, but you can also use what you’re learning in real-time. You might learn Tableau in class on Monday and use it at work on Tuesday.”

Hands-on practice and personal interaction with faculty are hallmarks of Gies’ standard-setting online programs, which are offered in partnership with Coursera. Instead of simply moving residential programs online, the College intentionally innovates—tailoring curriculum, delivery, and an array of student-student and student-faculty engagement opportunities in a way that’s most impactful in the online space.

Graduates of the program earn a master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, one of the world’s great universities with one of the world’s most innovative business schools. The University has more than 470,000 alumni around the world.

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