The Notre Dame MBA: What You Need To Know

Founded in 1967, the Notre Dame MBA develops business leaders who seek to “Grow the Good” in business. The program offers an academic experience that integrates experiential learning, leadership development and a community of mutual advancement to provide students with the tools to connect them with a career that suits their skills, interests, values, as well as their unique sense of purpose.

Located within the Mendoza College of Business, the program is part of the University of Notre Dame, a Catholic research institution. The University’s 1,200-acre campus in South Bend, Indiana features iconic landmarks including the Golden Dome, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Hesburgh Library with the Word of Life Mosaic ( also known as “Touchdown Jesus”), the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, and directly across from Mendoza, Notre Dame Stadium. Students enjoy the beautiful campus and close-knit community while remaining close to the nation’s third-largest city of Chicago.

This year, the B-school ranked No. 31 in the Poets&Quants rankings and No. 25 in the U.S. News and World Reports’ 2023 Best Business Schools rankings. Mendoza currently has a class of 143 students in the two-year full-time MBA program, with 33% female, 9% minority, and 23% international students.

The Notre Dame MBA offers both a two-year 64-credit program and a one-year 46-credit program. In the two-year program, students attend classes for four semesters, studying the core business disciplines their first year. Classes are case-based and offer experiential learning options across all disciplines. Some of the popular experiential learning opportunities include Applied Investment Management, which gives students the opportunity to invest live funds from the Notre Dame endowment, and service-learning experiences through the Meyer Business on the Frontlines Program. In wrapping up their first year, they select from a variety of concentration tracks that align with their interests.

Each semester consists of two seven-week modules, which gives students flexibility and allows them to layer in electives to complement their concentration track selections. Mendoza currently offers nine concentrations: business analytics, business leadership, corporate finance, digital marketing & marketing analytics, innovation & entrepreneurship, investments, marketing, strategy, supply chain & operations management. All first-year students are required to enroll in a case competition, during the fall interterm session, focused on corporate social responsibility during the fall session.

In addition to a required internship for two-year MBAs, all students have opportunities to engage in off-campus study programs in Silicon Valley or Chile in a seven-week immersion into the local community along with direct insight from active industry practitioners in the tech industry and international business industry. There also are several international immersion trips, including two-week trips to Beijing and Shanghai, China, as well as Santiago, Chile, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

One of the hallmarks of a Notre Dame MBA occurs once you graduate. Mendoza boasts an incredibly strong alumni network so it is no surprise that a Notre Dame MBA delivers enduring value thanks to those close-knit connections.

“Having been part of the Notre Dame MBA family as a student, alumnus and administrator, there are many elements of the program and the experience that are special to me,” says Joe Sweeney, academic director of the MBA Programs. “One of the most important aspects is that Notre Dame is a place for people who want to be part of something larger than themselves. Whether that manifests as engagement in experiential service-learning courses like Business on the Frontlines or as the individual who spends hours helping a fellow student prep to interview for the same job that they seek, the recognition that collaboration and competition are not always mutually exclusive is core to the ethos of Mendoza.”

Mendoza College of Business MBA Rankings Data

Mendoza College of Business MBA Employment Stats

Watch Poets&Quants’ John A. Byrne interview Mendoza’s Associate Dean Jeffrey Bergstrand. Watch the full interview.

MBA Program Consideration Set:

Stretch Schools: Emory, Indiana, USC

Match Schools: Georgetown, Minnesota, Washington University, Rice, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Michigan State, University of Washington, Brigham Young

Safe Schools: Southern Methodist, Rochester, Maryland, Boston University

Notes: MBA Program Consideration Set: If you believe you’re a close match to this school–based on your GMAT and GPA scores, your age and work experience, you should look at these other competitive full-time MBA programs as well. We list them by stretch, match, and safety. These options are presented on the basis of brand image and ranking status.