University of Illinois Gies College of Business: MS in Management

The profile was last updated on September 25, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Georgina Hannah.

About the Program

The nine-month Master of Science in Management (MSM) at Gies Business teaches students the fundamental business skills to build upon their undergraduate education. By combining business knowledge with a degree in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and other non-business majors, students can achieve greater earning power and gain a competitive advantage.

The MSM program features faculty who design a customized curriculum to propel the careers of emerging leaders. The curriculum includes business fundamentals such as marketing, process management, global business, communicating with data, project management, finance, and quantitative reasoning. Students can also customize their degree with electives in small business consulting, social media strategy, predictive data analytics and more. These courses will allow students the flexibility to tailor their degree experience to specific interests.

Program Format and Schedule

The MSM program consists of a minimum of 36 credit hours taken over two semesters (fall and spring) starting in August. The courses are drawn from a set of required and elective courses in business administration.

There is some flexibility in the degree requirements. Students can customize the degree to meet individuals’ needs with elective courses. Students will be able to select a 400 or 500 level elective from among approved alternatives within Gies College of Business or other colleges on campus. Electives may include courses in design, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and nonprofit management. These courses will allow students the flexibility to tailor their degree experience to specific interests. Students may take additional elective courses if available.

The MSM program is primarily designed for students with a bachelor’s degree in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and other non-business majors. Admission to the MSM program is highly competitive. Decisions are based on the individual’s previous academic accomplishments, personal statement, resume, demonstrated potential for graduate and professional success, and references.

From the School

The on-campus Master of Science in Management (MSM) will require 36 credit hours for completion – 24 of those hours will cover general business management core courses. The remaining 12 hours will be electives that you choose based on your interests and career aspirations. Courses are taken over two semesters (fall and spring) – August to May.

Course Schedule
The master’s in management consists of 36 credit hours taken over two semesters – August to May. The courses in the MSM will give you the fundamental business skills that build upon your undergraduate education. Below is a sample course schedule.

Fall Semester Courses (18 Credit Hours):

Business Practicum
Communicating with Data and Decision Making
Communication Strategy in Business
Introduction to Finance
Leadership and Teams
Managerial Accounting
Marketing Management
Operations Management

Spring Semester Courses (18 Credit Hours)

Strategic Management
Business Practicum
Electives (12 credit hours)

Electives Options
With the remaining 12 credit hours, you have the opportunity to customize your degree in the spring semester by taking elective courses based on your interests and career path. Elective options are subject to change based on the semester and faculty availability. At Gies, our faculty strive to develop relevant, timely coursework – so this list of electives will continue to grow. Enrolled learners will always be notified of new courses.

Concentrations/Specializations
You may choose to pursue an optional concentration or specialization. Concentrations and specializations are built into the 36 credit hours you need to complete the degree and do not require an additional semester of study. Concentrations appear on transcripts while specializations do not. Specializations are designed to help you develop competency in one specific area, similar to a concentration.