iMSM Curriculum
The iMSM 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.
Online management courses in the iMSM are interactive. Professors engage with you personally, and working with classmates is routine through both an online global classroom and a series of team projects.
Courses are structured to mirror how you’ll use them on the job. Material is designed for practical application—now and in the future. In fact, course material makes an immediate impact: You can apply what you learn today to your work tomorrow.
Quick Facts
- 36 total credit hours required
- 24 credit hours of general business management
- 12 credit hours of electives
- $347 per credit hour – $12,492 total tuition
- 12-24 months average time to degree completion (up to 60 months permitted)
- Show your growth – earn microcredentials during your MSM
Required Courses
The curriculum includes 24 hours of required business fundamentals courses such as marketing, strategic business management, leadership, process management, global business, communicating with data, and finance.
Elective Options
With the remaining 12 credit hours, students have the opportunity to customize their degree by taking elective courses focused on global business challenges as well as data-driven decision-making and communications. 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.
You have the option to obtain one Graduate Certificate while in pursuit of your degree. The addition of a Graduate Certificate is optional and can be selected from elective coursework: Global Challenges in Business or Strategic Leadership and Management.
Suggested Course Pairings
If you are interested in focusing your elective courses on a specific topic, the iMSM currently offers three unique paths as listed below. Please note that these paths are only suggested course pairings—they are not transcriptable and will not appear on your degree as a concentration.
Business Value and Project Management
- ACCY 500: Accounting Measurement, Reporting, and Control
- BADM 509: Managing Organizations
- BADM 589: Project Management
Global Business Challenges
Business Data Management and Communication
- ACCY 500: Accounting Measurement, Reporting, and Control
- MBA 561: Introduction to Business Analytics with R*
- MBA 562: Introduction to Data: Communicating with Data*
- MBA 565: Infonomics
*Denotes a 2 Credit Hour Course
Course structure and format
Generally, you will spend 10-15 hours per class, per week. The course load is flexible – you can take one or two courses, or skip a term depending on your capacity.
- Weekly live classes and office hours with top faculty
- Missed a live class? Watch the recording at a more convenient time
- Self-paced, downloadable course material on Coursera
- Group discussions and projects with peers around the globe
- Immediately applicable graduate-level coursework
Immersion opportunities
Expand your understanding of other cultures and the global economy by choosing to participate in a two-week immersion – either in-person or virtually. We partner with select universities and companies around the world to bring together a diverse group of learners, cultures, ideas, and solutions.
Engaging online experience
Interact with top University of Illinois faculty and fellow learners from around the globe in your iMSM courses. Our program was built from the ground up to deliver the level of rich interaction and engagement you'd experience on campus.
