Originally published on Crain's Chicago Business
Ten years ago, the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business took a bold step: launching a fully online MBA program that prioritized affordability and quality in a way that had never been done before. Today, that groundbreaking iMBA – which started with 114 students – has served more than 11,500 students and currently enrolls over 4,600 adult learners from all 50 states and 76 countries — from Sydney to Singapore to Saudi Arabia.
The program’s success speaks for itself. Business education publication Poets & Quants named it the No. 1 biggest business school innovation of the decade and its 2022 MBA Program of the Year. Coursera honored the program with its Trailblazer Award, recognizing how “Gies has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in accessible, high-quality business education.”
“At Gies Business, we are committed to creating life-changing access to business education, and our iMBA program is one shining example of what can be possible when you combine affordability and quality — and deliver it in a way that’s accessible and impactful to learners around the world,” said Brooke Elliott, the Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business and Dean of Gies College of Business.
Students who bring real-world experience
The iMBA attracts high-caliber professionals from remarkably diverse backgrounds including doctors, lawyers, farmers and entrepreneurs who see the program as a way to broaden their business acumen. Current students range from their early 20s to early 70s and bring an average of 11 years of work experience to their studies.
What draws them is the flexibility and affordability that make it possible to advance their careers without putting their lives on hold. The inaugural 2016 class included employees from Amazon, Boeing and Microsoft. Today’s students work at Fortune 500 companies across all major business sectors.
“This program gave me additional management credentials and another sandbox to try out new skills, new styles and learn new things from outside my organization,” said Alyssa Harder, now a technical sales manager for Rohde & Schwarz, Chicago, where she’s worked for 14 years.
While the degree does not require campus visits, students have the opportunity to connect in person at meetups worldwide or participate in on-campus events like graduation and iConverge, an annual weekend that brings students together with faculty and peers to connect, engage, and experience the campus.
Built on a foundation of innovation
The iMBA’s origins trace back to 2008 when Gies Business began blending in-class and online learning. In 2013, the
College partnered with Coursera to offer its first massive open online course (MOOC). Two years of intensive design work followed before the iMBA launched in 2016.
Gies Business has created more than 140 MOOC courses taught by 85 world-class instructors who have embraced the platform, developing content specifically tailored for online learning with multiple avenues for real-time engagement. The program also employs more than 60 full- and part-time staff who range from video production and learning design to student support and advising.
In 2025, the College’s brand new Steven S. Wymer Hall opened its doors, featuring state-of-the-art studios designed for both live and recorded lectures. The first new building for the College since 2008, it includes two TV-quality sound stages and five additional studios that significantly enhance the program’s video production capabilities.
Leading the AI revolution in education
Technology has driven the iMBA’s innovation from day one. The program was using Zoom to engage hundreds of students a year before the pandemic made virtual meetings ubiquitous. Faculty teach from professional studios, allowing them to focus on engaging with learners rather than wrestling with IT challenges.
Today, AI is woven throughout the program. Multiple iMBA courses teach students how to use AI responsibly and leverage it in their work. Behind the scenes, AI enhances and speeds up feedback, while enabling personalized learning experiences.
The College is also pioneering AI in course development. “We have the digital twins and avatars which allow our faculty — especially those living overseas — to create new lecture videos or update existing ones without coming back into the studio,” said Jason Mock, senior director of teaching and learning strategy at Gies College of Business, emphasizing that all AI-related use is done with faculty oversight and alignment in ethical and academic standards to ensure quality and integrity.
A decade of impact, a future of possibility
As the Gies iMBA marks its 10th anniversary, it stands as proof that innovative thinking can transform business
education. With more than 2,000 alumni in Illinois alone and thousands more around the globe, the program has made a world-class MBA accessible to working professionals who might never have been able to pursue one otherwise.
“I don’t know another program that offers the combination of flexibility and high quality education in the way Gies Business does,” said Dustin Wenger, a senior business consultant at CGI.
For anyone considering an MBA, the iMBA offers a proven model: high-quality education from a top-ranked institution, delivered with the flexibility modern professionals need and a price point that makes it achievable — currently at just over $26,000. The next decade promises even more innovation as the program continues pushing boundaries in online education, AI integration and global accessibility.