Looking For Accelerated MBA Programs in Chicago

Earning an MBA is a commitment on many levels. Of course there’s the financial commitment, and for some there’s still a work commitment. There’s also a large time commitment involved—prospective MBAs must sink time into studying, attending class, immersion courses, case competitions and more. However, some may want to try to complete their MBA program as quickly and efficiently as possible. That’s where accelerated MBA programs come into play: sometimes in only 12 months, those pursuing accelerated degrees are back in the job market, ready to start their next career.According to Find-MBA, one-year programs are designed for students who have clear ideas for what they want to do after graduation, or for students who already have some background knowledge in business. Most one-year MBAs start in the summer.

While one-year MBA programs are the common in the UK or in Europe, according to Top Find-MBA, they are much less common in the United States. Luckily in the Chicago Metro, four top business schools feature accelerated MBA programs.

Kellogg School of Management – Northwestern University

Originally founded as the Northwestern University School of Commerce part-time evening program in 1908, the school was renamed the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management in 1979 after a $10 million gift from John L. Kellogg, former president of the food manufacturing Kellogg Company. A founding member of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, Kellogg offers One-Year full-time, Two-Year full-time, part-time and Executive MBA programs.

Kellogg was actually the first top-tier business school to offer a One-Year MBA program designed for students who have both a business-related degree and several years of work experience. The school initially launched the One-Year program 50 years ago.

Kellogg’s Accelerated MBA is designed to allow students to bypass core classes. The program starts in June and is completed in one year and consists of 15.5 credits. Required courses are taken in the summer, which are designed to complement undergraduate business studies. Students complete their degrees with elective courses taken in the fall, winter and spring. Students take at least two summer courses in Leadership and Business Strategy, a Crisis Management half credit course right before the fall term and then join second-year MBA students for the final 13 courses before earning their degree.

Liautaud Graduate School of Business – University of Illinois at Chicago

While the University of Illinois’ MBA program was founded in 1969, it wasn’t named the Liautaud Graduate School of Business until 2003, following a gift from Jim Liautaud and his son Jimmy John, founder of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich Shops. UIC Liautaud is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) and offers both full-time and part-time MBA degrees. In addition, the school also offers a variation on the part-time options called the Weekend MBA and the Flexible MBA, which are designed for working professionals.

The school also features an Accelerated MBA, which launched in fall 2015. The program is designed for recent graduates or students with limited work experience to develop knowledge of business principles and skills in three semesters of full-time study.

University of Illinois’s Accelerated MBA is a 54 credit hour, 13.5 course program. Students start off by taking six core courses (financial accounting, corporate finance, marketing, microeconomics, operations management and organizational behavior) before taking 7.5 courses of advanced electives. Core courses typically range in size from 45-70 students, while elective classes are in the 15-40 student range.

Students enrolled in the program will complete the core coursework as a cohort during the fall and spring semesters. The final semester, which is comprised of advanced courses, may be completed in the summer semester or in the subsequent fall semester. Students can complete their degree in an even faster time by carrying a heavy course load each semester.

Mendoza College of Business – Notre Dame University

Founded in 1921, Notre Dame’s College of Foreign and Domestic Commerce was re-named the Mendoza College of Business in the early 2000’s the college to honor a $35 million donation from Tom and Kathy Mendoza. The school’s MBA faculty includes approximately 182 instructors, including professors, associate professors, adjunct instructors and prominent business leaders also serve as visiting lecturers. Mendoza offers two-year, one-year and Executive MBA programs.

Mendoza’s One-Year MBA begins and ends in May. The program requires 46 credit hours to complete. The program starts with a 10-week summer session, and students join classes with other MBA students in the fall and spring. Summer courses include leadership & organizational behavior, marketing management and strategic essentials. Following the summer session classes, students declare a concentration in either business analytics, business leadership, consulting, corporate finance, innovation & entrepreneurship, investments or marketing. Notre Dame’s One-Year MBA also has an international immersion option where students can travel to Brazil, China or Chile.

Northern Illinois University College of Business

Starting as a three faculty team teaching in a former World War II barracks, the Northern Illinois University’s Business Department was founded in 1961. Today, the NIU College of Business contains the six academic departments of accountancy, business administration, finance, management, marketing and operations management & information systems. NIU offers two Accelerated degree programs: the One-Year MBA and the Fast-Track MBA.

The One-Year program accepts one cohort each winter. Classes begin in January and students finish course work in 12 months by attending class just two evenings per week. Classes are further broken down into groups, which are expected to meet up at least once per week outside of normal classroom hours. The program also includes a nine-day international trip, which is usually scheduled in March. These experiences generally include a combination of company visits, government briefings and university lectures. Recent international immersions have had students visiting places like Lisbon and Barcelona.

Meanwhile, the Fast-Track MBA is a day-time, 12-month program with required international experiences in Bordeaux, France or Murcia, Spain. Students attend classes Monday through Friday during spring and fall semesters.

NIU’s Fast-Track MBA has all students enter and experience the program together and begins with a mandatory orientation session in mid-August for all students. Students enrolled in the program also have the opportunity to earn a second Masters degree in International Management from IAE the Bordeaux University School of Management or a Master of International Management from the ENAE School of Business in Murcia Spain. The MBA program is broken up into five modules, with students taking between two and four courses during these five-eight week intensive class blocks. Dual-degree students also travel abroad for two three-week periods between modules two to four.

For more information on some of the other Chicago MBAs other than Accelerated MBA programs, click here.

regions: Chicago

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