Online MBA Programs at Concordia University Chicago
Build business knowledge. Lead with purpose.
Concordia University Chicago’s Master of Business Administration connects business foundations with analytics, design thinking, applied artificial intelligence, and ethical leadership. Choose the General MBA for broad business study or add a specialization in an area such as accounting, finance, health care, marketing, leadership, project management, sports, or school business. Online and campus study options are available; confirm the delivery format for your selected program.
Designed for Working Professionals
Graduate study needs to fit into the rest of your life. CUC’s online courses use an eight-week term format, so you can plan coursework around work and personal responsibilities. Your time to completion depends on the MBA option, course availability, course load, and approved degree plan. An advisor can help you understand the sequence before you begin.
MBA at a Glance
At a Glance | CUC MBA |
|---|---|
Degree Options | General MBA and eight MBA specializations |
Credits | 30 credits for the General MBA; 33 or 36 for most specializations; 39 for the MBA with the CSBO specialization |
Format | Online and campus study options; confirm modality for the selected option |
Online Course Length | Eight-week terms |
Start Dates | Multiple entry points; review current dates and deadlines with Admissions |
Tuition Basis | Standard MBA tuition for 2026–27 is $710 per credit. A technology fee also applies; see the current fee schedule for the per-semester cap and program-specific rates. |
Why Consider an MBA
An MBA can help you examine business decisions from more than one angle. CUC’s curriculum combines accounting, finance, marketing, business analytics, design thinking, artificial intelligence, and leadership. Depending on your experience and goals, graduate business study may help you broaden your responsibilities, strengthen a business foundation, or focus your learning through a specialization.
Connect financial, market, and organizational information when weighing a business decision.
Build skills in data interpretation, design thinking, applied AI, and ethical decision-making.
Choose broad business coursework or focus part of your study on a professional interest.
Career Relevance and Employer Evidence
An MBA is one part of a professional path. Experience, location, industry, employer requirements, and chosen specialization also shape career options. National survey and labor market data offer useful context, but they are not CUC graduate outcomes or promises of employment or salary.
Employer views of online graduate management education
In GMAC’s 2026 Corporate Recruiters Survey, 61% of surveyed employers agreed or strongly agreed that their organizations value graduates of online or predominantly online programs equally to graduates of in-person programs. The share was 55% in both 2024 and 2025. The survey reflects 621 corporate recruiters and hiring managers in 39 countries; employer views vary by industry and region.
AI skills are also part of the employer conversation. Among employers concerned about AI, about two-thirds wanted graduate management education graduates to use AI tools to automate tasks. That finding supports practical AI literacy alongside analysis and human judgment; it does not mean that any single course or credential guarantees a hiring advantage.
61%
Surveyed employers who said their organizations value online or predominantly online graduate management education equally to in-person education.
Source: GMAC, 2026 Corporate Recruiters Survey.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the following national figures for two occupations related to business analysis and project work. These figures describe the occupations across education levels and industries, not MBA graduates specifically.
Occupation | Median annual wage, May 2025 | Projected employment change, 2025-2035 | Average openings per year |
|---|---|---|---|
Management Analysts | $101,860 | 10% Growth | 94,100 |
Project Management Specialists | $102,320 | 7% Growth | 76,500 |
Annual openings include workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force, as well as new jobs. Use these figures as labor market context, not a projected salary or placement outcome for CUC students.
What Can You Do With an MBA
MBA study may be relevant to people who want to take on more responsibility in business functions such as finance, accounting, marketing, health care administration, project work, organizational leadership, or school business administration. Some roles require substantial prior experience, additional credentials, or specific state qualifications. Review job postings and employer requirements for the field and region you have in mind.
Connect your interests with a specialization
Area of interest | CUC MBA option to explore |
|---|---|
Financial reporting and accounting analytics | |
Finance, banking, or corporate finance | |
Digital strategy and marketing analytics | |
Health systems and management | |
Organizational leadership and change | |
Project planning and coordination | |
Sport organizations and business | |
School finance and administration |
What You Will Learn
The CUC MBA curriculum is organized around business foundations, thinking and applied artificial intelligence, and business strategy, integration, and leadership development. The exact course sequence depends on whether you choose the General MBA or a specialization.
- Interpret business data to inform decision-making through Business Analytics: Data, Models and Decision-Making.
- Use design thinking to examine a business challenge and consider possible solutions.
- Study Applied Artificial Intelligence in the context of business optimization, innovation, and strategy.
- Apply accounting, financial management, marketing, or economics concepts as required by your MBA option.
- Examine leadership and ethical decision-making, then connect ideas across your MBA coursework.
Choose Your MBA Option
Start with the work you want to explore. The General MBA offers broad business study. A specialization adds a defined sequence of courses in a particular field. Compare the credit totals and focus areas below, then open the program page for its requirements and current catalog details.
Accounting: Business Analysis and Reporting
33 credits
Financial reporting and applied accounting analytics. Intended for students with an undergraduate accounting major.
Chief School Business Official (Illinois) specialization
39 credits
School finance, budgeting, law, and supervised internships. Review the separate Illinois endorsement requirements.
CSBO note: The Chief School Business Official option is an MBA specialization. The related Illinois CSBO endorsement is a separate state credential with separate eligibility, coursework, and award requirements. Contact CUC’s Licensure Officer about the requirements for your circumstances.
MBA Curriculum Overview
General MBA curriculum
The General MBA consists of 27 core credits and one three-credit elective, for 30 credits. The General MBA core includes Business Analytics: Data, Models and Decision-Making; Design Thinking; Applied Artificial Intelligence; Accounting for Decision Making; Financial Management; Leadership and Ethical Decision-Making; Global Marketing in a Digital Era; Economics for Managers; and the MBA capstone. The elective is selected from specialization coursework; one elective does not complete a specialization.
Specialization curriculum
Most MBA specializations use a 24-credit MBA core plus 9 or 12 specialization credits, for totals of 33 or 36 credits. The core includes either Economics for Managers or Global Marketing in a Digital Era, along with the other required core courses. Review the catalog entry for the specialization you select.
Chief School Business Official curriculum
The MBA with Chief School Business Official (Illinois) specialization is a joint College of Business and Collegea of Education curriculum. It requires 39 credits: 21 MBA core credits and 18 CSBO specialization credits. The current catalog includes school business coursework and two internships; this option does not take the MBA capstone. The related Illinois endorsement has separate eligibility, coursework, and state award requirements. Check with CUC’s Licensure Officer about the requirements for your circumstances.
AI tools for business learning
CUC students have access to BoodleBox, a generative AI platform that brings multiple AI tools together in one place. In the MBA, business analytics, design thinking, and Applied Artificial Intelligence provide academic context for considering how AI can support research and business problem-solving. Use BoodleBox only as directed by your instructor. Evaluate generated material, protect sensitive information, and apply your own judgment.
Lead with Purpose
Business decisions affect people as well as performance. Concordia Chicago’s MBA connects business knowledge with the university’s mission of Truth, Freedom, and Vocation. Lead with purpose: examine evidence, act with integrity, use AI thoughtfully, and consider how decisions affect colleagues, customers, organizations, and communities.
A Faculty Perspective
Dr. Lynn Hunnicutt, Dean of the College of Business, discusses how CUC’s values and curriculum shape the MBA experience.
Who Should Consider This MBA
CUC’s MBA may be a fit if you want to strengthen business knowledge, prepare for expanded responsibilities, or focus graduate study on an area connected to your professional interests. Students come to MBA study with different academic and work backgrounds. A business undergraduate degree is not required for the General MBA, although students complete a Common Professional Component assessment and may be asked to take academic leveling coursework.
For 2026–27, standard MBA tuition is $710 per credit. The graduate technology fee is $18 per credit and is capped at $218 per semester. Additional costs may apply for books, assessments, leveling, and program-specific requirements. The joint CSBO curriculum may have a different billing structure; confirm the current estimate with Student Business Services before quoting a total.
CUC’s MBA tuition guarantee may keep the tuition rate unchanged while your course of study remains uninterrupted; separate fees may change. Review current graduate financial aid options, employer assistance, and military education benefits with Admissions and Student Business Services.
MBA Admission Requirements
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and meet CUC’s current graduate admission requirements. Application materials include:
- A completed online application.
- An objective statement describing educational and professional goals.
- Official transcripts from institutions where a degree was earned.
- Two letters of recommendation.
- A professional résumé.
The GRE is not required. GPA criteria and additional documentation depend on the applicant’s circumstances. International applicants may need English proficiency documentation and a foreign transcript evaluation. Some MBA options have additional academic or credential requirements. Review current requirements with Admissions before applying.
How to get started
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and meet CUC’s current graduate admission requirements. Application materials include:
- Compare the General MBA and specialization options.
- Review current course format, start dates, admission requirements, and costs with Admissions.
- Submit the application and supporting documents.
FAQ
The General MBA is a 30-credit program with a broad core and one elective. A specialization includes a defined set of courses in a focus area and has its own credit total.
The General MBA requires 30 credits. Most specializations require 33 or 36 credits. The MBA with Chief School Business Official (Illinois) specialization requires 39 credits.
No. Chief School Business Official (Illinois) is an MBA specialization. The related Illinois CSBO endorsement is a state credential with separate eligibility, coursework, and award requirements. Contact CUC’s Licensure Officer to confirm how the endorsement applies to your circumstances.
CUC offers online and campus study options. Confirm the delivery format and course availability for the MBA option you select.
Your timeline depends on the MBA option, course load, course availability, and approved degree plan. Online courses use an eight-week term format.
A business bachelor’s degree is not required for the General MBA. Students complete a business knowledge assessment and may need academic leveling. Accounting: Business Analysis and Reporting is designed for students with an undergraduate accounting major.
No. CUC does not require the GRE for MBA admission. Applicants must still meet current admission requirements.
No. The General MBA elective is selected from specialization coursework, but one elective does not fulfill the requirements for a specialization.
Explore Related MBA Programs
Compare the General MBA with the Accounting, Finance, Healthcare Management, Leadership & Change Management, Digital Marketing, Project Management, Sports Management, and Chief School Business Official specializations. Each program page explains the curriculum and requirements for that option. Click for full core MBA specialization course descriptions.
Choose the MBA option that fits your goals
You do not need every detail decided before you speak with an advisor. Tell us about your experience, interests, and next step. An admissions counselor can help you compare the MBA options, understand the requirements, and plan how to apply.
Featured Concordia University Chicago MBA Content
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