Master of Science in Management (iMSM)

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Master of Science in Management (iMSM)

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Final Spring Deadline: February 6

Start your application for a March start or request more info.

Apply

Accredited diploma

Offered by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Taught in English

Engage in group discussions with professors and peers

12-24 months

9 courses total, 36 credit hours of graduate coursework, 10-15 hours per week, per course

100% online

Hands-on learning from anywhere, no travel required

under $13,000

Total cost of the program. Learn about your payment options

Earn a master’s degree in management from the University of Illinois and build fundamental business skills.

As an iMSM student, you will take a series of fundamental management classes covering subjects such as leadership and teams, marketing management, strategic management, and process management, as well as foundational classes in accounting and finance. You will then have the opportunity to customize your degree by taking elective courses focused on business value and project management, global business challenges, or business data management and communication.

iMSM students earn the same education and learn from the same top faculty as on-campus students. Achieve fundamental business knowledge, gain lifelong leadership skills, and build a global network as you work alongside fellow students and faculty.

The iMSM, which is open to students from any undergraduate major, continues the Gies Business tradition of building highly engaging, flexible online programs. The Gies approach offers innovations unique to online learning. Curriculum, content delivery, and engagement are tailored for maximum positive impact for students in ways that go well beyond simply moving an existing residential program online. The hallmarks of Gies’ online programs – including its popular iMBA – are highly engaging online classrooms and skilled, experienced faculty who deliver leading-edge course material.

The iMSM is from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a historical land-grant public research institution founded in 1867 and acknowledged leader in online education.

Summer/Fall 2025 Deadlines:

  • Summer Deadline: March 6, 2025
  • Fall Priority 1 Deadline: April 3, 2025
  • Fall Priority 2 Deadline: May 1, 2025
  • Fall Final Deadline (August start): June 5, 2025
  • Fall Final Deadline (October start): August 7, 2025

Upcoming Events:

  • Lunch and Learn | February 7, 2025 at 12 PM CT - Register here
  • iDegree Webinar | February 12, 2025 at 5 PM CT - Register here
  • LinkedIn Live with Gies Online | February 14, 2025 at 12 PM CT - Register here

Have questions?

Please contact Gies College of Business at giesonline@illinois.edu.

Upcoming Events

The full Gies Online Events Calendar can be found here.

Final Spring Deadline: February 6

Start your application for a March start or request more info.

Apply

Accredited diploma

Offered by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Taught in English

Engage in group discussions with professors and peers

12-24 months

9 courses total, 36 credit hours of graduate coursework, 10-15 hours per week, per course

100% online

Hands-on learning from anywhere, no travel required

under $13,000

Total cost of the program. Learn about your payment options

Accredited diploma

Offered by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Taught in English

Engage in group discussions with professors and peers

Earn a master’s degree in management from the University of Illinois and build fundamental business skills.

As an iMSM student, you will take a series of fundamental management classes covering subjects such as leadership and teams, marketing management, strategic management, and process management, as well as foundational classes in accounting and finance. You will then have the opportunity to customize your degree by taking elective courses focused on business value and project management, global business challenges, or business data management and communication.

iMSM students earn the same education and learn from the same top faculty as on-campus students. Achieve fundamental business knowledge, gain lifelong leadership skills, and build a global network as you work alongside fellow students and faculty.

The iMSM, which is open to students from any undergraduate major, continues the Gies Business tradition of building highly engaging, flexible online programs. The Gies approach offers innovations unique to online learning. Curriculum, content delivery, and engagement are tailored for maximum positive impact for students in ways that go well beyond simply moving an existing residential program online. The hallmarks of Gies’ online programs – including its popular iMBA – are highly engaging online classrooms and skilled, experienced faculty who deliver leading-edge course material.

The iMSM is from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a historical land-grant public research institution founded in 1867 and acknowledged leader in online education.

Summer/Fall 2025 Deadlines:

  • Summer Deadline: March 6, 2025
  • Fall Priority 1 Deadline: April 3, 2025
  • Fall Priority 2 Deadline: May 1, 2025
  • Fall Final Deadline (August start): June 5, 2025
  • Fall Final Deadline (October start): August 7, 2025

Upcoming Events:

  • Lunch and Learn | February 7, 2025 at 12 PM CT - Register here
  • iDegree Webinar | February 12, 2025 at 5 PM CT - Register here
  • LinkedIn Live with Gies Online | February 14, 2025 at 12 PM CT - Register here

Have questions?

Please contact Gies College of Business at giesonline@illinois.edu.

Upcoming Events

The full Gies Online Events Calendar can be found here.

Stack your way to an MBA.

Your work in the Master's of Management can stack directly into the iMBA. Upon completion, you'll be eligible to apply all 36 credit hours to the 72-credit-hour iMBA, allowing you to continue building on the knowledge you already gained in the iMSM.

Depending on your career goals, you can continue learning and transition into the iMBA, or you can return at a later time to advance your education. The program's stackability empowers you to grow and build on critical business skills anywhere in your career journey.

Learn more about the iMBA

Affordable Master's Degree In One Year

  • $11,952 USD tuition total Earn a degree from a top-tier university with the option to later stack into the iMBA.
  • Pay-as-you-go You pay tuition only for courses you're enrolled in. If a scheduling conflict arises, you are free to take a term off and won’t be charged during that term.
  • Financial aid & scholarships Gies College of Business and Coursera have partnered to offer a limited number of competitive scholarships covering 70% of tuition for select students. If you’re a U.S. resident, you may also qualify for student aid.

Advance your career in Business

  • Gain leadership skills as you learn to improve existing processes and learn to develop and implement a vision for your future career.
  • Courses are grouped into specializations, structured so that you learn skills in combinations that mirror how you’ll actually use them on the job.
  • Graduates of the iMBA program become one of over 800,000 global alumni in the Illinois network.

Advance your career

25% average salary growth

At a time when a 2 percent raise is often the norm, Gies iMBA graduates report an average raise of 25 percent during and immediately after their program, showcasing an instant and significant return on investment that stands out.(2023 survey)

65% received a promotion or job offer

Many business schools track job placement post-graduation. At Gies, since most iMBA students already hold jobs, we instead find out how many received a promotion or took a new job. 65% of iMBA graduates report starting a better job upon finishing, showcasing the immediate ROI of a Gies iMBA degree.(2023 survey)

Positive recruiter outlook

Nine out of ten corporate recruiters expect the demand for business school graduates to remain high or increase in the next five years. (GMAC)

Qualify for in-demand jobs

  • Chief Executive

  • General Manager

  • Financial Manager

  • Management Analyst

Top employing corporations for professionals with business degrees are expected to grow by as much as 17% by 2031 in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Build toward a degree

These courses are part of the degree program. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹

¹Successful application and enrollment are required. Eligibility requirements apply. Each institution determines the number of credits recognized by completing this content that may count towards degree requirements, considering any existing credits you may have. Click on a specific course for more information.

Check out the latest news from Gies College of Business

Balancing Act: How Angela Mastered the iMBA as a Working Mom

Leverage the flexibility of the online iMBA to earn your degree while balancing your other obligations.

November 27, 2024

Illinois Gies Takes Stackability to the Next Level

Gies has masterfully designed a suite of stackable educational degrees, where students can take a course and then apply...

November 10, 2024

Elliott Leading Gies Business Into a New Era of Purpose

W. Brooke Elliott becomes the first woman to hold the title of dean of the University of Illinois' Gies College of Business.

November 3, 2024

Progress Your Career With the iMBA from Gies College of Business

Discover how Claire used her master's to navigate a career pivot from big corporations into a tech start-up.

August 24, 2024

Experience Exploratory Learning That Counts and Professional Networking That Matters

Learn more about Molly Johnson's transformative journey with the Gies Business iMBA.

July 12, 2024

How a Film Industry Professional Decided to Pursue the Gies iMBA

Read Ines Weitgasser's story of how she transitioned from Hollywood's film industry to Gies iMBA.

February 8, 2024

Mastering the Code of Business: A Seasoned Software Engineer's Journey to the iMBA

Learn more about Mateu Batle, a 25-year software engineer seeking to advance his career by pursuing his iMBA.

November 6, 2023

Poet & Quants MBA Program of the year 2022

The highly innovative MBA program was awarded the Poets & Quants MBA Program of The Year For 2022. Gies is the sixth school to earn our annual distinction as the Program of the Year and only the second online experience to do so.

January 4, 2023

Frequently asked questions

By combining business knowledge with a degree in the arts and humanities, social sciences, or other non-business majors, you can achieve greater earning power and gain a competitive advantage. Career opportunities include management, consulting, analytics, entrepreneurship, and other high-demand jobs.

Yes, you can start with Specializations and courses on Coursera to try out the asynchronous portions of iMSM coursework before or while you apply.

Upon completion of the iMSM program, students receive a Master of Science in Management degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – the same degree conferred to on-campus students in the MSM program.