1-Year (12-Month) STEM MBA (for non-business majors)

Our one-year (12-month) STEM MBA option is designed for students with diverse backgrounds and professional experiences, providing them with the necessary skills to advance as leaders in the global business environment. This option is for:

Students without a business or accounting undergraduate degree.
Students who received an undergraduate degree in business or accounting, but not from an AACSB accredited school.
Students who received an undergraduate degree in business or accounting from an AACSB accredited school, but more than five years ago.

Program Highlights

Earn an MBA from a nationally-ranked institution.
Increase your marketability and earning potential.
Move through the program with a cohort of highly-motivated students.
Customize your curriculum or declare a concentration in Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing, Management Information Systems, and Leadership. Learn more about our elective course offerings here.
Save time and money by earning an MBA in one calendar year (May to May).
Summer courses are held online (synchronously) from late may to early August.
Over 80 percent of recent ��غ�� MBA students received a job offer within three months of graduation.

Curriculum

Our STEM MBA curriculum is designed to prepare you with the essential tools needed to be effective leaders in today's rapidly changing corporate, non-profit and public sectors.

Summer: You will build a strong foundation in the essential business fundamentals every manager must understand. Courses are held online in a synchronous fashion.

Fall and Spring: You will strengthen your own analytical and decision-making skills while also collaborating in task-oriented teams. Your studies become more individualized as you refine your interests. You can choose from a wide range of elective courses—including cross-disciplinary options and customized independent studies—and, with guidance from faculty, design interdisciplinary projects aligned with your career goals. This approach deepens the connection between your passions and your professional path. Courses are held in-person on the ��غ�� campus.

Below is a sample course map for students who entered in Fall 2023 or later. Degree requirements and curriculum plans may vary by year entering the program. Please refer to your DegreeWorks or contact the SOM Graduate Advising Office for the most up-to-date degree requirements.

Summer (online synchronous)

MGMT 500: Management Information Systems

MGMT 501: Accounting for Managers

MGMT 505: Corporate Finance for Managers

MGMT 508: Organizational Behavior

Fall and Spring

Fall Semester (in-person)	Spring Semester (in-person)
MGMT 504: Programming for Business Analytics	MGMT 540: Strategic Management
MGMT 506: Marketing for Managers	Elective
MGMT 507: Operations Management	Elective*
Elective	Elective*
Elective	Elective*

*Of the six total graduate electives, three must be technical electives.

Concentrations: A minimum of four courses (sixteen credit hours) is required to complete a concentration. Concentrations are optional. Learn more about our elective course offerings here.

Admissions

Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, however applicants are strongly recommended to apply by the March 1st deadline. Capacity for this program is limited.

Information regarding admissions, financial aid, housing and program costs can be found on the Graduate School website.

When prompted to choose your MBA pathway, select the MBA 1-year (for non-business majors) from the drop-down menu.

While we accept GMAT and GRE scores, they are not required for admission to our MBA program.
Students admitted into this program typically have an undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or higher. Applicants with significant work experience and/or strong GMAT/GRE scores (while not required) are also considered for admission.
Prerequisite coursework in statistics and microeconomics is required. Applicants must have received a grade of B or higher, and taken the courses in the last four years.
Prerequisite coursework in Excel, or a Microsoft Excel certification is required. Please see below for additional information about the Microsoft Excel certification.
Applicants must provide: 1) two letters of recommendations, 2) a personal statement, 3) a current resume, and 4) unofficial transcripts. Final transcripts will be requested upon admission to the program.
$75 application fee.

Microsoft Excel Certification

Excel proficiency is expected of all incoming students. This includes knowledge of tools such as VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, PivotTables, and PivotCharts.

Students who have not completed a prior course in Excel, must successfully complete the Proof of the certificate must be sent to the Director of the program prior to matriculation.

Why do I need to complete an Excel certificate before enrolling in the MBA program?
Excel proficiency is a foundational skill across all business careers. In addition to preparing you for core business courses and advanced Excel-based electives, earning a certificate demonstrates your competency and can strengthen your résumé—potentially giving you an edge during recruitment

How can I prepare for the Microsoft Excel certificate?
There are several free and inexpensive excel training resources. Students should be proficient in VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, PivotTables and PivotCharts prior to taking the certification exam. Training options include, but are not limited to:

Coursera
Youtube
Udemy

International Applicants

The 1-year (12-month) STEM MBA program is NOT an option for international applicants as international students in F-1 or J-1 status are not eligible to take summer courses online. The four-semester STEM MBA option is our best fitting program for international applicants.

Program Cost

For information about the cost associate with the program, please visit the ��غ�� University Student Accounts website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of the most common questions we get about the One-Year (12-month) MBA program option. Please visit our graduate advising page for more information.

What is the difference between the one-year STEM MBA option and the four-semester STEM MBA option?

Prerequisite coursework: the one-year STEM MBA option requires applicants to have taken microeconomics and statistics before enrolling. The four-semester MBA option does not require these courses as prerequisites.
Summer courses: the One-Year MBA option has an online summer session from early June to early August. If you are not available to take classes synchronously during this timeframe, you will not be eligible for this program. The four-semester MBA option does not involve summer courses.
Career considerations: The one-year STEM MBA program does not require an internship experience. If you are unsure of your future career path, we recommend pursuing the four-semester MBA option, as it gives you more time to explore career paths and complete an internship where you will develop the connections and experiences needed to help launch your career.

Can I start this program option in the fall or in the spring?

No, this program option only begins in the summer, and runs from June to May.

I'm an undergraduate business major. Should I pursue this program option?

While the one-year (12-month) STEM MBA program is an option, SOM offers other MBA program options that may be better suited for your previous experience and education. Explore all of our STEM MBA options here.