Online Programs Announcements

Spring Registration Opens Soon!

Spring 2023 registration for first and second 8-week courses begins this week! Begin preparing for registration by locating your specific time-ticket in either Self-Service or the Degree Planner and exploring all course options, using the course offering guide to view the course dates and live session information. Some courses will reach capacity, so we recommend that you register as soon as your time ticket opens. If you need assistance in selecting courses or registering, please connect with the Student & Academic Success Specialist team. 

Announcing the iDegrees Graduate Business Association (iGBA)

The iGBA is an official university registered student organization (RSO) exclusively for currently enrolled iDegrees graduate students. The iGBA replaces the iDegrees Student Council as the official voice of currently enrolled iMBA, iMSA, and iMSM students to Gies College of Business and University administration. The iGBA serves four pillars: Professional Development, Degree and Program Development, Student Experience, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. If you are interested in serving on a committee within the iGBA, please complete this form.

How to Win $50K For Your Startup Idea

BIG IdeaBounce® is a pitch contest open to all current undergraduate and graduate school students or any prospect interested in a graduate business school degree (enter here). There are three rounds to the competition, starting with the submission of your idea in an easy-to-complete online form that is open through January 15th, 2023. The top 20 teams will then be asked to submit a two-minute pitch video. Finally, the best three teams will present their business plans in front of a panel of judges on Washington University’s Olin campus in March. Learn More

GoGies Game Answers

Thanks to all the students who participated in the GoGies game last during the 5th Anniversary Celebration on Wednesday, October 26. Prize winners were notified by email last week. You can find answers to the challenge questions and visual puzzles at this link.

Faculty Feature

Martin Widdicks, Teaching Associate Professor of Finance, Director of MSF Program, Josef and Margot Lakonishok Faculty Fellow

Professor Martin Widdicks earned his PhD in  Mathematical Finance from the University of Manchester and has been on the Gies faculty since 2011. He teaches an array on finance courses including varying levels quantitative finance, derivatives, and term structure. Martin has regularly been included on the list of teachers ranked as excellent by their students. 

Find Professor Widdicks:
Professor Widdicks is the lead instructor for FIN 500 in the iMSM Core.

Events

Ivy Exec Webinar: "Moving Hearts and Minds with Data" with Ron Guymon and Michael Elniski

Wednesday November 9, 2022 | 11:00am CT | Register Here
Numbers by themselves don't move hearts and minds. Consequently, encouraging data-driven decisions in organizations goes beyond extracting insight from data. In this webinar, Ron and Michael will discuss the importance of telling stories in tandem with presenting data. They will share experiences, principles, and tips for using data to motivate improvement.

First Generation Graduate Student Coffee Chat

Wednesday, November 9 |11:00am CT | Register Here 
We cordially invite you to bring your coffee or tea and join Marcus Phillips, Associate Director at Gies Online, along with some of our current student ambassadors that are first-generation graduate students for a coffee chat. We will discuss issues facing first generation learners and their success in graduate education. You will learn more about the support services that are available and understand what it is like being a first-generation student in the Gies Online Program.

Building Creative Confidence!

Thursday, November 10 | 12:30-1:30pm CT | Register Here
SCD’s Lunchtime Learner Workshops engage learners in activities and experience practices associated with the six mindsets around human-centered design: the Human-Centered mindset, the Collaborative mindset, the Communicative mindset, the Creative mindset, the Experimental mindset and the Metacognitive mindset. These standalone sessions are open to University of Illinois students, faculty, and staff interested in learning more about human-centered design and its mindsets. Learners attend in-person or via Zoom.

Fireside Chat with Scott Santi, Interviewed by Dean Jeffery Brown

Thursday, November 10 | 5pm CT | Read more and register here!
Join us for the webinar featuring an informative discussion between Scott Santi and Dean Jeffrey Brown. You'll want to hear this compelling story of a person who put his Gies education to work to move up through a company to a position of leadership.

Save the Date for Meet Ups in January!

Gies Business will be hosting Meet-Ups for iDegree learners and alumni in the Texas and Urbana/Champaign areas! Join faculty for networking and connecting in person at these events. 

• Texas - Saturday, January 7 at 3:30pm
• Urbana/Champaign - Friday, January 13 at 4pm CT

Join us to grow your Gies Business network with current students and fellow alumni and reconnect with the College! More information, including how to register, will be forthcoming at a later date.

In Case You Missed It...

Graduating this Semester?

Planning to graduate this Fall? The deadline to apply to graduate is October 30. You can submit your application in UIUC Student Self-Service; find step-by-step instructions on the Degree Conferral webpage. For information about the Convocation ceremonies including registration, cap and gown information, and more, please visit our Gies Convocation webpage. 

As a reminder, iMBA learners must register for the Program Capstone in Student-Self-Service at least 48 hours after applying to graduate. For the Program Capstone CRN and Live Session times, visit the iMBA Course Offerings page. The program capstone group submission form is now live and is available until 11:59pm CT on October 30. Only one person needs to submit a request for each group. Don’t have a group? Don’t worry! If you do not submit a request you will be grouped according to your time zone.  

Course Changes Effective Spring 2023

Gies Online would like to share with you information about a course change that will be effective Spring 2023. Take time now to learn about these changes as you prepare for Spring course registration.

Upcoming Course Changes:
FIN 570 to replace FIN 584
The course number for Corporate Finance is changing to FIN 570, previously FIN 584. This change will be effective beginning Spring 2023. Updated MOOCs will be available for Spring 2023, however, if you previously completed the MOOCs for this course before completing the high-engagement portion, your MOOC progress will transfer. It is encouraged to review all videos and quizzes to be successful in the course if you previously completed the MOOCs.  

FIN 574 to replace ECON 528
The course number for Microeconomics for Business is changing to FIN 574, previously ECON 528. This change will be effective beginning Spring 2023. The course content, MOOCs associated with this course, and terms this course is offered has not changed. If you have previously completed ECON 528, you do not need to retake FIN 574: Microeconomics for Business.

New elective course in the iMBA Program:
ACCY 574: Risk Management and Innovation
Taught by Justin Leiby, Associate Professor of Accountancy and Professor Ken Perry Faculty Fellow and Disruption & Innovation Scholar. This course is 4 credit hours and will be held January 11 - March 7. 

This course will focus on identifying and quantifying risks, and delivering stakeholder-driven objectives. You will have the opportunity to work on cases that emphasize developing tools to translate data into insights, tie these insights into managing stakeholder interests, and communicate these insights to decision makers. This course is an elective and is not part of a specialization.

Know Someone Great?

Gies Online Programs is looking for great students like you. Our students are some of the best referrals to introducing prospective students to the iMBA, iMSM and iMSA. If you know someone who would like more information or be a great fit for our programs fill out this short form to refer them. Thank you for spreading the benefits of joining Gies!

Calendar
Use the Events Calendar for upcoming events and academic deadlines this semester.

Holiday Closure - Election Day

November 8 | The University of Illinois will be closed on Tuesday, November 8, in observance of Election Day, an Illinois State Holiday.

Ivy Exec Webinar: "Moving Hearts and Minds with Data" with Ron Guymon and Michael Elniski

November 9, 2022 | 11:00am CT | Register Here

First Generation Graduate Student Coffee Chat

November 9 |11:00am CT | Register Here 

Building Creative Confidence!

November 10 | 12:30-1:30PM | Register Here

Fireside Chat with Scott Santi, Interviewed by Dean Jeffery Brown

November 10 | 5pm CT | Register Here

Holiday Closure - Thanksgiving

November 24-25 | The University of Illinois will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 24-25, in observance of Thanksgiving, a National Holiday in the United States.

December 2022 In-Person Convocation Ceremony

December 16 | 11am - 3pm CT | Krannert Center

December 2022 Degree Conferral

December 19