Course Planning for Non-Degree Students

There are many reasons students pursue taking non-degree courses in our program. Whether you’re here satisfying English proficiency requirements, have already been admitted and are taking coursework early, or simply taking some continuing education courses, we are here to support you.

Before continuing, we suggest you take a look at the Degree Requirements for your program so you can become familiar with the general requirements before taking courses.

Keep in mind that Gies Graduate Programs will accept up to 50% of non-degree credit hours to be applied towards your degree program upon admission. For iMBA learners this means we will accept up to 36 credits of non-degree coursework, for iMSM learners we will accept up to 18 credit hours of non-degree coursework, and for iMSA learners we will accept up to 16 credit hours of non-degree coursework towards your degree.

Each course takes place on two platforms: Canvas and Coursera. In order to pass your courses, you must pass any associated Coursera MOOCs and obtain a Coursera certificate for each component. Failure to pass the associated Coursera MOOCs will result in a final grade of “F” for your for-credit courses. 

 

iMBA Non-Degree Course Planning

iMBA Program Requirements

Preparation is key to your success in this program. While taking non-degree coursework, it is helpful to know the requirements for the iMBA program. Keep in mind that non-degree learners are not eligible to take MBA 597: Program Foundations, Specialization Capstones, and MBA 598: Program Capstone.  For successful completion of the degree program, all iMBA students are required to:

  • Complete 72 Credit Hours
  • Complete Program Foundations
    Learners beginning Fall 2023 and beyond are required to take MBA 597: Program Foundations concurrently with their first course(s) in the iMBA program.
  • Complete 4 Core Specializations
  • Complete 2 Focus Area Specializations or 1 Focus Area Specialization and 12 credit hours of electives, or an approved Graduate Certificate
    Option A: Complete two focus area specializations. Select from Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Innovation, Global Challenges, Business Analytics, and Mergers and Acquisitions.  
    Option B: Complete one focus area specialization in addition to 12 hours of elective courses or the Agribusiness and Sustainable Food Production Graduate Certificate. To complete the elective path, you will select 12 credit hours from any focus area course or iMBA elective course. The elective path has no capstone or certificate associated with completion.
  • Complete 2 Specialization Capstones
    There are seven specialization capstones available. All courses in a specialization must be successfully completed to be eligible for the Specialization Capstone. Experiential learning opportunities, such as immersions, may be completed to fulfill one to two capstones. Applications are required for experiential learning opportunities and additional fees may be associated. Only one experiential learning opportunity may be put towards this requirement. While select experiential learning opportunities may fulfill both Specialization Capstone requirements, only one immersion may be counted towards the requirement. 
  • Complete the Program Capstone
    Students are not eligible for the Program Capstone until they have completed 72 credit hours or are concurrently enrolled in the final courses that will bring them to 72 credit hours after completion. No exceptions will be made.
  • Complete Degree within 5 Years
    While our program is designed to be completed in 2 to 3 years, students can take up to 5 years to complete the degree as long as they are making satisfactory progress. The clock starts in a student’s first term as a degree student (time spent as a non-degree is not counted).
  • Earn a Cumulative GPA of 2.75
    This is the minimum GPA required to maintain good academic standing in each term and to graduate. Students who fall below this standard will be placed on academic probation. You will be dismissed by the Grad College if this happens in two consecutive terms.

Current iMBA Non-Degree Course Offerings

Below are links to courses that are offered for the upcoming semesters. You should always pay attention to the dates the course meets, the section of the course, and the CRN (Course Registration Number).  

For each registered course, you should budget 10 to 15 hours per week to complete all activities and assignments.

*Register by December 13 for Spring 1 and by February 26 for Spring 2 to have access to courses during Soft Launch. Registration is not permitted after 11:59pm CT on the first day of class.

For your convenience, we are providing you with an Annual View of iMBA Courses Offeringsso you know when courses are offered throughout the year. View future term dates.

iMSA Non-Degree Course Planning

iMSA Program Requirements

Preparation is key to your success in this program. While taking non-degree coursework, it is helpful to know the requirements for the iMSA program. The iMSA was developed by top accounting faculty to build expertise in leading analytics methods, financial reporting, audit and control, and US federal taxation. This degree helps prepare you to sit for the CPA exam. The 20 accountancy hours required are ACCY 501 through ACCY 505 (each of the five courses awards 4 hours credit).

For successful completion of this program, all iMSA students must:

  • Complete 32 Credit Hours
    Of which at least 20 hours are in accountancy (ACCY) courses, and at least 4 hours are in a non-accountancy course.
  • Earn a Cumulative GPA of 3.0
    This is the minimum term GPA required to maintain good academic standing in each term and to graduate.
Current iMSA Non-Degree Course Offerings

The course offering information below contains a list of accounting and non-accounting courses for the upcoming semester(s) as well as the Course Registration Number (CRN) you will need to use when registering for your course(s). When you register for ACCY courses, be sure to register for both the NA1 and the NB1 sections.

*Register by January 7 for Spring 1 and by February 26 for Spring 2 to have access to courses during Soft Launch.

For your convenience, we are providing you with an Annual View of iMSA Course Offerings so you know when our courses are offered throughout the year. View future term dates here.

iMSM Non-Degree Course Planning

iMSM Program Requirements

Preparation is key to your success in this program. While taking non-degree coursework, it is helpful to know the requirements for the iMSM program. The iMSM degree is designed to be completed in 1 to 2 years. In that time, you will complete 36 credit hours over 9 to 10 courses. For successful completion of this program, all iMSM students are required to:

  • Complete 36 Credit Hours
    Comprised of 24 credit hours of required courses and 12 credit hours of electives.
  • Complete Degree within 5 Years
    While our program is designed to be completed in 1 to 2 years, students can take up to 5 years to complete the degree as long as they are making satisfactory progress. The clock starts in a student’s first term as a degree student (time spent as a non-degree is not counted).
  • Earn a Cumulative GPA of 2.75
    This is the minimum GPA required to maintain good academic standing in each term and to graduate. Students who fall below this standard will be placed on academic probation. You will be dismissed by the Grad College if this happens in two consecutive terms.
Current iMSM Non-Degree Course Offerings

Below is a table of courses that are offered for the upcoming semesters. You should always pay attention to the dates the course meets, the section of the course, and the CRN (Course Registration Number).

Each course takes place on two platforms: Canvas and Coursera. In order to pass your courses, you must pass any associated Coursera MOOCs and obtain a Coursera certificate for each component. Failure to pass the associated Coursera MOOCs will result in a final grade of “F” for your for-credit courses. 

For each registered course, you should budget 10 to 15 hours per week to complete all activities and assignments.

*Register by December 13 for Spring 1 and by February 26 for Spring 2 to have access to courses during Soft Launch. Registration is not permitted after 11:59pm CT on the first day of class.

For your convenience, we are providing you with an Annual View of iMSM Course Offerings so you know when our courses are offered throughout the year. View future term dates here.