The University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business is expanding its commitment to delivering life-changing access to business education by launching a new online option for the Master of Science in Management degree (iMSM), pending board of trustees approval. Students can apply starting June 1 for this flexible one-year program, which will welcome its first cohort in October 2020 at a cost of $10,872. Students who apply by the July 15 priority 1 deadline will be eligible for an early start in August.

“This fully online program is perfect for students who are early in their careers and would like to build a foundation of fundamental business skills,” said Jeffrey R. Brown, Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor of Business and Dean of Gies College of Business. “At a time when many other business schools are cutting back, we believe it’s more important than ever to push forward with new programs that are built on quality, flexibility, and affordability. Now is a critical time for young professionals to invest in themselves, and the iMSM will prepare them to become leaders across a wide variety of industries.”

The new iMSM, which is offered in partnership with Coursera and open to students from any educational or industry background, continues the Gies Business tradition of building highly engaging, flexible online programs. Instead of simply moving an existing residential program online, Gies is intentionally innovating – tailoring its curriculum, delivery, and engagement in a way that’s most impactful for students in the online space. That’s a big reason why Gies Business has quickly become a world leader in online education. 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.