Full-Time MBA Curriculum
What Will You Learn in the Full-Time MBA Program?
The Knowledge to Lead What's Next
The Smith Full-Time MBA curriculum prepares you to make sound decisions, lead teams and turn strategy into action in a business world shaped by AI, uncertainty and rapid change. The 48-credit curriculum combines 30 credits of core business courses, 10 credits of Execution Labs and eight credits of electives. Upon graduating, you’ll have a strong foundation in a range of business disciplines while building fluency with emerging technologies.
You'll understand how businesses work and connect ideas across functions. You’ll develop deeper expertise in areas aligned with your career goals. Through your coursework and other opportunities, you'll develop the strategic judgment to evaluate risk and lead organizations through complex business challenges.
Full-Time MBA Curriculum
The Full-Time MBA curriculum combines core business knowledge, specialized electives and action-based learning so you can build expertise and apply it in real-world settings.
Core Business Curriculum — 30 Credits
Build broad business knowledge and strategic judgment to understand how decisions across an organization affect performance and value.
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Digital Transformation in Business
- Financial Accounting
- Financial Management I
- Financial Management II
- Foundations of AI
- Global Economic Environment
- Leadership and Teamwork
- Machine Learning Methods
- Managerial Accounting
- Managerial Economics
- Marketing Management
- Negotiations
- Operations Management
- Strategic Management
Students have the option to complete a noncredit AI boot camp early in the Full-Time MBA program to begin building practical fluency with AI and large language models.
Execution Labs — 10 Credits
Your five Execution Labs will challenge you to plan, execute and deliver measurable outcomes under real-world constraints. Using data, AI and sound judgment, you’ll build the discipline and adaptability to lead through complexity and change. Draw on concepts from your coursework to produce professional-grade work.
Electives — 8 Credits
Choose five electives to deepen your knowledge in areas that support your professional interests and career goals. Electives can also help you develop greater functional expertise within one of the Full-Time MBA focus areas.
Full-Time MBA curriculum and focus areas are subject to change.
How Can You Customize Your Full-Time MBA?
Build Expertise for Where You Want to Lead
Focus areas allow you to build deeper expertise beyond the core MBA curriculum. Choose electives that align with your interests and career goals while maintaining the broad business perspective that prepares MBA graduates to lead across functions.
Analyze markets, assess risk and make decisions that create value. A finance focus can deepen the judgment you need to assess investments, allocate resources and connect business strategy to financial performance.
Explore how emerging technologies change how organizations operate and compete. You'll build greater fluency in using emerging technologies to improve decision-making among technology teams and leadership.
Learn how organizations understand their customers and identify growth opportunities that meet their needs. Use AI and emerging technologies to develop consumer insights and create business strategies that connect with audiences and drive growth.
Discover how organizations manage operations, supply networks and resources in an interconnected global economy. You'll strengthen your ability to evaluate operational trade-offs, manage risk and help organizations build more resilient systems.
How Will You Apply What You Learn?
Turn Insight Into Action
Experiential learning is built into the Full-Time MBA, so you will repeatedly practice turning analysis into results. Through Execution Labs, consulting-style projects, case competitions and other applied experiences, you'll work on business challenges that require collaboration, sound judgment and measurable outcomes.
Execution Labs
Execution Labs are the applied core of the Full-Time MBA. These labs give you repeated opportunities to solve business problems rather than simply study them. Across five labs, you'll work with real clients to produce professional-grade deliverables such as prototypes, campaigns, strategic analyses and consulting-style reports.
AI and data analytics are part of the working environment in these labs. You'll use technology to increase speed, precision and insight while considering ethical implications, stakeholder needs and long-term business impact.
Mayer Fund
Gain hands-on investment management experience by helping manage a real investment portfolio. Eligible students can use the experience to deepen their understanding of financial analysis, investment decisions and portfolio management.
Case Competitions
Test your ability to develop recommendations and communicate your ideas through case competitions. Opportunities through the Center for Global Business and Center for Social Value Creation allow you to put strategic thinking, teamwork and presentation skills into practice.
Consulting and Applied Projects
Work on business challenges that require you to analyze problems, develop recommendations and communicate solutions. These experiences strengthen the strategic thinking, teamwork and client communication skills you'll use throughout your career.
Can You Earn a Dual Degree With Your MBA?
Expand Your Expertise. Broaden Your Impact.
As a student enrolled in the two-year Full-Time MBA path, you can explore dual-degree opportunities that combine broad business leadership with deeper expertise in another professional field.
Dual-degree requirements vary by program. Most students complete the MBA core curriculum along with the requirements for their second graduate degree. Some programs require a separate application or additional standardized testing. Students pairing their MBA with a business master’s degree program that requires GMAT or GRE scores must also submit the required test scores.
Dual-degree opportunities include:
Have More Questions?
The Smith School's Graduate Admissions Office is here to help. Whether you have questions about the curriculum, admissions requirements, application process or student experience, our team can help you determine if the Full-Time MBA is the right fit for your goals.
Questions? Contact the MBA & Business Master's Admissions Office at 301-405-2559 or mbaprograms@umd.edu.