Our traditional full-time MBA program is cohort-based, so as a student you will take courses with a fixed group of classmates in sequential order over the course of two years (see schedule below showcasing the 57 credits required). Our classes are offered in-person, on campus, specifically Monday through Friday from approximately 8am-5pm.
For the BIZ/STEM/CREATE Path MBA program, a similar list of courses is offered but on an adjusted delivery schedule. Please note, for the BIZ/STEM/CREATE Path program, you must be enrolled as a freshman at UA to be considered for this curriculum plan.
As a traditional MBA student, you can choose one of the following areas of focus as part of your MBA experience: Business Analytics, Cybersecurity, Finance, Financial Engineering and Risk Management, Healthcare, Information Systems, Marketing, Real Estate, Strategic Management, or Supply Chain and Operations Management.
Manderson offers one of the few graduate business programs to prepare students for certifications in SAS, the premier software for the data mining industry. By detecting hidden patterns and relationships among massive amounts of raw information, data mining produces knowledge that reveals how organizations can improve performance. Data mining and analysis require application experience and specialized data skills. Within this focus, you will gain a unique combination of knowledge, skill, and experience that qualifies you to work for major players in business industries. This focus also features an optional international trip during the summer.
The Cyber Security focus prepares students for success in one of the fastest-growing areas of business, where protecting information systems and organizational data is critical to performance and continuity. Cyber Security integrates technology, human behavior, and organizational policy to address risks across modern digital environments.
Through this focus, you will build practical skills in cyber security program planning, including security policy development, incident response, business continuity, disaster recovery, and crisis management. You will also gain applied experience in threat detection, analysis, prevention, and remediation, developing the specialized knowledge needed to protect and support organizations in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
The Finance focus offers a comprehensive understanding of financial markets, banking, personal finance, and corporate finance, in addition to the strategic implications of each. This challenging focus will give you a broad understanding of corporate finance, financial restructuring, securities analysis, portfolio management, and financial institutions and markets. You will gain the expertise necessary to make important financial decisions pertaining to all types of firms.
Put simply, business is risk. Any business or nonprofit organization can be exposed to a variety of risks. Financial risk management is a complex, dynamic process requiring quantitative measurement. In recent years, there has been explosive growth in the need to manage financial risk and the firms that provide it. People managing financial risk must be quite comfortable with quantitative concepts and must have the ability to handle large amounts of information. As a graduate with a Financial Risk focus, you will be prepared to effectively manage risk for your companies.
This specialization is designed for students seeking to understand how healthcare systems operate, evolve, and are managed within a complex and highly regulated environment. Through this focus, you will explore key areas such as healthcare policy, economics, finance, population health, and health outcomes, while also developing an understanding of epidemiology, health behavior, and program evaluation. The curriculum emphasizes both analytical and applied perspectives, preparing students to think critically about healthcare delivery, access, and effectiveness.
As organizational needs become increasingly technology-driven, there is a growing demand for professionals who can design, implement, and manage effective information systems across industries. The Information Systems focus prepares students to understand how technology supports business strategy, improves operational efficiency, and enables data-driven decision-making in modern organizations.
This area of focus develops expertise in systems analysis and design, application development, and project management, while also exploring enterprise systems and business analytics. It emphasizes both technical and managerial capabilities, equipping students to translate organizational needs into effective technology solutions.
As organizations compete in increasingly dynamic markets, there is a growing demand for professionals who can understand consumer behavior, build strong brands, and develop data-informed marketing strategies. The Marketing focus provides students with the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of key marketing principles, including market research, consumer insights, brand management, and strategic marketing planning. This area of focus prepares students to create and implement effective marketing initiatives that help organizations connect with customers, drive growth, and remain competitive in evolving industries.
The Real Estate focus continues The University of Alabama’s real estate legacy that began over 80 years ago. Designed to provide students with a background in real estate fundamentals and decision making, the Real Estate focus combines many different academic disciplines including economics, finance, sales, management, and law. You will have a unique opportunity to be eligible to take the Alabama Real Estate Salesperson License exam after completing two real estate courses, and the Real Estate focus qualifies graduates for the Institute of Real Estate Management’s Certified Property Manager (CPM) fast track program. Another benefit is the Alabama Center for Real Estate’s (ACRE) Collegiate Career Assistance Program (CCAP). Housed within the Culverhouse College of Business, CCAP provides student support and resources for professional development and real estate internship/employment opportunities.
As organizational needs become increasingly dynamic, there is a growing demand for problem solvers who can deliver across industries. The Strategic Management focus provides an opportunity to study in the management, marketing, healthcare or entrepreneurship fields. This area of focus covers an organization’s internal operations and includes business partners, appraisal of present and future partners, and strategic implementation.
Supply Chain and Operations Management (SCOM) is a discipline focused on activities that aim to improve the efficiency and productivity of firms that compose a complex supply chain. Activities falling within the scope of SCOM include the planning and management of logistics, sourcing, procurement, and production. SCOM also addresses the coordination and collaboration among partners, which can be suppliers, customers, and everything in between. The SCOM focus prepares you to make optimal decisions about a firm’s operation, both internally and as part of a modern and complex global pipeline, from the time a need arises until it is satisfied.
