Civic Scholars Program

The Chicago Booth Civic Scholars Program offers substantial tuition awards up to 100 percent to MBA students who work in a 501(c) designated nonprofit organization or for the government.

The program, funded by a gift from the Neubauer Family Foundation, supports qualified professionals in Booth’s Full-Time MBA, Evening MBA, and Weekend MBA Programs.

In addition to taking courses with other MBA students, as a Neubauer Civic Scholar you’ll be part of a cohorted experience and receive specialized programming, dedicated faculty directors, and unique opportunities to engage with industry leaders in the civic space. A partnership with Chicago Booth’s Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation ensures that you’ll be equipped with business fundamentals, evidence-based research, and practical experience to bolster your social sector work.

No matter which Booth MBA program you choose, you’ll learn from the same world-renowned faculty, enjoy the same transformative academic experience and MBA curriculum, and earn the same MBA degree.

Choose Your MBA Program Format

Chicago Booth has one of the best MBA programs for nonprofit management.

As a Neubauer Civic Scholar, you have the flexibility to choose the Chicago Booth MBA format that best suits your needs. The Full-Time MBA is ideal if you want a two-year immersive experience. Choose Evening or Weekend if you want to continue working while earning an MBA in three years, on average. All programs follow the same curriculum and are taught by the same faculty, but each follows a different schedule.

Full-Time MBA Program

The Full-Time MBA Program provides you with freedom: academic freedom, freedom to take risks, and freedom to define your impact in the world.

Evening MBA Program

The Evening MBA Program is ideal for professionals in the Chicagoland area who want to continue working full time while earning a top MBA.

Weekend MBA Program

With classes on Saturdays in downtown Chicago, the Weekend MBA Program attracts working, high-potential professionals from across the country.

MBA Programs Overview

Program	Campus Location	Length of Program	Classes	Courses per Quarter
Full-Time MBA	Harper Center in Hyde Park	Average of 2 years	Weekly 8:30–11:30 a.m. and/or 1:30–4:30 p.m.	Average of 3–4 courses
Evening MBA	Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago	Average of 2.5–3 years	Evenings 6–9 p.m.	Average of 2 courses
Weekend MBA	Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago	Average of 2.5–3 years	Saturday 9 a.m.–Noon and/or 1:30–4:30 p.m.	Average of 2 courses

“The Civic Scholars are diverse and highly accomplished. Despite this diversity of backgrounds (or perhaps through it), the scholars share a common passion for excellence in serving and improving lives.”
—Teddy Niedermaier, Current Weekend MBA Program Student and Neubauer Civic Scholar

Group of people working around a small table with couches

Join an Influential Network

As a Neubauer Civic Scholar, you will join a close-knit group of fellow public and social sector professionals throughout your MBA journey. Together, you will form a supportive network of scholars who will help and encourage each other to grow personally and professionally.

Whether you choose the Full-Time MBA, Evening MBA, or Weekend MBA Program, you will broaden your network and meet professionals who work in different roles and fields. Beyond campus, you’ll also have access to our worldwide community of more than 54,000 Chicago Booth alumni.

Make an Impact

In addition to having one of the largest Career Services teams among all MBA programs, our students become well equipped to have an immediate impact in their organizations. They learn how to confidently think through problems, implement vetted solutions, and bring others along in a way that guides an organization to success.

Meet Our Current Neubauer Civic Scholars

Growing as a Leader

Civic Scholar Aleena Agrawal talks about the value of an MBA for leaders in the nonprofit and government sectors.

Advocate for Change

Trillia Fidei-Bagwell never thought she’d pursue an MBA. That changed when she learned about the Civic Scholars Program at Booth.

Where Profit Meets Purpose

For Troy Groenke, a Booth MBA offered the skills and professional network he needed to develop into a transformational, data-driven leader.

Public Policy Advocate

With nearly a decade of experience in fund-raising and advocacy, Cassy Horton says a Booth MBA is a direct investment in her development.

Educational Impact

At Booth, Civic Scholar Matt McCabe hopes to build strategic skills to support his work with educational organizations.

A Catalyst for Change

Jason Quiara is eager to accelerate social change through public policy. That’s why he chose Booth’s Civic Scholars Program for his MBA.

Strengthening Democracy

Abdelnasser Rashid talks about how a Booth MBA will help him build a public service-oriented career in Cook County.

See More Civic Scholars

Faculty Directors

George Wu

John P. and Lillian A. Gould Professor of Behavioral Science

Robert H. Gertner

Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Strategy and Finance; John Edwardson Faculty Director Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation

Our Partner: The Rustandy Center

As a Neubauer Civic Scholar, you’ll enjoy a special partnership with the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, Chicago Booth’s destination for people committed to tackling complex social and environmental problems. The center offers hands-on learning opportunities, supports innovative courses, and pursues research—all with the goal of developing people and practices that have the potential to solve the world’s biggest issues.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RUSTANDY CENTER

Help us find the Next Generation of Civic Leaders

Tell us about your recommendations: Nominate individuals through our online form or let our team know about candidates and organizations you think we should talk to: admissions@chicagobooth.edu.

Share with your network: Reach out directly to individuals working in the nonprofit or public sectors in Chicago and beyond—or share the opportunity on your LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Download a shareable PDF about the program here.

Civic Scholars Program Stories

Chicagoan Innovates in the Nonprofit Sector

It didn’t take Kyle Johnson, ’19, long to work his way up the career ladder at one of his first jobs after college. He enjoyed working at Accion Chicago, knowing he was helping the nonprofit provide microloans to small business owners in need.

Power of Booth MBA to the Social Sector

At age 26, Kady McFadden was managing a nonprofit staff, overseeing budgets, lobbying legislators, working with donors, engaging volunteers, building partnerships with corporations, and developing messaging campaigns.

Civic Scholars Spotlight: Gabriela Arismendi

With a background that includes social work, nonprofit organizations, and public schools, Gabriela Arismendi had always imagined that “MBA programs were for very specific people — type A, money-driven — the complete opposite of what I imagined myself doing.”

Other Research Centers

Neubauer Civic Scholars at Booth have access to several interdisciplinary research centers that fund research, host workshops and conferences, and foster a strong research community. You’ll also have access to courses and faculty at UChicago’s Harris School of Public Policy.

George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State
Dedicated to examining issues at the intersection of politics and the economy, the Stigler Center supports research in the political, economic, and cultural obstacles to better working markets.

Harry L. Davis Center for Leadership
An incubator and proving ground for generating new perspectives on leadership, the Davis Center drives innovation in education and practice and offers a wide variety of opportunities for Booth students to engage and develop their leadership skills.