We polled a number of Chicago Booth Part-Time MBA students on their favorites classes. From quantitative fundamentals to behavioral electives, students explain why these courses made the top of their list.
Accounting
“Professor Joao Granja’s approach to accounting made it much more fun than I thought accounting could be. He brought in cases that were applicable to what was going on in the real world, and he also made sure to keep us engaged. His enthusiasm and energy made this my favorite class.”
Rosemary Concepcion, Weekend MBA
Building the New Venture
"This class was very practical in nature. The idea was to figure out how to turn a venture idea into an actual company and look at some of those challenges you might face. We did a simulation where every class was three months worth of running a company. Your idea is 1% of what it takes to start a venture, and then everything else that is associated with starting a business is hard to visualize unless you have classes that walk you through what that would be in practice.”
Nahiomy Alvarez, Evening MBA
Competitive Strategy
“The way Professor Ram Shivakumar got us to think about strategy and apply it — and consider why firms are winning or losing, and how you can pivot, particularly during COVID-19 — was for me really applicable to my job. I find myself using that same framework in totally unrelated classes now.”
Lillian Foy, Weekend MBA
Designing a Good Life
“I loved this class with Professor Nicholas Epley because it acts as a capstone for everything that you learn at Chicago Booth that we typically apply to business, but also how it applies to your own your own ethical framework. We talked a lot about design and how we design systems to create more social and business good.”
Linda Pantale, Evening MBA
Ethics of Business
“This course took us through the intellectual history of capitalism, and it made me realize that what we know as our world, or the capitalist system in the West with free markets and democracy, is actually a fairly new concept. It was constructed over years, and is also fluid in the sense that 100 years ago capitalism was very different from what it is today, because of social and political change. We also looked at how we apply our values to the business world and where our limits lie, with the idea that not necessarily all moral axioms are absolutes. How does an ethical person suddenly become involved in a scheme or scandal? We learned how toxic environments actually slowly creep up. We also learned how business leadership can actually change the world for the better.”
Irena Kaplan, Evening MBA
Financial Statement Analysis
“This was the first class I ever took as an MBA and the way that Professor Michael Minnis conveyed the material — he has more passion about accounting than I've ever seen anyone have. I learned to think about the numbers in a way I had never thought of them. I'm a CFA and felt pretty confident walking into this class that I already knew what I was going to learn, but Professor Minnis blew me away in his analysis, took it to the next level and forced me to think about accounting and how to run a company in a way I've never thought about before.”
Bret Watson, Evening MBA
The Firm in the Non-Market Environment
“Professor Marianne Bertrand is an amazing lecturer and this class really pushes you to think through the material that she presents. The class deals with moral ambiguity, market ambiguity, thinking through things like regulation and what you're ethically and morally required to think about when you're working with teams or consumers. Professor Bertrand really hammers home the points she makes, and I took away so much from her class.”
Daniel Urbina-McCarthy, Evening MBA
Interpersonal Dynamics
“This course got me out of my comfort zone in a good way. It helped me learn how I show up in relationships, both professionally and personally. It showed me how to bring my A game to every situation.”
Tess Watson, Evening MBA
Investments
“I'm an investment fanatic. I'm also in the process of transitioning from IT to finance, hopefully into a role in wealth management, and this class has been the most informative and fun. Professor Michael Weber is absolutely hilarious, and he's also very experienced, knowledgeable and really smart when it comes to investing.”
Reggie Barnes, Weekend MBA
Leadership Studio
“This class taught me how to apply a lifelong learning model and actually use it on the job. Professor Harry L Davis taught us how to develop ourselves as leaders by using our professional and personal lives as locations for experimentation in how we lead. The class was one where the value of the class depended on how much of yourself you gave to the class. It helped me develop a plan for how to continue to grow and learn after Booth.”
Ritvik Bansal, Evening MBA
Managing the Firm in the Global Economy
“This course gave me a robust understanding of international business and provided so many frameworks that explain why different decisions are made. I could go into great detail but as an example, Professor Jonathan Dingel elucidated economic reasons why multi-national enterprises might decide to open offices in countries like Ireland and explained the trade-offs involved in those decisions.”
Gilbert Jimenez, Evening MBA
Managing in Organizations
“I've always been interested in leadership classes. It’s not just that Professor Ann L McGill provides so many real world business examples, but I can tie these to my personal life and my personal relationships as well just as easily.”
Kaley Neeson, Evening MBA
Marketing Strategy
“Professor Christopher E Krohn systematically weaves in the key principles and frameworks of marketing strategy, in a very thought-provoking analytical and emotionally intelligent manner. By the end of the course, you almost won't even realize the skills you’ve developed and what got you there. Suddenly I felt like I had these ninja level marketing skills.”
Christina Starks, Evening MBA
Reputation, Regulation and Communications
“This class was the perfect marriage of all of my past professional experiences. Professor Guy Rolnik would bring in guest lecturers to discuss things I found really interesting. It was cool to be in a class where the professor was clearly so knowledgeable on a topic that was very near and dear to my heart. Every single class was so electric, which is why it was my favorite.”
Nicole Silva, Evening MBA
As you progress in the application process, here are some useful tips and words of advice from the Booth community geared towards helping you successfully submit your MBA application.
Admission Advice and Application Tips for Prospective Students
Get an inside look at what a path pursuing Brand Management in Consumer Package Goods entails at Booth, both inside and outside of the classroom.
MBA Student Perspective: Consumer Package Goods at Booth
The time it takes to earn an MBA depends on which program you choose. Here’s a look at the options.
How Long Does an MBA Take?