According to an official release on March 20, Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) Stuart School of Business based in Chicago, Illinois, USA is launching a global MBA programme in ‘Business Innovation’ for working professionals. Keeping in mind the convenience of Indian students, this programme will be a two year, part-time course delivered online using interactive technology that provides a rigorous high-quality learning experience. The course aims to prepare working professionals globally for the next phase in business innovation in the age of Big Data and technological transformation.
The Illinois Tech programme is designed with a focus on business innovation to prepare experienced, mid-career professionals for leadership and management positions in India and abroad. The programme will enable international students to take classes online in a live, interactive session once a week, using Blackboard Collaborate technology. The technology will also facilitate student-to-student interaction; projects in global, virtual teams; the flexibility to appear for exams from anywhere. The programme also offers an opportunity for students to participate in a short international immersion experience in Chicago.

Comments Dr. M. Krishna Erramilli, programme director, associate dean & professor of marketing, “India is a growing global hub in the business of technology and Big Data. Through this course, we aim to enhance the skills of working professionals, providing a global perspective, broadening their thinking, giving them experience with strategic innovation methods, and empowering them to recognise and seize new opportunities. The programme also comes as an advantage to every Indian student who cannot afford education in an international university as we are offering this course at an affordable cost. Also, online format of the course will further reduce the cost of travel and accommodation, benefiting the student at large.”

Commenting on the launch, Dr. Alan W Cramb, president, Illinois Institute of Technology said, “Our University pioneered asynchronous delivery of advanced courses in computer science and engineering to working professionals in India’s “Silicon Valley” 20 years ago. We have seen how students and their employers have benefited. We are delighted to be able to extend these benefits to in–career professionals, who wish to pursue an MBA, and their employers.”

The mission of Stuart Business School is to provide courses designed to enhance real world and socially responsible perspectives. The Illinois Tech Online MBA for Global Professionals in Business Innovation has a unique focus on management challenges in technology-intensive organisations, financial modeling, Big Data analytics, design thinking, innovation, and sustainability. These topics are incorporated through the multi-disciplinary components of strategically competitive leadership to globally diverse in-career students.

As a part of Chicago, Illinois based Illinois Institute of Technology, the Stuart School of Business was set up in 1969 with a bequest from Illinois Tech alumnus and financier Harold L. Stuart. The institute shares the university’s emphasis on applied, technical education.