Online MBA Curriculum

Flexibility and Versatility: Complete Your MBA Online at Your Own Pace


The Carlson Online MBA curriculum offers a perfect blend of business fundamentals and specialized industry electives, empowering students to customize their education and expand their skill set according to their career interests. 

You have the flexibility to complete your 52-credit Online MBA degree at your own pace, in as little as 2 years. With multiple course delivery options, the program can be tailored to your unique career needs. 

Courses follow a structured academic semester schedule - fall, spring, and summer. 

Enriching on-campus experiences complement the Online MBA program, fostering stronger ties to the Minneapolis-St. Paul business community and building valuable professional connections.

What you'll learn

Students start the Online MBA program with a recommended sequence of core courses followed by elective course offerings tailored to help you broaden your skill set in the areas of business that are important to you.

To help you envision your path to an MBA, we've mapped out three of the most common degree completion timelines. These are three examples of possible approaches to completing your MBA degree. You have the power to complete your degree on your timeline, with limited in-person coursework, or with a specialization that matches your career goals. The flexibility offered by the Carlson School empowers students to map degree paths that are as individual as they are.

Year 1 

Spring

  • Strategic Management (3 credits)
  • Financial Accounting (3 credits)
  • Managerial Econ (2 credits)

Summer

  • Financial Mgmt (3 credits)
  • Marketing Mgmt (3 credits)
  • Leading Others (2 credits)

Fall

  • Data analysis (3 credits)
  • Supply Chain & Operations (3 credits)
  • Data Drive Age (2 credits)

Year 2

Spring 

  • Elective (4 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Summer 

  • May Residency Option (2 credits)
  • Business Ethics (2 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Fall

  • Elective (4 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)
  • January CGI Global Enrichment (4 credits)

Year 3

Spring 

  • Elective (2 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Year 1

Fall Semester

  • Strategic Management (3 credits)
  • Data Analytics & Stats (3 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Financial Accounting (3 credits)
  • Supply Chain & Operations (3 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Marketing Management (3 credits)

Year 2

Fall Semester

  • Financial Management (3 credits)
  • Leading Others (2 credits)

Spring Semester

  • IT Requirement (2 credits)
  • ECON Requirement (2 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Elective (4 credits)

Year 3

Fall Semester

  • Elective (4 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)
  • Elective (1 credit)

Spring Semester

  • Global Enrichment Programs (4 credits)
  • Elective (4 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Business Ethics (2  credits)
  • Elective (4 credits)

Year 1

Fall Semester

  • Strategic Management (3 credits)
  • Data Analytics & Stats (3 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Financial Accounting (3 credits)
  • Supply Chain & Operations (3 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Financial Management (3 credits)

Year 2

Fall Semester

  • Marketing Management (3 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Leading Others (2 credits)
  • IT Requirement (2 credits)
  • ECON Requirement (2 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Elective (4 credits)

Year 3

Fall Semester

  • Elective (2 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Global Enrichment Program (4 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Elective (2 credits)

Year 4 

Fall Semester

  • Elective (1 credit)
  • Elective (4 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Business Ethics (2 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Year 1 

Spring

  • Strategic Management (3 credits)
  • Financial Accounting (3 credits)
  • Managerial Econ (2 credits)

Summer

  • Financial Mgmt (3 credits)
  • Marketing Mgmt (3 credits)
  • Leading Others (2 credits)

Fall

  • Data analysis (3 credits)
  • Supply Chain & Operations (3 credits)
  • Data Drive Age (2 credits)

Year 2

Spring 

  • Elective (4 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Summer 

  • May Residency Option (2 credits)
  • Business Ethics (2 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Fall

  • Elective (4 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)
  • January CGI Global Enrichment (4 credits)

Year 3

Spring 

  • Elective (2 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Year 1

Fall Semester

  • Strategic Management (3 credits)
  • Data Analytics & Stats (3 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Financial Accounting (3 credits)
  • Supply Chain & Operations (3 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Marketing Management (3 credits)

Year 2

Fall Semester

  • Financial Management (3 credits)
  • Leading Others (2 credits)

Spring Semester

  • IT Requirement (2 credits)
  • ECON Requirement (2 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Elective (4 credits)

Year 3

Fall Semester

  • Elective (4 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)
  • Elective (1 credit)

Spring Semester

  • Global Enrichment Programs (4 credits)
  • Elective (4 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Business Ethics (2  credits)
  • Elective (4 credits)

Year 1

Fall Semester

  • Strategic Management (3 credits)
  • Data Analytics & Stats (3 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Financial Accounting (3 credits)
  • Supply Chain & Operations (3 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Financial Management (3 credits)

Year 2

Fall Semester

  • Marketing Management (3 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Leading Others (2 credits)
  • IT Requirement (2 credits)
  • ECON Requirement (2 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Elective (4 credits)

Year 3

Fall Semester

  • Elective (2 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Global Enrichment Program (4 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Summer Semester

  • Elective (2 credits)

Year 4 

Fall Semester

  • Elective (1 credit)
  • Elective (4 credits)

Spring Semester

  • Business Ethics (2 credits)
  • Elective (2 credits)

Program Support

Students in the Online MBA will have full access to Carlson MBA support and resources.

Family on computer
Interactive Academic Advising

The Carlson School offers flexible Academic Advising through virtual and phone advising, alongside a web-based learning platform (Canvas).

Registration Support
Registration Support

Online MBA students are given priority registration appointment times during their enrollment in the MBA programs.

How you'll learn

Online MBA courses are delivered through a Learning Management System called Canvas. Most Carlson online courses are asynchronous, having no set meeting pattern, just specific deadlines. Courses could have some student-selected meeting times to work on group projects. Instructors will provide students with various video lectures, assignments, readings, cases, activities, etc., to complete. While there may be specific windows within which assignments are due, there is not a specified class time that all students are required to log in to attend. 

Exams and group projects are also all online with opportunities for synchronous connection. Candidates can also still elect to take in-person weekday or weekend courses if their schedule allows.

View course modalities

Explore Online MBA Courses

Contact - Online MBA