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Applied Management

Also offered as: Business Administration (Graduate)

EIU's MBA with Applied Management Option is a practice-oriented, flexible degree for students who want broad, hands-on business skills rather than a single specialization. Delivered on campus or fully online, the program builds a foundation in core business areas — finance, marketing, operations, and management — then lets students customize their path with electives ranging from data analytics to cybersecurity to accounting, preparing them for leadership and management roles across industries.

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Applied Management

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Degree Level
Master of Business Administration
Delivery
In Person / Fully Online
Time to Degree
3 Semesters
Credit Hours
33 Total, 33 in Major
Careers
Executives, Officers, General, Managers
Applied Management students at EIU

Why Study Applied Management at EIU?

  • With two open electives from 26 approved options — everything from cybersecurity to supply chain to accounting — you shape the MBA around the career you actually want.
  • The program is offered in person or fully online, with a course sequence built for working professionals, not just full-time students.
  • Rather than locking into one specialization, you build competency across finance, marketing, operations, management, and information systems — useful whether you're climbing a corporate ladder or running your own business.
  • Faculty bring industry and research experience into every class, grounding coursework in how business actually works.
  • Whether you're a manager aiming for the next level, an entrepreneur, a start-up founder, or a recent grad sharpening your business acumen, the program is designed to meet you where you are.
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"I chose to attend EIU because of the "We're All in For You" message I was not only told but truly felt from the moment I stepped foot on campus at Eastern. ... Finally, I am proud of my legacy; both of my parents attended EIU and met here during their time as students, so it was very meaningful to choose and share EIU with them. ... I am forever grateful for all that EIU has done for me thus far and am proud to always be an Eastern IL University Panther!"
Megan Jobe
Class of 2027, MBA: Applied Management
Megan Jobe, MBA: Applied Management at EIU

Hands-On Experience

  • The program is explicitly built around case-based learning and team projects that mirror real business challenges.
  • The required Management Simulation course (MBA 5900) has students apply strategy, finance, and operations knowledge in a simulated business environment.
  • Courses like Data-Driven Storytelling, Business Analytics & Data Mining, and Ethical Hacking & Networking Defense give you technical, applied skills you can use immediately.
  • Students can apply an internship toward MBA elective credit, turning professional experience into academic progress.
  • The program is designed around a collaborative learning environment, so you build a professional network of peers and industry contacts as you go — not just credentials.
Hands-On Experience, Applied Management students at EIU

What You'll Learn

The MBA with Applied Management Option at Eastern Illinois University is designed for students who want broad, practical business knowledge they can apply across industries. This flexible MBA option helps students build skills in management, strategy, finance, marketing, operations, information systems and organizational leadership.

View in Catalog
$95,880
Median Salary 4 Years After Graduation

Career Outcomes

  • Chief Executives
  • Chief Sustainability Officers
  • General & Operations Managers
  • Sales Managers
  • Administrative Services Managers
  • Facilities Managers
  • Security Managers
  • Industrial Production Managers
  • Quality Control Systems Managers
  • Geothermal Production Managers

Career Insights

Job Outlook ★ Bright Outlook Openings · Grow Rapidly
Preparation Needed Considerable (4/5)
Personality Fit Enterprising

Financing Your Degree Under the 2026 Rules

Federal graduate lending changed on July 1, 2026 - Grad PLUS loans ended for new borrowers and new federal borrowing caps now apply to graduate students. Here's why the math still works at EIU:

Estimated total for this degree: ~$15,147 (tuition and fees)

  • ✓ That's only about 15% of the new $100,000 lifetime graduate borrowing limit - leaving room for whatever comes next in your career.
  • ✓ A typical full-time year here runs about $8,262 - well under the new $20,500 annual federal loan limit, so federal loans alone can cover tuition and fees.
  • ✓ Working? If your employer offers it, they can provide up to $5,250 per year tax-free toward your education - at EIU's rates, that can cover a good share of a part-time master's.

Estimates use 2026-2027 Illinois-resident tuition and fees and typical full-time enrollment. Your actual costs and aid depend on your program, enrollment, FAFSA, and prior borrowing.

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15% of lifetime limit

$15,147 total, just 15% of your $100,000 federal graduate borrowing limit

Connect With Us

Nichole Hugo
Professor Hospitality and Tourism, Graduate Coordinator of Sustainability, MBA Graduate Coordinator
nhugo@eiu.edu
3617 Lumpkin Hall
217-581-8595
Nichole Hugo Message Nichole

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or email nhugo@eiu.edu directly
Farhad Sadeh
Chair, School of Business & Associate Professor of Marketing
fsadeh@eiu.edu
4025
Farhad Sadeh Message Farhad

Message Farhad

or email fsadeh@eiu.edu directly
Billy Panther
Head of Panther Pride
Old Main
217-581-2223
Billy the Panther Message Billy

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or email billy@eiu.edu directly

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