The Most Innovative MBA Programs for AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a top interest for prospective master of business administration (MBA) students — and some universities are already integrating the developing technology into their curriculum.

Prospective students said in CarringtonCrisp’s 2025 Tomorrow’s MBA Report that they want specialist MBAs that teach them niche skills, and AI was the top tech-related topic for those surveyed.

Business schools have overwhelmingly embraced AI. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) found in its 2024 Application Trends Survey that only 22% of programs surveyed said they haven’t integrated AI into student learning.

That has taken the form of AI courses and certificates, major investments in AI, and MBA concentrations.

Innovative MBA programs for AI come from every corner of the higher education landscape. Both M7 business schools and regional public universities have debuted programs focused on AI. Here’s an overview of some moves business schools are making to teach students about AI and how they can incorporate it into their future careers:

The Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management has long been a leader in MBA AI education.

Kellogg heavily emphasizes machine learning and artificial intelligence as part of a program it has branded “MBAi” through a unique partnership between two of its high-power schools.

Kellogg partnered with the McCormick School of Engineering to create the MBAi program, which “integrates both business strategy and analytic technologies throughout the curriculum,” according to the university’s website.

The five-quarter program, which includes a full-time summer internship program and an “optional Silicon Valley industry immersion experience,” requires some combination of 2-6 years of work experience, technical work experience as a product owner or data scientist, or an undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degree.

In the scramble to embrace AI, the American University Kogod School of Business stands among the fastest to infuse its curriculum with the new technology.

The school moved to incorporate AI across its curriculum in 2024 and, more recently, announced a partnership with Perplexity to offer its AI services to students. Those measures include both its in-person and online MBA programs.

The 48-credit, 24-month program doesn’t require work experience, and the GMAT/GRE are optional.

Arizona State University (ASU) is another leading school to embrace AI. It was the first higher education institution to partner with ChatGPT creator OpenAI, and the school has since debuted degrees entirely focused on AI.

That AI emphasis extends to its W.P. Carey School of Business. ASU offers a concentration in AI through its MBA program that includes classes in AI and the business landscape, coding for data analysis, machine learning, and data visualization.

ASU’s 51-credit-hour online MBA program includes 45.5 elective credit hours, meaning it’s highly customizable. ASU designed the degree to be finished in two years, but students can take up to three years.

Carnegie Mellon University landed $6 million last year to set up an AI cooperative research center to test modern AI capabilities and tools. It’s no surprise that the Tepper School of Business offers an 18-unit AI in business concentration through its MBA program.

That concentration combines fundamental machine learning topics with business analytics to prepare students to use the high-demand technology in the workforce. It also features courses outside of Tepper, including a class on designing AI products.

Tepper’s online hybrid MBA is built for working professionals and designed to take 32 months to complete. It features immersive weekend experiences several times a year throughout its duration.

Villanova University offers an AI and machine learning specialization to MBA students, according to the school’s website, noting that both fields “have become increasingly important technologies across all business disciplines.”

Courses that are part of the AI and machine learning specialization focus on automating business processes and the ethical concerns around AI. The coursework also highlights the way AI is affecting a wide variety of industries.

Villanova’s AI coursework lays out the foundations of AI and its impact on the business world — and looks at the ways students can apply AI and machine learning to their eventual jobs. No GMAT or GRE is required for admission, and the program can be finished as quickly as 18 months.

Northeastern University emphasizes accessibility for its “MBA x Artificial Intelligence” concentration: Students without computer science degrees start with 16 credits of “computer science bridge courses.”

Courses in Northeastern’s AI concentration include a foundational course on the inner workings of AI, a machine learning-focused course, and a course focused on making AI work with human language.

Ball State University includes AI among its possible concentrations for Miller College of Business MBA students. That concentration factors in courses focusing on machine learning, information systems, and communication technologies.

That coursework covers the “foundations of artificial intelligence including approaches, algorithms, platforms, and uses for AI,” and covers how to adopt and oversee artificial intelligence in a business environment.