The MBA for High-Achieving Working Professionals
Welcoming our first cohort in fall 2027, the Professional MBA program offers working students a new option to earn their MBA at Columbia Business School. The program is designed for high-achieving professionals, with on average five years of full-time work experience, who seek a rigorous academic experience while managing a full-time career. Candidates also earn the same globally recognized Columbia MBA degree as our full-time students.
Here is an overview of how the program is structured:
- Cohort Model: Students progress through the program alongside a dedicated cohort of high-achieving peers, building a powerful, lifelong professional network from day one.
- Structured Core (Year 1): Rapidly build essential skills and strengthen cohort bonds by completing the 18-credit foundational core. Students attend classes two weeknights per week plus one long weekend intensive course each fall, spring, and summer term.
- Customizable Schedule (Year 2+): Students tailor their time on campus, attending classes as little as one night a week or more, combining weekly evening courses with immersive, short-format courses to complete their degrees.
- Program Timeline: Earn the MBA in 8 to 10 semesters without taking a pause on your career trajectory.
Professional MBA students learn what is happening right now in their industries through the program’s future-forward curriculum. Designed for immediate workplace impact, the Professional MBA features Columbia Business School’s rigorous core curriculum combined with customizable electives optimized for evening and intensive block schedules. Taught by world-renowned faculty and industry practitioners, you will gain real-time perspectives via guest speaker insights, mentorship from our Executives in Residence, and future-focused skills in areas like AI and analytics.