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Curriculum designed to build the judgment, leadership, and cross-functional skills employers actually hire for.

About the MBA-P Curriculum

The Willamette MBA for Professionals program features an eighteen-course curriculum. Students complete ten courses from the required MBA-P curriculum, two courses that are independent management consultant projects, and three Saturday leadership intensives per semester, focused on identity and professional growth.

The curriculum is delivered through a novel learning model that emphasizes learning by doing and the immediate application of new knowledge. Willamette's respected and recognized faculty understand the unique needs of working professionals and provide a learning experience focused on individual outcomes and success.

Each semester, core courses are intentionally paired across disciplines. Faculty plan together so you’re looking at the same organizational challenge from multiple angles like strategy, finance, leadership, operations, and more. Instead of waiting for a capstone to connect the dots, you’ll practice integrated judgment in every module to better navigate complexity at work.

During three Saturday workshops each semester, you’ll build individual, interpersonal, and organizational leadership skills like executive presence, resilience, emotional intelligence, influence without authority, negotiation, conflict management, and leading change. You’ll get personalized coaching and feedback you can’t get from slides alone. And you’ll walk into work on Monday with new tools you’re ready to test.

MBA candidates progress through the integrated curriculum in small cohorts, offering a unique opportunity to develop relationships, learn from diverse experiences and approaches, and benefit from a built-in support network.

Curriculum Format

Semester 1 (Fall) Managing Organizations Through Data Driven Insights

  • GSMPR 621.1 LEAD 1: Leadership Effectiveness and Development
  • GSMPR 622 Data Analysis and Managerial Decision Making
  • GSMPR 624 Managing Organizations: Individuals, Teams, and HR

Semester 2 (Spring) Creating, Earning, and Measuring Value

  • GSMPR 621.2 LEAD 2: Leadership Effectiveness and Development
  • GSMPR 625 Creating and Implementing Market-Driven Strategies
  • GSMPR 623 Accounting for Managers

Semester 3 (Summer) Managing Financial Choices under Uncertainty

  • GSMPR 621.3 LEAD 3: Leadership Effectiveness and Development
  • GSMPR 626 Finance and Economics for Managers
  • GSMPR 630 Data Analysis, Modeling, and Markets

Semester 4 (Fall) Executing Operations in Global Contexts

  • GSMPR 621.4 LEAD 4: Leadership Effectiveness and Development
  • GSMPR 627 Operations and Information Management
  • GSMPR 628 Global Management & Innovation

Semester 5 (Spring) Leading Strategically Across Boundaries

  • GSMPR 621.5 LEAD 5: Leadership Effectiveness and Development
  • GSMPR 629 Politics and Public Policy for Managers
  • GSMPR 631 Strategic Management

Semester 6 (Summer) Executing Strategy: Applied Management Project

  • GSMPR 621.6 LEAD 6: Leadership Effectiveness and Development
  • GSMPR 632 IMAP (Integrative Management Project)

MBA-P Program Schedule

The MBAP schedule: Showing one class per week for each of the 14 weeks on Tuesdays (Salem), Wednesdays (Portland) and Thursdays (excluding weeks 1 and 8 for the Tues/Wed class). Saturday classes are on weeks 1, 8 and 14.

MBA-P Fast Facts

  • Study in Salem or Portland
  • Lower tuition: $36,000 per year
  • Scholarships and financial aid available
  • Complete your degree in 24 months
  • One in-person and one online class per week
  • Three Saturday sessions at the beginning, middle, and end of each semester
  • Excellent teaching and mentoring
  • Immediately apply what you learn
  • Accredited by AACSB International
Willamette MBA students in a classroom

Willamette University

Atkinson Graduate School of Management