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Applied Management

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 you shape the MBA around the career you actually want
  • Offered in person or fully online, with a course sequence built for working professionals
  • Build competency across finance, marketing, operations, management, and information systems
  • 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'm getting an MBA and EIU definitely challenges me while providing hands-on learning experiences. ... Unlike larger universities where students can feel like just a number, EIU provides a more personalized educational experience. ... EIU has definitely become home to me, and I love it here."
Jesus De La Cruz
MBA Applied Management | Class of 2026

Hands-On Experience

  • Built around case-based learning and team projects that mirror real business challenges
  • Apply strategy, finance, and operations knowledge in a simulated business environment
  • Courses lthat give you technical, applied skills you can use immediately
  • Apply an internship toward MBA elective credit, turning professional experience into academic progress
  • Designed around a collaborative learning environment, so you build a professional network of peers and industry contacts as you go
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 for These CareersMedian salaryThe median is the middle value: half of the people counted earn more and half earn less. It is an estimate for a typical graduate, not a promise of what you will earn. Pay varies by employer, location, experience and the specific job.

Career OutcomesCareer outcomesThese are example careers that graduates of this program often pursue, taken from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET occupation list. They are examples, not job guarantees, and many graduates work in other fields.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor

  • 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 Bright OutlookBright Outlook careers are ones with a promising future. They're expected to grow quickly, to have lots of job openings, or to be brand new and emerging. A career earns the label if it meets any one of these: projected growth of 5% or more, at least 75,000 projected openings, or New & Emerging status.
Openings: Employers are expected to need at least 75,000 people for this career over the next several years. That count includes new jobs created by growth and spots opened when workers move on.
Grow Rapidly: Jobs in this career are expected to grow 5% or more over the next several years, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics projections.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor Openings / Grow Rapidly
Preparation Needed Considerable (4/5)Job Zone 4: Considerable preparationMost of these careers require a four-year bachelor's degree. They also tend to build on several years of work-related experience or training.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor
Personality Fit EnterprisingEnterprising interest typeYou like business and leadership. This type of work includes managing, selling, marketing and leading, including in politics or law.Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor

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. Annual limits are reduced in proportion for part-time enrollment.
  • ✓ Working? If your employer offers it, they can provide up to $5,250 per year tax-free toward your education.

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. Students who borrowed for the same program before July 1, 2026 may have different limits.

Talk to EIU Financial Aid → Read about the 2026 federal aid changes
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
3625 Lumpkin Hall
217-581-8595
Nichole Hugo Message Nichole

Message Nichole

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

Message Billy

or email billy@eiu.edu directly

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