Kenan–Flagler Business School (GRAD)
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School offers a number of graduate degree programs, including a STEM-designated master of business administration (M.B.A.), a STEM-designated master of accounting (M.A.C.), a STEM-designated master of science in management (M.S.M.), and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.).
Since 1919, UNC Kenan-Flagler has been educating the next generation of ambitious, principled, and collaborative leaders who are keenly focused on the bottom line as well as the greater good. Our outcomes-focused approach influences the way we teach — and the way you learn. We focus on the theory and the practice of business, so you graduate equipped with the leadership dexterity and real-world knowledge to succeed throughout your career.
UNC Kenan-Flagler is recognized for world-class teaching. The faculty consistently has been nationally ranked for teaching excellence, availability, and responsiveness to students, with an emphasis on relevant, applied research and case development.
In and out of the classroom, through the curriculum we design, the experiences we provide, the collaborative culture we promote, the faculty we hire, and even the way we conduct ourselves as a member of our community, we are guided by our core values of integrity, inclusion, innovation, and impact.
Today, our graduates number more than 46,000. These high-achieving alumni live, work, and flourish in all states and 97 countries.
Financial Aid and Funding Opportunities
All admitted students to the UNC Kenan-Flagler Ph.D. Program are offered five years of guaranteed financial support, including summers. Aid might last longer for exceptional students. Financial support is dependent upon a student remaining in good academic standing with satisfactory progress to degree completion. Funding may come in the form of research/teaching assistantships or teaching fellowships, health insurance coverage, and tuition and student fees coverage. Visit our funding website for details.
All applicants to the UNC Kenan-Flagler M.B.A. program (full-time, evening executive, Charlotte executive, weekend executive, online) are considered for merit-based scholarship funding, which is offered for the duration of the program. Students may also apply for loan funding through Federal (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) and/or private sources.
All applicants to the M.A.C. and M.S.M. programs are considered for merit-based scholarship funding. Students may also apply for loan funding through Federal and/or private sources.
Courses
Numbered 400-999:
Master of Business Administration (Full-Time M.B.A.)
UNC Kenan-Flagler's highly ranked, full-time master of business administration (M.B.A.) program provides exceptional students with the opportunity to develop outstanding business acumen, analytical skills and leadership savvy. The two-year program combines a semester of core coursework spread across two modules, which is designed to expose you to technical and analytical expertise, leadership concepts and decision-making frameworks. The flexible core allows students to select the timing of certain courses to align with their career and recruiting goals. A substantial portion of the second semester of the first year and the entire second year is devoted to elective courses where students pursue academic concentrations and participate in career pathways to develop skills that align with unique personal and professional interests. Throughout the program, you’ll work with real data and real companies, learn to ask the right questions, develop your teamwork skills and persuasively present ideas.
The core curriculum is complemented with a vast array of local and global experiential learning opportunities, including global coursework, such as Global Immersion Electives (GIEs), and experiential opportunities such as our STAR consulting program.
The M.B.A. program is well recognized for shaping professionals who are equally adept at the technical aspects of business, centered on analytical and functional skills, and at effective leadership, including teamwork, collaboration and executional skills.
More program information, admissions requirements and application can be found on the program website or by contacting the M.B.A. Admissions Office: phone (919) 962-9129 or e-mail mba_info@unc.edu.
Master of Business Administration (Evening Executive M.B.A., Charlotte Executive M.B.A, and Weekend Executive M.B.A.)
UNC Kenan–Flagler offers three cohort-based programs for working professionals who value regular in-person learning experiences with peers and faculty and want to pursue their M.B.A. without interrupting their careers.
Through dynamic, face-to-face, team-based learning, you’ll connect and collaborate with a diverse group of driven, experienced peers, strengthening your network and developing your leadership potential. The cohort model of these programs means you’ll move through your M.B.A. together with the same group of classmates, sharing perspectives and expertise, problem solving as a team, and developing deep bonds. All three of our executive M.B.A. programs come together twice in the first year for Impact Weekends; these 3-day cross-program networking and immersive learning experiences focus on leadership and innovation topics relevant to mid-to-senior level professionals.
The Evening M.B.A. program (24 months) meets once a week for the first year, and one or two nights a week during the second year. The first year is focused on core coursework that will strengthen your strategic and tactical business skills. Core courses are designed to both cover theory and incorporate real-life situations — including your on-the-job business challenges. In the second year, you’ll have access to many electives to customize your M.B.A. and target specific skills to achieve your career objectives. This program is best suited to professionals with at least two years of work experience who live and work in the Triangle area.
The Charlotte M.B.A. program (24 months) meets once a week for the first year at our executive campus in the heart of Charlotte, and one or two nights a week during the second year. The first year is focused on core coursework that will strengthen your strategic and tactical business skills, and incorporates Executive Friday lunches three times per term, where students hear from local leaders on relevant business topics. Core courses are designed to both cover theory and incorporate real-life situations — including your on-the-job business challenges. In the second year, you’ll have access to many electives to customize your M.B.A. and target specific skills to achieve your career objectives. This program is best suited to professionals with at least two years of work experience, with at least five preferred, who live and work in the Charlotte area.
The Weekend Executive M.B.A. program (21 months) meets every third weekend and offers an immersive, intensive learning environment. During the first year of the program, you’ll complete core coursework that strengthens your business acumen and develops your leadership and team skills. The final nine months of the program are focused on electives, which provide you with the opportunity to customize your academic program to suit your career objectives and interests, whether you’re seeking to climb the corporate ladder, shift to a new career focus, or build a business. This program is well suited to professionals from around the country (and within North Carolina) and requires a minimum of five years of work experience.
More program information, admissions requirements, and application details can be found on the program website or by contacting the M.B.A. Admissions Office: phone (919) 962-9129 or e-mail mba_info@unc.edu.
Master of Business Administration (MBA@UNC-Online MBA)
MBA@UNC blends the flexibility of an online program with the rigor and quality of an on-campus experience, through the use of innovative technologies and immersive learning experiences. Weekly live classes are delivered online, offering you the ability to learn from world-class faculty and peers from anywhere you live and anywhere life takes you.
The program is structured so that faculty and classmates get to know one another in ways that shape the vibrant learning community that sets UNC Kenan-Flagler apart. You’ll participate in small, required, weekly class sessions, allowing you to foster strong connections and benefit from the perspectives of your peers and faculty, while completing asynchronous coursework on your own time. An in-person orientation and immersive in-person domestic or global Summit experience are also required. On average, students complete their degrees in two years, but may take up to three years to complete coursework.
MBA@UNC is designed to provide aspiring leaders with the strong general management and leadership curriculum required to propel them to the next level in their careers. Following a foundation of required core courses, you will customize your studies through extensive elective offerings, experiential opportunities, and required in-person Summit experiences, to ensure you’ve developed the skills you need to meet your goals.
MBA@UNC leverages the same world-class faculty members who teach in UNC Kenan-Flagler's other top-ranked M.B.A. programs, and the curriculum is based on the curriculum delivered in those programs.
More program information, admissions requirements and application details can be found on the program website or by contacting the Admissions Team by phone at (888) 986-2622 or e-mail admissions@onlinebusiness.unc.edu.
Master of Accounting (On-Campus Format)
The UNC Kenan-Flagler master of accounting (M.A.C.) program's unique approach to accounting and business education involves a challenging curriculum that integrates accounting with other business disciplines and emphasizes the application of accounting concepts to current business issues. The goal of the accounting and business courses is to create well-rounded accountants and business advisers who can compete in the business world. M.A.C. students take a broad but balanced series of accounting courses that focus on skill development, problem solving, and decision making in business situations. The core courses are designed specifically for M.A.C. students to emphasize accounting and business consulting skills. The program develops students' communication and leadership skills, giving them a competitive advantage in today's job market and enhancing their ability to succeed in the accounting profession.
The on-campus format of the M.A.C. program is open to students from any undergraduate major. The on-campus format of the M.A.C. program begins once each year in June and requires 48 credits of coursework. Admission is competitive and decisions are made on a rolling basis; applicants are encouraged to apply early.
For more information, please contact the M.A.C. Admissions Office, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, CB 3490, McColl Building, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-3490; (919) 962-3209; email mac_info@unc.edu.
Master of Accounting (Online Format)
Like the on-campus format of the M.A.C program, the online format involves a challenging curriculum that integrates accounting with other business disciplines and emphasizes the application of accounting concepts to current business issues.
The online format of the M.A.C program is designed for working professional students, providing flexibility with a duration of 12 to 36 months, dependent on the student’s desired pace. The program is open to students from any undergraduate major. Students may start the online format in June, September, January, or March. Students are required to complete 36-48 credits of coursework, depending on approved transfer credit.
An Advanced Standing option is available for applicants who have previously studied accounting at the undergraduate level. Students who are eligible for the Advanced Standing pathway must complete 30 credits of coursework.
Admission is competitive and decisions are made on a rolling basis; applicants are encouraged to apply early.
For more information, please contact the M.A.C. Admissions Office, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, CB 3490, McColl Building, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-3490; (919) 962-3209; email mac_info@unc.edu.
Master of Management
The UNC Kenan-Flagler master of management (M.S.M.) program provides a foundational and rigorous program of study in the field of business, equipping individuals with the essential skills and knowledge necessary for successful business careers across multiple industries. We cultivate future leaders by emphasizing professionalism, teamwork, and a strategic mindset. Our program prepares graduates to make an immediate impact in their professional endeavors. In achieving these goals, we maintain and enhance our national recognition as a top-tier provider of graduate management education among our academic peers and professional constituents.
The M.S.M program is designed for students who did not study business at the undergraduate level and is intended for those with 0-2 years of work experience. The M.S.M. program begins once each year in August and requires 30 credits of coursework. Admission is competitive and decisions are made on a rolling basis; applicants are encouraged to apply early.
For more information, please contact the M.A.C. Admissions Office, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, CB 3490, McColl Building, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-3490; (919) 962-3209; email mac_info@unc.edu.
Doctor of Philosophy
The Ph.D. program in business administration is designed for individuals who plan careers in research and teaching. A limited number of students are admitted each year, resulting in a high-quality learning environment that emphasizes rigor and personal attention. Although many students enter the program with an M.B.A., this degree is not a requirement for admission. However, an M.B.A. from an accredited institution usually allows the student to waive some of the business fundamentals requirements. Prior to admission to the doctoral program, students are expected to have knowledge of elementary calculus and basic computer skills. A foreign language is not required for graduation from the program. Research and teaching assistantships are available on a competitive basis.
The requirements for the Ph.D. in business administration are as follows:
- Business Fundamentals. All Ph.D. students are expected to possess or to acquire a basic knowledge of accounting, finance, marketing, organizational behavior, and production. This requirement involves a level of competence roughly equivalent to the M.B.A. core courses on these topics. Most students entering with an M.B.A. or similar degree meet this requirement without additional coursework. Appropriate courses will be recommended for students who do not meet this requirement prior to beginning the program.
- Economics. All Ph.D. students are expected to possess or to acquire knowledge of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory. The basic requirement is an M.B.A. or graduate-level course on each topic. Once again, most students with an M.B.A. meet this requirement without additional coursework. However, individual areas within the business school (e.g., finance) may require that students take specific courses after entering the program to meet this requirement. Appropriate courses will be recommended for students who do not meet this requirement prior to beginning the program.
- Research Methods/Quantitative Methodologies. All Ph.D. students are required to take five courses (15 hours) in research methods/quantitative methodologies. At least one course (three hours) must be a research methods course covering topics such as the philosophy of science, research design, sample selection, etc. At least three of the courses (nine hours) must focus on quantitative methodologies such as statistics, operations research, econometrics, etc. The fifth course (three hours) may be a more specialized research methods course (e.g., survey research, lab experimentation) or another quantitative methodologies course.
- Major Area of Concentration. All Ph.D. students are required to declare a major area. The major area consists of six courses (18 hours). Students may concentrate in one of the following areas:
- Accounting
- Operations
- Finance
- Organizational Behavior
- Marketing
- Strategy and Entrepreneurship
These courses may be a combination of required courses offered within the major area, required courses offered outside of the major area, or approved elective courses.
- Supporting Area. All Ph.D. students are required to declare a supporting area. The supporting area consists of four courses (12 hours). The supporting area allows the student to develop a strong expertise in an area related to the student's research and teaching interests. These courses are usually drawn from a single area within the business school or from a specific outside department, but a student may assemble four courses from more than one area if the courses represent a coherent package.
- Research Paper. During the summer and fall following the first year, all Ph.D. students are required to complete a research paper. The paper must be evaluated and approved by the student's faculty. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide the student with important research experience and to develop research and writing skills. Most of these papers are later presented at professional meetings, and many lead to publication. Some papers develop into dissertations.
- Comprehensive Examination. All Ph.D. students must pass a written comprehensive examination on the student's major area of concentration and on relevant material from the other requirements. Students usually take this examination after completing coursework, typically at the end of the second year. Some areas may require an oral examination after completion of the written examination.
- Dissertation. All Ph.D. students are required to complete a dissertation prior to graduation from the program. The dissertation is a thorough theoretical and empirical investigation of a specific problem important to the student's major area. The dissertation's value is in its contribution to knowledge, in the scholarly manner in which it is organized and presented, and in the demonstrated development of the student's conceptual and research skills. Before substantial work on the dissertation is undertaken, a written dissertation proposal must be presented and approved by the student's dissertation committee. In most cases, the dissertation proposal is completed during the student's third or fourth year in residence and the dissertation is completed during the fifth year.
- Teaching and Research. All students are required to serve as teaching assistants for at least one semester and as research assistants for at least one semester. Students are also required to work with faculty members prior to that semester on the development of their teaching skills.
Professors
Sridhar Balasubramanian, Marketing Barry Bayus, Marketing Christopher Bingham, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Gregory W. Brown, Finance Norris Bruce, Marketing Robert Bushman, Accounting Michael Christian, Organizational Behavior Riccardo Colacito, Finance Vinayak Deshpande, Operations Jeffrey Edwards, Organizational Behavior Mary Margaret Frank, Accounting Paolo Fulghieri, Finance Eric Ghysels, Finance Rajdeep Grewal, Marketing Isin Guler, Strategy and Entrepreneurship John R. M. Hand, Accounting David Hartzell, Finance David A. Hofmann, Organizational Behavior Jeffrey Hoopes, Accounting James H. Johnson Jr., Strategy and Entrepreneurship Camelia Kuhnen, Finance Eva Labro, Accounting Wayne Landsman, Accounting Mark Lang, Accounting Christian Lundblad, Finance William Maddux, Organizational Behavior Arvind Malhotra, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Edward Maydew, Accounting Shimul Melwani, Organizational Behavior Adam Mersereau, Operations Marie Mitchell, Organizational Behavior Atul Nerkar, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Paige Ouimet, Finance Ali Parlakturk, Operations David Ravenscraft, Finance Adam Reed, Finance Jacob Sagi, Finance Albert Segars III, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Anil Shivdasani, Finance Elena Simintzi, Finance Bradley Staats, Operations Jan-Benedict Steenkamp, Marketing Jayashankar M. Swaminathan, Operations Sriram Venkataraman, Marketing
Associate Professors
Sekou Bermiss, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Jesse Davis, Finance Sreedhari Desai, Organizational Behavior Seyed Emadi, Operations John Gallemore, Accounting Wendell Gilland, Operations Stephen Glaeser, Accounting Olga Hawn, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Bradley Hendricks, Accounting Yunzhi Hu, Finance Kristopher Keller, Marketing Tim Kundro, Organizational Behavior Matthew Pearsall, Organizational Behavior Jana Smith Raedy, Accounting Gill Segal, Finance Elad Sherf, Organizational Behavior Nur Sunar, Operations Yuqian Xu, Operations
Assistant Professors
Charlie An, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Aymeric Bellon, Finance Andrew Boysen, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Christine Choi, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Daniela De la Parra, Accounting Chloe Glaeser, Operations Abhinav Gupta, Finance Ingrid Koch, Marketing Saman Lagzi, Operations Fei Long, Marketing Vrinda Mittal, Finance Sajad Modaresi, Operations Navid Mojir, Marketing Timothy Ott, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Christopher Petsko, Organizational Behavior Franklin Qian, Finance Mirela Sandulescu, Finance Donghwa Shin, Finance Laura Sonday, Organizational Behavior Sibel Sözüer, Marketing Andreas Stathopoulos, Finance Longxiu Tian, Marketing Audra Wormald, Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Clinical Professors
Tamara Barringer, Legal Studies Sharon Cannon, Management and Corporate Communication Jessica Christian, Organizational Behavior Paul Friga, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Patricia Harms, Management and Corporate Communication Courtney Knoll, Accounting Claudia Kubowicz Malhotra, Marketing Michael Meredith, Management and Corporate Communication Mabel Miguel, Organizational Behavior Arzu Ozoguz, Finance Christine Porath, Organizational Behavior Heidi Schultz, Management and Corporate Communication Chip Snively, Finance Judy Jones Tisdale, Management and Corporate Communication Patrick Vernon, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Ted Zoller, Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Clinical Associate Professors
Art Baker, Finance Lori Boyer, Management and Corporate Communication Manoj Chari, Operations Travis Day, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Tim Flood, Management and Corporate Communication Melissa Geil, Management and Corporate Communication Jenna Haugen, Management and Corporate Communication Stephanie Mahin, Management and Corporate Communication Allison Schlobohm, Management and Corporate Communication
Clinical Assistant Professors
Alex Arapoglou, Finance Mike Beeler, Operations Ivonne Chirino-Klevans, Organizational Behavior Lynn Dikolli, Accounting Gregory Hohn, Management and Corporate Communication Margot Howard, Accounting Erin Long, Organizational Behavior Terence McElroy, Organizational Behavior Kelley O’Brien, Management and Corporate Communication Tanja Snively, Accounting Amanda Thompson, Finance Annie Williams, Marketing Kimberley Williams, Management and Corporate Communication Kristin Wilson, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Courtney Wright, Management and Corporate Communication
Professors of the Practice
Stephen Arbogast, Finance LaChaun Banks, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Karin Cochran, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Doug Guthe, Operations Eric Maribojoc, Finance Mark McNeilly, Marketing Jeffrey Mittelstadt, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Markus Saba, Marketing Pramita Saha, Finance James D. Spaeth, Finance
Adjunct, Practice, and Affiliated
https://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/faculty/adjunct-practice-affilated/
Kenan–Flagler Business School
