Artificial Intelligence for Business, MBA
The Artificial Intelligence for Business MBA major is part of the key strategic initiative on AI and Analytics (WAIAI) and is in direct response to growing student interest in AI courses and AI tools and platforms (e.g., extracurricular activities like the recent “hack-AI-thon” are often oversubscribed). In addition, we expect student demand to keep growing as companies everywhere continue to invest in AI and Wharton continues to expand its AI-related content offerings.
The Artificial Intelligence for Business major is designed to address two broad topics: (1) the (more) technical understanding of methods and how they are being applied by firms to solve business problems and (2) the (more) conceptual understanding of how the technology impacts firms and society, including economic, social, and ethical issues that AI deployment introduces.
Reflecting this conceptualization, the major has two pillars, F&I:
- Foundational Methods (or F)
- Impact and Ethics (or I)
Courses from Pillar F cover foundational skills needed to understand, work with, and/or evaluate AI systems. Such courses can cover, but are not limited to, subjects such as data engineering, data science, statistics, machine learning, or neuroscience.
Courses from Pillar I cover the business, economic, legal, ethical, psychological, or societal impact of AI.
MBA Major Advisors: Giles Hooker for STAT (ghooker@wharton.upenn.edu) and Prasanna Tambe for OID (tambe@wharton.upenn.edu).
Curriculum
The major in Artificial Intelligence for Business requires a total of 4 CU.
- Courses taken on a pass/fail basis cannot be counted toward the major.
- A maximum of 1 CU of an Independent Study Project (ISP) can count toward the major with faculty advisor approval.
- A maximum of 1 CU of courses outside of Wharton may be considered with faculty advisor approval
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Methods (F) Pillar | ||
| Required Course | ||
| STAT 7230 | Applied Machine Learning in Business | 1 |
| Complete one additional course unit (1 CU) from the Foundational Methods (F) Electives: | 1 | |
| Data Science for Finance | ||
| FinTech | ||
| Management and Strategy in Medical Devices and Technology | ||
| Healthcare Data and Analytics | ||
| Data and Analysis for Marketing Decisions | ||
| Applied Neuroscience for Business Decisions | ||
| Contagious: How Things Catch On | ||
| Empirical Models in Marketing - Part A 1 | ||
| Enabling Technologies 2 | ||
| Introduction to Python for Data Science | ||
| Modern Data Mining | ||
| Convex Optimization for Statistics and Data Science 1 | ||
| Foundations of Deep Learning with Applications 1 | ||
| Impacts and Ethics (I) Pillar | ||
| Required Course | ||
| LGST 6420 | Big Data, Big Responsibilities: Toward Accountable Artificial Intelligence | 0.5 |
| Complete one and a half additional course units (1.5 CU) from the Impact and Ethics (I) Electives: | 1.5 | |
| Technology Strategy | ||
| Change, Innovation & Entrepreneurship | ||
| Idea Generation and the Systematic Approach for Creativity | ||
| AI in Our Lives: The Behavioral Science of Autonomous Technology | ||
| Online Business Models and the Information-Based Firm 2 | ||
| A.I., Business, and Society | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 5.5 course units of electives | 5.5 | |
| MBA Core Requirements | 9.5 | |
| Total Course Units | 19 | |
- 1
These courses are PhD-level courses and are registered via Path@Penn. As such, students are required to adhere to the overall process and add/drop deadlines stipulated by the Wharton Doctoral Program. Wharton PhD courses will count towards the 15 CU minimum of Wharton coursework but are not graded on the MBA curve and will not be factored into a student’s Wharton GPA.
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OIDD 6130 and OIDD 6620 cannot count towards both the AI for Business major and the OIDD flexible core requirement.
MBA Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Fundamentals of Financial Accounting | ||
| Fundamentals of Financial and Managerial Accounting | ||
| Finance 1 | ||
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Corporate Finance (Half CU) | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Macroeconomics and the Global Economic Environment | ||
| Macroeconomics and The Global Economic Environment (Half CU) | ||
| Legal Studies | ||
| LGST 6110 | Responsibility in Global Management | 0.5 |
| or LGST 6120 | Responsibility in Business | |
| or LGST 6130 | Business, Social Responsibility, and the Environment | |
| Microeconomics | ||
| BEPP 6110 | Microeconomics for Managers: Foundations | 0.5 |
| BEPP 6120 | Microeconomics for Managers: Advanced Applications | 0.5 |
| Management | ||
| MGMT 6100 | Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership | 0.5 |
| MGMT 6110 | Managing Established Enterprises | 1 |
| or MGMT 6120 | Management of Emerging Enterprises | |
| Marketing | ||
| MKTG 6110 | Marketing Management | 0.5 |
| MKTG 6120 | Dynamic Marketing Strategy | 0.5 |
| or MKTG 6130 | Strategic Marketing Simulation | |
| OIDD | ||
| Select one unit of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Quality and Productivity | ||
| Business Analytics | ||
| Online Business Models and the Information-Based Firm | ||
| Innovation | ||
| Operations Strategy | ||
| Enabling Technologies | ||
| Managerial Decision Making | ||
| Statistics | ||
| STAT 6130 | Regression Analysis for Business 2 | 1 |
| or STAT 6210 | Accelerated Regression Analysis for Business | |
| Management Communication | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 0.5 | |
| Management Communication 3 | ||
or WHCP 6180 | Entrepreneurial Communication | |
| Second Year Requirement: | ||
| Students must satisfy the following requirements during their second year in the program: (1) maintain a Wharton GPA that is greater than 2.33 in each semester of their second year, and (2) have no more than 4 CU of Wharton courses with a grade less than or equal to 2.33 (C+ or lower) in their second year. | ||
| Total Course Units | 9.5 | |
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- 2
STAT 6210 is by placement only.
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Enrollment in WHCP 6180 requires pre-approval.
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
The Global Experience Concentration facilitates MBA student participation in a study abroad program. Students must complete two full credit units in an approved International Exchange Program at the partner university’s location. In addition, students must take one full credit unit of internationally focused MBA electives to satisfy the concentration requirement.
Curriculum
Students must complete two full credit units in an approved International Exchange Program at the partner university’s location. Approved International Exchange Programs include:
- Australia – AGSM, Sydney
- Brazil – COPPEAD, Rio de Janeiro
- Chile – Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago
- China – CEIBS, Shanghai
- China – Peking University, Beijing
- France – HEC/ISA, Paris
- France – INSEAD, Fontainebleau
- Hong Kong – HKUST, Kowloon
- India – ISB, Hyderabad
- Israel – IDC, Herzliya
- Israel – Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv
- Italy – SDA Bocconi, Milan
- Japan – Keio University, Tokyo
- Netherlands – RSM, Rotterdam
- Philippines – AIM, Makati City
- Singapore – INSEAD, Singapore
- Spain – IESE, Barcelona
- Sweden – Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm
- Thailand – Sasin, Bangkok
- United Kingdom – LBS, London
In addition to two full credit units taken in an approved study-abroad program, students must take one full credit unit of internationally focused MBA electives to satisfy the concentration requirement. The electives should be selected from the list below and cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Global Experience Concentration | ||
| Students must complete 2 CU in WHG 5000-level or above | 2 | |
| Select at least 1 CU from the following: 1 | 1 | |
| Accounting | ||
| Taxes and Business Strategy | ||
| Business Economics and Public Policy | ||
| Energy Markets & Policy | ||
| Climate and Financial Markets | ||
| Economic Globalization: Policy, History and Contemporary Issues | ||
| Finance | ||
| International Financial Markets and Cryptocurrencies | ||
| Global Valuation and Risk Analysis | ||
| International Banking | ||
| Central Banks, Macroeconomic Policy and Financial Markets | ||
| ESG and Impact Investing | ||
| Energy Finance | ||
| Health Care Management | ||
| Comparative Health Care Systems | ||
| Private Sector Role in Global Health | ||
| Legal Studies and Business Ethics | ||
| Law of Corporate Management and Finance | ||
| Management | ||
| Political Environment of the Multinational Firm | ||
| Corporate Diplomacy | ||
| Strategy and Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Global Management of Digital Businesses | ||
| Managing and Competing in China | ||
| Private Equity in Emerging Markets | ||
| Global Growth of Emerging Firms | ||
| Advanced Global Strategy | ||
| Comparative Capitalism | ||
| Marketing | ||
| Operations, Information, and Decisions | ||
| Global Supply Chain Mgmt. | ||
| Risk Analysis and Environmental Management | ||
| Environmental Sustainability and Value Creation | ||
| Real Estate | ||
| Global Real Estate: Risk, Politics and Culture | ||
| International Housing Comparisons | ||
| Total Course Units | 3 | |
- 1
Global Modular Courses (0.5 CU) offered in a foreign location also count.
Other courses with substantive international content may be counted upon approval of the concentration adviser.
Concentration advisor: Alyssa Swanson