IU Center for the Business of Life Sciences: Your pathway for a strategic management master’s degree or MBA

Are you eager to take all you’ve learned in your Executive Certificate in the Business of Life Sciences (ECBLS) program to the next level? Through a partnership with the Kelley School of Business, ECBLS recipients can build careers in an expanding life sciences sector with online graduate degrees designed for working professionals.

Kelley’s MS in Strategic Management and Partner MBA are more than convenient business education programs—they're transformational. You’ll learn from Kelley faculty and develop executive business capabilities such as strategic thinking, operational management, and entrepreneurship. You can apply these invaluable lessons to your work the next day. You can also apply ECBLS course credits to your degree to save time and money.

Explore your graduate degree options

Structure
The Kelley online MS in Strategic Management program includes:

30 credit hours in total
Approximately 6 credit hours per quarter
A flexible completion time from 15 months to 4 years
Live-virtual sessions, typically once a week in the evenings per course

You'll learn from the same highly ranked faculty who teach in the residential programs.

Topics covered include:

Organizational development and change
Strategic thinking
Operational management
Competitive analysis
Entrepreneurship

Application deadlines: June 15 for fall, September 1 for winter, December 1 for spring, March 1 for summer

Explore upcoming term dates

Test scores:  No GMAT or GRE are required

Bachelor's degree: Can be in any field

Structure

The Kelley online MBA program will:

51 credit hours in total
Approximately 6 credit hours per quarter
A flexible completion time of two to six years
Live-virtual sessions, typically once a week in the evenings per course

You'll learn from the same highly ranked faculty who teach in the residential programs.

Topics covered include:

Business law and ethics
Economics
Marketing
Finance
Operations
Information technology
Project management

Application deadlines: June 15 for fall, September 1 for winter, December 1 for spring, March 1 for summer

Explore upcoming term dates

Test scores: No GMAT or GRE are required

Bachelor's degree: Can be in any field

Stackability

Our programs are designed for ultimate flexibility. With our stackable approach, you can earn both your MS in Strategic Management (MSSM) and MBA back to back. Credits earned in the MSSM lay the groundwork for advanced study and transfer seamlessly to the MBA. You can apply course credits from your ECBLS, too.

No wasted time. No duplicated coursework. No starting over.

Each degree adds a new, marketable credential to your resume while moving you closer to your ultimate goal. It’s a smart, flexible pathway that lets you advance your education—and your career—one strategic step at a time.

How to apply

Applications open approximately two terms before each deadline. For example, the summer application opens September 16, after the winter application deadline has passed.

To begin the program in your preferred term, submit all required application materials by the applicable deadline:

Application deadlines

Winter: September 15
Spring: December 31
Summer: March 15
Fall: June 30

Ready to get started?

Students interested in the Kelley MSSM or MBA must have first completed the Executive Certificate in the Business of Life Sciences (ECBLS). Learn how to earn this prerequisite.

Phase 1: Kelley Graduate Application Form

Phase 1 is free and takes about five minutes to complete. All you need to get started is your resume.

Start your application

Phase 2: Kelley Application Portal

If you are invited to Phase 2, you will receive access to the Kelley Application Portal, where you will find instructions for completing the remaining application requirements.

Required materials may include:

Admissions interview
Personal statement
Professional recommendation
Unofficial transcripts
IU Graduate School Compliance Form
Application fee
English proficiency test

Resources for degree-seeking partner students

Find student resources and detailed information on specific courses.

Student resources Course details FAQ

Questions? Contact us.

Our admissions team is here to help you navigate the admissions process. Contact us to start the conversation at keepadm@iu.edu.