During your first year in the Kelley Full-Time +Flex MBA Program, you’ll join one of our six Career Foundation Academies—immersive career development designed to take you beyond the classroom to become ready for the internship and career you want.
Set yourself up for success with immersive career development in Kelley's Academies
Experiential learning opportunities
Networking. Company visits. Industry speakers. Real-life, company-based consulting projects. Academies are a one-of-a-kind professional development that offers you a deep dive into:
- Business Marketing
- Business Operations and Innovation
- Capital Markets
- Consulting
- Consumer Marketing
- Strategic Finance
Students who choose to finish their MBA in Bloomington have the option to participate in a second-year Academy, gaining additional expertise and credentials in:
- PLUS Life Sciences (also available as a secondary Academy in your first year)
- Entrepreneurial Innovation
- Leadership
What kind of career development services are offered through the Academies?
Throughout your Academy, you’ll receive one-on-on mentoring from your Academy director, work with a career coach who has industry expertise, and receive ongoing support from a second-year MBA mentor.
You can enhance your first-year Academy experience with optional first- and second-year academies focused on industry exposure and skill development. Thanks to our Academies, Kelleys know what they can do with their MBA long before graduation and have the experience to show recruiters what they can bring to a position. See our outstanding employment stats.
Which Academies are right for your MBA career path?
Each of our Academies is unique, and your choice depends on your career goals. We encourage you to explore all of them—the career-focused first-year Academies, optional PLUS Life Sciences Academy (also for first-year MBAs), and optional Entrepreneurial Innovation Academy and Leadership Academy (for second-year MBAs). Watch the video and webinar for each Academy and ask our students about their Academy experiences.
Business Marketing Academy
Specialized training in B2B transactions
First-year Academy
Business Operations and Innovation Academy
Optimize efficiencies locally and globally
First-year Academy
Capital Markets Academy
Financial services industry immersion
First-year Academy
Consumer Marketing Academy
Brand management and consumer product marketing immersion
First-year Academy
Entrepreneurial Innovation Academy
For top innovative minds
Optional second-year Academy
Leadership Academy
Strategic visioning, coaching and development
Optional second-year Academy
Plus Life Sciences
For careers in healthcare, pharmaceuticals and life sciences
Optional first-year Academy
Strategic Finance Academy
Strategic and financial skills for any industry
First-year Academy
“During Academy Week, I visited eight companies over four days and had an impactful conversation with a Kelley alum that started my process of securing an internship in marketing at Eli Lilly and Company.”
Aki Kiyomiya, MBA’25
A bridge between classes and MBA jobs—before you graduate
Kelley's one-of-a-kind Academy program is an experience-based, mentorship-driven bridge between what you learn in your MBA coursework and how you'll use it in your post-MBA career.
Description of the video:
Speaker:
The Kelley Academy Experience is an innovation you won't find in many other MBA programs. And it's one that enables you to discover where your personality, skills, and interests best fit within business. That's because the Academies provide a series of deep experiential opportunities that give you real-world access and insider insights into the industry you're pursuing, while simultaneously promoting profound professional development to prepare you for your next level career goals.
All full-time Kelley MBA students participate in one of the first year Academies: Business Marketing, Capital Markets, Consulting, Consumer Marketing, Strategic Finance, and Supply Chain. You can also boost your Academy experience with the PLUS Life Sciences program, offering healthcare, pharmaceutical, and life science industry immersion. There is no set formula for choosing your Academy and major. You can opt to develop expertise in one field in an Academy that aligns closely with your major. Or you may want to develop flexibility in an Academy that allows you to cultivate a second skillset. The choice is yours.
You can also select an optional second year Academy to further develop your skills in the Entrepreneurial Innovation Academy or the Leadership Academy. Your Academy directors are experts in their field, and provide valuable mentorship and industry connections. Each Academy's career coach has industry specific experience and will work with you one-on-one to help you develop and refine your goals. And second year MBA students provide an additional layer of peer coaching to help you avoid common mistakes.
During Academy Fridays, you will learn core industry skills that you can exercise in real world situations, including high stakes consulting projects, global leadership opportunities, nationwide visits to top companies, and extensive networking with industry veterans and Kelley alumni. You'll also participate in two separate Academy meets, during which time you'll focus on professional development and get an inside look at major companies in your industry.
Rich in experiential learning, the Academy program enables you to build lasting momentum for your career. You won't find a more immersive opportunity to develop the core skills and industry connections that you need to get the internships and careers you want.