Get a head start on your Tepper School of Business journey with the Business English and Cultural Immersion (BECI) Summer Program. Designed for new international master's students, this program helps you acclimate to U.S. academic culture and life before your program begins in the fall. BECI is also available to domestic students with limited English proficiency or who otherwise believe they would benefit from this programming.  

This hybrid program includes six weeks of online instruction followed by two weeks of in-person activities in Pittsburgh leading up to Base Camp.

Program Overview

• What: An immersion program in U.S. culture and business English.
   
• When: May 31 - July 31, 2026
   
• Where: The first part of the course will consist of online learning. Participants will have time to travel and get settled in Pittsburgh. The final two weeks will be in-person on the main campus of Carnegie Mellon at the Tepper School of Business in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

• Why: Business English skill development, network and community building, and cultural immersion to maximize your Tepper School master's experience.

   

Logistics

Note - All student travel costs to and from CMU and accommodations are the responsibility of the student.

• Modified schedule options are available.
   
• Scholarships are available and will be awarded on a case-by-case basis.
   
• All books and materials are covered by the program.

• Transportation, entry tickets, and meals for the planned group outings are covered by the program.

   

What to Expect

As a BECI participant, you'll engage in a dynamic six-week online program followed by two immersive weeks on Carnegie Mellon's campus in Pittsburgh. This intensive experience is designed to enhance your master's journey, helping you improve your business English proficiency, strengthen communication and presentation skills, and navigate U.S. academic culture and life. Plus, you'll build valuable personal and professional connections along the way!

If you're in the full-time program, you'll attend online classes for about three hours per day, five days a week. If you choose the modified program, you'll have sessions for about two hours, three days a week.

Program Flexibility

We recognize that students may need flexibility to participate in the program, so we are offering three different options and the possibility of scholarships.

Note: All Times and dates given are in Eastern Time or ET.

Full Program (Online and In-Person)

• Six weeks of online instruction from May 31 - July 9, travel to Pittsburgh from July 10 - 19, and two weeks of in-person instruction in Pittsburgh from July 20 - 31. 
   
• Online instruction for the six-week portion will be for three hours in the evening, Sunday to Thursday, with approximately three hours of homework per day.
   
• In-person instruction will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday, which includes experiential and cultural activities.
   
• Tuition includes all costs associated with the course such as materials, entry fees and some food during the in-person course.

Modified Online and In-Person Program

• This option is best for those who are required to work full time until the in-person portion in Pittsburgh.
   
• The modified option includes a shortened online component held from June 1 through July 10. Classes will meet for two hours in the morning on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with approximately one hour of homework assigned per class session. Students will then travel to Pittsburgh between July 11 and July 19.
   
• The in-person portion of the program will take place from July 20 through July 31, allowing students to complete the program with an immersive, on campus experience.
   
• Tuition includes all costs associated with the course such as materials, entry fees and some food during the in-person course.

In-Person Only

• Two weeks of in-person instruction in Pittsburgh from July 20 through July 31.
   
• Classes will be held Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and include experiential learning activities and cultural events.
   
• Homework will be approximately 1-2 hours per day.
   
• Tuition includes all costs associated with the course such as materials, entry fees and some food during the in-person course.

Meet Your Instructor: Kristen Williams

Kristen Williams brings extensive expertise to the realm of higher education. She served as an ESL practitioner at the former English Language Learning Institute (ELLI) within West Virginia University (WVU) for 18 years until being awarded emerita status in 2024. She then joined the Tepper School in the same year. 

Kristen holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pittsburgh, and an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) along with a certificate in university teaching from WVU. She demonstrates a profound commitment to academic excellence and is dedicated to advancing her knowledge and skills in the field.

Beyond her instructional roles, Kristen possesses adeptness in various facets of university administration, particularly in the recruitment, admissions, and enrollment processes for international students within U.S. higher education institutions. Moreover, she has garnered experience in managing programmatic accreditation, responding to requests for proposals, and orchestrating specialized programs. Her current venture with the Tepper School team as the director of the Business English and Cultural Immersion Program marks an exciting new chapter in her career journey.

Advance Your Career with Data-Informed Leadership

The Full-Time MBA program at the Tepper School of Business equips you with the analytical expertise, leadership skills, and real-world experience to succeed in today’s complex business environment. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the program blends Carnegie Mellon’s strengths in technology, analytics, and innovation with a highly personalized approach to career development.

Why Choose the Tepper School’s Full-Time MBA?

The highly ranked Full-Time Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program at the Tepper School of Business leverages Carnegie Mellon's expertise in analytics and technology to prepare you for leadership roles that didn't exist a decade ago.

Our STEM-designated curriculum and collaborative on-campus experience will transform your abilities and position you for innovative careers in artificial intelligence (AI), fintech, consulting, and emerging industries. Graduate ready to lead organizations through technological disruption, equipped with unshakeable analytical confidence and a team-focused spirit that drives results.

Why Pursue the Full-Time MBA In-Person at the Tepper School?

The Full-Time program at the Tepper School is an immersive, on-campus experience defined by our welcoming and supportive culture. Step into a diverse cohort of learners and professionals that is intentionally small, so everyone has a chance to flourish.

As you and your cohort are challenged to collaborate and innovate as part of a team, your bond will deepen into a strong network. Here, success is collective, and our MBA students thrive on coming together to learn from diverse perspectives and skill sets.

You’ll also develop connections outside the classroom through the on-campus MBA program’s rich student life. Find your people in over 40 MBA student clubs. Join one of the MBA Global Treks to immerse yourself in new cultures, international business practices, and emerging trends.

Top-Ranked, STEM-Designated MBA Curriculum

Today, our STEM MBA curriculum is the next iteration of that legacy: a future-focused business school experience, designed for the complexity of today’s marketplace.

In our unique academic approach, you will dive deep into analytics on day one through core curriculum coursework in topics like optimization, prescriptive modeling, and predictive modeling. This foundation will complement other coursework in which you’ll master essential business functions: marketing, finance, operations, economics, accounting, organizational behavior, and strategy. The Leadership Development component of our curriculum is also distinctive, complete with individualized leadership coaching through the Accelerate Leadership Center.

We offer several ways to customize your course of study, from electives and concentrations to these five tracks:

• Business Analytics
• Energy and Sustainability Business
• Entrepreneurship
• Management of Innovation and Product Development
• Technology Strategy and Product Management

Review the MBA curriculum.

Leading From the Start With a Tepper School MBA

Full-Time MBA Admissions

The Tepper School’s MBA program transforms ambitious learners into architects of the Intelligent Future. Our dedicated MBA admissions team is here to support you every step of the way, providing personalized guidance and comprehensive resources to help you navigate the application process with clarity and confidence.

We're committed to ensuring you have all the information, tools, and encouragement you need to present your strongest application. To assist you in your application process, we offer a seven-step roadmap for you to chart your future as a full-time MBA student, which ends with an application fee waiver.

Application Deadlines

Round 1 (Full-Time and Online Hybrid)
Deadline: Sept. 30, 2025
Decision: Dec. 3, 2025
First Deposit: Feb. 9, 2026
Second Deposit: May 12, 2026 (FT only)

Round 2 (Full-Time and Online Hybrid) 
Deadline: Jan. 8, 2026
Decision: March 3, 2026
First Deposit: April 21, 2026

Round 3 (Full-Time and Online Hybrid)
Deadline: March 3, 2026
Decision: April 29, 2026
Deposit: May 26, 2026

Note for international applicants: Round 3 is the final round to apply for the full-time program.

Round 4 (Full-Time and Online Hybrid)
Deadline: May 5, 2026
Decision: June 3, 2026
Deposit: June 30, 2026

The Intelligent Future of Business Begins Here — With You 

Develop the expertise, strategic vision, and powerful connections needed for leadership success. Unlock your potential with the Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Tepper School of Business.

Technologies have become pervasive and fundamental to the operation of modern businesses. These technologies are at the core of today’s knowledge-based economy, fueling the development of innovative products, services, and business processes. Developing great high-technology products and services requires more than just technical excellence. Technology leaders also need a deep understanding of business fundamentals and of how to integrate novel technologies, business processes, and market forces together to create successful products and services.

The Technology Strategy and Product Management MBA Track emphasizes strategic and management issues relevant to the development, application, and management of cutting-edge technologies. Utilizing the strengths of Carnegie Mellon’s number one ranked School of Computer Science, the track provides students a foundation in technology issues related broadly to hardware and software industries, as well as delivers knowledge in Financial Technology, High-Tech Healthcare, Mobile Apps, Internet of Things, and Robotics.

MBA graduates of this track are exceptionally prepared to address the complex issues that lie at the intersection of business and technology. They are trained to lead their future organizations in developing and executing technology strategies and managing projects.

Who Should Apply

The Technology Strategy and Product Management Track prepares students who aspire to senior positions in firms ranging from product manager and technology consultant to ultimately vice president of products, chief technology officer, chief information officer, and chief executive officer.

Students enrolling in the track must have an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or comparable work experience in the high-technology sector.

Technology Strategy and Product Management Capstone Course

Students who select a track complete their required capstone course within that track.

The Technology Strategy and Product Management capstone is an opportunity for students to develop key skills for future product managers. Students get to apply in a practical context many of the skills, techniques, and methodologies they have been exposed to during the course of the program.

Projects will be sourced via corporate partnerships and vary in industry focus from year to year.

It is the most important business topic of all: identifying and fulfilling the unmet opportunity. Few business schools teach how to do it. Fewer still give you the experience of doing it.

The Management of Innovation and Product Development track teaches a rigorous and analytical process that structures the work involved in innovation, a process that allows innovation to be ongoing and replicable. Students gain not only knowledge and skills relevant to innovation, but gain experience in an innovation project.

The initial phase of the innovation process is to identify problems to solve, which is to elicit what the target market wants even when they don’t yet know it. Middle phases focus on translating research findings into product specifications. The latter phase focuses on conceptualization and refinement of the solutions, both of the product prototype and of the resulting business plan. Students learn and experience the process in a capstone course.

Who Should Apply

Students enrolling in the track should have a rigorous focus on understanding and documenting marketplace needs as well as company technologies, capabilities, and skills. They should be willing to shoulder risk to achieve what they find will be profitable for the company and customers alike.

Students should also want to work in environments where they provide their own structure to their work, maybe even writing their own job description. In sum, applicants should exhibit not only intellectual achievement but also motivation, responsibility, perception, and an open mind.

At the end of this track, graduates will have learned:

• Not just how to solve problems, but how to define them.
• How to systematize transformative innovation to create a portfolio of new product innovations.
• How to find opportunities in white space, not just document the known world.
• How to collect and integrate varied perspectives into a unified valued product, service, system, or brand.

• How to structure proposals to C-suite management based on early research output, to gain buy-in and budgets.

  ---

Innovation and Product Development Capstone Course

Students choosing this track complete their required capstone course within the track. The capstone course for the Management of Innovation and Product Development track is the Integrated Product Development (IPD) course.

Carnegie Mellon pioneered the field of integrated product development, setting the standard for courses of its kind. Originating nearly 30 years ago, the course continues to grow and give students an opportunity to tackle the evolving needs of industry. Taught in collaboration with our Integrated Innovation Institute, the emphasis of the IPD course is on the early, "fuzzy, front-end" stage of product development. The course gives structure and clarity to this stage as well as to the ones that follow and helps direct the product development process to be more efficient and effective downstream.

Visit the Integrated Innovation Institute site for more information on this project course.

The Entrepreneurship Track is designed to provide MBA students with the tools, experiences, and support necessary to facilitate development as a leader and innovator in your chosen field or industry.

Graduates of this track pursue a variety of career paths including start-up and emerging companies, corporate innovation and business development, entrepreneurship through small business acquisition, venture capital/private equity, consulting, and social entrepreneurship.

In sync with Carnegie Mellon’s interdisciplinary strengths, students collaborate closely with faculty, researchers, and other students at our top-ranked programs including engineering, product development, computer science, robotics, and design.

Entrepreneurship Ecosystem @ CMU

Carnegie Mellon has one of the world’s most robust and valuable entrepreneurial ecosystems. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends represent some of history’s most successful entrepreneurs and the track takes full advantage of CMU’s reputation and resources via the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship.

Over 400 companies have been launched since 2008 and CMU entrepreneurs have raised more than $1 billion in capital raised since 2011.

Entrepreneurship Faculty

All faculty are experienced and successful entrepreneurs. There is no substitute for the “been there, done that” perspective.

The track combines traditional coursework and experiential learning opportunities supported by faculty who have actually built and sold companies to provide a comprehensive experience throughout the program.

Who Should Apply

The track includes two options depending on career path choice:

• High Growth Entrepreneurship: Found or join an entrepreneurial company.

• Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition: Find, acquire and build a company.

  ---

Entrepreneurship Track Courses

The required and recommended courses for each of these track options are summarized in the accompanying tables. Students are counseled individually for their selection of the path most appropriate to achieve their career goals.

Download an example overview of the curriculum for each track option to learn more. Faculty may revise the curriculum and course offerings at any time.

• High Growth Entrepreneurship track curriculum 
• Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition track curriculum 

Entrepreneurship Capstone Course

The Capstone project course, Designing and Leading a Business, offered in Mini 3 and 4 of the second year incorporates an option to complete the capstone project in Silicon Valley in Mini 4 (regardless of the three choices noted above).

This in-depth immersion into the SV ecosystem provides an opportunity to meet with CEOs, venture capitalists, other industry thought leaders, and to personally engage in this unique innovation ecosystem appropriate for your career choice.

Sustainability has become a key business performance metric. A firm's energy-related activities are central to the sustainability of its business practices. The Energy and Sustainability Track brings together the Tepper School’s path-breaking approach to business education with Carnegie Mellon’s core strength in engineering to provide graduates with the ability to become leaders in a business environment in which a firm's energy and sustainability practices are key sources of competitive advantage.

Energy has been a lynchpin of business activity for centuries. In large part, this means that energy has been a major source of cost or revenue. This has changed. The increasing importance of sustainable business practices has elevated a firm's energy-related activities to become an integral part of its overall business strategy and identity. As sustainability has become a key metric for a business' performance evaluation, its energy policies now touch on most aspects of what it does, from operations to procurement to finance and marketing. This is the motive for the Tepper School Energy and Sustainability track. It exists at the crossroads where sustainability meets the use and production of energy. The track will help prepare students to become business leaders in a world undergoing transformational change in its energy systems, in which a business' value depends fundamentally on the sustainability of its practices.

The track’s approach to sustainability emphasizes energy-related issues and problem-solving. The context is the “energy transition” that the world is going through. What does this mean? The transition from fossil fuels to renewables? This is obviously part of it. But there is much more. How about “Energy Transformation?” Technological innovation is once again transforming an energy landscape that, until recently, has been defined by technologies developed before most of us were born. Consumers, long an afterthought to energy firms, have become a focal point. Markets are supplanting central planners. As energy systems are becoming more decentralized they are also becoming smarter. Innovation in the energy space has become synonymous with innovation in data analytics and information technology.

Transformation in the energy sector has transformed the meaning of a career in the energy sector. Energy careers now transcend the oil and gas and the electric power businesses. Silicon Valley has become an energy innovation hub. Many blockchain startups are in-fact energy startups. The fortunes of automotive companies have become tied to energy storage and the modernization of the electric power grid. Firms with little in common --- from health care to manufacturing to IT --- now share the fact that they generate and/or procure their own electric power. In each of these cases and many more, firms are looking to their leaders to make energy strategy a source of competitive advantage, both in terms of cost and in terms of consumer preference.

This is the backdrop for the Tepper School’s Energy and Sustainability Track. The Track supplements the Tepper School MBA along three main dimensions. First, the curriculum offers specialized courses, including accessible courses from Carnegie Mellon’s renowned College of Engineering. Second, extracurricular activities emphasize networking with an interdisciplinary group of peers, from other Tepper students to engineering students, to Tepper’s deep network of industry associates. Finally, the track’s capstone project course offers experiential education at its best, requiring a team of students to solve a forefront business problem in partnership with a leading firm in the area of energy and sustainability. Further details on the capstone project are below.

To us, it’s hard to think of a career that’s more exciting and full of opportunity than a career emphasizing energy and sustainability. One can have an impact while at the same time having a lucrative career. Join us!

Who Should Apply

Students who are interested in a career in the energy business — either directly or indirectly via related activities such as consulting, finance, energy procurement, legal/accounting services, and project management — will find the track invaluable. Students who plan on being leaders in organizations with strong sustainability initiatives will also benefit from participating in the track.

Capstone Course

A defining characteristic of the track is its capstone project, a semester-long course that will be undertaken in partnership with a firm that faces business problems at the intersection of energy and sustainability. The capstone will offer track participants the unique experience of applying what they’ve learned in their coursework to a contemporary business problem currently being faced by a major player in the industry.

Recent sponsors include:

• Honda R&D Americas (circular business models for EVs, green hydrogen-based power generation, and resiliency; Columbus OH and Torrance CA)
• Carbon Engineering (direct air capture CCS; Vancouver/Squamish, BC)
• Oriden/MHPS (renewable energy development; Pittsburgh PA)
• Fluence (energy storage platforms; Arlington VA)
• Bloom Energy (fuel cells for DER generation; Silicon Valley)

The Business Analytics track is for MBA students interested in transforming large amounts of data into better decisions.

The technological advances of the last decades have impacted our world, and the business world in particular, in fundamental ways. Massive amounts of data are being gathered and stored, from individual medical records to every single truck movement via GPS for large logistics providers.

Moreover, ever faster computers and optimization methods have become available to transform this data into information for better decision-making. All of this makes it now possible to apply advanced analytical methods to business problems that were impossible 10 or 15 years ago — ranging from detailed supply chain optimization to health care applications and the service industry.

The over-arching methodology that refers to the skills and technologies to explore past business performance to make better decisions is called Business Analytics. Business Analytics uses data, statistical and quantitative analysis, predictive modeling, and optimization to make businesses work better.

There has been extensive popular interest in business Analytics over the past few years, including popular business press books like "Competing on Analytics and Predictive Analytics." This reflects the significant business interest in translating analytics into business advantage.

Employment forecasts predict a huge growth for managers who understand analytics to lead big data initiatives in the U.S. over the next decade. Our MBA graduates have accepted jobs from companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, and Bank of America, and top consulting firms like Deloitte, IBM, and McKinsey, who are leading efforts to bring analytics to the forefront in business.

At the intersection of business and technology, Business Analytics is at the heart of the Tepper School. It practically defines our approach to operations research and information systems, and also finds application in marketing, operation management, and other fields.

Who Should Apply for the Business Analytics Track

The Business Analytics track is appropriate for MBA students interested in transforming large amounts of data into better decisions. Possible careers include consulting in data-rich environments, analytical marketing, information technology, and financial data analysis.

MBA students interested in the Business Analytics track should have a strong interest in analytical approaches to management, as shown by aptitude in courses such as Optimization, Probability and Statistics, and Statistical Decision-Making.

Business Analytics Courses

Business Analytics Track students must take eight courses and complete the capstone project.

Among the eight courses, students must complete are at least three core courses (including Modern Data Management and Data Mining) and at least four application courses. The eighth course can come from either the remaining core or applications courses.

Faculty may revise the curriculum and course offerings at any time.

The Business Analytics MBA Capstone Course

Students choosing a track complete their required capstone course as part of the track. The Business Analytics capstone course comprises a project that exposes students to a real business problem, which they will solve using visualization, data mining, and optimization techniques. The problems are solicited from businesses, although students are welcome to propose projects as well. Past projects have worked with financial services organizations, technology companies, retailers, marketers, manufacturers, and distribution services to solve these types of problems:

• Construction of a pricing strategy using marketing transaction data
• Creating a customer loyalty program that monitors customer response to marketing efforts
• Optimizing a delivery distribution network
• Planning a new distribution channel or production system
• Customization of promotional strategies to a micro-market level
• Designing a decision support system to aid managers in using analytical models

This page is for Carnegie Mellon University graduate students outside of the Tepper School who wish to enroll in available courses. You’ll find details on which courses and sections are offered and when the window to request them is open.

Please note the following information: 

1. Do not reach out to the faculty regarding other courses and sections. The course list we post will be a result of a faculty survey and course availability. (ex. courses with large internal waitlists are not offered, etc.)
    
2. If you add yourself to the waitlist for courses early, or ones that are not on our posted list, you will be removed from that waitlist.
    
3. Once our list is posted, you may add yourself directly to the waitlists for courses on the posted list. You will not need to get your advisor's approval and you will not need to get Tepper School faculty approval. You will be added in order of placement on the waitlist until all spots are filled. 
    
4. MBA courses 45-7XX are not options as they are required courses reserved for MBA students and they will never be on the available course list.
    
5. Currently no MSBA or MSPM (46-XXX) are available