Seven new MBA electives expand hands-on learning opportunities

Choosing to invest in an MBA pays dividends when classroom learning does more than explain business concepts. It should reflect the realities of an evolving business world and immerse students in real-world challenges, equipping them with insights they can put into practice immediately.

As industries continue to be reshaped by forces such as artificial intelligence and new models of innovation, Kellogg is consistently evaluating and refreshing its curriculum to ensure students are prepared for what comes next. This commitment is reflected in the seven new electives being offered for the 2026-27 academic year.

From building AI-powered solutions for real companies to exploring ecosystems firsthand through field-based experiences, each course is designed to help students engage directly with today’s most pressing business opportunities and challenges. Spanning fields including finance, AI, private equity and entrepreneurship, the courses pair academic rigor with experiential learning opportunities that bring concepts to life. Many of the courses culminate in capstone projects, giving MBA students tangible deliverables and opportunities to build industry relationships along the way.

Here are the seven new electives to help Kellogg MBA students gain crucial skills they can carry into their careers.

Artificial intelligence

AI Foundations for Managers — Accounting

Andrew Leone, Keith I. DeLashmutt professor of accounting, teaches students how to use AI for better financial planning, including predicting sales, planning budgets and explaining what changed and why. Students sharpen their critical-thinking skills, learning to evaluate AI-generated outputs rather than accept them at face value. Students sharpen their critical-thinking skills, learning to evaluate AI-generated outputs rather than accept them at face value.

Applied AI lab — Operations 

Benjamin Grant, clinical associate professor of operations, and Pablo Landa, faculty associate of operations, lead student teams working directly with companies to build AI tools that solve real business challenges. Unlike a typical class project, the solutions are designed for implementation, with partner organizations continuing to use them after the course ends. This year’s partners include HubSpot and two private equity firms.

Building and Managing an AI Native Company 

Drawing on his experience as Uber’s former Head of Product Research for Machine Learning and AI, Birju Shah, clinical assistant professor of marketing, guides students through the process of taking a product from concept to launch using his Four Horizons framework. Students identify a real-world task that’s ripe for reinvention, then design, build and launch an AI-powered solution, transforming an early-stage idea into a product people can actually use. 

Marketing

Designing Scalable Sales Systems 

Craig Wortmann, clinical professor of marketing, and Scott Barghaan, adjunct lecturer of marketing, teach students how modern organizations drive growth by aligning sales, marketing and customer success around a shared customer experience. Along the way, students learn where AI can create efficiency and scale and where human judgment, relationship-building and trust still matter most. 

Finance

Contemporary Issues in Asset Management  

Michael Haddad, adjunct lecturer of finance, puts students in two seats at once: an institutional CIO deciding how a pension fund allocates capital and a hedge fund portfolio manager making investment decisions. Through a series of hands-on simulations, students gain insight into how large investors evaluate opportunities, manage risk and decide where to put their money. 

Private Equity Finance 

Jacopo Ponticelli, Merrill Lynch Capital Markets associate professor of finance, guides students through the process of how private equity firms make investment decisions, from sourcing opportunities and valuing companies to determining where to invest. Students also explore how AI is transforming the way deals are identified, analyzed and evaluated. 

Entrepreneurship 

Innovation Frontiers 

Rebecca Kahnweiler, adjunct lecturer of entrepreneurship, and Tasha Seitz, adjunct professor of the sustainability and social impact program, give students an inside look at how innovation moves from idea to impact, examining how ecosystems develop, how funding shapes growth and how founders and investors work together to bring new ventures to life. Throughout the year, students complement classroom learning with field visits to San Francisco and Boston, where they engage directly with the organizations and leaders shaping innovation. 

 

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