Gies College of Business Wins the Coursera Trailblazer Award for Online Education: Voices of...
Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois has been honored with the Trailblazer Award at the September 2025 Coursera Connect conference, recognizing its bold leadership in reshaping online education. From launching the very first degree with Coursera to pioneering tools like Coursera Coach and AI avatars, Gies has consistently pushed the boundaries of…
An interview with Mesoma Akaolisa, future iMBA graduate.
Meet Mesoma, a native of Nigeria. She is currently based in Houston, Texas, and is a rising leader on the engineering team at ExxonMobil. She knows it’s important to acquire new skills to progress further in her role, and Coursera has become instrumental in her growth. In a recent interview, she shared her thoughts on…
Balancing Act: How Angela Mastered the iMBA as a Working Mom
Leveraging Flexibility and Innovation to Achieve Educational Goals Angela Huwe’s journey through the online Master of Business Administration (iMBA) program from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a testament to the power of the program’s flexibility. As a working mom, Angela chose the iMBA program to enhance her business acumen and strengthen her problem solving…
Mastering the Code of Business: A Seasoned Software Engineer’s Journey to the iMBA
Over the course of your career, you may find that the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve your goals often change. After all, different goals require different abilities. Mateu Batle, a software engineer based in Lima, Peru, discovered as much when he launched the fintech start-up Rextie. Batle had a wealth of experience in software…
From Chemistry to Strategy: How Ishpinder Kailey Used the iMBA to Expand Her Impact...
When Australia-based learner Ishpinder Kailey reflects on her journey—from teaching physical chemistry in India, to leading global R&D teams in Canada, and now co-founding her own advisory firm in Australia—her path tells a story of unwavering resilience, shaped by bold decisions, reinvention, and a deep commitment to education and personal growth. With a foundation in…
From Specialization to MBA — A Learner’s Path Through the Gies College of Business
Abubakar Abdullahi has been learning for years on Coursera from Abuja, Nigeria. When he decided to enroll in the Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), he set himself on a path towards acceptance into the Master of Business Administration (iMBA) program. Abubakar started the…
Progress your career with the iMBA from Gies College of Business
Claire recently completed the iMBA from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Ranked “#1 Biggest B-School Innovation of the Decade” from Poets&Quants, the iMBA program includes learners from nearly 100 countries across the globe and 88 of the Fortune 100 companies. The diversity of the class profile allows learners like…
From Coursework to Career Impact: How Tom Fail Turns Gies iMBA Coursework into Real...
Tom Fail’s journey through higher education is deeply personal and rooted in a clear sense of purpose. With two degrees already under his belt and a successful career in Ed Tech, Tom explains why he made the decision to pursue his third degree credential. His story explains his personal connection to higher education and how…
From Specialization to MBA — A Learner’s Path Through Gies College of Business
Abubakar Abdullahi has been learning for years on Coursera from Abuja, Nigeria. When he decided to enroll in the Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), he set himself on a path towards acceptance into the Master of Business Administration (iMBA) program. Abubakar started the…
Stack your way to an MBA
We are excited to announce that when you complete the 1-year online Master of Science in Management (iMSM) program from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, your credit hours can be applied directly toward the online Master of Business Administration (iMBA) program if you are accepted to the program. This is…
