Lead with purpose. Shape the future.
Advance your career with Calvin's MBA.
Calvin’s MBA is built for professionals who want more than a credential—it’s for those ready to lead with purpose, innovate boldly, and make smart, strategic decisions in a wide range of business environments.
Everything you’d expect from a Calvin MBA is here—real-world business simulations and projects with local organizations, caring instructors with vast experience, relevant courses that equip you with practical skills. But at Calvin, you aren’t doing this on your own—you're part of a highly collaborative community of fellow students who will challenge and inspire you at every step.
Come see for yourself why a Calvin MBA is your best path to becoming a future-ready leader.
The Calvin MBA develops faithful leaders and innovators  while also providing business essentials and allowing electives from many different disciplines. In most courses students learn experientially by engaging with real companies and professionals.
The MBA program is mostly taught asynchronous and online, which allows students flexibility to pursue the MBA as their life allows. Learning in community is a hallmark of the Calvin MBA, which is supported with student cohorts, some synchronous sessions in each course, and two 1-week summer residencies on Calvin's campus.
The MBA program comprises  15 courses totaling 36 semester hours, which can be completed in as little as 13 full-time months or in 25 part-time months.
The heart of the MBA program is a set of leadership and innovation courses totaling 15 semester hours taken over 13 months with a cohort of fellow MBA students. In addition to those courses, MBA students take up to 12 semester hours of business essentials courses. Some or all of the business essentials courses may be waived upon admission if a student has completed similar undergraduate courses with at least a B within the past five years.
 If more than two such courses are waived, additional electives must be taken so that MBA courses total at least 30 semester hours. Finally, students must take seven to nine semester hours of electives. Working with an advisor, students may optionally organize electives to focus in areas such as marketing, finance and applied communication.
Prior to taking any courses required for the Calvin MBA, students must be admitted to Calvin's MBA graduate program or another Calvin graduate program.
For detailed course descriptions, visit the .
Program Requirements
Business Essentials
- MGMT 531—Marketing Concepts
- MGMT 533—Accounting
- MGMT 535—Operations and Supply Chain
- MGMT 537—Corporate Finance
Leadership
- MGMT 542—Leadership: Service, Influence, and Transformation I
- MGMT 543—Leadership: Service, Influence, and Transformation II
- MGMT 544—Team and Organizational Leadership
- MGMT 548—Ethical Leadership
Innovation
- MGMT 552—Innovation and Organizations I
- MGMT 553—Innovation and Organizations II
- MGMT 554—Innovation Topics
- MGMT 555 —Innovation and Strategy
Electives
Take at least seven semester hours from the following:
- FIN 601—Operational Corporate Finance
- FIN 602—Sources and Costs of Financial Capital
- FIN 603—Strategic Corporate Finance
- MKTG 601 —Marketing Strategy
- MKTG 602—Digital Marketing
- MTKG 603—Consumer Behavior
- COMM 510—Story Telling Across Media Platforms
- COMM 521—Advanced Advertising
- COMM 511—Audience Research and Analytics
- Other approved graduate courses
What Sets a Calvin MBA Apart?
- It’s built on a bold foundation: leadership and innovation shaped by character. Here, leadership means serving others, inspiring teams, and leading with humility—not authority. Innovation is a mindset.
- The MBA is shaped by direct feedback from industry leaders. Graduate with the ability to identify and solve challenging problems, design strategic solutions and mobilize teams to take your organization to the next level.
- Through hands-on projects, client projects, and immersive learning, tackle real world business challenges—developing practical experience and confidence to lead in any environment.
Our Program at a Glance
- Financial aid is available
- No GMAT required with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
Hybrid
Complete in 13–25 months
Cost per credit
Classes focused on innovation and strategy force me to think about business in a different way. You can’t just roll out the same thing year after year and expect the same results. You must constantly find new ways to elevate your products and offerings.
Why Earn an MBA from Calvin?
- Expert Faculty
We provide an innovative, results-driven business education led by industry experts. Your classes are built around real-world issues and shaped by leaders in the business community. - Cohort-based Learning
Our small class sizes and unique cohort model create a unique environment in which you'll grow both professionally and personally. - Faith-based Foundation
You'll be challenged to lead with purpose, integrity, and a commitment to making a meaningful impact, inspired by Christian faith.
What Does Your Learning Look Like?
Your courses are built on four fundamental pillars. You'll learn to:
Run an organization
Lead an organization
Transform an organization
Customize an area of focus
There’s something powerful about learning in a cohort. The connections you make and the shared challenges you overcome together create a network that lasts far beyond the classroom.
Connect Through a Cohort
MBA Student Background
46% have a bachelor's degree in a business-related field
25% have a bachelor's degree in a STEM-related field
29% have a bachelor's degree in a another field
You’re never on this journey alone.
Collaboration is built into the heart of the experience. From your very first day, you’ll be part of a diverse, tight-knit cohort of professionals from a variety of backgrounds. You’ll challenge, support, and inspire one another, forming connections that grow into a lifelong network.
What does that actually look like? You and your cohort will do things like brainstorm innovative solutions to business challenges, engage in lively debates during and outside of your classes, and collaborate on team-based projects. Together, you’ll develop the leadership skills, confidence, and ethical grounding needed to make a difference in your organizations and communities.
An MBA That Fits Your Career Goals
You can choose an area of focus that matches your interest and long-term ambitions. Elective courses will deepen your expertise and sharpen your leadership skills.
Applied Communication
Strengthen your ability to lead through clarity, persuasion, and purpose. Learn to navigate complex organizational dynamics, build trust, and inspire action across teams and stakeholders.
- COMM 510—Story Telling Across Media Platforms
- COMM 521—Advanced Advertising
- COMM 511—Audience Research and Analytics
Finance
Gain the financial insight you need to lead with confidence in any economic climate. Make sound, ethical decisions in corporate finance, risk management, and strategic forecasting.
- FIN 601—Operational Corporate Finance
- FIN 602—Sources and Costs of Financial Capital
- FIN 603—Strategic Corporate Finance
Marketing
Learn to craft data-informed strategies that resonate with real audiences in a digital-first world. Blend creativity with analytics to drive brand growth and customer engagement with integrity.
- MKTG 601—Marketing Strategy
- MKTG 602—Digital Marketing
- MTKG 603—Consumer Behavior
Innovation is all about change—making something better, even if it feels a bit uncomfortable at first. This program has taught me that stepping into the unknown is where growth really starts.
Connect with an MBA Ambassador
Curious about life in the Calvin MBA? Connect with an ambassador today and discover how the Calvin MBA could be the right fit for you.
Kim Huck
Undergraduate major: Movement Science – University of Michigan
Current title: Physical therapist
Jeff Boehm
Undergraduate major: Chemistry – Â鶹Çø
Current title: Executive director
Alyssa Jack
Undergraduate major: Business Administration – Aquinas College
Current title: Media coordinator
Levi Tamosaitis
Undergraduate major: Statistics – University of South Carolina
Current title: Investment reporting analyst
Koby VanderWoude
Undergraduate major: Education – Â鶹Çø
Current title: Graphic designer
Tim Ryder
Undergraduate major: Accounting – Â鶹Çø
Current title: Senior consultant
Emilie Clayton
Undergraduate major: Mechanical Engineering - Michigan Tech
Current title: Engineering intern
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Maddie Wiersma
Undergraduate major: Marketing - University of Arkansas
Current title: Graduate student athlete
Frequently Asked Questions
Doing business won’t wait until you graduate. You’ll be part of:
- Business simulations that reflect the competitive landscape using actual market forces and conditions
- Real real-world exercises to encourage growth through self-discovery and reflection
- Defining your own projects which help you put learning into practice
- Partnering with a real organization to solve critical industry problems. This could include on-site visits with clients and stakeholders, and on-site user observation.
A cohort is a group of approximately 25 students who progress through their leadership and innovation/strategy courses together, building strong connections and shared learning experiences. Students may find themselves in other core and elective courses with fellow cohort members as well.
- Leadership and innovation/strategy courses taken with your cohort start in August and are completed over the course of the next 13 months. We recommend students start their MBA in late summer with their cohort, but there are multiple possible start dates.
- As part of the initial cohort-based courses asynchronously and via live a session, students gather in person for a week on campus in mid-August. The cohort portion of the MBA program concludes the following August with a second on campus immersion experience.
- Students take several other core courses and electives in their second year or earlier, depending on their MBA start date and their course load.
A cohort model creates a supportive community where you'll build meaningful professional relationships and learn from each other's diverse experiences and perspectives.
The Calvin Career Center supports your professional journey as a student and alumni. You'll receive personalized guidance from a career coach who will help you build your resume, connect with employers, and navigate career transitions at every stage of your professional development. Visit to make an appointment or contact career@calvin.edu.
Each course typically requires 15 to 20 hours weekly although some are lighter. Courses include a weekly 90-minute live session on Tuesday or Thursday evenings that focus on experiential and collaborative learning. All schedules, projects, and assignment deadlines are provided in advance to help you balance your work and academic commitments effectively.
Applicants with an undergraduate degree in business will be considered for course waivers. Eligibility is determined through an evaluation of course content, objectives, and additional relevant criteria. Upon acceptance into the program, the program director will conduct a review of your undergraduate coursework to determine waiver eligibility.
Our hybrid MBA program blends the flexibility of online learning with the benefits of in-person engagement. Most coursework is completed online—both asynchronously and through live weekly, synchronous sessions—to balance personal and professional commitments. The program also features two five-day on-campus immersions, where you’ll connect with your cohort, faculty, and industry leaders for intensive, hands-on learning experiences. This format is designed to support working professionals and foster a vibrant learning community, both virtually and in person.
