Welcome
Robust curriculum, inspired instruction, dynamic environment, supportive community.
Whether you’re pursuing an MBA degree to advance your career, broaden your skill set, or change course, Leeds serves as a foundation for professional and personal development. The supportive Leeds community encourages you to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit, create change, and act on new ideas.
We offer students the opportunity to pursue a Leeds MBA degree as a member of the full-time MBA program or the part-time, Evening MBA program, designed specifically for working professionals. Both programs take two years to complete, share faculty and staff, and provide students with a strong business foundation.
The Leeds School is accredited by the AACSB (Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business). Our last peer review visit was in 2007 by the deans from Indiana, Illinois, and Washington. The AACSB has specific learning assurance standards that we need to report on prior to a maintenance of accreditation campus visit. Our next peer review visit will be during the 2011-2012 academic year.
Welcome from the Dean
Success, creativity and innovation are everywhere at Leeds: national and international competitions will give you the opportunity to test your knowledge against teams from other universities; new business ventures are vetted by students like yourself as you look for market opportunities; there are plenty of chances to work side-by-side with seasoned executives in entrepreneurial environments. And these are only a few examples of how you can get involved!
The Leeds faculty is at the forefront of knowledge creation. With outstanding research records and extensive private sector experience, they bring the latest thinking into their classes, along with practical applications of business knowledge.
The University and surrounding community are reflective of our entrepreneurial spirit. New companies are started through technologies created in campus labs, and the community's entrepreneurial environment (and some Leeds alums!) has spawned companies such as Crocs, Webroot, and Wild Oats and the campus excellence has been honored by having four faculty members named as Nobel prize winners since 2000.
While it is difficult to convey the spirit of innovation and dynamic culture that you will find at the Leeds School of Business via a web site, we hope that it will build enough interest to ask questions and engage with the current students, faculty and staff to learn more.
And we know for all of our work, YOU are our inspiration. Join us…
David L. Ikenberry
Dean, Leeds School of Business
Curriculum
The Leeds MBA program is an immersive experience. With two years of rigorous study you'll develop leadership and management skills, and provide grounding for your entrepreneurial ideas. The education, professional network, and attention to your career development will serve you long after your two years at Leeds are complete.
Our flexible curriculum allows you to build a unique portfolio of course work customizing your MBA to suit your career goals. Visit the list of degree emphases on the left to familiarize yourself with the breadth of disciplines offered at Leeds. Opportunities for personal interaction with faculty, business professionals, successful entrepreneurs, and alumni allow you to expand your professional horizons and put your newfound knowledge to use.
The Leeds faculty is at the forefront of knowledge creation. With outstanding research records and extensive private sector experience, they bring the latest thinking into their classes, along with practical applications of business knowledge. Class projects offer you hands-on experience with real companies and enable you to connect and learn from successful professionals.
In addition to our robust offerings in the functional areas of business - finance, management, marketing, and operations and information management—Leeds also offers niche specializations in entrepreneurship, real estate, or emphasis in sustainability. Our curriculum provides industry expertise and networking opportunities that place you at the leading edge of your area of emphasis.
Finally, take some time to review the curriculum maps which offer a snapshot of the program design and course offerings.
Evening MBA
Two-year commitment. Endless opportunity.
We are proud to be noted 35th on the U.S. News & World Report list of the nation's top part-time MBA programs surveyed.
Education and innovation intersect in the Leeds Evening MBA program. Our program is specifically designed for working professionals and is offered in a two-year format -- one that allows students to take even more elective courses. Evening MBA students develop a strong core business foundation completed by electives that speak to their unique professional goals and interests.
Our small, personal evening program enrolls students each May with a cohort of working professionals completing the Evening MBA experience together. By working lock-step with your peers, our program builds a committed MBA community which has offered invaluable networking opportunities for our graduates. Another big plus of this peer community is that our graduation rate is consistently above 85%, as compared to more flexible part-time programs which often have graduation rates of 50%. Classes meet two times per week, from 6:30 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Evening MBA Overview
Admissions
As an admission committee, our goal is to select students who will achieve academic and professional success through the Leeds MBA program. We aim to select the most talented and diverse candidates through a holistic review of the application materials. Admission decisions are made by balancing quantitative and qualitative strengths such as undergraduate GPA, test scores, professional experience, and unique potential to contribute in the classroom and MBA community. We focus on admitting students who will thrive at Leeds and add value to the MBA program.
Visiting Leeds
Finding the right fit in an MBA program is one of the most important decisions of your career. We encourage you to connect with the Leeds School to find out how our MBA programs can match your educational and professional goals. Attend an information session to get your questions answered and meet Leeds faculty, staff, students and/or alumni. Finally, envision yourself in the Leeds MBA program by shadowing a student ambassador and visiting a class.
Information Sessions
Information sessions are designed to provide an overview of the Leeds MBA and Evening MBA programs and are an excellent introduction to the Leeds community.
Information sessions will be offered throughout the year. Click on the Events item on the left menu to see the next information session.
Meet with an Ambassador
Shadowing a current MBA student ambassador and attending class is an option for visitors during the fall and spring semesters. For the summer months, if you are interested in visiting campus please schedule an informational appointment with an admissions staff member by emailing leedsmba@colorado.edu or calling 303-492-8397. We look forward to meeting you.
Professional Development
With a Leeds MBA degree, you will have the education and resources to land a corporate job or start your own company.
During your two years of study, the quest will be to find your own path. Your investment in your career development is proportional to your return. Leeds provides opportunities to meet industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs through its Centers of Excellence, the Gillett Distinguished Speaker series, industry networking events, and more.
Leeds’ Career Connections staff offers industry seminars, career assessment, and individual career planning to assist you on your professional journey.
Leeds MBAs are distinctive in the marketplace. They have customized their education by designing their portfolio of electives. They offer a functional expertise, emphasis in specialty areas like entrepreneurship or real estate, and exposure to sustainable business practices. The faculty have demanded that they think critically and creatively about real business problems. Employers highly regard the innovative business leadership of Leeds graduates.
Full-time MBA Class of 2011 Career Stats
Centers
Leeds’ top 20 ranked entrepreneurship program and strength in real estate offer current MBA students established networks of seasoned entrepreneurs and real estate industry leaders for career mentorship, internship opportunities, and eventual job placement.
Deming Center for Entrepreneurship
The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship utilizes its network within new and emerging growth companies to help place entrepreneurially-inclined MBA students in internships and jobs post-graduation. Internships provide students opportunities to experience the wide variety of challenges that new ventures cope with every day. Students who combine a strong academic background with this real world experience set themselves up as strong candidates for future employment with entrepreneurially-oriented employers.
CU Real Estate Center
The CU Real Estate Center, through the dedication of its faculty, staff and network of industry professionals, prepares MBA students to be leaders by creating meaningful internship opportunities. Internship experiences are a critical part of the learning process for all students, with job placement opportunities as the ultimate goal. The Center works to secure internships and/or full-time jobs for MBA students in all fields of the real estate industry, including appraisal, development, asset management, architecture, and urban planning.
Career Connections
“Career Connections works with each MBA student on his or her career aspirations to make the career experience an individual process whose impetus comes from the student's perspective."
—Mary Banks, Director, Career Connections
Career Connections partners with you into your future. Even before classes begin, the Career Connections team is involved with students' professional prospects, providing advice, support, and resources to help focus their career strategies. Offering intensive resume work, career assessment, networking, and interviewing preparation, Career Connections takes an active role in preparing MBA students to strategize short and longer term career goals.
Looking to move your career into a new functional area or industry? A summer internship is a key ingredient for increasing your skill set and focus. Leeds’ location in one of the most entrepreneurial regions of the country affords students hands-on experience in start-up ventures and companies in innovative industries such as natural and organic foods and renewable energy. Crocs, Webroot, and Wild Oats all started here in our dynamic entrepreneurial community. Other internship possibilities range from high tech leaders in storage, software, and systems such as Sun Microsystems and IBM to the aerospace industry with Ball Aerospace and Lockheed Martin; or healthcare giants such as Amgen and Tyco Healthcare Group/Valley Lab to investment firms such as St. Charles Capital.
Employers describe Leeds MBA graduates as real-world, take-charge innovators willing to roll-up their sleeves and add value quickly. Their strong communication skills and entrepreneurial abilities frequently place them at the head of the pack. Our innovative curriculum, world-class faculty, and high standards support a hands-on educational experience that creates the kind of MBAs that employers come back for again and again.
Alumni Network
The real value of your Leeds MBA only starts with your two years of focused learning in the MBA program. Lifelong friendships and connections with other Leeds alumni are among the most powerful benefits of your Leeds degree.
The Leeds MBA Alumni base continues to grow in the Boulder/Denver metro area as well as nationally giving you strong connections in companies and industries as you move on from the MBA program. Our strong alumni ties give you the power to network in new areas, move ahead in your career, and even create new businesses with trusted colleagues around the world.
Financing Your MBA
Estimated Expenses
The decision to invest in your graduate education is an important step toward meeting your future goals. As a public institution, the University of Colorado offers comparatively low tuition rates and was recently ranked by Forbes magazine as one of "The Best Business Schools for the Buck" and as a "best buy" in a recent edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges.
Below are estimated 10 month (fall and spring semesters) budgets for Colorado resident and non-resident students for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Colorado Resident MBA Estimated Expenses
Tuition & Fees
- Resident Tuition: $14,742
- Mandatory Fees: $1,490
Estimated Expenses
- Books/Supplies: $1,998
(Varies per year based on course load.)
- Room and Board: $11,574 ( A 10 month (academic year) estimate for rent, utilities, and food.)
- Personal: $1,286 (Includes personal, recreation, and clothing costs—varies by student.)
- Transportation: $1,296 (Based on Colorado resident. Expenses may increase for non-residents.)
- Medical Expenses: $2,232
(Includes costs for student health insurance plan. Health insurance is mandatory however students may opt out of the university plan if covered by other insurance.)
Total Estimated Resident Costs: $34,600
Non-resident MBA Estimated Expenses
US citizens and permanent residents who are not Colorado residents can establish residency during the first year of the program and qualify for in-state tuition for the second year of the program. That is an advantage not offered by many public institutions, and will significantly increase the return on the investment for non-Colorado residents.
Information related to establishing Colorado residency is available from the Tuition Classification Office.
The budget below is prepared by the Office of Financial Aid and includes tuition and fees, along with estimated living expenses and other costs, in an attempt to represent the full cost of attendance for the academic year.
Tuition & Fees
- Non-Resident Tuition: $28,800
- Mandatory Fees: $1,490
Estimated Expenses
- Books and Supplies: $1,998 (Varies per year based on course load.)
- Room and Board: $11,574 (A 10 month (academic year) estimate for rent, utilities, and food.)
- Personal: $1,286 ( Includes personal, recreation, and clothing costs—varies by student.)
- Transportation: $1,296 (Based on Colorado resident. Expenses may increase for non-residents.)
- Medical Expenses: $2,232
(Includes costs for student health insurance plan. Health insurance is mandatory however students may opt out of the university plan if covered by another carrier.)
Total Estimated Non-resident Costs: $49,432
Scholarships and Fellowships
The Leeds School of Business offers fellowship (scholarship) awards to selected admitted candidates to the full-time MBA program with funding provided by the Leeds School of Business, the CU Foundation, the Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, and the CU Real Estate Center.
Applicants are encouraged to apply in the first or second round of the admissions cycle for best consideration for fellowship awards. The fellowship committee will continue to make awards as long as funds are available, but it is possible that all funding may be expended before the final round of admission decisions. When completing your on-line application, you should indicate those fellowship awards for which you would like to be considered and submit the required essays at that time. For optimal consideration, fellowship applications should be submitted with the online application for admission.
Additional Scholarship Resources
You may also find additional resources available by using scholarship search services to identify resources you may be eligible to access. These are just two of the free services you will find by searching the internet:
Teaching and Research Assistantships
The Leeds School of Business does not offer teaching or research assistantships for first year students. First year students are not encouraged to work during the first semester because of the very demanding nature of the core curriculum, but may be able to work limited hours during the second semester. Selected second year students who have established high levels of achievement in their core courses may be chosen for paid teaching assistantships for first-year MBA core courses or may find work in research positions.
Loan Funding
Eligible MBA students may apply for federal financial aid in the form of loans or grants. To apply for these forms of financial aid, you must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online for the appropriate academic year as soon as possible.
The priority deadline for financial aid consideration at the University of Colorado at Boulder is April 1. After April 1, CU-Boulder continues to offer aid as long as funds are available. You may submit the FAFSA to apply for the federal Stafford loan throughout the academic year. For more information contact the Office of Financial Aid at 303.492.5091, by email at finaid@colorado.edu.
Stafford Loans
Federal Stafford loans are fixed-rate student loans for graduate students attending a college or university at least half time. Stafford loans are the most common and one of the lowest-cost ways to pay for school. There are two different types of graduate federal student loans, the subsidized Stafford Loan and the unsubsidized Stafford Loan. Graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 per year.
Subsidized Stafford Loans are awarded to graduate students based on financial need. You will not be charged interest before you begin repayment or during periods of deferment. The federal government "subsidizes" the interest during these times (limit: $8,500 per year).
Unsubsidized Stafford Loans are not awarded based on financial needs. Any eligible graduate student can take out unsubsidized Stafford loans. You will be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed, to the time the loan is repaid in full (limit: $12,000 per year).
Graduate PLUS Loans
Graduate PLUS student loans are not need-based. Graduate PLUS Loans are based on your credit history. The yearly limit on a Graduate PLUS Loan is equal to your cost of attendance minus any other financial aid you receive. For example, if your cost of attendance is $6,000 and you receive $4,000 in other financial aid, you could borrow up to but no more than $2,000.
Sallie Mae MBA LOANS Program
If you have reached your loan limit for the Stafford and Plus loan programs but still need money for school, you may want to consider a MBA LOANS private loan. For details, visit Sallie Mae.
Important Resources
Video
MBA Stories
News
Leeds School of Business
May 2, 2012
An MBA team from the CU Real Estate Center developed a winning proposal for the former Mile High Greyhound Park in Commerce City at the annual Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge.
Leeds School of Business
April 17, 2012
A team of CU-Boulder MBAs and a Colorado Law student win first place in an international event for venture capital and entrepreneurship.
Leeds School of Business
April 6, 2012
Chad Murphy and Alex Atherton, two MBA candidates in real estate from CU-Boulder, are part of a joint team between the University of Colorado and Harvard University which won the first place grand prize of $50,000 in a national urban design competition.
KUHF FM Houston Radio
March 12, 2012
MBA students, Chad Murphy and Alex Atherton, join a team from Harvard University in the 2012 ULI Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition to redesign a site in Houston, Texas.
Leeds School of Business
June 29, 2011
The MBA Real Estate Class of 2011 sends a team to compete in the annual Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge between University of Colorado and the University of Denver.
Past Events
Event
May 4, 2012
CommonGround Golf Course
10300 E. Golfers Way
Aurora, Colorado
Please join us for the 1st Annual Leeds Alumni Golf Classic. Alumni, faculty, employers, and current students are all encouraged to come out and enjoy a round of golf.
Event
April 3, 2012
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Koelbel S233
Full-time MBA and Evening MBA admissions presentation.
Registration begins December 19 2011 at 6pm and ends on April 3, 2012 at 2pm.
Event
March 22, 2012
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Koelbel S233
Full-time MBA and Evening MBA admissions presentation.
Registration begins December 19, 2011 at 6pm and ends on March 22, 2012 at 2pm.
Graduate
March 7, 2012
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Colorado Office of Economic Development & Int'l Trade
1625 Broadway, 8th Floor, Denver
Luncheon for those interested in export/import of goods and services and international trade.
Event
February 21, 2012
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Koelbel S233
Full-time MBA and Evening MBA admissions presentation.
Registration begins December 19, 2011 at 6pm and ends on February 21, 2012 at 2pm.
Publications
Publication
May 2011
2011 MBA and Doctoral Programs Commencement Booklet
Read/Download
Full Publication
Publication
February 2011
Leeds MBA Program Brochure
Full Publication
