Robert Morris University infuses artificial intelligence into MBA curriculum - TribLIVE.com

Robert Morris University is transforming its Master of Business Administration (MBA) program to match the rapid ascent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the global economy. By embedding AI competencies into nearly every course, RMU ensures graduates are ready for immediate advancement at a time when employers increasingly demand leaders who can leverage AI effectively.

The Rockwell School of Business has opened applications for the enhanced, industry-aligned online MBA, with new courses beginning in the fall. University officials say the curriculum additions reflect the growing role of AI across business while keeping the program rooted in RMU’s mission of turning out career-ready leaders. RMU’s prestigious MBA is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a distinction earned by fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide.

“At RMU, our responsibility is to prepare students to succeed in meaningful careers,” said Dr. Michelle Patrick, president of RMU. “This evolution of our MBA program reflects who we are as a university: industry-aware, forward-thinking and deeply committed to ensuring our graduates are prepared for the realities of today’s workforce.”

Rather than focusing on technical development, the redesigned curriculum is meant to help future managers and executives become confident, informed and responsible users of AI in decision-making across every business function. Across finance, marketing, analytics, leadership, innovation and the program’s capstone, students learn how AI shapes markets and organizations — leading teams that use it, questioning its outputs, governing its risks and leaning on it to create value.

“At the Rockwell School of Business, we are deeply committed to ensuring our business education keeps pace with the sheer speed of industry shifts,” said Dr. Daria Crawley, dean of the Rockwell School of Business. “This redesigned MBA is a direct response to what modern organizations need right now, which is leaders who possess not just foundational business acumen, but the agility to strategically leverage emerging technologies. We aren’t just teaching the future of business; we are shaping the leaders who will drive it.”

The university said the enhancements grew out of ongoing industry demand and an effort to keep its academic programs aligned with workforce needs. Across the core courses, the program leans on experiential, tool-based learning through case-method analysis, hands-on software work, simulation modeling and a capstone that ties the pieces together.

“We want students to leave RMU ready to lead immediately,” said Dr. Jacob Peng, MBA director at the Rockwell School of Business. “This program gives them both the business fundamentals and the practical understanding of AI they’ll need to add value to organizations from day one.”

The revamped degree keeps the structure that has drawn working professionals: 30 credits delivered entirely online in asynchronous, eight-week courses that students can fit around their jobs. The program can be finished in as little as a year, though many students take about two while balancing work and family. Students are not expected to arrive knowing how to code; the aim is to make them informed users of AI who can judge the quality of what it produces.

The changes come as business schools across the country expand AI instruction, with many shifting away from technical development toward the strategic and ethical use of the technology in management.

RMU’s online MBA has drawn recognition in national and regional rankings, placing ninth among online MBAs in Pennsylvania in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 list, among the Pittsburgh Business Times’ top three in 2024 and 22nd in Fortune’s 2023 ranking of best online MBA programs.

Applications for the Fall 2026 cohort are open. Prospective students can apply free and find more information on RMU’s MBA webpage, or contact the Graduate Admissions Office at graduateadmissions@rmu.edu. Located about 17 miles from Downtown Pittsburgh, Robert Morris enrolls more than 3,800 undergraduate and graduate students across over 80 academic programs.