Program Overview

Aerospace & Defense MBA (ADMBA) Program Overview

The Aerospace & Defense MBA is designed to provide a new depth of perspective of the aerospace & defense industry, to increase your ability to lead teams forward and transform your career, and to magnify your ability to improve processes, drive efficiency, and think critically. You’ll study core business concepts and advanced business strategy alongside classmates with meaningful aerospace and defense expertise. All in less than one year!

An MBA in One Year

Complete a rigorous and renowned MBA with limited time away from the office in 11 months. We teach our program in the context of the aerospace and defense industry so that you can immediately understand the application of new business principles and focus on mastering the content.

Applied Learning

Gain momentum in your career when you develop new business competencies through hands-on learning. Immersive and industry-specific coursework like the Organizational Action Project deliver direct value to your organization and allow you to connect course content to the real-world.

Industry Connections

Create a lifelong network of aerospace and defense sector professionals with collective decades of insights and experience to share. You’ll form valuable connections with leaders at every level and from across the country, all while sharing and establishing a new depth of perspective.

Personalized Coaching

Become a transformational leader with the support of a personalized leadership development coach. As an ADMBA student, you will participate in extensive leadership assessments to identify your strengths as a leader today and create a customized plan to reach your individual leadership goals.

Rankings

• #1 Most Relevant Executive MBA Worldwide (2018 Economist WhichMBA)
• #1 Facilities and Program Support (2020 Financial Times)
• #17 Best Public Graduate Business School (2021 U.S. News & World Report)

Designed for Leaders

Our Aerospace and Defense MBA (ADMBA) participants thrive in the Haslam learning environment because of the breadth of industry experience students bring to the program. A shared understanding of the challenges unique to the aerospace and defense sector means that students can collaborate and share valuable best practices.

• 88.7% Percentage of Aerospace & Defense MBA alum promoted within two years of graduation
• 433 Total Aerospace & Defense MBA alumni leading the industry forward, including 200 senior leaders at DoD Depots
• 17 Years since founding, making this program the longest-running aerospace and defense-focused MBA in the world

Program Structure

Participants complete the Aerospace & Defense MBA in a single calendar year. The average time commitment is 20 hours per week for readings, assignments and distance learning. Assignments relate directly to the work you perform in your job to help you best retain the information, immediately apply new concepts and return value to your organization.

In-Person Residencies

Invaluable learning takes place during five residence periods throughout the year. Our residence periods are an in-person opportunity to meet with professors, collaborate with your peers and solidify course concepts in action-oriented assignments.

• RP1: January 10-17, 2026: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• RP2: April 11-18, 2026: University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Optional Green Belt Day on April 11, 2026)
• RP3: June 13-20, 2026: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• RP4: September 13-19, 2026: Industry Immersion
• RP5: December 5-11, 2026: University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Graduation Date: December 11, 2026

Distance Learning

Between residence periods you will participate in virtual Distance Learning (DL) sessions, complete relevant and applied assignments and work on your year-long Organizational Action Project (OAP).

• Selected Thursdays from 7-10 p.m. ET

Organizational Action Project

During the program, Aerospace & Defense MBA candidates participate in an Organizational Action Project (OAP) targeting areas for growth and issues of major importance to their organization. Each student designs their own project and works in concert with their organization’s leadership team and a faculty member with expertise in the field most central to the project topic.

Faculty and Staff

As active researchers, consultants and practitioners, the Aerospace & Defense MBA faculty challenge and prepare program participants to bring creative solutions to an industry in search of efficiency. Haslam faculty members are nationally and internationally respected subject-matter experts and thought leaders in industry.

• Ben Skipper: Executive Director of Aerospace and Defense Executive Programs, Associate Professor of Practice
• Byron Risner: Director of Aerospace & Defense Partnerships
• Mitch Addis: Program Manager
• Jericho Hawkins: Program Coordinator
• John Bell: Daniel & Karen Myers Faculty Scholar, Stewart Bartley Family Faculty Research Fellow, Director of Supply Chain Management Ph.D. Program, Ratledge Professor of Supply Chain Management
• Missie Bowers: Beaman Professor in Business, Associate Professor
• Benjamin Compton: Senior Lecturer, Assistant Department Head
• Pam Donovan: Clinical Assistant Professor
• Thomas Goldsby: Dee & Jimmy Haslam Chair of Supply Chain, David P. Perrot Supply Chain Management Faculty Fellow
• Alex Miller: William B. Stokely Chair in Management, Director, Consortium for Social Enterprise Effectiveness
• Jules Morris: Lecturer
• Michael (Lane) Morris: Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies & Student Affairs and John W. Fisher Professor of Innovative Learning
• Angel Norman: Senior Lecturer
• William Peterson: Lecturer
• Mandyam Srinivasan: Professor Emeritus
• James Wansley: Professor Emeritus
• Lynn Youngs: Senior Lecturer

Curriculum

Our Aerospace & Defense MBA offers more than the foundational areas of a traditional MBA. Informed by trends in the field and taught in the context of your workplace, our ADMBA curriculum prepares you to take clear and effective action in the aerospace and defense sector.

Core Competencies

• Master Business Acumen: Aerospace & Defense MBA graduates will be able to identify areas for organizational growth and implement business best practices in accounting, finance, leadership and more to transform and improve day-to-day operations.
• Build Collaboration: Aerospace & Defense MBA graduates will be able to apply the principles of team leadership to eliminate departmental silos and create professional environments that drive cooperation and cross-functional information sharing.
• Address Real-World Problems: Aerospace & Defense MBA graduates will be able to leverage the outcomes and lessons learned from applied research projects to design and carry out strategic improvements to organizational challenges.
• Lead Strategically: Aerospace & Defense MBA graduates will be able to recognize their individual strengths as leaders to empower those around them and achieve organizational milestones.
• Focus on Results: Aerospace & Defense MBA graduates will be able to translate business theory into action in the workplace, with particular emphasis on creating specific and measurable benchmarks, deliverables and outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long is the program? The Aerospace & Defense MBA takes less than one year to complete, starting in January and ending in December.
• What changes are you making to the Residence Periods because of COVID-19? Should pandemic conditions affect candidates’ ability to travel, alternative residence period sites will be selected that are compatible with ADMBA student travel needs and class profile.
• How do I apply to the program? Interested candidates are encouraged to speak with our recruiter to discuss the program and the fit with your career goals and years of professional work experience.
  • Step 1: Begin your application by indicating whether you are a new, returning or current student under “Admission Type.”
  • Step 2: Review and complete the following application components:
    • A resume
    • Two references (with email addresses)
    • Transcripts (for all schools attended)
    • $60 non-refundable application fee
    • One admissions essay addressing the following prompts:
      • Please provide a brief description of your organization and longer description of your role, including responsibilities, reporting relationships and budgetary scope
      • Please describe the critical challenges facing your organization and how these challenges impact your role
      • Please describe your motivation for pursuing an MBA
      • Please describe your plan for balancing your various commitments (work, school, family, etc.) while earning your MBA
• Is the payment schedule available? Yes. The 2024 payment schedule is:
  • Non–refundable advance program fee: $1,000 (paid 15 days after admission to confirm attendance)
  • First installment due end of Spring Semester 2024: $24,000
  • Second installment due end of Summer Semester 2024: $24,500
  • Final installment due end of Fall Semester 2024 $24,500
• Is support available for military members and their families? The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is a designated Military Friendly Gold School and Military Spouse Friendly School due to the expansive support available for the military community and their families at UT.
• When does the program start? The ADMBA offers one start date per year in mid-January.
• What are the qualifications of typical applicants? Aerospace & Defense MBA applicants should have the following:
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; 2.7 min GPA (exceptions may be available for minimum GPA)
  • Proof of significant professional achievement and increasing responsibility
  • Endorsement from a supporting employer
  • Evidence of business acumen
  • Ability to create positive change within their organization
• What is the program cost? The total program fee for the Aerospace & Defense MBA is $74,000 (Subject to final approval by the UTK Board of Trustees.) The program fee includes:
  • All university tuition and fees
  • Books and materials, including course-specific software
  • Technical support for all software
  • Local transportation to and from classes and special events during residence periods
  • Two catered meals most days during residence periods
• Can my employer sponsor my enrollment? Yes. Many applicants’ employers provide full or partial financial assistance, as the Aerospace & Defense MBA assignments relate directly to work and improve employee performance and retention.
• Do you accept international applicants? We accept international applicants to the ADMBA program. International applicants with transcripts from institutions outside of the United States must submit transcripts to be translated and evaluated by a NACES accredited evaluation institution (for example WES).
• TOEFL or IELTS scores are considered valid if taken within two years from the application date. Applicants may be exempt from the English Certification requirement if English is an official language in the applicant’s country of citizenship, according to standards published by the Graduate School, or if English is the primary language of instruction at the institution in which the applicant received an undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree, or on a case-by-case basis as determined by the Admissions Committee.

Key Dates

The Aerospace & Defense MBA admissions team reviews applications on a rolling basis, meaning that applicants are evaluated for a seat in our program in the order we receive completed applications. While there are no hard dates for this program, we encourage you to submit your application early in the cycle to be among the first considered for admission to the ADMBA. In addition to taking advantage of priority review for our selective program, proactive applicants may receive an expedited admissions decision and early consideration for merit-based funding.