MBA Program

MBA Program at University of Tennessee

Public university ยท Knoxville, Tennessee

  • AACSB accredited
  • MBA
  • Executive MBA
  • Part-Time MBA

University of Tennessee is a public university with graduate business programs in Knoxville, Tennessee. Those programs run through the Haslam College of Business. The institution is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The business school holds AACSB accreditation. It is the longest-established of the three business-school accreditors recognized in the United States, and it covers the school as a whole rather than any one program - a floor, not a ranking. More on accreditation.

Federal reporting puts graduate enrollment at 8,164 students, alongside 30,418 undergraduates. Total enrollment is not MBA cohort size - ask the admissions office how many students are in the specific program you're considering, which is usually a far smaller number and the one that shapes your experience.

Based on MBA Lab's directory data, the school offers a graduate MBA path, an executive MBA (EMBA) format designed for experienced professionals, and a part-time or evening MBA format for students who keep working. That puts it among the 3 of 9 schools in MBA Lab's Tennessee directory listing an executive MBA. Format availability changes; confirm the current lineup with the school before planning around it.

It is the only school in Knoxville in this directory - the other 8 MBA program options in Tennessee are elsewhere in the state, so weigh travel time against fit before ruling them out.

What to ask University of Tennessee

These questions are picked from what MBA Lab's data already says about this school, so they're the ones most likely to surface a real difference between it and the next school on your list.

  • Residency and tuition tier. As a public institution, University of Tennessee may price in-state and out-of-state students differently, and some programs charge a flat rate regardless. Ask which tier you'd fall into and whether it changes after a year of residency.
  • Cohort experience level. An EMBA's value is largely the room. Ask for the average years of work experience, the seniority mix, and how many classmates are employer-sponsored - a cohort of directors and a cohort of five-years-in analysts are different products at the same price.
  • Pace flexibility. Ask how long students typically take, whether you can drop to one class during a heavy work quarter without penalty, and how late evening sections actually run against your commute from work.
  • Where the degree is administered. Programs run through the Haslam College of Business may have their own admissions timeline, aid pool, and career office, separate from the university's central graduate school. Confirm which office owns your application.
  • Ask for the school's own outcome numbers. The federal figures on this page cover business master's graduates who took federal aid, pooled across several years. The school's employment report will be narrower and more current - ask for it by program and by graduating class, not a blended average.

At a glance

InstitutionUniversity of Tennessee
Business schoolHaslam College of Business
Controlpublic
LocationKnoxville, Tennessee
Campus settingMidsize city
Carnegie classDoctoral university, very high research activity (R1)
MBA formats listed MBA Executive MBA Part-Time MBA
Graduate enrollment8,164
Undergraduate enrollment30,418
Business accreditation AACSB — view listing
Institutional accreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Official site Visit website
Net price calculator Estimate your cost
Federal data College Scorecard profile

School names, locations, and program formats are curated by MBA Lab and reviewed periodically (last data update: August 2026). Enrollment, accreditation, links, and any outcome figures come from U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Always verify formats, deadlines, and costs on the school's official admissions pages. How this data works.

Programs at University of Tennessee

Details below come from University of Tennessee's own program pages, not from a ranking service or an aggregator. Each card links to the page it was read from and the date it was last checked, so you can confirm anything before you plan around it.

Executive MBA - Strategic Leadership

Executive MBA
$90,000
  • Length 11 months
  • Delivery Hybrid
  • Meets Four residence periods per year
What that price isProgram fee for the Class of 2026 ($2,000 advance fee, then $30,000 each in spring, summer, and fall). Subject to change - pricing for later cohorts was not confirmed on the pages checked this pass.
On lengthStarts each January, ends in December - under a year
Class scheduleFour residence periods of about nine days each, with synchronous and asynchronous distance learning between them, plus an 11-month organizational action project

Professional MBA

Part-Time MBA
$57,000
  • Length 16 months
  • Delivery Hybrid — in-person plus virtual
  • Meets Single cohort start each August
What that price isPublished total for the Class of 2026-27 cohort: $500 advance program fee (credited toward first semester) plus $19,000 per semester for three semesters = $57,000 total.
On length16-month cohort, August 2026-December 2027. UTK brands this the 'Professional MBA (ProMBA)', built for professionals maintaining full-time employment — the closest and only distinct match for this tag, separate from UTK's Full-Time MBA and Executive MBA (Strategic Leadership EMBA, already on file).
Class scheduleIn-person Saturdays 8:00am-5:00pm, 2-3 times/month; virtual sessions Tuesdays 7:00-9:40pm, 1-2 times/month

Reported outcomes

Median earnings, 1 year out $106,707 Median of 162 graduates working one year after completion +22% vs. the $87,219 median across MBA Lab's directory
Median earnings, 4 years out $132,036 Median of 185 graduates working four years after completion +24% against the 1-year figure - two separate cohorts measured at different times, not one group's career path
Median federal graduate debt $40,816 Median across 112 borrowers entering repayment About 0.38x the 1-year earnings median. Federal loans only - private loans, employer sponsorship, and savings aren't counted

Among the 8 schools in MBA Lab's Tennessee MBA programs directory that report a figure, University of Tennessee ranks 2nd by one-year earnings. Schools that report nothing are left out of that count rather than counted as zero.

What these numbers are. Figures cover graduates of master's-level programs in Business Administration, Management and Operations (CIP 52.02) who received federal financial aid. At some institutions that group includes business master's degrees other than the MBA, and it never includes graduates who took no federal aid - so these are a directional signal about a school's business master's programs, not an MBA salary report. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Check University of Tennessee's Scorecard profile. Full methodology.

Want to see what these figures could mean for your own timeline? Try the free MBA ROI calculator, prefilled with University of Tennessee's context.

Compare with other schools in Tennessee

School City AACSB Formats listed Earnings, 1 yr out
University of Tennessee This page Knoxville Yes MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $106,707
Vanderbilt University Nashville Yes MBA, Executive MBA $149,786
Belmont University Nashville Yes MBA, Part-Time MBA Not reported
East Tennessee State University Johnson City Yes MBA, Online MBA $63,888
Lipscomb University Nashville Yes MBA, Online MBA, Part-Time MBA $69,501
Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro Yes MBA, Part-Time MBA $76,031
Tennessee Technological University Cookeville Yes MBA, Online MBA $73,759
University of Memphis Memphis Yes MBA, Online MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA $83,471
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Yes MBA, Online MBA $82,079

"Not reported" means College Scorecard publishes no figure for that school - usually too few federally-aided graduates to release without identifying them. It is not a low number, and these schools are excluded from every average on this page rather than counted as zero. A dash under AACSB means the school isn't on AACSB's accredited list; it may hold ACBSP or IACBE accreditation instead, which this directory doesn't track.

This school in other directories

Frequently asked questions

What MBA formats does University of Tennessee offer?

MBA Lab's directory lists an executive MBA and a part-time MBA at University of Tennessee, alongside the core MBA. Formats change - confirm the current lineup on the school's official site.

How much does the Executive MBA - Strategic Leadership at University of Tennessee cost?

University of Tennessee lists $90,000 for the Executive MBA - Strategic Leadership. Program fee for the Class of 2026 ($2,000 advance fee, then $30,000 each in spring, summer, and fall). Subject to change - pricing for later cohorts was not confirmed on the pages checked this pass. Checked against the school's own page on July 26, 2026; costs change, so confirm before you apply.

How long is the Executive MBA - Strategic Leadership at University of Tennessee, and when does it meet?

The Executive MBA - Strategic Leadership takes about 11 months and is delivered in a hybrid format. Starts each January, ends in December - under a year. Classes meet: Four residence periods of about nine days each, with synchronous and asynchronous distance learning between them, plus an 11-month organizational action project

How much does the Professional MBA at University of Tennessee cost?

University of Tennessee lists $57,000 for the Professional MBA. Published total for the Class of 2026-27 cohort: $500 advance program fee (credited toward first semester) plus $19,000 per semester for three semesters = $57,000 total. Checked against the school's own page on July 27, 2026; costs change, so confirm before you apply.

How long is the Professional MBA at University of Tennessee, and when does it meet?

The Professional MBA takes about 16 months. 16-month cohort, August 2026-December 2027. UTK brands this the 'Professional MBA (ProMBA)', built for professionals maintaining full-time employment — the closest and only distinct match for this tag, separate from UTK's Full-Time MBA and Executive MBA (Strategic Leadership EMBA, already on file). Classes meet: In-person Saturdays 8:00am-5:00pm, 2-3 times/month; virtual sessions Tuesdays 7:00-9:40pm, 1-2 times/month

What do graduates of University of Tennessee's business master's programs earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of $106,707 one year after completion for graduates of master's-level Business Administration programs at University of Tennessee who received federal financial aid. Four years out the reported median is $132,036. That group can include business master's degrees other than the MBA, and excludes graduates who took no federal aid, so treat it as a directional signal rather than an MBA salary figure.

How much debt do students take on at University of Tennessee?

The reported median federal graduate debt is $40,816 for business master's graduates at University of Tennessee. Against the reported one-year earnings median, that is about 0.38x a year of earnings. Federal loans are only part of the cost picture - it excludes private loans, employer sponsorship, and savings.

Is University of Tennessee's business school AACSB-accredited?

Yes - University of Tennessee appears on AACSB's list of accredited institutions. AACSB, founded in 1916, is the longest-established of the three business-school accreditors recognized in the United States (the others are ACBSP and IACBE). Accreditation covers the school, not any individual program, so treat it as a quality floor rather than a ranking.

Is University of Tennessee a public or private institution?

University of Tennessee is a public university, and MBA Lab lists its graduate business programs in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

How do I compare University of Tennessee with other schools in Tennessee?

MBA Lab lists 9 schools in its Tennessee MBA programs directory. Use a consistent rubric across them: curriculum, recruiting outcomes, format fit, cost after aid, and location constraints.

Where should I verify program details?

Always confirm formats, deadlines, and costs on the school's official admissions pages. MBA Lab is a planning directory, not an admissions authority, and does not endorse specific schools.

Starting an MBA team project?

MBA Lab keeps your team's projects, tasks, deadlines, and deliverables in one place—built for student teams, free to start.

Get started

Deciding if it's worth it? Try the free MBA ROI calculator →

Want to grow as a leader while you're at it? Explore Leadership Lab →