UCLA Anderson MBA Program Details

About UCLA Anderson Full-Time MBA Program

The full-time MBA at the UCLA Anderson School of Management began in 1939 even though the School itself traces its foundation to 1935. The programme spans approximately two academic years (22 months) and immerses students in core courses such as Financial Accounting, Marketing Management, Operations, Statistics & Data Analysis and Strategy, followed by a rich selection of over 115 electives and 15 optional specialisations. Located on the Westwood campus of UCLA, this MBA leverages Los Angeles’s innovation, entertainment and tech ecosystems, offering applied management research projects, global immersion trips and entrepreneurial launch opportunities. The class size is about 360 students with average work experience around five years and recent average GMAT around 714. Upon graduation, many students pivot industries or functions and report an average salary increase of 85 %. With access to a 44,000-plus alumni network spanning more than 75 countries, the UCLA Anderson full-time MBA provides a platform for professionals aiming to deepen analytical skills, lead across functions and engage with one of the most dynamic metropolitan business environments.

 

Authentic end to end MBA application support

For professional help with your MBA applications, turn to our seasoned MBA admission consultants who provide authentic, end-to-end mentoring for the complete MBA application process. Under our MBA admission consulting model, you collaborate with a team of five specialist mentors covering brainstorming and storyboarding, essay finalization, application work, and interview preparation. To explore details and obtain a free profile evaluation and strategy session, please inquire about our MBA admission consulting offering.

 

UCLA Anderson MBA Latest Class Profile

 

 

UCLA Anderson MBA Latest Placement Details and Employment Report

 

 

List of Primary Recruiters at UCLA Anderson

McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company, Inc., Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, Goldman Sachs & Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, Amazon, Inc., Apple Inc., Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., Walmart, Inc., The Walt Disney Company.

The employment data above is for the class of 2024.

Useful Resources:

UCLA Anderson MBA program page

UCLA Anderson MBA application details, essay questions, deadlines, and more…

UCLA Anderson MBA admission consulting by Experts’ Global

How to Make the Most of the UCLA Anderson Full-Time MBA Program

Clarify your destination early

From day one at UCLA Anderson define precisely the industry, role and geography you aim to pursue. Will it be product strategy at a tech firm in Los Angeles, consulting for media & entertainment companies, analytics leadership at a financial services firm or starting a venture in the creative economy? With the 22-month timeframe, every decision—core course choice, elective specialisation, internship, club leadership and network interaction—must align to this destination. Create a skills-gap map: list your current strengths, identify the capabilities you need (for example data analytics, digital strategy, global business fluency, team leadership) and map how each element of the Anderson MBA—core curriculum, elective specialisations, experiential labs, global immersions—will close those gaps.

Convert core coursework into tangible assets

In your first year you will engage in core modules such as Financial Accounting, Marketing Management, Operations & Supply Chain, Statistics & Data Analysis, Strategy, Leadership Foundations and Applied Management Research. Rather than only learning theory, treat each module as an opportunity to build a deliverable you will later showcase. For example, if your target is analytics leadership, use your data analysis module to build a dashboard using real-world or simulated Los Angeles start-up data. If your aim is brand strategy in consumer goods, use your marketing and strategy modules to craft a repositioning roadmap for a West-Coast brand. Document each deliverable: context, your action, measurable output, and your learning. These become proof-points in your portfolio and job search narrative.

Choose elective specialisations aligned with your narrative

During your second year you will choose from over 15 optional specialisations—such as Business Analytics (STEM), Information, Risk & Operations, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Real Estate and Entertainment Management. Choose the path that best supports your target role. For example, if aiming for the tech product strategy role, select electives like Platform Strategy, Digital Business Models, Analytics for Decision Making, and align your final project with a start-up or corporate innovation team. If you aim for consulting in entertainment or media, pick specialisation in Entertainment & Media Enterprise Studies (MEMES), Media Strategy electives and consider a global immersion. For each elective, define a signature project—a consulting report, analytics tool, or venture plan—and include it in your portfolio.

Leverage the Los Angeles innovation ecosystem and global exposure

UCLA Anderson’s location in Los Angeles gives you access to a dynamic business ecosystem stretching across technology, media & entertainment, sports, real estate, finance and global trade. Use this consciously: attend LA tech start-up events, company site visits, entertainment studios, venture capital mixers; secure a summer internship in the LA region aligned with your target role; and align an elective or global immersion with an international business challenge—such as a media business in Asia or a tech venture in Latin America. This regional and global exposure strengthens your narrative and differentiates your profile.

Build deep relationships with peers and faculty

Your cohort at Anderson will be talented, diverse and globally oriented. Early form a core team of peers you will collaborate with across projects, labs and social activities. Rotate leadership roles, practise peer feedback and hone your team influence skills. With faculty, engage actively: attend office hours, pitch your elective project ideas, ask for research or case collaboration. A professor who knows your ambition and work becomes a strong advocate and reference. Also tap into the alumni network of over 44,000 members in 75+ countries. Regularly connect with alumni aligned to your target role—set up 15-minute calls, prepare your story and deliverable reference, ask specific advice.

Lead measurable initiatives outside the classroom

Leadership beyond the classroom sets you apart. At Anderson join or launch a club or initiative that aligns with your career target—for instance the Analytics & Data Science Association, Entertainment Management Association (EMA), Entrepreneurship Club, Real Estate & Urban Business Association. Then deliver a measurable initiative: host a start-up pitch competition, arrange a trek to Silicon Valley or LA studios, or organise a case-competition with corporate sponsors. Quantify your impact: number of firms involved, number of participants, sponsorship amount, outcomes secured. This initiative becomes part of your leadership narrative and demonstrates initiative, realising results and organisational impact.

Curate a portfolio of standout deliverables

By the time you graduate you should present three to five standout deliverables aligned with your target role. Examples may include: an analytics dashboard you developed for a LA-based start-up; a consulting strategy report you delivered during your summer internship at a global firm; a product-market strategy you crafted in your electives; a leadership initiative you launched and led in your club. For each deliverable document: context (what challenge), action (what you did), measurable result (quantitative if possible), role (your role) and relevance to the target job. Example: “Led a four-person team during my summer internship at a Los Angeles tech company; developed a churn-prediction model which reduced projected churn by 12 %; role: team lead; relevance: product-strategy manager.” Store these in a digital portfolio, refine 60-second interview summaries and reference them in conversation.

Collaborate proactively with Career Management and alumni

Anderson’s Parker Career Management Center offers coaching, employer access, interview preparation and networking support. But your career transition must be driven by you. Early in the first term meet your career coach and present a one-page plan: target companies, roles, timeline, networking actions, skills to build. Set weekly metrics: number of alumni conversations held, company visits, internship applications submitted. After your summer internship or signature deliverable evaluate your plan: which actions worked, which did not, what are next steps? Tie your deliverables, internship outcome and network into your job-search narrative.

Network with intention and measurable outreach

Your network includes classmates, alumni, faculty, industry executives in LA and around the globe. Build a list of 30-40 targeted contacts aligned with your target role, industry or geography. For each outreach prepare a one-page brief: your story, one deliverable you produced, and a specific ask (guidance, referral, meeting). After each conversation send a short thank-you note summarising key insight and next step. Attend Anderson alumni events in Los Angeles or other cities, participate in club-hosted corporate treks and global MBA alumni dinners. Track your outreach outcomes: number of meetings, referrals received, applications influenced. Networking becomes structured and outcome-oriented.

Reflect monthly to deepen your leadership identity

Technical competence will be assumed from any MBA graduate; what separates you is leadership presence, influence and adaptability. Each month schedule one hour for reflection: what leadership behaviour did I develop? Which challenge did I handle and how did I respond? What leadership trait will I focus next month? Use peer and faculty feedback, leadership-lab experiences and internship reflections to deepen self-awareness, cross-functional influence and decision-making under ambiguity. Keep a leadership journal and extract a weekly story—for example “Led cross-discipline team through a business-creation capstone under 48-hour deadline”—and populate your narrative bank for interviews and your career.

Craft your transition story and align your personal brand

As you approach graduation align your résumé, LinkedIn summary, portfolio of signature deliverables and interview stories around your target role and the evidence you built at Anderson. Secure at least two strong references—faculty mentors or internship supervisors familiar with your work and impact. In interviews you might say: “During my UCLA Anderson MBA I led an analytics team at a Los Angeles tech company to develop a subscription-growth model projecting 14 % uplift; I served as team leader; I now bring product-strategy and analytics leadership, hands-on start-up ecosystem exposure and the Anderson alumni network to your team.” Keep your narrative concise, results-oriented and employer-aligned.

Maintain momentum after graduation

Graduation is a milestone, not the endpoint. Stay engaged in the Anderson alumni network, attend chapter events globally, mentor incoming students, update your deliverable portfolio quarterly and revisit your leadership journal annually. The habits you built—clear goal definition, deliverable creation, leadership through action, structured networking and reflective practice—will serve you for your entire career. Your UCLA Anderson MBA becomes a foundation; what you build after it defines your professional legacy.