Dean: Virginia Kleist

The Mike Ilitch School of Business is a professional school concerned with the theory and practice of business. The primary objectives of the School are to provide relevant education of high quality for business students, and to develop new knowledge through research and encourage application of its findings. To this end, in addition to their instructional services, the faculty has been a continuing source of notable scholarly publications and it is a special strength of the School that it brings a fine research faculty to the teaching of undergraduate as well as graduate courses.

The School has a tradition of instructional programs exemplifying high standards for both faculty and students as is acknowledged by the accreditation of the AACSB International — The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the international association for management education, for all degree programs. The School provides relevant, comprehensive business education through programs that serve recent high school graduates as well as older student populations. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, residential and commuting, and often working and raising families. To meet the needs of these students, the School schedules classes throughout the metropolitan area, during both day and evening hours. Extension Centers are located in Livonia and Warren.

The undergraduate program begins during the freshman year.  Freshmen are admitted directly to the Mike Ilitch School of Business. The first two years of undergraduate work are focused on developing an educational foundation in the basic sciences and arts. During the third and fourth years, the student follows a program of professional education. Students may select majors in accounting, finance, global supply chain management, management, marketing, and technology, information systems and analytics. The degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration are awarded.

The Law minor in business, created in cooperation with the Law School, develops skills in logical and critical thinking and broadens career opportunities with a legal component in government, human resources, compliance and more in the 18 credit hour program. The Entrepreneurship and Innovation minor, a 15 credit hour program, is open to business and non-business majors, providing students with knowledge, skills and experience to develop and launch startup ventures or social impact ventures. Creation and growth strategies, product and service development, new venture marketing and financing evaluation are introduced. The Business Minor is open to undergraduate non-business majors to develop a working knowledge of business principles and practices from select course work offered in the Ilitch School. Students completing the 18 credit hour minor and planning to get an MBA at WSU, also will have a head start in the graduate program. The Post-bachelor Certificate in Accounting enables students who already hold a bachelor's degree in business or accounting to obtain the required educational background to be licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Michigan. 

The graduate program leading to the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree is dedicated to educating graduate students for professional careers in business. The Master of Science in Accounting (M.S.A.) program prepares individuals for professional careers in public accounting. The Master of Science in Data Science and Business Analytics (M.S.D.S.B.A.) is a novel interdisciplinary degree program that leverages the strengths of Wayne State in statistics, operations research, computing and business by combining the world-class expertise of the College of Engineering and the Mike Ilitch School of Business. The Master of Science in Finance (M.S.F.) is designed for both recent graduates and working professionals with a bachelor's degree in finance, accounting or another quantitative field who want to advance or shift their careers.  The Executive Master of Science in Automotive Supply Chain Management is designed for working professionals with a bachelor's degree who want to progress in the dynamic field of supply chain management in the automotive industry, as well as new graduates who want to immediately pursue advanced studies. The Graduate Certificate in Business is designed to provide non-business undergraduates fundamental knowledge in the basic functional areas of business administration: Accounting, Finance, Management and Marketing. For additional graduate program information, consult the Wayne State University Graduate Bulletin.

The Doctor of Philosophy Program in the Mike Ilitch School of Business prepares students for teaching and research at major universities. The program focuses on quantitative skills, enabling students to engage in research projects with faculty, and places a heavy emphasis on a global perspective.

The Mike Ilitch School of Business also recognizes its obligation to community service. As a central part of an urban university, the School makes a special commitment to foster training, and basic and applied research that will benefit business enterprises. Of primary importance is the dedication to excellence in the instructional programs that prepare the business leadership that is critical to the continuing revitalization of southeastern Michigan.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to prepare our students for challenging and rewarding careers, advance the boundaries of scholarly and practitioner knowledge, and enhance the economic vitality of the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan and beyond through our programs, research and community engagement.

Aspiration and Vision

The Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business aspires to establish itself as one of the leading business schools in the nation as noted in published national rankings (e.g., Business Week, U.S News and World Report, etc.), that reflect favorable student evaluations and recruiter perceptions of both the undergraduate and M.B.A. programs, and the scholarly achievements of the faculty. The School strives to achieve a positive reputation for contributions to knowledge development, for the role it plays in the economic prosperity of the region, and for becoming a school of choice - one which prospective students see as providing a pathway to academic and professional achievement.