UCLA Anderson
Executive Summary
UCLA Anderson has integrated AI across its MBA curriculum through the "AI @ Anderson" initiative, offering dedicated AI courses, a Technology Leadership & AI specialization, and STEM-certified MSBA program ranked #2 globally. The school reports 23.4% of Class of 2024 placed in technology roles with strong placement in product management. Key differentiators include proprietary CODE framework for AI literacy, Los Angeles positioning for entertainment/media AI applications, and comprehensive cross-campus collaboration with UCLA Health and Engineering.
1. AI Integration
Core Curriculum
- Data and Decisions (MBA 402) — Required core course using CODE framework (Craft, Observe, Debug, Explain); students use Microsoft Copilot for R code and machine learning for predictive modeling. Elisa Long.
AI Electives
- Leading in the AI Era (MBA 275) — Foundational ML concepts, AI business strategy, team management, and critical thinking about AI implementation.
- Leading with AI: Applying AI to Operations (MBA 275-2) — AI applications across operations, marketing, finance, and HR; managing organizational change for AI rollouts.
- Use of Artificial Intelligence (MBA 298D) — Hands-on ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot training for research and analysis.
- Business Analytics with Spreadsheets (MBA 407) — Integrates AI tools with spreadsheet analysis.
- Strategic Capstones (MBA 423A/B) — Real-world client projects using proprietary "Capstone AI Assistant" and Microsoft Copilot for market research.
- Business Creation Capstone (MBA 428 A/B/C) — AI for competitive positioning, scaling, and market research.
MSBA Program (STEM-Certified, 15-Month)
- Building LLM-Powered Applications (MSBA 440) — NLP and application development with guest lectures from VCs, Google engineers, and founders.
- Machine Learning for Decision Making (MSBA 401) — Hands-on ML algorithm implementation in Python with deep learning applications.
- Advanced Workshop on Machine Learning (MSBA 434) — Deep neural networks using TensorFlow 2, including CNNs, RNNs, GANs, and ensemble methods with AWS training.
Technology Leadership & AI Specialization
UC Senate-approved certificate requiring 4+ courses from approved electives (AI, Product Management, Analytics, Healthcare Tech, Digital Marketing), enrichment activities, mentoring, and tech summer internship (full-time MBA only).
AI Tools Provided
- Microsoft Copilot Enterprise — All students, faculty, staff
- Anderson Capstone AI Assistant — Proprietary tool for strategic research projects
2. Career Placement
Class of 2024 Technology Placement:
- 23.4% hired in Tech (49 of 209 employed) - second-largest industry after consulting
- Mean salary: $143,697; Median: $142,000
- 67.5% received stock/equity (highest among all industries)
- 51% received signing bonuses (mean: $37,940)
Top Tech Function - Product Management:
- 10.5% of full-time hires (22 students)
- Mean salary: $156,494
Internships (Class of 2025):
- 25.7% in Technology (68 of 265) - largest industry for internships
Top Employers: Amazon (10-19 hires), Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe (4-9 each), plus Meta, Nvidia, Uber, Netflix, TikTok, Salesforce
Career Center: Parker Career Management Center ranked #2-#10 by FT (varying years); 99% summer internship acceptance; 77.7% job offers within 3 months
3. Centers/Labs
| Center | Founded | Focus | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easton Technology Management Center | - | Technology leadership, AI specialization, annual Innovate and Tech+Society conferences | https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/about/centers/easton-technology-management-center |
| Morrison Center for Marketing and Data Analytics | - | Marketing analytics, Healthcare Analytics Symposium exploring AI in patient care | https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/about/centers/morrison-center-for-marketing-and-data-analytics |
| Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation | - | Anderson Venture Accelerator supporting AI startups (31 startups in 2025 cohort) | https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/about/centers/price-center-for-entrepreneurship-and-innovation |
4. Key Faculty
| Faculty | Position | Primary Focus | Notable Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elisa Long | Professor, DOT Management | Healthcare operations, AI in healthcare decision-making | Teaches Data & Decisions with CODE framework |
| Kumar Rajaram | Professor, DOT Management | ML in healthcare, operations management | "ML Prediction of Postoperative ED Hospital Readmission" (Anesthesiology, 2020) |
| Velibor Mišić | Assoc. Professor, DOT Management | ML in clinical decision support | "Simulation-Based Evaluation of ML Models for Clinical Decision Support" (NPJ Digital Medicine, 2021, 36+ citations) |
| Francisco Castro | Asst. Professor, DOT Management | AI-generated content, market design with AI | "AI, Fed a Diet of AI Content: Intellectual Malnutrition" |
| Gregor Schubert | Asst. Professor, Finance | AI's impact on financial markets | "They're Calling It the AI Bull Market"; measured AI exposure portfolios outperformed by 9% |
| Andrea Eisfeldt | Professor, Finance | Generative AI in finance research | "AI and Finance" (NBER w33076, Oct 2024) |
| Avanidhar Subrahmanyam | Dist. Professor, Finance | FinTech, AI in financial services | Research on AI improving commercial bank efficiency |
Research Distinction: Anderson faculty publish in top peer-reviewed journals (Anesthesiology, NPJ Digital Medicine, NBER) with focus on healthcare ML applications and AI's financial market impact. Research demonstrates cross-disciplinary application from clinical decision support to market analysis.
5. Partnerships
| Partner | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Technology | Copilot Enterprise for all students/faculty; featured at Innovate Conference |
| Employer/Research | 4-9 annual hires; guest lectures in MSBA; keynote at Embracing AI Summit | |
| Amazon/AWS | Employer/Infrastructure | 10-19 annual hires (top tier); AWS for MSBA ML training |
| Meta | Employer | Recruiting relationship; alumni in GenAI/GPT roles |
| UCLA Health | Healthcare | Dr. Paul Lukac (MBA '20) is Chief AI Officer; research collaboration |
| UCLA Samueli Engineering | Academic | Break Through Tech AI Program partnership; cross-campus innovation |
6. Programs/Competitions/Clubs
AnderTech (Technology Business Association)
- Embracing AI Summit: Annual flagship event with Google, Meta, VC keynotes; 2025 focus on GenAI in entertainment/media
- Innovate Tech Conference: Co-organized with Easton Center; 2024 theme "AI Innovation in a Tech-Driven World" with Amazon, LinkedIn, Microsoft, OpenAI
Cross-Campus Innovation Challenge - Generative AI Track
- Open to all UCLA students; $15K/$10K/$5K prizes
- 2024 winner: MuralinkAI (personalized interior design)
- Focus: "Foster innovation potential of AI for positive societal impact"
- Annual Easton Center event; 2024 theme "Humans and AI Agents Working Side by Side"
- Speakers from Khan Academy, NVIDIA, education/engineering leaders
Healthcare Analytics Symposium
- Morrison Center event: "AI Is Redefining Healthcare Outcomes by Moving From Silos to Solutions"
- Curriculum includes AI/ML, IoT, cloud computing, data science tracks
7. Competitive Context
Rankings
- MSBA: #2 globally in Business Analytics (QS 2025); co-#1 with MIT (QS 2026)
- MBA: FT Global #19 (US), #14 (Global) in recent rankings
- Career Center: FT ranked #2-#10 (varying years)
Key Strengths
- Proprietary CODE Framework: Unique pedagogy for AI literacy (Craft, Observe, Debug, Explain)
- Los Angeles Advantage: Entertainment/media AI focus; 8.9% internships in entertainment; access to Hollywood studios, gaming, streaming platforms
- STEM-Certified MSBA: Top-ranked globally with extensive LLM and deep learning curriculum
- Cross-Campus Collaboration: Full UCLA ecosystem including Health and Engineering
- AI @ Anderson Initiative: Comprehensive institutional commitment from core to electives
- Product Management Pipeline: 10.5% placement with $156K+ mean salary
- Equity Compensation: 67.5% of tech hires receive stock options (highest of any industry)
- Venture Accelerator: Supporting 31 startups (2025) including multiple AI companies