UC Berkeley Haas
Executive Summary
UC Berkeley Haas launched an AI for Business Certificate in Fall 2025 for all MBA programs (Full-time, Evening & Weekend, Executive MBA). The certificate requires one anchor course plus 6 additional units from 30+ AI courses across four pillars: technology, management, strategy, and impact, taught by 25+ faculty members. The flagship Business for AI anchor course launches Spring 2026.
Haas benefits from proximity to Silicon Valley and integration with UC Berkeley's Berkeley AI Research Lab (BAIR), Responsible AI Initiative, and campus-wide AI infrastructure. The student-led Tech & AI Summit attracted 300+ attendees in 2025.
1. AI Integration into MBA Curriculum
AI for Business Certificate (Launched Fall 2025)
Anchor course (Business for AI, Spring 2026) + 6 units from 30+ approved courses across four pillars: Technology, Management, Strategy, and Impact. 25+ faculty from all Haas academic groups. Available to Full-time, Evening & Weekend, and Executive MBA students.
Core Curriculum
- Data and Decisions — Statistical analysis and critical thinking with data.
- Operations — Technology and AI applications.
AI Electives
- The Business of AI (MBA267) — AI fundamentals for business applications. Zsolt Katona.
- Harnessing AI for Business Success — AI applications in marketing/finance/operations, AI strategy, product roadmap decisions, ethical considerations. Roopesh Varier.
- AI for Business Leaders (EW295T) — Business applications of GenAI and LLMs. Intensive 1-week format.
- SQL Programming (EW290T) — Database programming skills.
- Data Science Applications for Finance and Accounting (EW296) — AI/ML in financial analysis.
- Introduction to Coding for MBAs (EW296C) — Programming fundamentals.
- Product Management (MBA290T) — Includes AI applications.
Certificate in Business Analytics
Coordinated through Fisher Center for Business Analytics. Cross-campus AI learning available through UC Berkeley College of Engineering.
2. Career Placement
Employment Statistics (Class of 2024)
- Technology Sector: 24% of graduates (down from previous #1 position)
- Mean Base Salary (Tech): $154,000 (excludes significant stock compensation)
- Overall Average Base Salary: $159,412
- Sign-on Bonus: 72% received; Equity: 32% received
- Top Industries: Consulting (25%), Technology (24%)
- Startup Placement: 14% (up from 12.7% in 2023)
- School-Facilitated Placements: 69.7% (including 40.4% internship conversions)
Top Tech/AI Employers (3+ hires): Amazon, Apple, AWS, Cisco, Google, Microsoft, PayPal, Salesforce, Tesla, TikTok, C3 AI, Scale AI, Nvidia, OpenAI
3. Centers and Labs
| Center | Year | Focus | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fisher Center for Business Analytics | Est. | Advance business value from data science; hosts Berkeley Business Analytics & AI Summit and World Business Analytics Awards | https://fcba.berkeley.edu/ |
| Responsible AI Initiative | 2025 | Drive research, innovation, collaboration for responsible and equitable AI; developed "Responsible Generative AI Use" playbook | https://re-ai.berkeley.edu/ |
| Berkeley AI Research Lab (BAIR) | Est. | 50+ faculty, 300+ graduate students; professional faculty appointments and research collaborations with Haas | https://bair.berkeley.edu/ |
| Berkeley Economy & Society Initiative (BESI) - Technology Cluster | Est. | Research on political, economic, social dimensions of AI and technology | https://besi.berkeley.edu/research/technology/ |
| Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator | 2012 | Joint venture between Haas and College of Engineering; $85M fund, $200K per startup, ~20 startups/6 months; UC Berkeley ranked #1 globally for producing venture-backed startups (PitchBook 2025) | https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/ |
4. Key Faculty in AI/ML
| Faculty | Primary Focus | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Zsolt Katona (Professor) | AI in marketing, online strategy, social media, business analytics | Faculty Director of Fisher Center; teaches The Business of AI; research on glass box ML, contextual advertising |
| Ali Kakhbod (Assistant Professor) | Financial economics, ML, information frictions, big data | PhD in EECS (Michigan) and Economics (MIT); teaches MBA 230P/230ZA/230ZB (ML for Finance series) |
| Genevieve Smith (Professional Faculty) | Responsible and equitable AI, AI ethics, AI policy | Founding Director of Responsible AI Initiative (BAIR); PhD Oxford; developed responsible Gen AI playbook |
| Park Sinchaisri (Assistant Professor) | Operations management, economics, ML, behavioral sciences | Research on how humans learn/make decisions with ML applications |
| Roopesh Varier (Lecturer) | Practical AI applications, AI strategy | MBA 09, veteran data leader; teaches Harnessing AI for Business Success |
Faculty Research Distinction: Haas has 25+ faculty teaching in the AI Certificate program across all business disciplines (Economics, Finance, Operations, Marketing, Management, Strategy). Cross-campus collaboration with UC Berkeley College of Engineering faculty for executive education. UC Berkeley ranked #2 in computer science (tied with Carnegie Mellon and Stanford) and #1 in data science (2026 U.S. News).
5. Partnerships
| Partner | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Partner | Official corporate partner with recruiting and program collaboration | |
| Microsoft | Corporate Partner | Official corporate partner with recruiting and program collaboration |
| HP Enterprise | Corporate Partner | Official corporate partner |
| Deloitte | Corporate Partner | Official corporate partner |
| Berkeley SkyDeck | Accelerator | Joint venture; connects Haas MBAs with AI startups; hundreds available for startup roles |
| UC LAUNCH | Accelerator | Founded 1999; leading Bay Area event; AI innovation dominated 2025 Demo Day with 3 Haas teams placing |
| BAIR Lab | Research | 50+ faculty, 300+ grad students; professional faculty appointments, guest speakers, research collaborations |
| Innovative Genomics Institute | Research | Cross-campus collaboration on AI applications in genomics and life sciences |
6. AI Programs/Competitions/Clubs
Haas AI Club
- 277 members (2025); mission to make AI inclusive for all backgrounds
- Activities: AI Learning Series workshops, professional networking, speaker series
- Co-hosts Tech & AI Summit
2025 Haas Tech & AI Summit
- Date: November 14-15, 2025 | Attendance: 300+ students, alumni, industry professionals
- Format: 2-day in-person conference with panels, fireside chats, keynotes, hands-on workshops, social mixers
- Topics: How AI is redefining business across industries
B-School Disrupt 2025: AI Unlocked
- Inter-school competition with Berkeley Haas, Harvard Business School, Harvard Innovation Labs, INSEAD
- October 28, 2025; focus on AI innovation from founder/investor perspectives
Berkeley World Business Analytics Awards
- Organized by Fisher Center; recognizes ethical, impactful, innovative data-driven projects including AI applications
Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Program
- Many AI startups supported; Faculty Director: Professor Toby Stuart (expert on AI and VC trends)
- Student programs include competitions, clubs, accelerators with AI emphasis
7. Competitive Context
Rankings:
- Global MBA: #15 globally, #8 among U.S. schools (FT 2025)
- Evening & Weekend MBA: Tied #1 (U.S. News 2025)
- Full-time MBA: #11 overall, #1 among public universities (U.S. News)
- Computer Science: #2 (tied with Carnegie Mellon and Stanford) (U.S. News 2026)
- Data Science: #1 (U.S. News 2026)
- Startup Production: #1 globally for venture-backed startups from undergraduate alumni (PitchBook 2025)
Key Competitive Strengths:
- Geographic proximity to Silicon Valley (shared with Stanford GSB)
- Strong ties to BAIR Lab and UC Berkeley's AI research infrastructure
- Business-oriented AI education (not purely technical)
- 25+ faculty with AI/ML expertise across all business disciplines
- Responsible AI emphasis through dedicated initiative
- Active AI student community with flagship summit
- SkyDeck and LAUNCH provide pathways to AI entrepreneurship
- New AI Certificate provides employer signal of AI competency
- Cross-disciplinary integration across marketing, finance, operations, strategy
8. Sources
Official Haas:
Research Centers:
Student Organizations: