UT Austin McCombs
Executive Summary
UT Austin McCombs operates the Center for Analytics and Transformative Technologies (CATT) and benefits from UT's $20M NSF AI Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning (renewed 2025). Full-Time MBA ranks #16 nationally; MIS undergraduate program ranks #5 (U.S. News 2024). Tech sector placement grew 7 percentage points to 22% in 2024.
1. AI Integration
Full-Time MBA Program
20+ concentrations including technology and analytics pathways. 60% of faculty integrated AI tools into Fall 2024 courses.
AI Electives
- Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning — Core AI/ML concepts for business.
- Data Analytics with Data Mining (MIS 383N.9) — Advanced data analysis techniques.
- Managing Innovation in a Global Company (MIS 383N.13) — Technology-driven innovation.
- Strategies for Digital Transformation — AI-enabled organizational change.
Specialized Master's Programs
MS in Information Technology & Management (MSITM) — 10-month program combining AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. Covers AI model design/deployment, generative AI foundations, ML design patterns, computer vision, predictive analytics. Interdisciplinary with Cockrell School of Engineering.
MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) — Applied statistics, data mining, machine learning, optimization. Corporate capstone program with elective tracks in Marketing Analytics, Supply Chain Analytics, Financial Analytics, and FinTech.
2. Career Placement
Class of 2024 Outcomes:
- Technology: 22% of graduates (7-point increase from previous year)
- Consulting: 30% of graduates
- 86% employment rate within 3 months
- Average starting salary: $151,178 with $31,003 signing bonus
- 78% secured positions through school-facilitated resources
Career services reports working with 1,000+ employers. School administration emphasizes students are "well equipped to use AI" with tech firms expecting AI literacy. 60% of faculty integrated AI tools into Fall 2024 courses.
3. Centers/Labs
| Center | Year | Focus | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Analytics and Transformative Technologies (CATT) | Established | Cross-disciplinary research, teaching, and industry partnerships; hosts annual Global Analytics Summit (2025: "Agentic AI"), MSBA capstone program | https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/centers-initiatives/catt/ |
| Machine Learning Laboratory (UT-level) | 2020 | $5M gift from tech entrepreneurs; houses Center for Generative AI focusing on biosciences, computer vision, NLP; GPU cluster infrastructure | https://ml.utexas.edu/ |
| NSF AI Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning (UT-level) | 2020 | $20M NSF funding (renewed 2025); one of five nationwide to receive renewal; cross-campus collaboration including McCombs faculty | https://ai.utexas.edu/ |
| Translational AI Initiative (UT-level) | Established | Led by Maytal Saar-Tsechansky; catalyzes AI systems' positive impact and mitigates potential harms | https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-directory/maytal-saar-tsechansky/ |
4. Key Faculty
| Faculty | Primary Focus | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Maytal Saar-Tsechansky (Mary John and Ralph Spence Centennial Professor, IROM) | Use-inspired AI/ML, human-AI collaboration, responsible AI, healthcare applications | Leads UT Translational AI initiative; academic board member of ML Lab; former Chief Data Science Officer; 5,762 citations; developed ML/AI courses for MBA students |
| Deepayan Chakrabarti (Associate Professor, IROM) | Machine learning, graph mining, robust optimization, big data, network analysis | Amazon Scholar (2022-present); former Yahoo! Research and Facebook; 13,528+ citations |
| Constantine Caramanis (Professor, ECE; cross-appointed McCombs) | Optimization, statistics, machine learning, networks | Teaches ML/AI in MBA programs; 14,595 citations; revamped Data Science Lab course (2025) |
| Wen Wen (Associate Professor, IROM) | IT innovation, digital platforms, AI, future of work, human-AI collaboration | Won Information Systems Society Cluster Best Paper (2024); research on AI feedback for workers |
| Michael Sury (Managing Director, CATT; Senior Lecturer, Finance) | ML and AI for business graduate/executive programs | Leads CATT operations and industry partnerships |
Research Distinction: Faculty research spans practical applications (Type II diabetes prevention, expert decision-making evaluation, earnings call analysis) and foundational work (explainable AI, human-AI collaboration, responsible AI). IROM department houses Ph.D. program with AI/ML specialization. 60% of faculty adopted AI tools in teaching (Fall 2024).
5. Partnerships
| Partner | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| TransUnion | Corporate (2022-present) | Three-year embedded partnership with CATT; multi-year financial gift; focus on financial data privacy/transparency; students access joint research projects and real-world data; EVP serves as executive-in-residence |
| Great Learning | Education Provider | Delivers post-graduate certificate programs: AI & ML Business Applications (7 months), Generative AI for Business (14 weeks), Data Science with GenAI, Cloud Computing with GenAI, AI Agents for Business |
| Ziplines Education | Education Provider | Skills-based certificates: AI Prompting (5 weeks), AI Automation (5 weeks); focus on no-code tools |
| USAA | Corporate | CATT research partner; analytics collaboration |
| AWS | Technology | Cloud computing curriculum with AWS certifications (Cloud Practitioner, Solutions Architect Associate) |
| Multiple Corporate Sponsors | Various | MSBA capstone project sponsors; 1,000+ employer recruiting network |
6. Programs/Competitions/Clubs
Student Organizations:
- MBA Tech Club: Educational, career, and networking opportunities in high-tech sector
- Consulting Club, Data Analytics groups, Innovation/entrepreneurship clubs
Competitions & Events:
- Annual Global Analytics Summit: 2025 theme "Agentic AI: From Research to Real-World Impact" (Nov 13-14)
- MSBA Capstone Competition: Real-world analytics projects with corporate sponsors; showcase to industry
- Annual Business Outlook Series: 2025 included "AI Impact" focus; events in Dallas, Houston, Austin
- Texas Venture Labs: Startup Fellows program; 2024-25 cohort includes AI-focused ventures
Experiential Learning:
- Fellows Programs with technology sector deep dives
- CATT research projects with faculty
- Undergraduate research programs in IROM
7. Competitive Context
Rankings:
- Full-Time MBA: #16 nationally (U.S. News 2025; Poets & Quants Dec 2024)
- Executive MBA: #8 (Poets & Quants Nov 2024), #15 (U.S. News)
- Part-Time MBA: #6 nationally (U.S. News 2025)
- Undergraduate BBA: #6 nationally, #3 among public schools (U.S. News 2024)
- MIS Major: #5 nationally (U.S. News 2024)
Key Competitive Strengths:
- University-wide AI infrastructure ($20M NSF Institute + $5M ML Lab) exceeding typical business school resources
- Multi-year corporate partnerships with sustained student access to real-world data (TransUnion model)
- Translational AI focus bridging research and practical applications
- Strong tech sector placement growth (22%, +7 points YoY)
- Comprehensive program portfolio from undergraduate through executive education
- Faculty with substantial industry experience and research impact (5,762-14,595 citations)
- "Year of AI" (2024) university initiative creating new AI faculty positions across campus including McCombs