Wharton
Executive Summary
Wharton established the Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative (WAIAI) in May 2024 and launched an AI for Business major in Fall 2025, described as the first formal AI major among M7 business schools. The school partnered with OpenAI in May 2024 for course development and enterprise licenses. The initiative encompasses 70+ AI/analytics courses, 9+ research centers, and involves 240+ faculty members. Key investments include a $5M Pincus AI Lab (December 2024) and a dedicated Vice Dean position for AI & Analytics.
1. AI Integration into MBA Curriculum
AI for Business Major (Launched Fall 2025)
4 Credit Units (CU) organized around two pillars. 70+ accredited AI/analytics courses across all departments. Program Advisors: Prasanna Tambe (OIDD) and Giles Hooker (STAT).
Required Core
- Applied Machine Learning in Business (STAT 7230) — Technical foundation for AI methods and business applications. Required for all AI majors.
- Big Data, Big Responsibilities: Toward Accountable AI (LGST 6420) — Required ethics course covering AI accountability. Kevin Werbach.
AI Electives
- Data Science for Finance (FNCE 7370) — AI/ML applications in financial analysis.
- FinTech (FNCE 7800) — Technology transformation in financial services.
- Advanced Marketing Analytics (MKTG 7730) — ML-driven marketing insights.
- Data Science for Product Management (OIDD 6530) — Data-driven product decisions.
- Introduction to Deep Learning (OIDD 6550) — Neural network fundamentals.
- Natural Language Processing (OIDD 6620) — NLP techniques for business applications.
- Health AI (HCMG 8580) — AI applications in healthcare.
- Technology Strategy (MGMT 7310) — Strategic implications of AI adoption.
- AI in Our Lives (MKTG 6120) — Behavioral science of autonomous technology. Stefano Puntoni.
- A.I., Business, and Society (OIDD 6670) — Societal implications of AI in business.
2. Career Placement
Class of 2024 Statistics:
- 98%+ job offer rate
- Employment spans 25+ business sectors
- Strong placement in technology, consulting, and finance sectors with significant AI investments
AI-Specific Trends: Career management team provides dedicated support for AI/analytics career paths with connections to Fortune 500 companies and startups seeking AI talent. Student opportunities include Technical Assistant Program (paid), Wharton Analytics Fellows (selective), and Analytics Accelerator projects.
Median Salary/Tech Placement: Specific figures not available in public materials; strong placement in tech sector employers with AI investments reported.
3. Centers and Labs
| Center | Year | Focus | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative (WAIAI) | 2024 | Umbrella organization coordinating 9+ AI research centers | https://ai-analytics.wharton.upenn.edu/ |
| Wharton Human-AI Research (WHAIR) | - | Design, impact, and governance of intelligent systems; 2025 AI Adoption Report | https://ai.wharton.upenn.edu/ |
| Wharton Generative AI Labs (GAIL) | 2024 | Educational applications of generative AI, OpenAI collaboration, AI in Education course | https://gail.wharton.upenn.edu/ |
| Pincus AI Lab for Organizational Innovation | 2024 | AI-powered organizational innovation; $5M gift; "The Board" advisory system | https://gail.wharton.upenn.edu/pincus-ai-lab/ |
| Wharton Accountable AI Lab (WAAL) | 2024 | AI ethics, regulation, governance, bias and fairness | https://ai-analytics.wharton.upenn.edu/wharton-accountable-ai-lab/ |
| Wharton Healthcare Analytics Lab (WHAL) | 2023 | Machine learning for healthcare operations and medical decision-making | https://ai-analytics.wharton.upenn.edu/wharton-healthcare-analytics-lab/ |
| Wharton People Analytics | - | Data-driven HR decisions, Applied Insights Team, annual conference | https://wpa.wharton.upenn.edu/ |
| Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative (WSABI) | - | Analytics and business in sports; High School Data Science Competition | https://wsb.wharton.upenn.edu/ |
| Wharton Causal Data Science Lab | - | Causal inference and experimental design | - |
| Wharton Forensic Analytics Lab | - | Fraud detection and financial forensics | - |
4. Key Faculty in AI/ML
| Faculty | Primary Focus | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Ethan Mollick (Associate Professor, Management) | Effects of AI on work, entrepreneurship, education; generative AI adoption | TIME Magazine's Most Influential People in AI (2024); Faculty Director, GAIL |
| Kartik Hosanagar (John C. Hower Professor) | Impact of AI on consumers/society, algorithmic decision-making, digital economy | Faculty Co-Director, WHAIR |
| Prasanna (Sonny) Tambe (Associate Professor, OIDD) | AI for HR, economics of high-tech labor markets, skills and AI adoption | Faculty Co-Director, WHAIR; AI Major Advisor |
| Stefano Puntoni (Sebastian S. Kresge Professor) | Psychology of AI, human-AI interaction, behavioral science of autonomous technology | Faculty Co-Director, WHAIR |
| Kevin Werbach (Liem Sioe Liong/First Pacific Company Professor) | Legal and ethical aspects of AI, governance, accountability, trust in AI systems | Director, WAAL; teaching ethics since 2016 |
| Hamsa Bastani (Associate Professor, OIDD & Statistics) | ML algorithms for data-driven decision-making, healthcare operations, social good applications | Faculty Co-Lead, WHAL |
| Eric T. Bradlow (K.P. Chao Professor) | Vice Dean of AI & Analytics; Bayesian computation, marketing research, analytics | Overall leader of WAIAI |
| Lilach Mollick (Senior Research Fellow) | Pedagogical strategies for AI in education, generative AI for learning | Co-Director, GAIL |
Research Distinction: Faculty research spans eight cross-cutting themes: AI adoption, future of work, ethics and governance, AI in education, healthcare AI, consumer AI, AI strategy, and algorithmic decision-making. Research supported by AI Research Fund and Education Innovation Fund. Notable outputs include annual AI Adoption Report, TIME recognition for Ethan Mollick, and pioneering research on domain expert skills for AI use.
5. Partnerships
| Partner | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Technology/Education | Announced May 2024; course development collaboration; ChatGPT Enterprise licenses for all MBA students; joint "AI in Education" Coursera course (November 2024) |
| WAIAI Corporate Members | Industry Partnership | Corporate membership program providing exclusive events, research access, talent pipeline, thought leadership opportunities |
| Analytics Accelerator Partners | Project-Based | Semester-long consulting projects with companies (e.g., IKEA January 2025); student teams with faculty mentors |
| Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) | Data Infrastructure | 550+ TB data, 75,000+ users at 530+ institutions globally; Python API for ML research |
6. AI Programs/Competitions/Clubs
Wharton Analytics Fellows: Selective fellowship for real-world consulting on data science problems; build predictive models for corporate partners. Faculty mentors guide applied research.
Wharton Hack-AI-thon: Annual 5-day intensive program (launched 2024); hands-on AI project development; next edition April 2026.
Khan Family AI for Business Award: Monetary awards for teams using innovative AI in business models through Venture Lab Startup Challenge.
Wharton High School Data Science Competition: Annual global competition using basketball analytics; 2-month duration; builds pre-college pipeline.
Wharton AI & Analytics Club (WAIAC): MBA student organization with workshops (Python, SQL, R, Tableau), networking events, career treks, speaker series.
Technical Assistant Program: Paid positions supporting faculty AI research; programming, data analysis, ML skills development.
7. Competitive Context
Rankings/Recognition:
- First M7 business school to offer formal AI major (per Wharton, Fall 2025)
- First business school to partner with OpenAI (May 2024; others have since followed)
- 70+ AI/analytics courses (substantial offering among business schools)
Key Strengths:
- Formal major structure: Structured 4-credit AI major with defined technical and ethics pillars
- Required ethics component: Mandatory 0.5 CU ethics course for all AI majors
- Dedicated leadership: Vice Dean position specifically for AI & Analytics (unique among M7)
- Research infrastructure: 9+ dedicated AI research centers established 2023-2024
- OpenAI partnership: Course development and enterprise licenses
- Two-pillar design: Balances technical skills with ethical/societal implications
- $5M Pincus Lab: Sustained funding for organizational AI innovation
- WRDS platform: Distinctive institutional asset with 550+ TB data for AI/ML research
- Cross-university integration: Leverages Penn Engineering, Medicine, Arts & Sciences resources
- High school outreach: Pipeline development through global data science competition