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Today, the UTEP Master of Business Administration (MBA) is internationally ranked and recognized for innovation and the success of its graduates.  What began as a small program in 1973 has grown to embrace a variety of formats tailored to meet the needs of full-time students and working professionals in the Paso del Norte region.

Our History

Early Years

When it was established in 1967, the Woody L. Hunt College of Business awarded only a bachelor of business administration degree. The Woody L. Hunt College of Business received approval to create the MBA degree on April 13, 1973, and launched the program in Fall 1973 with five evening courses. The Woody L. Hunt College of Business dean at the time, Dr. John Marvin Richards, explained in an El Paso Herald-Post article that MBA courses would be offered in the evenings in order to make it possible for both part-time and full-time students to make progress toward completion of the MBA degree. One hundred students enrolled that first semester and in 1974 the first four MBA degrees were conferred. Two years later, the annual total had risen to 25, including the first three women recipients. From 1973 to 1982, courses were taught in the Liberal Arts Building.

In 1983, the Woody L. Hunt College of Business moved into a new 80,000 sq. ft. building. Over the next five years, the Woody L. Hunt College of Business revised curricula, established new admission and retention standards, and hired 33 new faculty and professional staff-all of which contributed to the accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business for all undergraduate and graduate programs in May 1989. 

From Accreditation to International Recognition

The UTEP MBA entered the new millennium with non-traditional methods of delivery for MBA coursework. Beginning in the late 1990s, under the leadership of then the Woody L. Hunt College of Business dean, Dr. Frank Hoy, the UTEP MBA went into online and off-campus environments.

The first non-traditional engagement occurred in 1998 when the University of Texas System’s Telecampus created a consortium of eight UT colleges of business to jointly offer an “Online MBA.” The UTEP MBA managed 20 to 30 online students at a time during its involvement between 1999 and 2005. 

The UTEP MBA also began a partnership with The Boeing Company to offer a pilot Accelerated MBA (AMBA) at Boeing’s El Paso manufacturing facility.  The AMBA was structured as a cohort-style format that consisted of 6-week courses offered in lockstep.  Starting in 1999, the UTEP AMBA offered two tracks on-site for Boeing employees - one for students with BBAs and another for students from other academic fields.  The venture proved so successful that the Woody L. Hunt College of Business partnered with JP Morgan Chase Bank to offer a new AMBA to the public in the bank’s downtown conference room. 

In 2005, when Dean Robert Nachtmann assumed leadership of the Woody L. Hunt College of Business, he quickly moved to update the MBA curriculum and hire professional dedicated staff in order to grow the MBA program.  UTEP “re-launched” the AMBA program in fall 2007 with two large cohorts hosted in part by the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and Wells Fargo Bank. In fall 2008, another large AMBA cohort was launched through a hosting partnership with GECU.   

Nachtmann responded to the increasing demand for MBA alternatives by proposing new executive and full-time MBA formats. In spring 2010, the Woody L. Hunt College of Business celebrated the grand opening of a 12,000 sq. ft. facility in the Chase Building downtown that featured three classrooms, student collaboration areas, and administrative offices. In January 2010, the EMBA began in an 18-month cohort format designed to serve business and non-profit leaders with at least 8 years of managerial experience. The FTMBA was launched in fall 2010 as a 22-month day-time format intended to serve full-time students interested in participating in co-curricular activities including language workshops in business-related Chinese and Spanish as well as corporate engagement projects. The UTEP MBA exceeded growth projections for the UTEP GBC within the first full year of operations.   By spring 2011, The UTEP GBC was home to four AMBA cohorts, two EMBA cohorts and a FTMBA cohort. 

In 2008, the UTEP MBA received its first national ranking, placing 6th in Hispanic Business magazine’s “Best Business Schools” top 10 list. In 2009, the program moved into 2nd place. From 2010 through 2014, the program received the #1 ranking. 

Launched in 2009, the International Faculty-Led Program has become a transformative experience for MBA students. Over 452 students have participated, gaining invaluable exposure to diverse business environments and cultures through classes offered in 10 countries covering Europe, Asia, and South America.

 In 2014, thanks to a generous $10 million gift from Mike Loya, the Woody L. Hunt College of Business and College of Engineering collaborated to launch the BS/MBA fast-track program. This innovative program was designed for undergraduate students majoring in computer science, electrical engineering, or industrial, manufacturing, and systems engineering. It allows high-achieving students to begin taking master's-level courses while still completing their bachelor's degree, accelerating their path to a combined business and engineering degree. This accelerated path prepares graduates for exciting careers at the intersection of business and technology.

UTEP's MBA program demonstrated resilience during the early 2020s. By rapidly shifting to online delivery and potentially incorporating other creative solutions, the program ensured students could continue their studies and stay engaged despite the challenges of the pandemic.

The UTEP Woody L. Hunt College of Business Administration launched a new online MBA program in Fall 2023. At the same time, the MBA program – Executive, Professional, and the newly introduced Online – were restructured to focus on 10 core classes, ensuring students gain a strong foundation in essential business areas. This streamlined curriculum allows for faster completion, with students now able to achieve their MBA in just 15 months. 

The year 2023 ended with a record-breaking number of MBA graduates. A total of 121 students from the Executive and Professional MBA programs received their degrees, marking a significant milestone for the program.

The UTEP MBA has also received the following accolades:

• “Best of the Best MBA Schools” by Professional Woman’s Magazine, Hispanic Network Magazine and Black EOE Journal
• Named the “Example of Excelencia” for graduate programs by Excelencia in Education, a Washington D.C. non-profit dedicated to identifying best practices in Latino/a educational attainment
• Awarded the “Vision of Excellence” by the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Selected by The Public Relations Society of America to participate in a groundbreaking pilot program focused on strategic communication and reputation management education provided to MBAs.

Today the UTEP MBA provides a dynamic graduate business education to over 225 students from all over the world. By offering a menu of flexible schedules and class formats in a state-of-the-art downtown facility, the UTEP MBA continues to meet the needs of full-time students and working professionals from industries ranging from healthcare, engineering, education, to cross-border business.