Welcome, Lake Forest Graduate School of Management Students.

Excelsior University is committed to supporting you to successfully complete your MBA program. We are offering Lake Forest Graduate School of Management students who wish to transfer to Excelsior University the ability to continue their studies efficiently. We are prepared to support you during this transition with options that best fit your needs and will work with you to minimize any disruption you are experiencing.

If you decide to transfer to Excelsior University, you will be welcomed into an accredited, not-for-profit higher education institution that values you and your experience and offers support and resources dedicated to your success. We invite you to learn more about Excelsior and our online MBA program.

excelsior university logo next to lakeforest graduate school logo

Welcome from Executive Dean Scott Dolan


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Hi, I’m Scott Dolan, executive dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Excelsior University.

First, I want to speak directly to you as students of the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. I’ve had the privilege of working with Lake Forest faculty and engaging with your courses, and I know how much care and expertise they bring to your education, and our goal at Excelsior is to build on that foundation, not replace it.

You’ve invested a lot of time, energy, and heart into your degree. You chose Lake Forest because you wanted a personal, high-quality practice-focused education, and that matters to you, and it matters to us.

We are honored that Lake Forest chose Excelsior as its preferred transfer partner.

But where you continue your education is up to you. If you decide to join us at Excelsior, our goal is simple: to give you a smooth path to finishing what you started without losing what you value most.

And that means a seamless transition to complete your degree, in many cases, more quickly and affordably than you had anticipated when you enrolled at Lake Forest, keeping you on track toward graduation with a clear mapped-out plan so you don’t lose momentum.

Recognizing your hard work, we’ll transfer your previous coursework and credit so your effort counts and learning from a practitioner-based faculty, instructors with real-world experience who connect what you’ve learned in class to what actually happens in the field. Through offering a flexible and high-quality online education without losing connection with synchronous options designed for working adults and faculty who know you’re balancing school, career, and life.

And we’ll have intentional 1-to-1 support. Advisors and faculty will personally work with you to meet your goals to the finish line.

And, most of all, we want you to feel that you’re not starting over.

You’re continuing forward with a partner that respects where you’ve been and is committed to where you want to go. So, if you’re looking for a place that will honor your Lake Forest experience and help you cross the finish line with confidence, we’d be proud to be that partner, and we’d love to have you with us at Excelsior University.

FAQs

Yes. All credit you’ve earned with Lake Forest Graduate School of Management will transfer to Excelsior University when you commit to enrolling with Excelsior for your degree by Friday, January 1, 2027. LFGSM core courses have been mapped to Excelsior core courses, and selected LFGSM elective courses have been mapped to Excelsior core courses in which content overlaps.
Excelsior will accept all credit you’ve earned with Lake Forest Graduate School of Management into our MBA program. You will receive a personalized degree plan from your academic advisor at Excelsior that will show you what courses you need to take to complete degree requirements.
Excelsior’s MBA courses are delivered fully online and feature a mix of synchronous sessions and asynchronous course work. The core courses have synchronous sessions, and the asynchronous courses give you flexibility to do coursework at the time and place that works best for you.
Excelsior’s academic calendar includes three trimesters consisting of two eight-week terms.
Excelsior’s MBA program requires 30 credits, so it’s shorter than the LFGSM program. Excelsior’s program offers 14 concentrations.
Yes. The School of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Excelsior University received specialized accreditation for its business programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). Excelsior University is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
The tuition rate for the MBA program is $715 per credit. The courses are 3 credits. The all-inclusive tuition rate covers the use of student services, technology, and the processing of student records for degree conferral. This rate does not include course materials. The MBA core courses are Zero Textbook Cost, and some concentrations have courses with Zero Textbook Cost.
Excelsior University is working with Lake Forest Graduate School of Management to develop systems so that transferring students do not see tuition costs rise.
Note also that Excelsior’s program is shorter, so overall costs to complete the program may be less. Your academic advisor can provide you with more details when you connect.
Students are encouraged to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and use Excelsior’s code: 014251.
Lake Forest Graduate School of Management students transferring to Excelsior are guaranteed admission. Your transition advisor will provide you with a transfer student form to complete.
No. With your approval, Lake Forest Graduate School of Management will send your transcript to Excelsior.
Excelsior has eight-week terms, so courses start every eight weeks. Depending on your preferences, you can take one or more courses each term. You will be guaranteed a seat in the required courses so you are not delayed in earning your degree.
A LFGSM staff member will help you arrange a meeting with Michael Moran, the dedicated transition advisor at Excelsior who will be your point of contact throughout the transfer process. He will help you map your path to degree completion — including credit evaluation, and course planning — and connect you to staff members in financial aid, student accounts, career advising, and other student services.
Information sessions about Excelsior’s MBA program will be held beginning in January 2026.
You will be assigned a dedicated transition advisor who will help you map your path to degree completion — including credit evaluation, career advising, and course planning.
Excelsior hosts orientation for new students before the start of each trimester. New students receive an invitation to attend the session, which is held via Zoom. The new student orientation gives an overview of how online courses work, student financial services, what to expect from your academic advisor, and student resources and support.
LFGSM and Excelsior have entered into what is known as a teach out agreement, which is a type of agreement required by regulators and accreditors that supports students in completing their degrees without significant disruption when their school is closing. While the agreement between LFGSM and Excelsior remains subject to approval, Excelsior is extending the opportunity to transfer as soon as December 10, 2025, under the same terms contemplated by the agreement while it is under accreditor review.
Your LFGSM advisor will introduce you to your dedicated transition advisor at Excelsior.