The aviation industry is entering a new era — one defined by electric propulsion, automation, and a complete rethinking of the passenger experience. As technology advances, leadership must evolve alongside it.
CU Denver has announced the launch of its new Executive MBA in Aviation, a joint initiative between the University of Colorado Denver and Denver International Airport (DEN) — and the first degree of its kind in the world.
“This program is so unique, and it couldn’t be possible to create one like this just anywhere,” says David Chandler, the program’s director. “Its creation is a confluence of circumstances that all came together perfectly. The reason this works is because we had the idea at a university that just happens to be in the same city as the third busiest airport in North America and the sixth busiest airport in the world.”
AN AVIATION ECOSYSTEM
The 18-month hybrid program will launch in January 2026, welcoming students from across the aviation sector — airline executives, airport operators, supply chain specialists, and aviation insurers among them. The goal is to foster cross-sector collaboration and understanding.
“We want people from airports, supply chains — Amazon, FedEx, Boeing — insurance people, caterers, nonprofits, trade unionists,” Chandler says. “If they all come together to understand the world from each other’s point of view, we have a better chance of building an effective ecosystem.”
Aviation MBA students will take two courses per term across eight terms, with each featuring a four-day in-person residency at DEN. “There’s an opportunity for a bigger community to join the program,” Chandler explained. “Students don’t have to figure out how to get downtown — they study at the airport. There’s a hotel, the Westin, right there too.”
The program also includes four residencies, beginning with a trip to Washington, D.C., focused on aviation law and ethics, followed by international visits to airports such as Munich, DEN’s sister hub.
The idea for the program originated with Anthony Graves, a CU Denver professor who previously worked in the mayor’s office and later in innovation at DEN. “He had connections on both sides — city and university — and wanted to build something meaningful between them,” Chandler said. Once CU Denver agreed to co-brand the degree with the airport, the concept gained traction. “When the dean told me about this idea, I said, ‘This is the best idea I’ve heard to come out of the business school since I arrived.’”
INDUSTRY LEADERS TEACHING & SUPPORTING
The program’s mission is to educate thoughtful leaders capable of building sustainable competitive advantage within a thriving aviation ecosystem.
That means going beyond traditional MBA content to include aviation-specific modules on crisis management, airport operations, aviation security, and revenue management. “An organizational training program trains employees to be better company employees,” Chandler said. “Our goal is to train industry leaders. The difference is the perspective.”
To ensure that perspective is grounded in real-world expertise, CU Denver has assembled a powerhouse advisory board that includes Oscar Munoz, former CEO of United Airlines, and Phil Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport. Munoz not only sits on the board but will also teach a course. Other faculty include Donnell Harvey of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and a rotating group of industry veterans. “Some of these people have mountains of expertise,” Chandler said. “We’re still building out the program, but the interest has been strong.”
Through research, Chandler learned that much of the aviation industry thought this degree to be a brilliant idea. “We spoke to 40 or 50 different individuals and organizations to validate the idea,” Chandler said. “Everyone said the same thing—this doesn’t exist, and it needs to exist. They unanimously agreed that it’s been needed for years.”
CURRENTLY ENROLLING STUDENTS
Aviation today is often a siloed industry, Chandler notes, where professionals understand their own roles deeply but lack insight into adjacent functions. “We’re exposing students to other people’s jobs, and to what other people think about their jobs,” he said. “That’s how you build leaders who can navigate the entire ecosystem.”
CU Denver is offering generous scholarships to the inaugural cohort, and applications are now open. “I don’t think there’s another program out there like this,” Chandler said. “There are MBAs in aviation, and MS degrees — but they tend to be focused on undergrads. We haven’t seen anyone focused on training executives.”
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