MasterClass Launches MasterClass Executive, the First AI-Native Business School Experience

Developed with the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and with collaboration from OpenAI to prepare professionals for a world rewritten by AI

Taught by iconic instructors including Ray Dalio, Mark Cuban, Issa Rae, Nobel Laureates, Turing Award winners and other world-class academics

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MasterClass, the personalized learning platform unlocking human potential with the world's best, today launched MasterClass Executive, the first business school experience for the AI era, built with the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and with collaboration from OpenAI.

This selective, cohort-based program leverages AI to deliver personalized education built around the skills this new world actually demands: using AI to learn faster, think more critically, apply AI to financial decisions and growth strategy, and lead teams where AI is a constant collaborator. Combined with the irreplaceably human skills that separate great leaders from great technologists: negotiation, persuasion, and the ability to lead people through relentless change with meaningful results in weeks.

Taught by instructors including Ray Dalio, Mark Cuban, Issa Rae, Gary Vaynerchuk, Indra Nooyi, Paul Krugman, Turing Award winners Alan Kay and Jack Dongarra, and world-class professors from leading higher education institutions, MasterClass Executive turns real work into a meaningful career signal in an evolving and demanding marketplace landscape where the old playbook no longer applies.

The gap is widening fast. New research from MasterClass found that 94% of workers agree workplace requirements evolve faster than educational systems can adapt. One in five believe their current skills will remain relevant for less than two years. And 67% prefer clear career benefits within 12 months.

"AI is rewriting every job, every industry and every career path," said David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass. "MasterClass Executive was built for that reality. Not patched onto an old model but rebuilt entirely from scratch, with OpenAI's technology at its core, Booth's academic precision anchoring its standards, and the people shaping business and technology doing the teaching. This is a business school-like experience reimagined for the AI era."

"This program demonstrates how two ever-present forces, academic excellence and innovation, can coexist," said Madhav Rajan, Dean, University of Chicago Booth School of Business. "Chicago Booth is excited to partner with MasterClass on this innovative new approach that will provide a low-cost online option to learn business skills with high impact."

AI-Native from the Ground Up

MasterClass Executive is not a traditional program with AI bolted on. It was built in collaboration with OpenAI as an AI-native learning system from day one. The program adapts in real time to each participant's pace, role, and performance, functioning as a personal AI tutor that meets every enrollee where they are while maintaining Booth's high academic standards.

The result: consistent with other research, learning outcomes that are more than 60% faster than traditional approaches with the highest learner satisfaction scores across all modalities tested (according to a MasterClass study).

Participants will also engage in live AI labs led by innovators from OpenAI, Weights & Biases, Lovable and ElevenLabs, applying AI to real business challenges, and getting hands-on with the latest tools professionals rely on, walking away with a portfolio of work that employers value.

Validated by the Companies That Are Hiring

Hiring managers are increasingly looking for individuals who have stronger business skills and AI capabilities. MasterClass Executive was designed with employers who helped define the program's performance standards and will actively engage with its alumni. The company partners include Bain & Company, Deloitte, DICK's Sporting Goods and Zoom, as well as leading AI companies.

"This program is exactly what the world needs right now," said Mark Cuban. "When I invest I ask are you focused, are you curious, can you follow through and get the job done? That's what MasterClass Executive is built to show."

A Curriculum Rebuilt for How Business Works Now

MasterClass Executive is structured across nine subjects, including financial intelligence, AI skills and capabilities, modern marketing and growth strategy, and strategic leadership. Every subject reflects today's business reality: current tools, modern challenges, and real-world contexts that evolve with the market, and often beyond academic calendars. Tailored to each participant's role and team, the curriculum is built for immediate application. Participants use AI-powered analysis to surface new revenue opportunities, break down a department's P&L statements, pressure-test growth strategies, and also learn through case studies from leaders behind the world's biggest companies that anchor the work. The program evaluates each participant against explicit performance standards and is designed to produce measurable capability. As part of the program, MasterClass plans to give enrollees the opportunity to earn OpenAI Certifications.

"The leaders who will define the next decade won't be the ones with the longest resumes, they'll be the ones who never stopped learning," said Indra Nooyi. "AI is reshaping every decision and every industry, but it cannot replace judgment, resilience or values. MasterClass Executive combines real-time skills with strategic discipline, giving professionals the tools to lead in a world that won't wait."

Instructors Defining This Era

The program is taught by a combination of world-class leaders and top academics, including Ray Dalio, Issa Rae, Mark Cuban, Indra Nooyi, Tony Robbins, Baroness Dambisa Moyo, Gary Vaynerchuk, Kevin Mayer, Maureen Chiquet, Michael Bungay Stanier, and Paul Krugman, alongside Turing Award winners Alan Kay and Jack Dongarra, Chicago Booth professors Steven Kaplan, Anil Kashyap, Ayelet Fishbach, J.P. Dubé, Alex Imas, Sanjog Misra, and Nicholas Epley, Stanford professors Bob Sutton and Margaret Neale, UCLA professor Hal Hershfield and University of Oxford professor Linda Yueh.

"It took me a lifetime of learning, mostly from making painful mistakes, to found, run, and grow my investment business to be very successful," said Ray Dalio. "At my stage in life, the most important thing I can do is to pass along these lessons as principles that can help others. Being able to do that with MasterClass Executive, using the most advanced technologies that make learning faster and more effective, is a thrill for me."

Enrollment

MasterClass Executive is designed for working professionals ready to elevate their careers, without pausing them or taking on debt.⁽¹⁾ The program offers an optional in-person experience at Chicago Booth's campus. Spots are limited and admission is competitive. The process begins with a screener, followed by a skills-based challenge and a final admissions decision. The fee for the inaugural cohort is $2,500.

To apply and for more information about MasterClass Executive, visit https://www.masterclass.com/executive.

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Credit: Courtesy of MasterClass

About MasterClass:
MasterClass is the personalized learning platform that unlocks human potential with the world's best instructors. A membership provides unlimited access to 200+ instructors and classes in a variety of formats and subjects, including business and leadership, communication, health and wellness, writing and more—available anytime, anywhere, on mobile, tablet, desktop, Apple TV®, Android™TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku®. Learn negotiation from Chris Voss. Build a business with Mark Cuban. Cook with Gordon Ramsay. Write with Shonda Rhimes. Navigate relationships with Esther Perel. Make bold choices with Samuel L. Jackson.

Beyond its core membership, MasterClass offers advanced learning experiences built for the AI era. MasterClass Executive is an AI-native business education experience for working professionals who want to advance their careers, without pausing them or taking on debt. The MasterClass On Call beta enables members to learn from and prepare for their high-stakes conversations through AI-powered feedback, roleplays, and real-time coaching from the world's best, while MasterClass Certificates, developed with leading companies, equip learners with in-demand skills for fast-changing careers. For organizations, MasterClass at Work provides flexible training solutions that build essential skills across all levels of an enterprise.

(1) MasterClass Executive is not an accredited academic program, and does not confer academic credit, a degree, or professional licensure.

Media Contact: 
Tawnya Bear, Masterclass
[email protected]

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SOURCE MasterClass