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California Institute of Advanced Management

About the University


California Institute of Advanced Management (CIAM) is a private nonprofit university located in Southern California, dedicated to teaching responsible, holistic, and compassionate business management principles for the betterment of humanity.

ABOUT US


Peter F. Drucker, Father of Modern Management and architect of Management as a Liberal Art (MLA), believed that leaders in management could “advance the basic beliefs of our society, to contribute to its stability, strength and harmony.”  By teaching MLA principles through high-impact learning exercises, CIAM seeks to empower leaders to make a difference in organizations, communities, and society.

Who We Are


CIAM is a premier high-impact learning university focused on developing students into executive leaders focused on solving social issues and inspiring change through responsible, holistic, and compassionate business management principles for the betterment of humanity.

Our Vision

At the California Institute of Advanced Management, our vision is a world where our graduates promote the public good and serve humanity.


We will transform business education by:

  • Offering educational programs that are accessible.
  • Providing students with real-world experience.
  • Advocating for management as a liberal art to instill a sense of social responsibility in our students.

Guiding Principles

CIAM is committed to four pillars that guide all academic, research, and service efforts within our university and serve as a reference for the strategic planning of university purpose and goals, student proficiencies, and faculty/staff expectations. These pillars are:

  • Academic excellence
  • Peter F. Drucker’s philosophy of management as a liberal art
  • Engagement
  • Growth and development

Our Mission

Building upon the philosophy of Peter F. Drucker, through classroom and online learning, we produce successful, responsible, globally oriented leaders who are rooted in practice.

Core Values

  • Human dignity – We believe all individuals possess unique skills and contributions to the organization; their professional and personal development is important to CIAM.
  • Integrity – We believe integrity is the practice of consistency: doing what one says, performing, and gaining results.
  • Innovation – We believe innovation is a combination of inspiration and hard work. It is welcoming of and open to new and different thinking, recognizing the role of change and improvement for institutional and personal betterment. Innovation can come from any area of CIAM and has to be balanced with continuity.
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion – We embrace diversity and unity as a way to encourage creativity and to serve and strengthen society.
  • Citizenship – We value the willingness to uplift and contribute to one’s society, to live for one’s community, and to practice civility.
  • Empowerment – We believe in equitable participation and contributions to shared goals, autonomy, determination, and proper use of power.

Cultural Statement


At CIAM, we are a team that nurtures a teaching and learning culture that:

  • adapts to change and turns challenges into opportunities.
  • pursues excellence through continuous reflection, innovation, and self-development.
  • believes diversity, equity and inclusion serve the common good.
  • works with our strengths, opportunities, and resources.
  • empowers leaders to achieve results through data-driven decision making.
  • fosters collaboration through honest constructive communication.
  • is accountable to our students and all stakeholders.
  • is determined, dedicated, and driven.

HISTORY OF CIAM


The California Institute of Advanced Management (CIAM) was established to disseminate Peter F. Drucker’s philosophy of management as a liberal art and to offer students real-world, hands-on experience during their MBA program at an affordable tuition. CIAM was founded in 2011 by Dr. William A. Cohen (President Emeritus) and Ms. Jennie Ta (Former President) with the encouragement of philanthropist Mr. Minglo Shao, the principal benefactor of the institution. Mr. Shao has a substantial history of funding educational endeavors and programs and is owner/founder of the Peter F. Drucker Academy of China and Hong Kong, a social enterprise with the mission of keeping Drucker’s management legacy alive.


While many graduate schools only teach theoretical concepts, CIAM prepares students for both the practical and theoretical elements that the world needs today. CIAM offers working students a chance to enroll in innovative hybrid distance education courses that are convenient and affordable.


CIAM incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) in 2011 and received its initial approval with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) in April 2012. Just one year after its founding, CIAM began instruction on July 14, 2012. CIAM received national accreditation in 2015 and distance education accreditation in 2018. Regional accreditation was earned from WSCUC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in 2018. 

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