Executive MBA Programs

Executive MBA Programs

Executive MBA programs represent a valuable option for students with substantial work experience who wish to pursue higher education in business.

In general, Exec MBA programs offer less flexibility in terms of curriculum. For example, the University of Chicago allows PT and FT MBA students a high level of autonomy in the selection and timing of courses. On the other hand, the Executive MBA program at the GSB allows only two electives. However, Penn's Exec program includes a number of electives. Another characteristic of Exec MBA programs is that students can often earn their MBA at a number of campuses. For instance, Penn/Wharton offers its Exec MBA in San Francisco and Philadelphia while Chicago offers its Exec MBA in London,Singapore, and Chicago. Duke offers an especially flexible program in terms of location.

http://gsb.uchicago.edu/execmba/academi ... culum.aspx

http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mbaexecutive/

How does the student body of an Exec MBA program differ from that of a Full Time program?

The students in the Executive programs tend to be older, have more work experience, are more likely to have an advanced degree. Nearly two thirds of students in Wharton's EMBA program are in the 30-39 age range.


A good starting place for investigating Executive MBA programs is the Executive MBA Council

http://www.embaresearch.org/cgi-mr/search.pl

Comparing Executive MBA programs and other MBA programs

Executive MBAs offer two major advantages over Full Time programs. One, the student can remain fully employed while in school. Two, Exec MBA programs are often given in far more convenient locations relative to major metro areas than FT programs are. For example, Cornell's EMBA courses are given in the New York metro area instead of in Ithaca. Penn State offers its EMBA courses near Philadelphia instead of the main campus.

Executive MBAs and Part Time Programs share some characteristics in common. Indeed, to some extent the definitions of Exec MBAs and PT MBAs overlap (note how Texas-Austin includes its Evening MBA under the heading of "Executive Education"). PT and Exec programs are both intended for fully employed students. However, PT programs often take longer to finish than their EMBA counterparts. Further, Exec programs often provide fewer curriculum options. Executive MBA programs tend to be more concentrated than PT Programs (Exec students are expected to be physically present every few weeks rather than every week but Exec students stay a few days rather than just one day or for the duration of the class).

Executive MBA programs tend to be more expensive than their "traditional" counterparts (see the link to Wharton below).

Penn/Wharton provides the following comparison:

http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mbaexecuti ... osing.html

Rochester's comparison:

http://www.simon.rochester.edu/programs/faqs_exe.aspx

UC Berkeley's comparison (features the Berkeley-Columbia Exec MBA)

http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/theberkele ... pared.html

Admissions Requirements

Executive MBA programs are often more flexible in terms of their academic admissions requirements. For instance, many schools do not require the GMAT for Exec MBA students. Other schools are willing to waive the undergraduate degree requirement for Exec students.

Nonetheless, many programs still require that all candidates hold an undergraduate degree and submit a GMAT score. Other schools waive GMAT requirement for students who already hold a professional degree or Phd.

Penn State (waiver of GMAT for 12 years of work experience)
http://www.smeal.psu.edu/execmba/admit.html

Michigan State (waiver for professional degree)
http://www.bus.msu.edu/emba/qanda.cfm#24

A common requirement is written permission from the employer to attend class on working days.

Work Experience Requirements

LBS has a minimum of four years managerial experience with an average number of years of work experience of nine to ten years.

http://www.london.edu/emba/programmes768.html

UCLA
"The EMBA program is a full degree program. It is geared to working professionals with an average of 10+ years of work experience and five to seven years of management experience."
http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x459.xml

University of Georgia
Average: 14.5 years work experience; 6 years management experience

Yale
"Applicants should have at least seven years of professional work experience in healthcare."
http://mba.yale.edu/mba-e/emba_admissions.shtml

Duration and Course Format

Executive MBA programs are typically about 19-23 months long. Exec MBA programs are designed so that students are fully employed while enrolled in the program.

A typical format provides courses every other weekend. At the start of each term there is typically a week "in residence" for all students. In constrast with many full time programs, executive programs are generally "lock step" programs with the students in a given cohort taking the same classes in the same order.


http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/academic ... culum.html

thanks for info.

There isn’t a lot of information about EMBA options in the Washington D.C. area so I thought it would be helpful for prospective students:

Georgetown University: http://msb.georgetown.edu/mbaep/
$90,000
The program cohort meets Friday and Saturday on alternate weekends on Georgetown's campus in Washington, DC. Two international and two domestic residencies augment the program.

University of Maryland: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/emba/
$98,500
The Executive MBA is completed in 19 months (versus 28 to 36 for the evening or weekend MBA programs). Participants will receive comprehensive administrative support from executive education staff.

University of Virginia: http://www.darden.virginia.edu/html/lan ... prog=mbaex
$115,000
Attend Class at Darden Approximately Once a Month
Classes meet about once per month in Charlottesville for three days (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). Spread throughout the 21-month program, there are also four one-week Leadership Residencies. Three of these occur in Charlottesville and one is international. Between Classes: In addition to face-to-face classes, you participate in distance learning sessions and virtual learning team meetings. Distance learning sessions are also available to students for downloading and team meetings are scheduled at your team's convenience.

Cornell-Queen's: http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/academic ... index.html
$103,000
Residential Sessions – The program includes three themed residential sessions. During each session, participants spend time at both Cornell and Queen's.
The program begins with a two-week Opening Session that includes the delivery of core courses, technology training, and workshops designed to aid in the establishment of high-performance learning teams. Approximately six months into the program, participants return to the two school campuses to take part in the Business Venturing Session. The primary focus of the session is the study of topics and issues related to the management of new ventures. One year into the program, participants explore global issues during the Global Business Session. Interactive Boardroom Sessions – Program participants within one city are organized into Boardroom Learning Teams which are comprised of five to nine individuals. Each team is assigned to a boardroom location in its home city. During the boardroom sessions, multi-point interactive videoconferencing links the Boardroom Learning Teams and faculty in locations across North America. These boardroom sessions are normally held on three consecutive Saturdays per month, with the fourth Saturday off.

North Carolina: http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/progra ... /index.cfm
$96,000
Once-a-month UNC classes held near D.C. UNC’s OneMBA classes are held once a month on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for 21 months. Most classes are held at Lansdowne Conference Center near Washington D.C. and Dulles International Airport. OneMBA Global MBA Program: The GMAT is optional. We recommend taking the test if your academic records do not show strong quantitative skills. Your partner can join you Saturday evening through Sunday for special partner activities and social events. Beginning in October, once-a-month classes will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday classes start at 9:30, so most students fly or drive in Friday morning. Sunday classes end at 3:00, so you will travel home that evening. In addition to classes, most students spend 12-20 hours a week on individual study or team meetings.

Cranfield (UK) offers a great EMBA Program. I really like Cranfield as a UK Business School. Didn't do my MBA there but have been on some management courses that were quite impressive:

Executive MBA

33rd in the World
4th in the UK
3rd for top salaries today in the UK
9th for top salaries today in Europe

The executive program has the option of being part-time or modular.

The Columbia Business School offers a good EMBA Program. Good review on Global MBA Report website

Great article from Stacey Blackman on executive MBAs.
If you have more than ten years of work experience, extensive career advancement and managerial experience, an Executive MBA may be a great choice. Full time MBA programs are typically seeking candidates who are early enough in their careers to benefit from the boost an MBA degree may provide, and are wary of candidates who may not fit squarely into the full-time MBA recruiting stream. If you are interested in remaining with your job, have their support to pursue an MBA and are ready to seek your education, an EMBA degree may be the perfect path for you. EMBA students are exceptionally happy with their decision to pursue education, and it typically seems to result in better salary and career opportunity.

Starting the research for your EMBA journey is similar to the path of any full time applicant. Thinking first about your career goals and how an EMBA is going to accelerate your growth is key. Next you will want to research programs (businessweek has a great set of school rankings and profiles). Finally, you will want to start strategizing about your application process.

Similar to full time programs, EMBA admissions committees are interested in the fit between you, the candidate, and the program. For more detail on the admissions committee viewpoint, see these posts from the Wharton and INSEAD adcomm. There is a combination of criteria that schools typically look at for business school applicants – from GMAT and GPA to resume and recommendations. The essays are the area you have the most control over, and you should devote considerable time to pulling together solid written materials.

There are a few differences between the weight placed on the various factors between a full time program and an EMBA program. Your history of advancement at work and your perception as a high potential employee are far more important to your EMBA admission prospects than your GMAT score or GPA. Since MBA programs are meant to assist you in real world situations, your skills as a manager are far more directly applicable to an EMBA than your skills in math. While you will still have to demonstrate your ability to understand quantitative disciplines like finance and accounting to gain admission to very selective EMBA programs, there is much more latitude for EMBA applicants in the academic area.

EMBA programs are interested in knowing who you are, and what your potential is. The admissions committee will expect maturity and introspection in a senior level candidate, and will want to understand your own personal business case. What do you see accomplishing with the EMBA degree? As you approach your essays, be as specific as possible. Your strategic thinking abilities have resulted in career success – apply those skills to explaining why an EMBA is the next step for you.

http://www.stacyblackman.com/2010/03/23 ... utive-mba/

So, does that mean if one has more than 10 years of work experience but no managerial experience he/she won't qualify for an executive MBA?

Not at all. Your work experience and your potential for continued responsibility will be key factors with each school.