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The Executive MBA
What is an Executive MBA prorgamme?
Executive MBA Programs are developed to meet the educational needs of managers, executives, and other business leaders. They allow professionals to earn an MBA or another business-related graduate degree in two years or less while continuing to work full time. Students enter the program, complete classes, and graduate with the same group of students.
An Executive MBA programme provides an opportunity for experiences professionals to obtain a master’s degree in Business Administration on a schedule that minimises disruption of work and personal pursuits. Such programmes include a cohort class structure that offers a lockstep, planned curriculum in an executive setting. In other words, members of each class begin the programme at the same point, move through the curriculum together, and typically complete the degree requirements for graduation as a group. Executive MBA (EMBA) students are required to complete their degrees in two years or less. During that period, they gain a wide range of new skills and sharpen their analytical abilities by combining coursework with day-to-day professional experience.
A unique aspect of an EMBA programme is the collective professional experience of its participants, which greatly enriches the educational environment. A team approach is often used to allow for the sharing of diverse perspectives on various topics; this interaction results in a challenging, stimulating learning experience that provides for maximum return on time and resources invested. EMBA students possess several years of significant, post-baccalaureate career experience. Most students are sponsored both financially and through release time by their employing organisations, and all continue to work full-time while enrolled in the programme. To ensure optimum benefits to participants and the sponsoring organisations, class size and class structure facilitate close interaction between faculty and participants.
What is the difference between an MBA and an Executive MBA?
A: The MBA and the Executive MBA, or EMBA, are similar in some ways and different in others.
Similarities
At top business schools the actual degree awarded is exactly the same. For example, at UT Dallas and Aegis the number of credit hours required, the core curriculum and the degree awarded is the same. Also, nearly all classes are taught by same faculty.
Differences
There are several key differences between an MBA and an Executive MBA: Audience; Delivery Method; Focus; and Price.
Audience
The “Executive” MBA was introduced in graduate schools in response to the needs of working professionals and managers who needed to return to graduate school for re-tooling, updating their knowledge, and revitalizing their career mobility options. This audience was working full-time, in the mid-stage of their careers and simply unable to attend classes during the day or consistently attend
classes several evenings during the work week.
The “regular” or “professional MBA, or “MBAs for working professionals”
programs accommodate students with all levels of work experience and typically tend to attract those in the beginning stages of their careers.
Delivery
- Traditional weekend ( read Thor’s article on weekend classes)
- Modular format in Block weeks candidates visit campus for couple of weeks with regular time intervals.
- Online/Video conferencing
The first EMBA programs offered classes every other weekend to make graduate management education available to this audience. In recent years with the development of interactive technologies, the delivery methods for EMBA programs have become more diversified to further accommodate the need for working professionals and managers to balance their work, travel, family and academic pursuits.
The delivery of “regular” or “professional” MBA programs vary and range from full time day classes, part time evening classes, and, in recent years, to complete online delivery. Classes may or may not be offered in a cohort format or incorporate team based learning. Also, class sizes are often larger than those of EMBA programs.
Focus
Because of their work experience, the EMBA audiences are past the ramp-up stage in their career and bring more experiential on-the-job knowledge to the learning environment. EMBA programs follow adult learning models and organize the program into cohorts—everyone follows the same curriculum with
the same set of student colleagues---and incorporates team learning experiences to capitalize on shared knowledge and an applied focus so that learning can be readily applied.
Additionally, beyond acquiring general management knowledge, many EMBA programs offer leadership and personal skill development opportunities. Today, the need for MBA knowledge is essential for managers to contribute more effectively and to maintain career vitality. In recent years, several graduate schools have begun to offer EMBA specializations to address specific business
and career development. Because “regular” or “professional” MBA programs accommodate students with all levels of work experience, the focus is often a general curriculum with options for electives.
Price
Depending upon the institution, the tuition for EMBA programs is often high.
Can I afford executive MBA programme?
Obtaining an MBA degree is an investment – an investment in learning and in a person’s career and future. The high quality of faculty, facilities and support staff required to provide a successful EMBA programme dictates that such programmes include an investment by the participant’s sponsoring organisation. Programme costs are modest in comparison to the benefits yielded. In the majority of cases, students are sponsored fully, or in part, by their employers. Employers understand the competitive advantage they gain from having an employee whose management skills have been brought to the highest possible level. Students who are not sponsored by their companies often qualify for loans, scholarships, and/or other financial aid.
How could an executive MBA degree impact my career?
Benefits and career impact
The Executive MBA sets you apart and gives you a genuine edge. Whether your goal is to progress within your organisation, take on new or global responsibilities or pursue an entrepreneurial route. During the programme, you gain the confidence, skills, networks, knowledge, insights and confidence you need to succeed in life in general and to make an impact on your organisation. And because you remain in full-time employment during the programme, you are able to immediately apply your new skills.
An MBA degree reflects a sophisticated level of knowledge and skills concerning a wide range of contemporary management topics. It also implies a well-developed understanding of strategic thinking and planning in a globally competitive world. Professionally, an MBA provides the skills needed to gain additional management responsibility. For the entrepreneur, the knowledge gained in earning an MBA can make the difference between success and failure in highly competitive environment.
The practical business expertise and the new ways of management thinking that you develop at the School change your approach to decision making and give you the ideas, inspiration and contacts to shape your future career.
Learning Outcomes
During the Aegis Executive MBA programme you'll be required to analyse your effectiveness as a manager. You'll look at how your behaviour affects the people who work with and around you, and explore ways of increasing the impact of both yourself and your team. By understanding your own assumptions and behaviour, and fusing this knowledge with practical skills and strategies, you will position yourself for meaningful career development.
Add value to your career
The Aegis Executive MBA will have a positive impact on your career by nurturing your ability to:
- Understand the range of functional areas in your organisation/industry
- Apply original thinking to your organisation's issues
- Develop latent skills and turn innovation into action
- Network with people who can help you take your ideas to the next level
- Analyse and improve your management style
- Gain hands-on experience of other organisations and sectors
Immediate application
We expect you to benefit from your growing knowledge by immediately applying it to your own professional situation. The final session at Aegis will offer a distillation of key learnings for you to take away and apply at once. Indeed, you'll be prepared on both a professional and personal level to try new approaches to issues faced by your team or organisation.
What is different about an executive MBA programme curriculum?
Courses offered in an EMBA programme are normally the same as those taught in traditional MBA programs – accounting, finance, statistics, management, marketing and information systems. However, EMBA courses are enhanced by the extensive professional experience of the participants and are uniquely structured to teach a maximum amount of course material in an accelerated timetable. In addition, senior faculty experienced in teaching and consulting are employed as principal instructors. Once all coursework is satisfactorily completed, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree or equivalent is awarded.
Who participates in executive MBA programmes?
A diverse group of professionals enter and complete EMBA programmes. What they share is a sincere desire to grow professionally by obtaining an MBA degree, and a willingness and ability to meet program time and course requirements. A number of factors are considered in selecting candidates for an EMBA programme. In most cases, each applicant is evaluated on his or her own professional performance, academic records, GMAT scores, professional recommendations, and a demonstrated ability to accomplish graduate-level business coursework. Most EMBA students enter a programme with ten or more years of professional and/or managerial experience. An undergraduate degree is generally required, though it need not be a degree in business. Evaluation of students for admission to an EMBA programme is a very individualised process. While test scores, grade point averages and other objective criteria are all considered, a prospective student’s background, work experience, career goals, desire to succeed and numerous other factors are considered in making an admission decision.
What type of time commitment is involved?
EMBA students find themselves exhilarated to be back in the classroom among their professional and intellectual peers, where they can share the challenge of learning new methods and means for managing the business of doing business. Success in professional life demands a substantial and regular time commitment, and it is no different in an EMBA programme. Over the course of the programme, at least 15-20 hours each week for weekend program should be allotted for some combination of classroom work, computer and research efforts, and course assignments. Added to the already heavy demands of a business career, the time involved in pursuing an MBA is considerable and requires a high level of motivation and commitment. The burden is eased by the support of other students and by the assistance of the EMBA programme staff. |
