Ace the EMBA Your EMBA Program OptionsÂÂ

This is the third  post in our Ace the EMBA series on how to apply successfully to a top executive MBA program.   Once upon a time, EMBA programs primarily targeted and attracted managers working in local corporations. The typical EMBA schedule was every weekend or every other weekend, sometimes weeknights. This scenario has changed radically.  Today many, if not most, EMBA programs offer multiple options for program schedules and formats, target more geographically dispersed students, and provide some form of global opportunities (which in turn often involve multi-program collaborations). Given the increasing number of EMBA programs that offer spread-out schedules for the on-campus segments, applicants can pursue programs beyond their immediate locale, finding it feasible to, say, fly an hour or two every other weekend. Here are two great examples, from the U.S. south alone: †¢ UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Weekend MBA is structured so that classes are held every third weekend. In addition, â€Å"Every two months, you’ll attend classes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You’ll also attend one residential immersion week.† Students from 24 states have taken advantage of this opportunity. This b-school also offers the Global OneMBA, which has on-campus classes once a month plus four global residencies per year. †¢Ã‚  Duke University’s EMBA programs offer multiple options and target particular levels of applicants. Its Weekend Executive program (students average 11 years of experience) consists mainly of alternate weekends on campus, whereas its Global Executive program (students average 15 years of experience) combines classroom learning, distance learning, and global residencies. (Duke also offers a Cross Continent program that integrates MBA and EMBA approaches: part-time, mix of global residencies and distance learning, average age 30.) Such varied options mean that specific programs are closely calibrated with an applicants needs and experience level. So prospective applicants must pay attention not just to format/schedule and location, but also to required or desired experience level. The Global OneMBA reflects another trend noted above: partnering among global EMBA programs to provide a global education.  For example: †¢ OneMBA partners with Erasmus University in Rotterdam as well as business programs in Mexico, Brazil, and Hong Kong. †¢ NYU Stern has joined with London School of Economics and HEC School of Management in Paris to offer the TRIUM Executive MBA. †¢ The EMBA-Global is a partnership among Columbia University, London Business School, and Hong Kong University. While it is exciting to have so many appealing options to choose from, these targeted programs make it important to (a) do some up-front research to understand exactly which programs are the right fit for you and why, and (b) use your essays to articulate that fit for each particular program. In the next post, I’ll discuss EMBA career services and employment. Do you need help applying to your target EMBA programs, efficiently and successfully? Work one-on-one with an EMBA admissions expert for comprehensive application assistance. Its time to get you ACCEPTED!  View our EMBA services here. Cindy Tokumitsu has advised hundreds of successful applicants, helping them gain acceptance to top MBA and EMBA programs in her 20 years with Accepted. She would love to help you too. Want Cindy to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: †¢ Top Executive MBA Essay Questions: How to Answer Them Right, a free guide †¢Ã‚  MBA Admissions Decisions: Should You Go Full-Time Or Part-Time? †¢Ã‚  Excellent Executive MBA Admissions Advice, a podcast episode