Executive MBA

The Frank G. Zarb School of Business offers a 48 s.h. Executive M.B.A. program (E.M.B.A.) for those individuals who hold middle- to senior-level management positions in private industry, government and the not-for-profit sector. It is organized to allow working managers the opportunity to continue their professional commitments while simultaneously participating fully in a lockstep M.B.A. program that is twenty months in length.

Objectives of the Executive M.B.A. Program

• Provide a graduate management education leading to the M.B.A. degree for those qualified students who possess at least seven years of managerial (or equivalent) experience and for whom a more appropriate venue for pursuit of the M.B.A. would be the structure and environment of the executive mode of delivery.
• Provide an appropriate professional perspective, broad exposure to the functional areas of business, specialized instruction in the leadership aspects of business, integrative capstone courses and an international residency component to foster global skills.
• Serve the particular needs of E.M.B.A. students through a lockstep program that encourages interaction among students.

Program Description

The 20 month schedule of the Executive MBA program consists of seven consecutive semesters. The first 12 months of the program (four semesters) combine an overview of the various business functions in the context of decision making and management. The final eight months of the program (three semesters) adopt a more interdisciplinary methodology and intense international business study. The International Management Practicum is conducted at the beginning of this eight month time frame.

Each cohort will initially meet in September of each year. Classes convene at 8a.m. and conclude around 6p.m. Sessions are conducted on an alternating all day Friday/Saturday schedule, with sessions being held all day Friday of one week and then all day Saturday of the following week for a total of four full class days each month. During a typical day, time is allotted for short breaks and a lunch period. Through this structure, instructors are able to assist students in optimizing the time allotted to build on the skills they are in the process of developing and complementing the skills they have already mastered.

Program Requirements

The course of study in the E.M.B.A. program includes representation from all of the functional areas of business, as well as specific residencies geared toward working executives and professionals. This structure is as follows:

• Component I Initial Executive M.B.A. Residency, 1 s.h.
• Component II The E.M.B.A. Core, 31 s.h.
• Component III International Management Practicum, 6 s.h.
• Component IV The Executive Cluster, 10 s.h.