EXECUTIVE MBA: What is it about, and who should take it?

The Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) is a special mode of  MBA that is available Globally. It’s designed for professionals in managerial or executive roles to help them sharpen their skills. The course strengthens Managerial decision-making and analytical skills. This improves the quality of services offered by an individual with the Executive MBA qualification. It also speeds up their career growth resulting in a higher level of business decision-making.  

Who should take the Executive MBA exam?

An ordinary or typical MBA has a  striking contrast to an Executive MBA. While both offer similar core curricula, an Ordinary MBA is mostly done by undergraduates soon after their 1st degree. On the other hand, an Executive MBA is mostly done by individuals with at least 10 years of work experience. In most cases, these individuals are at the peak of their careers in managerial or executive positions. Additionally, most of these candidates are usually permanent or full-time workers in various companies. That means they can only be part-time students. Therefore, most institutions offer it late in the evening and on weekends for a span of one or two years.

Executive MBA mode of study

You can access the Executive MBA program in person or online. This is so to accommodate different groups of individuals with different work schedules. The in-person program involves the convergence of students in a lecture hall and interacting face-to-face with lecturers. On the contrary, candidates who prefer the online-based learning system do it via online platforms, including live teleconference or videoconference (e.g. Zoom and Google Meet platforms). In this case, lecturers also get a chance to interact with the students. However, this time around, the interaction is virtual. Moreover, the course you can also access the course on non-interactive platforms whereby the students access the pre-recorded videos or emails sent to them. Students are free to choose the mode of study that’s suitable for them based on the institution, nature of work, or rather study preferences. 

It’s worth noting that you can take the course full-time or Part-time. You can complete a part-time EMBA in two years or even less. It’s most convenient for professionals seeking to upgrade their managerial skills in their current positions at work. 

On the other hand, the full-time executive MBA program, in most cases, is suitable for young graduates with over 5 years of experience in their professions or teams with minimal work experience.

What is the course content for the EMBA?

The programs are structured in a way that students get both the theory and practical aspects of the course in the process of studying. Students can get the course content through lectures, team projects, and case studies. You get the theory from the lecture hall, a method that exposes students to the role of decision-making. On the other hand, you can achieve practical learning by exposing yourself to real client projects which usually involve external practitioners. All of these are done to support what students are taught by the faculty.

The EMBA course structure is divided into three categories: Core units, Electives, and Capstone. 

Under the core units at the managerial level, candidates get mandatory skills in the 1st year. They include:

• Analytical skills, eg.  accounting, quantitative analysis, and organizational behaviors.
• Functional skills, eg.  financial, human resource, and operational management
• Ethics, eg. Business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and corporate governance.

Students also get access to electives to enhance their specialization. 

The professionals can major in any of the following units:

• Entrepreneurship
• International business.
• Management information systems 
• Organizational design 
• Negotiations. 
• International finance.
• Project management. 

Etc..

It’s worth noting that various institutions offer other units as electives in various institutions. 

The Degree Capstone is classified into two categories -: 

Strategy – Under this segment we have strategic management and business leadership.

Research –  Under this section, we have the Research methodology and dissertation or major projects. 

What are the benefits of an Executive MBA?

Perhaps be asking yourself why you should take an executive MBA now that you’re already working in a managerial position. Well, we live in a dynamic world. The technology and knowledge you need today may not equal what you’ll realize in the next 5 years.  On a daily basis people invent new things, new ways of doing things, and it requires totally new skills to be in tandem with the emerging technology. As a manager or an executive in your industry to enhance growth in your industry, especially for a profit company, it’s essential to acquire new skills and the updated knowledge needed to compete effectively in the market.

That’s why the Executive MBA is available to help you boost your efficiency and competency as a manager. Besides that, you’ll also interact with several students from different companies, which will strengthen your network. As you engage and interact with fellow managers, you’ll realize that while sharing ideas, you increase your scope of connecting with resourceful professionals. Moreover, as a manager, the additional skills you acquire in EMBA will increase your chances of getting a promotion. This will also increase your productivity and potentially increase your value as a manager. 

To the company, the knowledge and skills acquired at the Executive MBA will align one or even more to achieving the company goals. That’s why most companies never want to lose their managers, especially when they have undertaken the Executive MBA. With that, you realize that EMBA is beneficial not only to the company but also to you as it increases your value and professionalism as an individual. Jump in now and get a chance for yourself in the various institutions.