Going by the trends of GMAT online course enrolments, it can be safely said that an MBA program is usually pursued by graduate students and professionals who are in the early stages of their careers. An executive MBA, on the other hand, is mainly pursued by those who have more work experience and are in the mid or later stages of their career.
A traditional MBA is a more intense program as students need to attend daily classes for it. Executive MBA classes are held on the weekends to make them adaptable to the working group of people. A point to be noted here is that the curriculum is mostly similar, however, the difference is that an Executive MBA or EMBA comes with lesser electives and is more focused as the course is availed by experienced people who wish to boost their knowledge and job profile.
That being said, it is interesting to note that very often, professionals opt for an EMBA program, even though they have already completed their MBA. This naturally leads us to wonder if there is any additional advantage of an EMBA after an MBA? Or if it is ultimately about adding a list of degrees after their names! Well, let us put aside conjectures, and find out the reality.
Does an Executive MBA add much value after an MBA?
There are many reasons why professionals opt for an EMBA after a regular MBA, like –
- Peer-to-peer learning scope – EMBA courses are mostly taken up by professionals who have worked for more than 10 years in their field and hold senior positions. Thus, when they attend a class, they have their own inputs to offer which enriches the quality of the course to a much greater extent. It is more than learning from books and teachers, EMBA programs encourage learning from each other’s experiences.
- Focuses on the core – EMBA focuses more on the core studies than the regular MBA. As the course is availed by seasoned professionals, diving deep into the course helps them to brush up their knowledge on skills and theories that they really need to focus on. Being an expert, they have the ability to easily move on to the next part of the course.
- Innovative education – People in business schools need to understand not only data analytics but also the ways to integrate the same using different available technologies. This carries a lot of importance, more for the older executive to stay up-to-date with the market and learn the technology of the hour which they might not have learned when they earned their regular MBA degree.
- Catching up with the latest on-goings – As highly experienced professionals, it is crucial to remain updated with the latest market dynamics and best practices. An EMBA course offers the right exposure thereby enriching many years of industry experience with the most recent trends and updates.
- Career boost – EMBA courses are mainly done by executives to get promoted and get a raise in their existing company. The course can help in networking and career planning which is also a great advantage indeed. This means the course will give an instant push to your career by broadening your networking aspects.
- Flexibility – The course is much more accessible as it is mostly taken up by professionals who have a regular job. The course offers the flexibility of time to the students within which they will need to complete the course.
What is the cost of pursuing an EMBA?
As much use as it has, EMBA does come with a lot of personal and financial costs. You would need to juggle between a full-time job and a rigorous educational program along with other responsibilities at the personal front. Hence, you need a lot of determination and survival skills to walk through the course and adjust at both your personal and professional fronts.
The total cost of the program depends on the school where you wish to pursue the courses. Top business schools have much higher fees compared to the normal ones. So, the institute will also determine the price of your course. It is very important to balance out the fee structure and analyze feasibility before you enroll for an EMBA in your dream business school.
