A Closer Look at Columbia Business School’s Executive MBA Program

Are you considering the Executive MBA (EMBA) program at Columbia Business School (CBS)? With its June 1st deadline quickly approaching, there’s still time to put together a strong application. But since CBS follows a rolling admissions process, sooner is definitely better. We’ve consulted our resident CBS expert to provide our readers with a fuller picture of the program and who should consider it.

“The EMBA program is looking for more seasoned professionals than the regular MBA program,” explains Maerowitz, who worked as an associate admissions director for CBS before joining the Clear Admit team. “It really makes sense for people who want to return to their firms and move ahead in their fields,” she continues. (In some ways this makes the EMBA program similar to CBS’s January-start MBA program. For more on that, click here.)

At CBS, the EMBA program is 20 months long and meets on alternate Fridays and Saturdays on the Columbia campus. Students complete 25 courses, of which 10 are core, four are distribution requirements and 11 are electives. The program offers both September and January entry dates.

“Part of the experience of this MBA is that it is really designed to work with you as a full-time employee,” Maerowitz says. “It really takes into account your time constraints and tries to combine your day-to-day work with the classroom experience.” That weekday requirements are concentrated into a single solid day also proves a little less chaotic and more in tune with what you might need as a full-time worker, she adds.

If you work for a company, having its sponsorship is critical. “Employers must endorse your enrollment, work with you to develop a flexible work schedule and allow time away for class commitments,” the CBS website states clearly. While financial sponsorship is not a requirement, the vast majority of EMBA students are funded by their employers. To date, more than 800 organizations have sponsored employees as part of the program, CBS reports.

“But it’s also okay to self sponsor,” Maerowitz says. If you are a consultant or other independent professional or if you are the head of your own firm, you can write your own sponsorship letter. “Though if you sponsor yourself, they’ll generally want to see that you can pay for it outright,” Maerowitz advises.

In general, you must be gainfully employed to apply to the EMBA program. But the CBS website indicates that exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis for highly qualified applicants who are recently unemployed. “You should discuss your situation with a member of the admissions team as soon as possible,” CBS advises.

According to the CBS website, no scholarships or grants are available for the program, but students can apply for federal or private educational loans. The cost of the program is $139,800, which covers tuition, books and catered meals on class days as well as conference accomodations during the weeks in residence.

The EMBA program features its own career management services, which are designed to provide ongoing career development specifically to EMBA students. Programming includes career workships, one-on-one advising and a range of networking activities.

Finally, CBS EMBA students also have the opportunity to participate in one of two dual-degree programs – the Berkeley-Columbia Executive MBA and EMBA-Global, which is administered in partnership with London Business School and Honk Kong University Business School. These programs feature their own curriculums and slightly different schedules and call for students to divide class time between Columbia and the partner institutions. Upon completion, students are awarded MBA degrees from both schools.

In terms of the application process, prospective applicants to the CBS EMBA program are required to submit GMAT scores and interview with a member of the admissions staff. The interview allows the admissions committee an opportunity to get to know applicants beyond their written application while also giving applicants a chance to ask questions. You don’t have to submit an application in order to schedule an interview. Simply send your resume to the Admissions Office at embainfo@columbia.edu, and an admissions representative will contact you. 

Remember, there’s still time to assemble a strong application for the September EMBA program.

Two California-Based EMBA Programs: UCLA and USC Marshall

For candidates interested in pursuing a degree on the West Coast, we’d like to take the time to discuss the similarities and differences between the EMBA programs at UCLA and USC Marshall.

Like Stern and Columbia, these California-based programs tend to attract an older crowd of applicants. The average age of students in the UCLA and Marshall programs is 38 and 37, respectively, indicating that the majority of applicants have had 10-15 years of work experience. At both schools, women comprise approximately one-fifth of the student body.  Additionally, like most EMBA programs, students at both UCLA and Marshall attend classes every other Friday and Saturday for a period of approximately 22 months (the Marshall EMBA degree is awarded after 21 months).

Although UCLA and Marshall share several similar traits, there are also key differences between the two programs. Of the students in the UCLA Class of 2010, 24% have backgrounds in the engineering/manufacturing industry, while 15% of students have backgrounds in finance. Individuals arriving at UCLA with a background in entertainment comprise just 1% of the class. Meanwhile, at Marshall, 21% of EMBA students studying at the main campus in Los Angeles, as well as 12% of students at the satellite San Diego campus, have backgrounds in the consulting media and entertainment industry. Students representing the manufacturing and operations industry comprise 17% of the student body at the LA campus and 12% of the San Diego-based group. Among students attending the San Diego program, the most highly represented industry is High Technology, totaling 22% of the class.

The curricula offered at UCLA and Marshall are also different. Although both stress the importance of learning in a manner which mimics the way in which a manger would be forced to address situations in a professional environment, UCLA’s academics are a bit more flexible than the Marshall curriculum. The Marshall curriculum is divided into a series of ten themes rather than courses, each representing a specific managerial situation. Students are given a grade within each theme. At UCLA, students are also required to complete several mandatory courses, but are also offered the opportunity to take electives and complete a six-month field study program known as the Strategic Management Research program. Both programs, intent on helping students develop a global perspective, require a study abroad trip.

Although the two programs offer similar degrees in approximately the same amount of time, the difference between the schools indicate that interested applicants should spend time learning about each in order to determine which program is the bit fit for his or her personal goals and interests. To learn more about the UCLA or USC Marshall EMBA, make sure to visit each program’s website.