Not all MBAs are created equal. While many business professionals are looking to get a leg up on the competition and gain a better understanding of business, which a standard Master's of Business Administration can achieve, there are some that have a desire to go above and beyond. For those who strive to not only work within the realm of business leadership, but are determined to influence it, look no further than an online Executive Master's of Business Administration.
As more and more reputable business schools across the country continue to add high-quality online MBA programs to their stable of programs, the need for specialized and specific concentrations are more relevant than ever. The establishment of these online programs has leveled the playing field when it comes to online MBA programs. While many business schools no longer require their students to make even an initial visit to its campus, candidates for an online degree now have more options than ever before. This fact puts the burden back on the business school to offer what may not be found in competing programs across the country. An Executive MBA is a prime example of a program a certain type of student will be looking for.
While most standard Master's of Business Administration programs require students to have between two to five years of professional work experience on their resumes, some Executive MBA programs have upped this requirement to 14 years of professional work experience including nine years of managerial experience according to Executive MBA Council. The Council also sites such characteristics as "flexible formats that allow program completion in two years or less while working full-time, fellow students from all types and sizes of industry, same peer group throughout the whole program, stimulating classroom discussions and team-based projects, and global in scope often with an international experiential component, emphasis on leadership, personal skill development, and applied learning" as being unique to an EMBA over a traditional Master's of Business Administration.
Another difference between the two degrees is that as a traditional MBA student would most-likely be looking to start in a new career direction, an Executive MBA student with a decade or more of managerial experience would most likely be looking to attain a broader knowledge of the field she has been leading. As mentioned in a U.S. News & World Report article citing reasons one would be interested in an Executive Master's of Business Administration, "Employees working for 10 years or more have likely developed core skills in a specific discipline. If they want to expand what they know about other fields, though, an EMBA could help."
One of the nation's best online EMBA programs can be found at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management. This cohort-based, accelerated online EMBA program can be completed in as few as 16 months and features a total tuition rate of $54,000. With courses like Economic Analysis for Managers, Strategic Management, Health Care Entrepreneurship, Policy and Implementation, Clinical and Managerial Uncertainty Data and Judgment, Conflict Resolution by Negotiation, this excellent hybrid program has been designed specifically for those in the healthcare field and allows students to network with instructors and fellow students with the inclusion of four 10-day residencies throughout the program.