Executive MBA Degree Programs

If you’re a compassionate leader who knows how to sensitively direct employees, you’re already exhibiting the most highly sought management qualities, so now your only difficulty is probably in deciding between an executive MBA or an online MBA: which one should I choose?

In order to succeed as a manager in today’s world, you need an education that reinforces to those below you that you know how to balance their needs with the company’s needs. But finding the best MBA for your needs can be difficult if you aren’t educated on the benefits of the types of programs that are available to you.

Each business concentration is looking for something different from professionals, but the careers that are opening up on the job market will be quickly filled by intelligent, well-educated graduates who know how to respond to current industry needs.

Green Executive MBA’s

Executive MBA’s in Business

Executive MBA or an Online MBA?

Your first question should be: what do I expect to learn to help me do my job better? When it comes to an executive MBA, most professionals graduate having sharpened their business acumen, gathered a collective understanding of how business operates, broadened their global business perspective and enhanced their communication skills. Because it is so easy for a professional to become focused in their current job duties, many companies promote the study through executive MBAs, because it forces their employees to take a step back and understand a more general viewpoint of the operations. Once professionals attain this perspective, they’re better positioned to advance their careers.

Online MBA students also leave their programs with a different take on their company’s business dealings. How the two degree types differ is that during the course of online study, MBA students enjoy a larger role in controlling their study schedules while still being able to implement the lessons directly into their current positions because they don’t have to divide their time.

How Long Does it Take Executive MBA vs Online MBA?

By considering factors like the accessibility of the faculty, the program’s quality, the programs impact on students’ careers, post-graduate career services and other important qualities, The Wall Street Journal in a recent issue listed a ranking of all the existing accelerated MBA programs.   This is a great starting point for researching what attributes you want to look for in an MBA, but since these aren’t the only types of MBA programs, consider, too, how long each type of MBA program typically lasts:

MBAs Time to Graduate
Executive MBA: 2 years or less
Online MBA: 1 year to 18 months
Traditional MBA: 2 years
Part-time MBA: up to 5 years

For a working professional who wishes to get an education on the side, the duration of a program can have great effect on how long the person is required to juggle all their responsibilities, including answering to personal and family needs. This is likely why accelerated programs have become so popular. Other explanations for their growing popularity could be the immediate implementation of lessons in the workplace and the success rate of more and more graduates. But a huge pull for many is that companies often are willing to pay for their employees to pursue an executive or an online MBA, because they are short and their returns on the investment come quickly.

Executive MBA or an Online MBA, Which Should I Choose?

If you’re a professional with industry experience and are looking for an accelerated MBA program, an executive MBA could be your best fit. Typically, applicants are expected to have been in the industry for at least five years. Acknowledging their current employment, students complete their courses either by managing work and school simultaneously or by taking leave from work to pursue the education. In many cases, executive MBA programs do not require applicants to submit a GMAT score, choosing instead to judge their candidacy based on their performance at work and the responsibilities they’ve had in their professionals lives. Classes are usually small with a lot of individual face-to-face time with instructors.

However, for those who are self motivators and are able to set their own academic schedules to be in accordance with their work schedules, an online MBA could be the better option. These programs often narrow the focus of study immediately, as do the MBA Online Degree Programs.  Given their due dates in a structured calendar, online MBA students can easily craft their studies into their professional lives so that they can pursue advancement opportunities with the strength of an MBA education without struggling to attend classes during work hours.  Still not sure which MBA is right for you?  Below are some Guides that may help.

How Executive MBA and Online MBA Are Alike:

  • Both often keep students who start together on the same enrollment cycle, so you experience the classes with the same class the whole way through.
  • Both usually last less than two years.
  • Both typically provide structured models of courses in a month-to-month schedule.
  • Both are usually completed in conjunction with professional responsibilities, meaning no break from the workplace is required.

Executive MBA Career Resources

For more information about how a mba can help your career refer to our mba career and salary resources:

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