What is MBA?

"Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines.MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out scientific approaches to management.

What is EMBA?

Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) programs were first established for senior executives by the University of Chicago in 1943 and are now offered by many schools worldwide. EMBA programs are designed to propel high-potential professionals to the next state of their career. Typically, candidates are mid-to-upper-level managers or entrepreneurs who have extensive experience in their field of expertise but are seeking to broaden their business knowledge base.

Differences

An EMBA average student profile is slightly different from MBA. These programs are aimed at experienced executives who prefer not to take a career break to take a full-time MBA and typically require significant business experience to gain admission. Unlike their counterparts on full-time MBA programs, EMBA students are able to implement and practice what they learn in the classroom in their job as they learn and there are greater opportunities to learn from classmates."

Typically, the applicants to an Executive MBA Program must have a minimum of five years professional work experience. Executive MBA Programs are designed to meet the needs of upper level managers. For example, at GSU, 7 years of work experience with a minimum of 5 years in a management-level position (managing people, projects or assets) is required for EMBA candidates. In contrast, MBA programs require 2-4 years. Candidates to EMBA are often evaluated based on what they will bring to the program. In most cases, taking the GMAT is not required.

Most MBA programs utilize a combination of GMAT scores and undergraduate grade averages to evaluate candidates for admission. EMBA programs in contrast, often put less emphasis on the GMAT, focusing instead on the experiential background of their potential students.

EMBA programs require a high level of commitment from the students, their families, and their employers

* Most EMBA students put in 80 to 100 hours a week between job and school.
* Employers must agree to give EMBA students time off from work to attend classes.
* Because classroom time can be squeezed into few days per month, absences from class are not tolerated.

EMBA programs are geared toward enhancing the careers of working executives, many of whom are company sponsored. These programs are for professionals who are already specialists in a field or industry and need to hone their general management skills in a global/international context to continue up the corporate ladder. MBA programs generally offer career-specific electives.

Covering the most critical business topics, the EMBA curriculum touches all aspects of the enterprise as it pertains to today's global markets. It is designed to equip leaders with the vision and strategic thinking skills necessary to push forward. Current rules, practices and theories will be examined. Late-breaking news and events are included as they apply to class objectives. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to share their knowledge and experience with their peers through open classroom discussions and team-based projects. Learning methodologies include case studies, simulations, class discussions and other company-specific projects that build a solid analytical framework that can be applied in the workplace.

The core courses in the MBA program are designed to introduce students to the various areas of business such as accounting, marketing, human resources, operations management, etc. Students in the MBA program have the option to select an area of concentration and focus approximately one-third of their studies in this area.

In MBA programs, students with undergraduate degrees in non-business fields are often required to successfully complete business “core” requirements before being allowed to enroll in graduate level courses.

EMBA programs feature a well-constructed curriculum of several courses in each of the major business disciplines. However, as a trade-off, there is limited or no opportunity to specialize. Students all take the same general management curriculum at the same time, rather than core courses one year and electives the next

In an MBA Program, students usually choose the classes they will take each quarter. In an Executive MBA program, students often complete classes in a step-lock method, attending courses with the same classmates for the duration of the program.

In EMBA program, students' professional experience and expertise become part of the fabric of the curriculum. Classes typically meet on Fridays and Saturdays, over two academic years. EMBA programs offer full immersion, with learning outside the classroom and extensive faculty and student/team interaction. Leadership assessment and executive coaching is a special feature of EMBA program.

EMBA programs usually require a 2 week capstone international trip while MBA programs often do not include a class trip.

The MBA programs are typically two years with a paid internship occurring in the summer between the two years in the field in which the students are interested in working.
EMBA students do not hold internships between their first and second years of school because they are fully employed.

At Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, the cost of EMBA is $63,500, while the cost of MBA is $28,100 for Georgia residents and $76,500 for non-residents.