The NIU MBA Program has redesigned the Executive MBA (EMBA) Program to continue to meet the needs of students and help them emerge as even more effective business leaders.
The EMBA Program is a 20-month-long program for established business professionals who hold a minimum of five years of work experience. This program is located on the Northern Illinois University Naperville campus.
The new EMBA format will now meet twice a month in Naperville (every other weekend) on Friday afternoons and Saturdays all day. Some Friday meetings will only require online attendance. Each semester will feature one to two Friday evening dinners featuring C-level speakers who will come in and host a networking event, allowing students to strengthen classmate connections.
“We heard from our students that they need a more flexible executive MBA program that will also integrate with their personal, professional and travel schedules,” said Anthony Preston, assistant dean, graduate business programs. “The new format will allow our students to achieve a balance between career and academic pursuits.”
With this new format, Preston also added that students are now able to commute from greater distances.
“With our previous schedule, EMBA students had to attend every Saturday, which can be challenging. Now, students can travel from surrounding areas due to the new weekend format,” said Preston. “We are looking forward to welcoming students from the Midwest to our prestigious EMBA Program.”
The Executive MBA Program is divided into four mindsets that are separated by each semester. The four mindsets include entrepreneurial, agile, global and transformational. Each mindset will be presented by four professors who will teach and demonstrate the meaning that goes with their assigned mindset. The program is set in a cohort class structure which provides instant networking where students are given the opportunity to learn from other business professionals and their peers. The Executive MBA Program is AACSB-accredited, landing it in the top 165 of 1,200 collegiate business programs in the United States.
Participation and interaction are encouraged in the program through a diverse student body and small class size, creating a strong bond amongst students and their professors. Students also receive personalized career advice by an individual career coach. During the program, students will also be given the opportunity to travel internationally for nine days visiting global companies, interacting with international business leaders and immersing themselves in the culture. This trip will give students a chance to network with business professionals and NIU alumni from across the globe.
By joining the Executive MBA Program, students will be challenged to reimagine the industry and focus on being successful in a globally competitive world.
If you would like more information about the Executive MBA Program, visit our webpage.
by Michaela Dudek, digital marketing major and graduate assistant in the MBA Office, NIU College of Business.
