What's The Value Of An Executive MBA?

In this Applicant Question, Olivier Lefaivre (pictured below), business unit director at NEOMA Business School, explains the value you'll get from an Executive MBA, so you can work out if the program is right for you.

The Executive MBA (EMBA) is a high-level training programme designed for people who wish to take a step forward in their career, reinvent themselves, or are in search of meaning in the context of a professional transition. 

When is the right time for an EMBA?

For it to be used wisely and to bear fruit, the Executive MBA must be part of a coherent professional project: change of sector, activity or function, a desire to internationalize your profile, or support for an intrapreneurial or entrepreneurial project.

This type of program is primarily aimed at executives who have solid professional experience (a minimum of five years) and an initial higher education degree such as a bachelor's. 

To succeed in this intensive and demanding learning experience, participants must be prepared to challenge themselves and demonstrate a high level of work and organizational skills, including a good work-life balance.

What are the benefits of an Executive MBA?

Integrating an Executive MBA program enables executives to gain a better understanding of the world and its transformations, including the global impact of digital technology, the growing importance of environmental concerns, and questions of ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility. 

You’ll also be able to give more meaning to your managerial practices, open up your horizons, and broaden your professional network. 

With this training, participants strengthen their strategic skills, gain confidence and become agile in the new world of work. 

This excellent degree is above all a great human experience offering participants the opportunity to cultivate their leadership skills and to deepen certain concepts such as high-level decision-making or project management with multi-site teams. 

How is an EMBA delivered?

The duration of an Executive MBA usually varies between 15 and 24 months, sometimes even more. It is delivered on a part-time basis to allow executives to work throughout the course. Most EMBAs adopt a flexible format to accommodate students' many professional and personal commitments.

The most common formats offered by schools can be up to one week of classes each month, delivered consecutively, or every other weekend (Friday and Saturday). 

Many institutions also offer asynchronous modules before and/or after face-to-face courses, allowing participants to better manage their time and optimize in-person learning. 

Digital learning methods have developed considerably in recent years and innovations such as virtual campuses have emerged, illustrating the 'Future of Work' by allowing participants of different nationalities to meet and work together in a digital space, despite the pandemic. 

Even if the health crisis has forced schools to adapt their format, face-to-face sessions are still popular with executives from all backgrounds. They are looking for valuable interactions with their peers, which provide them with opportunities to share experiences and network.