MBA vs. EMBA: A Case Study

Most of the professionals will decide whether to go for a standard MBA or an executive MBA, depending on how well they can juggle classes after shouldering the responsibility of their regular job. Many will opt for the EMBA as they will not be able to pause their daily work schedule.

The key difference between the two programs is often regarded as the lack of presence of a normal b-school in the executive MBA. However, that does not mean that in case of a standard MBA, you will learn more and build up more connections.

So, which one is the better choice and more impressive? Read on to spot the fundamental difference between the two.

The standard MBA

Master of Business Administration or an MBA is a 2-year course, extended out to 3-4 years if you opt for a part-time schedule. A general management course will never ask the applicant to have professional work experience. However, they need to clear the GMAT or the Graduate Management Admission Test that is a part of the admission procedure. An institution with high MBA rankings will no doubt give importance to your GMAT score to secure your position.

In the case of a full-time MBA program, the students need to attain full-day classes to cover intensive schedules. That makes it impossible to maintain a job outside the classroom program. Besides appearing for the business-basics classes, the MBAs can choose to specialize in areas like entrepreneurship, marketing, and finance. They also have the freedom to decide when to sit for a class.

Executive MBA

An Executive Master of Business Administration or an EMBA is also a 2year course that is aimed mainly for business executives, having a managerial experience of at least five years. A student with an average age of 38 years will find such an MBA program perfect for him/her. The best part about an EMBA is that the valuable executives of a company, the fast-climbers, and prodigies will not have to put in much time into this program.

The majority of the EMBA students will keep their current job intact and attend classes on the weekends, and sometimes they also opt for online courses offered by some b-schools. However, you should always check the institute’s ft rankings in EMBA.

EMBA students go through a fast-paced class, but they end up studying the same material as that of a standard MBA. Programs come with relatively few electives and are tailored in such a way so that a student can take the majority of the classes with the same batch mate. That is an excellent initiative for networking but will pose to be a threat if group activities are not your cup of tea.

Main differences

1. Once you have enrolled yourself in an institution with high MBA rankings and started your ordinary MBA course, you will need to pay attention to your monthly budget. You need to make room for your tuition fees. The total course cost will be somewhere around $150,000 in the top ten b-schools.

2. In the case of an EMBA, the employer usually bears the responsibility of paying all your tuition fees. Remember that they are getting benefited from the new skills their employees are learning. The best part of an EMBA is you are getting fully paid when someone else is covering almost the whole of your tuition.

3. As far as location is considered, in case of a typical MBA, you need to attend regular classes in the institution you get enrolled in. For an EMBA, you can opt for weekend classes or look for institutions offering online courses. Nanyang Business School is an excellent option to consider in this regard. You can also check their ft rankings in EMBA once you visit their official site.

4. Talking about timespan, an MBA will demand you to spend 2-years on campus. An EMBA, on the other hand, is a 2-4 years program.

You have successfully decided which type to choose after reading this post. Most of the companies will demand a commitment of a few years after you become a graduate. So, make sure you are well aware of the conditions if you are opting for an EMBA course.

Steve Lim is a freelancing digital marketer, crafting innovative & tactical Seo, Ppc & Smm strategies to help your brand get the much-needed boost in the digital era.