The Cameron School of Business at UNCW offers an online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program and four online MBA programs with specializations. Similarly, UNCW offers an online Executive MBA (EMBA) program and four online EMBA programs with specializations. The specializations in both the MBA and EMBA programs are in the high-demand disciplines of business analytics, finance, healthcare management and international business.
If you are a business professional interested in advancing your career, is an MBA or an EMBA right for you? What are some of the fundamental differences between these two types of programs in general, and between the UNCW programs, in particular?
MBA or EMBA?
An MBA is a postgraduate business degree for business professionals who aspire to careers in management, and may eventually move up to executive-level positions. An EMBA is specifically designed for business executives with managerial experience. For this reason, many students in EMBA programs have five years or more of managerial experience, and the average age of EMBA students is slightly higher than that of MBA students.
The UNCW EMBA programs include two on-campus residencies, which are intensive weekends of face-to-face training and peer-to-peer experiences that provide a bridge between content knowledge and real-world application. In these sessions, students develop executive skills including problem-solving, persuasion, teamwork and leadership.
Students in UNCW’s EMBA programs also participate in a one-week international residency in Europe or Asia and consult with foreign clients and present recommendations for addressing potential challenges on a global scale. The work is conducted with small, interactive cohorts of experienced peers, enabling students to build relationships that extend beyond graduation.
Traditionally, EMBA programs have been designed to allow busy professionals to continue working while earning their degree. Each of UNCW’s online MBA and EMBA programs enables students to balance professional obligations with academics, so the advantage traditionally afforded to EMBA students is also afforded to MBA students.
How Do Alumni Rate the Various Types and Formats of MBA Programs?
If choosing between types of MBA programs seems like a daunting task, take heart. GMAC surveys of MBA alumni worldwide give insight. For GMAC’s 2017 Alumni Perspectives Survey, 14,651 alumni were represented. Overall, 93 percent said earning their MBA brought personal rewards, 91 percent said it brought professional rewards, and 76 percent said it was financially rewarding.
Alumni of online MBA programs were particularly satisfied, with 51 percent rating their experience as excellent and 25 percent rating their experience as outstanding. Among full-time, 1-year MBA students, 44 percent rated their experience as excellent 32 percent rated it outstanding (Note: Students in the UNCW accelerated MBA and EMBA programs often do balance work with studies, with some finishing the program in 12 months).
As for EMBA students, 45 percent rated their experience as excellent and 38 percent rated it outstanding. Part-Time/Flexible MBA alumni rated their experience positively as well, with 47 percent saying it was excellent, and 27 percent rating it as outstanding. Furthermore, EMBA programs garnered the highest net promoter scores of all MBA programs. This signifies the strongest ratio of promoters to detractors. Across all of the formats and types of MBA programs comparable to what UNCW offers, the overwhelming impression of the experience was highly favorable.
With the 10 online MBA Options UNCW offers, all of the benefits of flexible, affordable, accelerated and intensive programs are available to you, in your chosen field.
Learn more about UNCW’s online MBA and EMBA programs.
Sources:
U.S. News & World Report: 4 Things to Know About Online Executive MBA Programs
U.S. News & World Report: What Makes an Executive MBA Different
Investopedia: MBA vs Executive MBA: Which Is Better?
HuffPost: EMBA vs MBA: The 6 Things You Need to Know Before Deciding
GMAC: 2017 Alumni Perspectives Survey Report
