Stanford’s MSx programme attracts high-profile industry leaders: Here’s how to get in

The MSx programme for mid-career professionals at Stanford Graduate School of Business attracts a uniquely seasoned cohort of accomplished and diverse industry leaders.  

The Class of 2023 features 84 students from 37 different nationalities and includes two dozen experienced entrepreneurs, 18 current and previous CEOs, nine members in military, government or diplomacy roles, 15 professional investors, and five law firm partners – all poised to make a positive impact.  

With a price tag of US$193,685 (£172,638 GBP) for the intensive one-year programme, it’s one of the biggest investments you can make in business education. Why does the MSx programme attract such a high-profile cohort of industry leaders, and how do you get in?  

We spoke to Mike Hochleutner, Director of MSx Admissions at Stanford Graduate School of Business, to find out.  

According to Mike, who has been in charge of MSx admissions at Stanford GSB for 10 years, the MSx is a more accelerated, streamlined programme that gives people the opportunity to get 80-90 percent of the MBA curriculum in a one-year format.  

He said: “The curriculum covers what we consider to be crucial for someone in a senior or c-suite position within an organisation or enterprise. From there, students have maximum flexibility to focus on themselves as a leader and the development that will be most useful to them.”  

When it comes to mid-career leaders ready to make the investment to go even further with their accomplishments, Mike says there are limited options.  

“Many of the top tier business programmes focus on people early in their careers,” he said. “We’re looking for the small subset of people who have already accomplished a lot in the first 30 to 40 years of their lives, but who want to immerse themselves in this incredible ecosystem of human capital.”  

The ecosystem of human capital that Mike refers to is the unique student cohort that the programme attracts. This year, it features an entrepreneur from India who launched the country’s largest retail organic food chain, an infectious disease physician and political leader from Slovenia who coordinated the national COVID-19 response, and a US Air Force colonel who led intelligence for US cyber command. 

Part of Mike’s strategy as director of admissions is to guarantee ‘maximised collective potential’ in the MSx classroom. “In one classroom, I can assure there will be one or two people running very large enterprises, impacting thousands or millions of lives. You might have a classmate who was a senior military leader in Singapore and another who led billion-dollar investment deals in London.    

“They all deal with common leadership and organisational challenges but come at them with very different perspectives and with different areas of expertise.” 

All students on the MSx programme have at least eight years’ experience as a manager or leader before they start the course. “It’s about providing them with the right resources to tailor their learning and help create momentum in their careers,” Mike said.  

***

Ariel Cai is one of this year’s MSx students in the class of 2023 and an expert in global strategy and expansion within technology. Ariel said: “With accelerated core business modules and flexible elective classes, the programme was a more time-friendly option for me as a mid-career leader wanting to resume work in my field as soon as possible. 

“My goal is to start an entrepreneurial venture focusing on consumer technology that provides genuine value to users. To realise my aspiration the MSx was the right step for me.”  

***