How to Survive the 'Divorce Course' EMBA

Once on an EMBA, one source of stress for students is competition with other participants. “I felt some pressure as I felt I was on the lower end of the talent scale in the class,” says Brown, an engineering supervisor. However, he adds that competition can be beneficial too.  

“The possibility of learning from the other participants was something that attracted me to the business school,” says Brown, where the average EMBA student has 14 years’ work experience. “There are some talented folks in the class and I’ve built strong networks.” 

Although drop-out rates in EMBAs are low — as participants are high-performers, accustomed to pressure — schools can spot stress, says Terry Akitt, EMBA director of program delivery at IMD in Switzerland. “Typically the first signs are when performance suffers, and deadlines are not met,” she says. “Also, the amount of emails with basic questions increases significantly, which is a clear sign of anxiety.” 

Students should not be afraid to ask for support, says Dr Elena Beleska-Spasova, head of post-experience postgraduate programs at the UK’s Henley Business School. “[The EMBA cohort] becomes a second family to the students. They really support each other in working on case studies, preparing for exams, learning from each other, sharing tips, resources and experiences,” she says.  

IMD’s Akitt says those who succeed in EMBAs tend to possess motivation and perseverance, as “the workload will seem interminable and the feedback is often direct and highlights areas for improvement. A dash of humility is also helpful to embrace this valuable feedback and view it as a learning opportunity and not as a personal critique that triggers defensive behaviour.” 

Character flaws can be exposed in an EMBA — but the course should be seen as an opportunity to identify and improve upon weaknesses, believes Gerry Keim, EMBA faculty director at the Carey school. “We have an extensive coaching program and we do student-led reviews to help identify areas for improvement and personal growth,” he says.  

Some schools offer courses to help participants cope with stress. At Rotman, for example, EMBAs take co-curricular sessions on resilience and self-management, presented by experts. “Our in-house health and wellness team, executive coach and EMBA program staff are always on-hand to provide personalized guidance and assistance,” adds Hyatt.  

Other schools have elected to make their EMBA courses more flexible. Mannheim Business School in Germany lets participants spread the six EMBA modules over up to three and a half years. “We also plan to cover parts of the course online, to reduce attendance time and enable more flexibility,” says Bettina Kosiel, director of EMBAs. 

And in the case of severe issues, EMBAs can take a break for up to one year. In that instance they will continue the course in the following year’s cohort, Kosiel says. 

Given the difficulties involved, why do people do EMBAs? Brown says the Carey school degree has been well worth the considerable effort. “It is a huge investment of money and time,” he says. “But I have developed the skills that will help me move into a more senior position with more responsibility.” 

These include how to manage subordinates, departmental finances, and how to assign priorities, he adds. “The EMBA has made me a bigger contributor — I get brought into meetings with my manager now.”