How Business Schools Can Make EMBAs More Attractive to Women

With women earning comparatively less than men, tighter budgetary constraints can be a barrier to an EMBA. At Imperial College Business School in London, tuition fees for the 23-month, part-time EMBA are £57,000.

But, like many schools, Imperial is aware of this challenge and offers a solution: scholarships of £25,000 to outstanding female students in partnership with the 30% Club, which campaigns for gender parity in business.

“Our scholarship takes people who are already senior in their companies but are looking to take that further leap up to board level,” says Crystal Grant, Imperial’s director of admissions.

“The EMBA is designed for senior executives looking to move into the most senior positions in their organizations, which is where women are typically least represented.”

Communicating the positive career outcomes of an EMBA is important in attracting women to the courses, according to Michael Desiderio, the Executive MBA Council’s executive director.

“Schools have put an emphasis on attracting women to their program and also, more women are recognizing that an EMBA could prove beneficial to their career progression,” he says.

“The fact that EMBA programs are now much more proactive about marketing directly to prospective students, in addition to corporations, has also helped spread the word about the effectiveness of EMBAs on career progression.”

Julie Driscoll, an Imperial EMBA alumnus, received a scholarship. While studying for her EMBA, she received a promotion, from portfolio director to managing director of Pure London, the UK’s leading trade fashion event.

Driscoll says the scholarship was instrumental in her career advancement: “Getting the scholarship gave me exposure that I wouldn’t have had ordinarily. It obviously got me onto the program, too, where I learnt a lot of things I didn’t know before, like accounting, finance, macro- and-microeconomics. Those were really important and quite transformational subjects for me.”

Julie also benefited from the other features of the scholarship, including the opportunity to attend networking events. At one event she saw Helena Morrissey, the founder of the 30% Club. Julie was inspired by the business executive’s ability to balance a career and family of nine children.

Special support for women, such as student-run clubs, can also help to attract a more diverse student body. A mooted “confidence gap”, with some women less likely to feel confident about their qualifications and abilities, can deter them from pursing an EMBA, with its competitive admissions process, says Frankfurt’s Mädler.

“We observe that women are less assertive than men in presenting their qualifications, abilities and achievements, in particular in their CVs, resumes and written application materials,” he adds.

“You would not believe how often we then uncover truly exceptional talents during our interview process, once the female candidates engage personally with us.”

At Imperial, for example, Grant says that the EMBA course includes personalized coaching and support, “which is ideal for women who aspire to top management positions as it gives them the tools and confidence to progress to new heights in their careers”.

Indeed, improving gender diversity in EMBAs doesn’t just enrich the classroom learning experience, but can contribute to curbing the gender gap in the boardroom, concludes Desiderio at the Executive MBA Council.

He says: “Gender diversity in the classroom leads to diverse thinking; diverse thinking leads to better business solutions. The business community is in need of more women in leadership roles and EMBA programs are designed to help develop leaders.”