Top 10 Executive MBA Programmes in North America 2021

Taking that leap in executive education is one way to see participants progress up the career ladder to c-level positions should they wish. But why are EMBA programmes important today?

Perakis said: “In today’s fast changing organisations (for and non-profit) in the world, executives need to be flexible and be able to evolve.

“EMBA programmes offer the environment and education to help executives accomplish this. It provides the right tools to evolve and innovate either within or outside their own organisation.”

Wharton’s EMBA team echoed this sentiment, adding: “EMBA programmes are more important than ever. Employers are able to retain their employees while they gain new skills and knowledge. EMBA programmes enable employees to earn an MBA without disrupting their career progression or giving up their salary.

“This past year has taught us that we can’t control the world, but we can control how we deal with it. Preparing yourself to be ready to deal with uncertainty and change is a critical skill for leaders who want to make a bigger impact.”

Julie Morton the associate dean of the Executive MBA programme at Chicago Booth said: "At Booth, we believe that our EMBA programme plays an important role in furthering the formal business education of more senior executives who have achieved success in their professional pursuits and who would benefit from structured business frameworks and approaches and participating in a vibrant community of business leaders."

Each business school has its own set of prerequisites as to what they look for in its executive MBA students, and so it’s worth finding out just what the top schools are looking for.

Perakis said: “Aside from the qualifications listed on our website, the MIT Executive MBA looks for candidates who know how they’re going to have more of an impact in the programme and how they’ll use their learnings to make an impact after the programme. The candidates should want to challenge convention and challenge themselves.

“We look for candidates who are leading across multiple parts of their organisation with a history of work success. Candidates should be “do-ers” who are collaborative, data-driven, and embrace analytical thinking. Most importantly, we look for candidates who connect with our mission and ask themselves not why MIT is great, but why MIT is a fit for their career goals.”

Morton added: "Booth looks for students who are curious, analytical, humble, and collaborative – from a wide range of industry and cultural backgrounds."

The ability to network and meet new people to benefit your career are some of the most important elements associated with executive MBA programmes – with many students on the lookout for the programmes offering these opportunities.

Perakis says students in the MIT Executive MBA are firmly a part of the MIT and MIT Sloan community, with an endless number of opportunities at their fingertips.

She said: “Students are able to network with other Sloan students and faculty, access the renowned Martin Trust Centre for Entrepreneurship, and take advantage of executive coaching sessions. They can join clubs, be a part of the MIT Sloan Senate, and tap into a worldwide network of MIT Sloan alumni.

“Students are more limited by their time at MIT Sloan than by the opportunities available; that said, they are always a part of MIT and can continue building those networks as alumni when they don't have homework that competes.”

Wharton’s executive MBA team say remaining fully employed is a requirement of the programme, so internships are not available. They said: “As for networking, students have access to their classmates, their classmates’ networks, and the broader Wharton 100,000+ alumni community.

“There are continual opportunities to interact with those groups during class weekends and at alumni and networking events (i.e., speaker series, reunions, startup events, etc.).”

Booth offers a number of networking opportunities across its campuses around the globe. Morton said: "The global nature of our programme gives students the opportunity to create relationships with their classmates across three campuses in Hong Kong, London, and Chicago.

"Once our students graduate they are able to return to Chicago to take electives every summer for the rest of their career, allowing them to continue to network with alumni and students from around the world."

Does Booth consider it has a diverse cohort on its EMBA programme? Morton says absolutely. She said: "We deliver our programme from our campuses in London, Chicago, and Hong Kong; it is accessible to students from all over the world. The 224 students who entered Autumn 2020 represented 48 different nationalities."