The course must meet the specific expectations of students with a wealth of professional experience
One of the key differences between an executive MBA and a regular MBA - whether part-time or full-time - is the calibre of students it is able to attract. They tend to be older, with more professional experience under their belts, and in more senior positions in their companies.
Take the joint Kellogg-HKUST EMBA programme. The average age of this year's incoming class is 37. They have an average of 17 years' working experience. Their average annual total compensation is US$225,000.
As an indication of the importance many companies put on the programme, 42 per cent of this year's incoming class is on full corporate sponsorships, with the rest on partial sponsorships. A growing number are fly-ins from other cities in the region.
Many companies are so impressed with the programme they send senior level managers to take part in it year after year. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has put eight senior managers through the programme so far.
'I was pleased by what I saw coming out of this programme,' says Steve Beason, executive director of information technology at the Jockey Club. 'I volunteered for the programme. As a business executive in IT it's very easy to get caught up in the world of IT and forget about what's going on in the other sides of the business.'
He believes that an overview of a company's overall operations is key. 'For me to be a good partner, especially if I'm recommending solutions in IT, I need to have a better understanding of the issues and goals [of other departments],' he says. 'I always look at myself as being in a highly vertical and specialised field. I wanted to gain a wider business acumen.'
