Are you wondering if you should get an Executive MBA? In our latest Admissions Insights post, Associate Director of Admissions Lara Herbolsheimer gives you the tools to answer that question and provides more detail on why you should get an EMBA.
The question may have been in the back of your mind for a while, resurfacing when New Year’s resolutions come around or when you start to see back-to-school shopping ads: Should I get an Executive MBA?
Answering that requires assessing your career to date, evaluating your goals for the future, and doing a little bit of soul searching. It’s not a quick answer for most people, but for those who decide the opportunity is right, it can be a life- and career-changing experience.
First, it makes sense to think about your career and your future goals. Are you focused on attaining a leadership role in your company? Are you interested in expanding your professional network beyond the bounds of your current connections? Do you want to unlock doors to new opportunities outside of your current role or function? Are you thinking about starting your own company?
If you found yourself nodding yes to any of these questions, then an Executive MBA from Chicago Booth could be the right next step for you. Most Booth EMBA students are senior, working professionals in their mid-to-late 30s with 10 to 15 years of experience. Rather than leave their jobs for two years for a Full-Time MBA Program, they continue to work while pursuing an MBA.
We know that many Booth students pursue an Executive MBA degree to develop a broader professional network, build and enhance their leadership skills, and discover new career options, either within their current companies or in different functions and industries. Here’s how the Chicago Booth EMBA program delivers on those criteria:
Incoming students understand that a strong network is a lifelong, invaluable tool for career growth and success. At Chicago Booth, students gain access to more than 55,000 alumni worldwide, including senior leaders from every industry around the globe who share a commitment toward the success of each Booth graduate. Within the Executive MBA Program, you have the opportunity to form close bonds with your local cohort in either Chicago, London, or Hong Kong, as well as with global classmates from all three campuses during four international sessions. Our students report that the time, duration, and intensity of the program lead to an incredibly tight-knit network of lifelong friends. The return on this experience is a truly global network of colleagues who form a collaborative and inspiring community. Your Booth peers will champion your successes and offer support throughout your career.
Executive MBA students are successful professionals who want to accelerate their careers to the next level. The Chicago Booth Global Career and Leadership Development team helps each student tap into their full potential through LEAD, an executive-level, experiential learning course focused on teaching executive leadership and career management skills. Curated industry roundtables, panel discussions, and small-group workshops with experts in their fields expose students to the latest thinking in the marketplace and identify opportunities to impact change. Additionally, Booth Career Coaches meet one-on-one with students to build self-awareness, define professional goals, and develop a concrete plan to attain them.
Through an analytical, data-driven approach, award-winning Booth professors teach students how to think, not what to think. Students graduate prepared to evaluate business opportunities and make sound strategic decisions for immediate impact in the workplace and face business challenges throughout their careers.
The Executive MBA Program at Booth offers a general management curriculum that helps students address gaps in their skill sets and become more impactful leaders. Financial Accounting, Statistics, and Microeconomics help you master the fundamentals and the tools needed for courses taken later in the program. Students then study the key functions of business and hone their analytical skills through courses like Competitive Strategy, Corporate Finance, and Marketing Management. During the second half of the program, EMBA students have an opportunity to choose four electives courses that align with specific business interests, such as Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity, and New Product Development. Finally, the program culminates in one of two team-based, experiential capstone courses—Global New Venture Challenge or Integrated Strategic Management.
In a word—confidence. That is the single biggest takeaway that we hear from our graduates. Earning an Executive MBA from Chicago Booth will prepare you to boldly approach the next steps in your career knowing you have the skills to embrace new opportunities and a global community of leaders to support you. You will emerge as a leader empowered to shape the future of business around the world.
Associate Director of Admissions
Lara joined the Booth Admissions team in December of 2021. As the Associate Director of Admissions, Lara recruits prospective students through one-on-one interactions and recruiting events. Lara also contributes to advertising initiatives for the Executive MBA Program, manages alumni involvement, communicates with corporate supporters, and coordinates a number of women’s focused recruiting programs. Lara received her MBA from Chicago Booth in 1998. Prior to joining Booth Admissions, Lara worked in marketing strategy, brand management, and new product development.