Welcome to The Executive MBA at ILLINOIS, in downtown Chicago.
Pursuing an MBA as an executive is a bold objective—one that must meet both your personal and professional expectations. Identifying the program that is best for you and your career is as important as pursuing the right university. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, there are no compromises especially when it comes to quality.
The ILLINOIS Executive MBA has the same degree requirements as that of our traditional MBA Program offered downstate. The comprehensive curriculum encompasses eighteen graduate course units or seventy-two hours of graduate study credit. By any measure, this is a powerful degree from a powerful BIG10® university—just as you would expect.
While the program is taught by world-renown faculty from Urbana-Champaign, classes are taught at the Illini Center conveniently located in the Loop between the Sears Tower and Union Station.
The Executive MBA at ILLINOIS is structured for busy professionals. Whether you work in the Loop, the Chicago suburbs, downstate or out-of-state, our classes are strategically located to ease your transition from the office to the classroom. Working on the road? Virtual links with your teammates combined with a compressed, alternating weekend format allow you to travel during the week and still commute back to classes using train service from Midway or O’Hare airports.
Quite simply, this program is designed from the ground up to compliment and bolster one's professional routine—not compromise it. Learning is geared for the individual who has already had success in a career, yet is pushing to achieve more.
Why an Executive MBA?
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If you are considering earning an MBA degree from a top-flight school, you generally have three choices: a traditional, full-time program that usually spans two years but which also requires that you leave your job; a part-time or evening program where you remain employed, but where your pace is so slow that your degree work may span several years and leave you either frustrated, or worse, at risk of being transferred on short notice thus jeopardizing your ability to complete your degree; or, alternatively, the ILLINOIS Executive MBA. This last option is designed from the ground up for the busy business person aimed at advancing in their organization with better general management training. Classes occur on alternating Fridays and Saturdays and are completed over an employer-friendly, 20-month period of time; well within the normal promotion cycle of most corporations or not-for-profit organizations. Should your work involve regular travel or if your company transfers you, our convenient schedule and strategic location in Chicago allows you to easily commute to class and stay on track for graduation. Further, through aggressive use of technology and our use of teams, we are structured to bridge the gap of school and work no matter how wide the separation. You can do this. Unlike most full-time or part-time programs, students admitted into The Executive MBA Program are typically more seasoned and have more in-depth professional or managerial experience. At ILLINOIS, our Executive MBA students generally have ten years post-baccalaureate work; overall, the class average is typically about 15 years of work experience. According to the Executive MBA Council, "An Executive MBA provides an opportunity for experienced professionals to obtain a master's degree in Business Administration on a schedule that minimizes disruption of work and personal pursuits. Such programs include a cohort class structure that offers a lock-step, planned curriculum in an executive setting. In other words, members of each class begin the program at the same point, move through the curriculum together, and typically complete the degree requirements for graduation as a group. Executive MBA (EMBA) students are required to complete their degrees in two years or less. During that period, they gain a wide range of new skills and sharpen their analytical abilities by combining course-work with day-to-day professional experiences." At ILLINOIS, we pride ourselves in delivering a unique professional experience, an experience which greatly enriches the educational environment. What does this mean? Our alumni will tell you that we rely heavily on team-based learning approach. Keep in mind, your colleagues will be a critical part of your learning experience; choose wisely as you consider various programs. Your teammates will share diverse perspectives on various topics and push you in new directions. Taken together, The Executive MBA environment at ILLINOIS is both challenging and stimulating and provides for maximum return for the time and resources invested. |
