A primer on Executive MBA

An Executive MBA (EMBA) is a one-year management programme meant for executives with five to seven years of work experience. Indian B-schools, including most of the Indian Institutes of Management and the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, offer a one-year programme under different names. An EMBA is different from the shorter executive education course and the two should not be confused. Now, before you jump on the EMBA bandwagon, here’s what you must know:

What do you want from EMBA?
Decide on what kind of an executive MBA programme you are looking for. Don’t just opt for a B-school because it has the best name in the industry. Choose an EMBA programme that fits your career goals. Calculate the return on investment.

Talk to your company
If you plan to pursue an EMBA to further your career within your current organisation, seek your company’s support. See if you can take a sabbatical for a year and can come back.

Admission score
A Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) score is a must to seek admission in any of the B-schools for an EMBA. B-schools , follow different cutoff points. Do your homework on your choice of B-school.

Fee and fee waivers
Indian B-schools charge between Rs 17,00,000 and Rs 22,00,000 for a year’s programme. Many offer scholarships or fee waivers. See what you can do to be eligible for those. Companies also sponsor candidates for EMBAs. You can speak with your company’s HR manager.

Connect with alumni
Nothing works better than talking to seniors who have gone through it all. Seek their advice and opinion on the course.

Trial and error
Institutes are generally open to allowing students to attend an open lecture. You can sit in a class, experience the lecture format, teaching style, etc, before you zero in on a B-school.

Family support
If you are married, you will need your family’s support to go through a year’s rigorous management programme. B-schools offer residential facilities on campus for married students, too.

Do not rush your decision
Settle for a programme that appeals to you and matches your expectations, aspirations and career goals. Don’t just go for the school or the programme with the best name. Finding a school that feels right will only add to your EMBA experience. So, don’t rush your decision.