offer the courses taught in the tradition-al MBA, yet the style of teaching may be different. While a traditional MBA may require you to focus on a specialised field such as accounting or marketing, an EMBA may not allow you to do so. Some may perceive this as a restraint, others may take it as a blessing, as the EMBA al-lows them to take electives based upon the various hard or soft skills that they want to acquire, which rarely limit their learning to a particular field. For exam-ple, some EMBA students may wish to strengthen their leadership skills, while others may seek to study financial man-agement or accounting.
Thus, a student who wishes to learn a particular type of financial manage-ment can opt for that elective and is not obliged to take other similar courses;
someone who wishes to polish their soft skills such as leadership and presenta-tion may opt for those electives.
Another distinction between the EMBA programme and the traditional MBA is that EMBA classes are smaller in size and thus they tend to have a bigger impact on individual students. Moreover, be-cause of the higher level of experience and advanced understanding of stu-dents, EMBA classes may also be better in terms of quality and class discussions.
However, EMBA programmes are more focused upon management in terms of course content and teaching methods.
Conversely, the MBA may focus on a number of disciplines such as marketing, finance, human resources, etc.
THE CURRICULUM
The curriculum in traditional higher ed-ucation programmes is usually a mixture of theory and practice, and this holds true for traditional MBA programmes.
The course content for EMBA pro- grammes is mainly focused on manage-ment rather than on other specialised areas such as in the traditional MBA.
However, management is combined with other specialised fields such as market- ing, human resources, and finance to of-fer courses such as managerial finance, marketing management, and accounting for decision-making. Students are usual-ly allowed to opt for electives and take courses which are appropriate for the needs of their organisation or for their own career goals. MBA programmes,
on the other hand, are not specifically tailored towards management only and allow students to explore various areas of specialisation.
TEACHING METHODS
The EMBA programme, being relatively new and catering for a smaller group of students, appears to be a lonely island in the ocean of higher education. Howev-er, it is actually an amalgamation of the teaching requirements of higher educa- tion institutes and the learning require-ments current managers have during the course of their jobs. EMBA students may require more personalised coaching, which helps them achieve their person-al career goperson-als or gives them exposure to more challenging alternatives. Most schools and universities understand the need for a more practical experience with students who are already working, such as in the EMBA programme, and base their teaching upon concepts that can be implemented immediately. Thus, teaching methods may include an em-phasis on giving students international exposure by offering them a week-long module in another country, and boost-ing students’ personal and career de-velopment by showing them how they can use the knowledge they have gained during their modules to suit their organ-isation’s needs or their personal career advancement needs. Accordingly, the EMBA teaching methods include work-shops, seminars, discussions and one-on-one coaching to help students realise their personal goals and enable them to tailor their knowledge. For example, an EMBA student may not particularly need to know about the various advertising methods but may wish to learn how to advertise products in the fast-moving consumer goods segment. One-on-one coaching will enable the student to gain a better understanding of how to use this knowledge to their advantage.
NETWORKING
An additional advantage of the EMBA programme is the opportunity for these managers who have gone back to school, to network and associate with others who have the same or more experi-ence in similar fields. As the Princeton Review states, “The EMBA programme has the additional advantage of giving managers the opportunity to network
with other managers and create new career opportunities”. Opportunities for networking exist as managers complete the course with the same group of stu-dents, helping to develop mutually ben-eficial relationships and improve future job and/or business opportunities. Ram Athurik, a private career counsellor and digital marketing expert in the Unit-ed States, says, “While an EMBA and MBA programme are rather similar in
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curriculum, the EMBA provides current managers with an additional advantage of networking and a hands-on experience!”
HARD SKILLS AND SOFT SKILLS While most EMBA programmes are fund-ed by employers to help their employees enhance their skills, who later benefit from this additional expertise, many people pursue an EMBA programme in-dependently. Some EMBA students want to set up their own business; progress to the position of CEO, COO, CFO; or obtain a higher managerial position. Depending on student preferences, the EMBA pro-gramme’s teaching may consist of the-oretical lectures and workshops for the acquisition of hard skills such as financial management or accounting, or it may fo-cus upon dismanagement or accounting, or it may fo-cussions, practice sessions, and group projects which help with soft skills such as leadership, teamwork, and presentation.
EMBA programmes are designed to be practical and applicable when learning new hard and soft skills, and they do not
heavily emphasise the basics, since stu-dents require further instruction to build on their current knowledge.
FLEXIBILITY
Speaking of flexibility, it is important to note that EMBA programmes usual-ly have the same duration as the MBA, which is approximately two years. How-ever, the added advantage is that stu-dents do not have to give up their salary in order to return to school. Thus, pro- fessionals can pursue EMBA while work-ing, with the programme being particu-larly tailored to a flexible schedule.
EMBA students usually meet once a week or during the weekends so that students can work on weekdays.
Moreover, they are also likely to meet in diverse settings which are conven-ient and provide a more comfortable atmosphere. Additionally, technological advances such as video conferencing, open source learning platforms such as Moodle, and other online applications give students easy access to study
mate-rials to keep up to date even if they are unable to attend classes. These applica-tions also allow students to collaborate easily on group projects and assignments while juggling other work commitments.
In the words of Amy Preston, student of the EMBA programme at the London School of Economics, states, “I am glad I waited to gain professional experience and go for an EMBA rather than a tra-ditional MBA. It is a completely different educational experience and one that has provided me with great benefit.”
Thus, the amount of flexibility, network-ing opportunities and exposure that the EMBA offers may not be prevalent in a traditional MBA. Moreover, an EMBA de-gree usually means you are given more weight in the job market and a higher salary. Hence, while relatively new, the EMBA programme may not be a lonely island in the global ocean of higher edu-cation for long, as more people in senior management positions are opting for an EMBA. □