Let’s get to the heart of two important questions as you consider sponsoring an executive employee’s education.
First: In a snapshot, what’s the Executive MBA (EMBA) Program at Columbia all about?
- The Columbia Business School EMBA Program is a 20–24 month graduate program designed especially for high-potential professionals who want to expand their business skills and accelerate their careers.
- Students pursue graduate management education, while staying in their jobs, maintaining their professional positions and responsibilities.
Second: Why do organizations decide to sponsor Executive MBA students at Columbia Business School? Bottom-line answer: It’s about the value that employees, as EMBA students, bring to organizations.
Companies find that Columbia EMBA students:
- Roll up their sleeves immediately, learning management skills that they put to use at work.
- Keep their careers firmly on track, making solid contributions to the firm.
- Learn from faculty members — at the forefront of innovation — who are conducting innovative research that is highly applicable in the practical world of business.
- Stay current with the latest developments in and beyond their own industries.
- Develop better teamwork, communication, and leadership skills alongside other high-potential executives.
- Learn valuable prioritization and time-management skills, combining work with MBA studies, ultimately turning ideas into action.
Fact: More than 800 organizations have sponsored employees as EMBA students in our programs. Leaders tell us, repeatedly, that sponsorship in Columbia’s EMBA programs enhances the opportunity to:
- Build leadership pipelines
- Enhance employee retention
- Expand professional networks
- Sharpen business acumen among employees
Sponsorship Options
Financial sponsorship is enormously beneficial to students, but it is not a requirement for admission to the program. As an employer, if you sponsor a student for the EMBA-Friday/Saturday or EMBA-Global options, you are required to:
- Endorse the student’s enrollment in the 20-month program
- Allow the employee time to attend classes and focus on studies, as well as endorse the flexible work schedule needed to undertake this new commitment.
- Take a role in working with the employee to balance work, family, travel, and study
In return, students will meet rigorous curriculum demands, while remaining productive for their employer.
Time Commitment
Students enrolled in EMBA-Friday/Saturday:
- Attend classes for five consecutive terms over 20 months.
- Take core courses during the first two terms. These are held on Fridays and Saturdays, approximately every other week.
- Spend five full days in residence at an area business center at the start of the first two terms.
- Take elective classes during the final three terms. Electives are offered in flexible formats, allowing students to mix and match from courses held weekly on Fridays or Saturdays, on evenings during the week, and in block weeks.
Students enrolled in EMBA-Saturday:
- Attend classes for six consecutive terms over 24 months.
- Take core classes during the first three terms. These are held approximately every Saturday.
- Spend a weekend in residence (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) at an area business center at the start of the first three terms.
- Take elective classes during the final three terms. These are offered in multiple formats, including weekly on Fridays or Saturdays, on evenings during the week, and in block weeks.
Students enrolled in EMBA-Global:
- Attend classes for five consecutive terms over 20 months in London and New York
- Take core classes during the first three terms. These are held in six or seven-day residential blocks, alternating between London Business School and Columbia Business School.
- Take elective classes during the final two terms. Electives are offered in flexible formats with access to the elective portfolios of both London Business School and Columbia Business School.
Please review the Financial Aid Office website for current costs for the Executive MBA programs. Payment, divided by term, is due at the start of each term. Sponsors may elect to cover either full or partial costs.
Interested in sponsoring a student? For further information, please contact the Admissions Office at 212-854-1961 or [email protected].