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How does an Executive MBA differ from a traditional MBA?

The main difference between an EMBA and an MBA is their participants. An EMBA participant typically has more life and work experience than an MBA student, including significant management experience. For example, participants in the EMBA McGill-HEC Montreal program have a minimum of 10 years of work experience and 5 years of management experience, although the program average is closer to 10 years of management experience and 17 years of work experience.  This EMBA program has among the most experienced participants of any EMBA in North America.

EMBA participants are experienced managers, so the program can presume a certain depth of business knowledge. The pedagogical approach can include the sharing of knowledge and expertise between participants in the class. In the EMBA McGill-HEC Montreal, this means the class can address issues that couldn’t be addressed with a less experienced group. Since the participants are managers and leaders, management issues are addressed in the program just as they are encountered in real life.

Another key difference is that Executive MBA participants continue their careers while they study.  For most, they are looking to enhance their competences and accelerate their careers, usually while remaining in their organization. In contrast, full-time MBA students are most often looking to reposition their careers and will interrupt their working-life for one or two years in order to do so.

Finally, the schedule of an Executive MBA program is adapted to the reality of working managers.

So how to choose between an EMBA and an MBA?

The choice is a very personal one. It should be centred on your current reality, your experience and your aspirations. If you are looking to combine study with career, and you have significant management experience, an EMBA is likely more appropriate.  There are a number of excellent MBA and EMBA programs available. Each school and program has its advantages and disadvantages. Look for the program that will meet your needs and help you reach your goals.

Are you a good fit for the EMBA McGill-HEC Montreal?

Are you:

  • Curious?
  • Passionate?
  • Courageous?

    These are the characteristics that will ensure you give and you get the most possible from the McGill-HEC Montréal EMBA Program. The program builds a cohort of seasoned managers from different industries and backgrounds so that you’ll be able to learn as much from each other as you do from the faculty. Those that are curious get the most out of this tremendous opportunity, and those that are passionate and motivated make it easy for others to learn from them.  Courage underlies it all.  It takes courage to undertake a demanding program like the EMBA McGill-HEC Montreal; to decide to go back to school when you already have a full plate. It takes courage to admit you have things to learn; to be challenged by new perspectives. And it takes courage to take yourself out of your comfort zone, but you’ll be rewarded for your courage as you grow as a manager and leader.

Do you want to:

  • Develop your leadership and build your confidence?

    The McGill-HEC Montréal EMBA doesn’t churn out identical managers, formed to a mythic ideal. We work with you, with your unique characteristics and your own approach to leadership and management.Throughout the program we’ll build on your strengths and help you adapt to your weaknesses, and above all to come to a better understanding of yourself as a leader.

  • Have an impact in your organization?

    Most assignments are based on your own business and its issues, so there is a real opportunity for your company to benefit at the same time you do.

  • Learn from experienced classmates?

    The program builds on the experience of its participants. For every theory or concept covered in class, there’s a participant who has lived it and can share the ‘on the ground’ reality.Discussion is devoted to how these concepts could or should play out in everyone’s organization – it’s not just theory, but theory wedded to practice. The level of experience enables us to cover a breadth of issues that wouldn’t be possible with less experienced participants.

Do you have:

  • Over 10 years of work experience?

    You need to have at least 10 years of work experience to meet our EMBA admissions criteria. MBA programs typically require between 2 and 4 years of work experience.

  • Over 5 years of managerial or entrepreneurial experience?

    You should have at least 5 years of experience in a management role to meet the EMBA admissions criteria. MBA programs often do not require any managerial experience.