Teaming Up for Success

Learning in the Executive MBA program is a collaborative effort that involves the students and faculty. Program faculty are truly interested in the learning process and enjoy the opportunity to work closely with the talented students admitted to the program. This creates an experience in which faculty and students are partners in the learning process. Even a brief visit to an Executive MBA classroom makes this readily apparent.

Each entering Executive MBA class goes through the program as a cohort, taking the same classes together with the same classmates throughout the program. Students receive intensive instruction in advanced management issues through team assignments and presentations, case studies, readings, computer exercises, lecture and other techniques.

At the beginning of the first year, students are assigned to a project/study team that will work together throughout the entire first year of the program. The curriculum includes development of effective teams and presents knowledge that can be applied to Executive MBA project teams as well as to teams in students’ firms/organizations. Together, these teams execute a wide range of projects both large and small. Each project is designed to develop the knowledge and skills of team members as they apply course content to real-world situations. Often, these projects involve real situations at program participants’ companies or organizations. Recently, for example, a first-year project team developed a consulting analysis and change management plan for a student’s company as it contemplated the integration of a newly acquired firm. Another team consulted to a student’s company to help it design a humanely and responsibly managed downsizing. Another consulted to a student’s organization as it developed an emerging globalization plan. New teams are constituted and new student networks are formed to similarly enhance the learning process in year two.