To accommodate the intense work schedules of rising executives and the changing economy’s impact on business professionals, the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management is transitioning its highly respected 31-year-old Executive MBA program from an alternating Friday-Saturday schedule to an alternating Saturday-only format.
Under this new schedule, incoming Executive MBA students (class of 2011) will attend classes on alternating Saturdays over 24 months, including two short summer sessions, with a four-week summer break. Students will complete their 60-credit-hour program by August 2011.
“The extended Saturdays, combined with short summer sessions, enable us to maintain exactly the same demanding MBA curriculum as the Friday-Saturday Executive MBA Program, while easing the strain on professionals who don’t want to be out of the office during the traditional work week, ” said Tami Fassinger, associate dean of executive programs.
Owen leaders said they decided to make the change after listening to the concerns of current and prospective Executive MBA students who wanted to earn a graduate degree without disrupting their job responsibilities. In a survey of prospective Executive MBA students, between 70 and 80 percent said they preferred an alternating Saturday schedule.
“Our goals in making this change are simple–preserving the selectivity of this highly successful program while bringing flexibility to employers and their key managers who need advanced education for the demands of difficult economic times and beyond,” said Jim Bradford, dean of the Owen Graduate School.
In a growing trend among top-tier business schools across the country, around 30 percent of the current Owen Executive MBA classes are company sponsored, which is a complete reversal from the first 30-plus years of the program. Only 9 percent of current Executive MBA applicants and 16 percent of inquiries expect company sponsorship because of the current economic climate.
For more information on the schedule change, visit www.owen.vanderbilt.edu. The Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management is ranked as a top institution by BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times and Forbes.
Media Contact: Amy Wolf, (615) 322-NEWS
amy.wolf@vanderbilt.edu