Executive MBA Course

Executive MBA or EMBA is a 1-year postgraduate management program best suited to working professionals who want to boost key knowledge and skills, develop a strong professional network, and accelerate career progression. The duration of the Executive MBA course may be extended up to a maximum period of 15-18 months by some colleges. The current workplace environment requires professionals to have more than just knowledge of the area they are working in and an Executive MBA course can be the perfect investment in their career.

Executive MBA course provides rigorous and specialized training for career-focused individuals with 5 to 10 years of experience in the related field. Executive MBA students are comparatively senior in their fields and possess considerable work experience before pursuing this course. The Executive MBA course focuses on developing leadership expertise and enhances business skills, knowledge, and network. It also helps corporate executives with significant work experience enhance their managerial skills.

The Executive MBA syllabus focuses primarily on the details of business rather than theoretical knowledge. Some of the common Executive MBA subjects are Managerial Economics, Marketing Management, Operations Management, Management Information Systems, Strategic Analysis, Global Business Management, International Business, etc.

Some of the top Executive MBA colleges in India are IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Rohtak, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Shillong, ISB Hyderabad, etc. The Executive MBA fee ranges from INR 4 to 15 lakh. NMIMS Mumbai, IGNOU, and IMT are some of the top Distance Executive MBA colleges in the country. The top EMBA entrance exams are GMAT, GRE, CAT, NMAT, and EMAT. If you are aiming to reach the zenith of your career, then the EMBA is what you need. Read below to know complete details about Executive MBA courses.

Check the most significant highlights of an Executive MBA course below:

Executive MBA course can be the right investment if you want to boost your career and increase better career opportunities. With in-depth knowledge of how to operate and manage various aspects of a business, you can grab excellent managerial roles in some of the top organizations in the world. Apart from these obvious reasons, here are a few more to understand if it's the right time for you to pursue an Executive MBA course.

• Executive MBA course allows working professionals to get a global perspective of business. Studying this course implies acquiring and strengthening strategic skills. 
• With an Executive MBA course, you can boost your career with strategy, finance, and leadership, which are the three pillars of a successful career in management.
• Executive MBA courses provide an international dimension to one’s career and open up new fields of expertise. One can also opt for a change of position, department, or even of the business sector.
• By studying an Executive MBA course, you can bring about a change in your vision of business and master strategic corporate issues, and develop a capacity for entrepreneurship. 
• Executive MBA course helps build a network of influential connections. With a strong network of professionals working in top managerial positions, you can increase your chances of career advancement.
• Individuals having significant professional experience become eligible for a huge jump in salary, position, as well as a location after pursuing an Executive MBA course. The average compensation for Executive MBA graduates ranges from INR 30 Lakhs to INR 40 Lakh. Apart from the lucrative salary packages, you will be entitled to get other great benefits too.
• Executive MBA course helps activate one’s personal development. Professionals find the opportunity to enhance their leadership, decision-making, communication, and analytical skills. This course can definitely bring a significant change to your overall personality.
• When you enroll in an Executive MBA course, you are exposed to various ideas and strategies that can boost a company’s growth. With a creative vision and innovative skills, corporate executives will be able to introduce fresh ideas to the workplace.
• The Executive MBA curriculum includes consultancy projects that play a major role in offering opportunities to the participants to familiarise them with the intricacies of the industry. 
• Executive MBA course provides an in-depth understanding of subjects like International Business, Event Management, Strategic Management, Executive Communication, Business Environment, and Ethics, Management Information Systems, etc. YOu can choose to specialize in any area of your interest and prepare yourself for top management roles in related sectors.

Since the Executive MBA course is meant exclusively for working professionals, it is difficult for them to attend classes and devote a considerable amount of time to the course. Keeping that in consideration, there are various types of Executive MBA courses available that can be pursued within one's comfort. Hence, working professionals have the privilege to enroll in different types of Executive MBA courses that provide Executive MBA at different hours or through different modes. Given below are the Executive MBA course types:

Full-Time Executive MBA Course (1 Year)

• Working professionals with more than 4-5 years of experience can complete the full-time Executive MBA course in a span of 1 year. Most Executive MBA programs are conducted on campus. 
• An essential feature of an Executive MBA is that it prioritizes teamwork to achieve a common goal. 
• Specializations include Marketing, Human Resource Management, International Business, and Microfinance. 
• The course curriculum covers Strategic Management and Executive Communication.
• It is imperative for the participants to possess good IT skills, aptitude skills, analytical skills, and experience in the management field.

Online Executive MBA Course(15-20 Months)

Many foreign universities offer Online MBA Courses such as Washington State University, Bethel University, etc. Online Executive MBAs are cheaper as compared to on-campus courses. They last for about 15-20 months. The eligibility criteria for an Online MBA are a GPA score of around 3.0 out of 4.0 and a GMAT score of 550 or better. MBA focuses on 3 key areas that deal with international executive aspects: Innovation and Disruption, Leadership, and Executive Management. Online Executive MBA course consists of core courses like:

• Big Data and AI
• Robots, People, HR, and Management Issues
• Digital Transformation and the Future of Work
• Change Management
• Culture of Transformation
• HR and Co-working Spaces

Weekend Executive MBA Course (18 Months)

Weekend Executive MBA course is an excellent option for working professionals who are not willing to quit their jobs for pursuing a degree. Individuals can avail themselves of weekend EMBAs at SP Jain School of Global MBA. The duration of the course is 18 months. Individuals must possess a minimum of 3 years of professional experience to become eligible for this program. The subjects offered under the Weekend Executive MBA course are:

• Managerial Economics
• Marketing Management
• Operations Management
• Human Resource Management

Executive MBA course offers working professionals a wide range of areas to specialize in. One can advance one’s career by gaining knowledge and skills in business management and administration through various Executive MBA specializations. Here are the top fields one can specialize in during an Executive MBA course.

Individuals can avail themselves of ample options when it comes to specialisations offered by the Executive MBA. The most popular specialisations are Finance, International Business, Sales and Marketing, Business Analytics, Human Resource Management, and Operations Management. Since the course is designed for working professionals, case studies and discussions cover a significant part of the EMBA syllabus. However, there might be variations in the syllabus depending on the institute offering the program.

Given below is the semester-wise syllabus for EMBA:

Semester I Syllabus/Subjects:

• Managerial Economics
• Marketing Management
• Operations Management
• Corporate Communication
• Human Resource Management
• Research Methods for Management
• Accounting and Finance for Managers
• Principles of Management and Organisational Behaviour

Semester II Syllabus/Subjects:

• International Business
• Event Management
• Strategic Management
• Executive Communication
• Business Environment and Ethics
• Management Information Systems
• Production and Operations Management
• Microfinance: Perspectives and Operations

Semester III Syllabus/Subjects:

• Strategic Analysis
• Sustainable Business and Development
• Business Ethics and Corporate Governance

Semester IV Syllabus/Subjects:

• Global Business Management
• Legal Environment of Business
• Leadership and Change Management

The subjects offered under different Executive MBA specializations have been tabulated below:

To be eligible to pursue an Executive MBA course, an individual needs to fulfill certain requirements like qualifying for MBA entrance exams, good academic background, working experience, good performance in PI/GD/WAT rounds, and more. The eligibility criteria for Executive MBA courses may vary as per the college you are applying for; however, the basic parameters include the following.

The EMBA admission process depends on the scores of common entrance exams. Accepted entrance exams are GMAT, GRE, and EMAT. After taking the entrance exams, the admission process is divided into certain steps by the institutes. Here is the complete Executive MBA admission process.

Step 1: Entrance Exam

• GMAT is the most commonly accepted entrance exam.
• Most IIMs consider GMAT for an executive MBA. 
• A 750+ score on GMAT is considered a proficient score.
• IIMs like IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, and IIM Rohtak accept CAT scores. The score is valid for up to 5 years.
• IIM Ranchi, IIM Raipur, and IIM Trichy conduct their own exam.

Step 2: Language Test

This round is mandatory in IIM Bangalore EPGP and IIM Udaipur's PGPX. After taking and qualifying for the entrance exam, candidates have to appear for the language test round.

Step 3: Group Discussion

This round evaluates one’s overall personality – knowledge, point of view, communication skills, leadership skills, and behavior in a group. In order to obtain excellent scores, one must be well-versed in current affairs worldwide. Most of the MBA colleges offering Executive MBA courses conduct the GD round to judge the suitability of an individual for business management education and career.

Step 4: Essay Writing

A candidate’s goals and aspirations are evaluated through the Writing Ability Test (WAT) which is an essential part of the admission process. WAT carries a huge weightage in the admission process. 

Step 5: Personal Interview

It is the final round in which a candidate’s overall personality will be judged. The candidate will be evaluated on his or her personality traits and attitude. The panel will look for distinct personality traits in a candidate and then decide whether he/she would be able to add value to the program or not.
Apart from these, many institutes specify work experience as an important criterion for giving Executive MBA Admissions that have been mentioned below:

• IIM Bangalore prefers a minimum of 5 to 7.5 years of professional experience.
• IIM Calcutta requires 5 to 8 years of experience.
• IIM Lucknow requires 5 to 8.5 years of experience.
• IIM Shillong prefers 5 to 7.6 years of working experience.
• IIM Udaipur requires the least professional experience, i.e. around 3 to 4.8 years. 

Getting admission into Executive MBA courses offered by IIMs and other premier B-Schools in India is nothing like a walk in the park. Working professionals have to walk down the difficult and competitive path of their admissions process. Apart from fulfilling the eligibility criteria that comprise graduation and working experience, they have to qualify for the entrance exams. To get admission into Executive MBA courses offered by IIMs, candidates need to crack the GMAT or CAT, which is considered the toughest MBA entrance exam in India. Other reputed institutes accept the scores of GMAT, CAT, GRE, NMAT by GMAC, etc. for admission into Executive MBA programs. Here are details about some of the popular Executive MBA entrance exams. 

GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)

GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is conducted by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) for admission to more than 5400 programs in various Business Schools around the world. It is one of the most popular MBA entrance exams to get admission into an MBA course in India as well as abroad. More than 2300 institutes accept scores of GMAT around the world. The GMAT lasts nearly 3.5 hours and includes the following four components:

• An analytical writing assessment measures critical thinking and communication skills.
• An integrated reasoning section shows how well students can analyze data and interpret information displayed in varied formats.
• A quantitative reasoning section determines whether students have strong mathematical abilities and numerical literacy.
• A verbal reasoning section, evaluates reading comprehension skills, editing abilities, and whether someone can make sense of written arguments.

GRE (Graduate Record Examinations)

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for many graduate schools internationally. The GRE is owned and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The GRE aims to measure verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills that have been acquired over a long period of learning. The content of the GRE consists of certain specific algebra, geometry, arithmetic, and vocabulary sections. 

CAT (Common Admission Test)

CAT (Common Admission Test) is a qualifying exam for admission to MBA, PGDM, and other PG-level management courses offered by IIMs and other premier management institutes in India. The eligibility for taking the CAT exam is 50% marks in graduation, for reserved categories the qualifying marks are relaxed up to 5%. The test consists of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). The exam is taken online over a period of three hours, with one hour per section. The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) started this exam and uses the test for selecting students for their business administration programs (MBA or PGDM). 

NMAT by GMAC (NMIMS Management Aptitude Test)

NMAT (NMIMS Management Aptitude Test) is a popular national-level MBA entrance test leading to MBA admission 2022 in top MBA colleges including NMIMS Mumbai, VIT, and XIMB among others. It is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). The exam syllabus includes three sections namely, Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning. NMAT is conducted once a year, over a test window of 70-100 days. A maximum of three attempts for the NMAT exam are allowed within the testing year. Students can check their performance in the exam instantly after submitting the response, and if it's not satisfactory, they can take up to two retakes.

EMAT (Executive Management Aptitude Test)

EMAT (Executive Management Aptitude Test) is conducted by IIM Kozhikode for admission to two year Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) at the Kochi campus. The exam was introduced with the objective of screening candidates for the EPGP program offered at IIM-K. This makes sure that only deserving candidates are selected for the course, which helps maintain the standard of the institute. The exam has three sections- Quantitative Aptitude, General Management, Reasoning, and General Intelligence. Candidates have to attempt 30 MCQs in one hour. The exam is conducted multiple times a year.

In India, primarily big cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Kolkata have some of the top EMBA colleges. Find below the list of some of the top colleges offering Executive MBA courses in various specializations that you can consider for admission:

Executive MBA Colleges in Kolkata

More than 7 colleges in Kolkata offer Executive MBA course, some of which have been listed below:

Executive MBA Colleges in Delhi

More than 40 colleges in Delhi offer Executive MBA course, some of which have been listed below:

Executive MBA Colleges in Bangalore

More than 25 colleges in Bangalore offer Executive MBA course, some of which have been listed below:

Executive MBA Colleges in Mumbai

More than 30 colleges in Mumbai offer Executive MBA course, some of which have been listed below:

Executive MBA Colleges in Hyderabad

More than 15 colleges in Hyderabad offer Executive MBA course, some of which have been listed below:

The course fees for pursuing an Executive MBA course range from  INR 4 to 15 lakh. The list of top Executive MBA colleges in India along with their course fees have been mentioned in the table below.

Different institutes set different eligibility standards for admission to Executive MBA. The subjects offered under EMBA by these institutes are Managerial Economics, Marketing Management, Operations Management, Human Resource Management, etc. 

The duration and eligibility criteria required for admission to Executive MBA to the top colleges in different states have been mentioned below:

IIM Calcutta Executive MBA Admission

NMIMS Executive MBA Admission

SP Jain Executive MBA Admission

Jamia Millia Islamia Executive MBA Admission

IIM Bangalore Executive MBA Admission

It is imperative for working professionals to pursue an Executive MBA from abroad since management colleges abroad have better placement facilities and better exposure as compared to Indian management colleges.

Executive MBA Colleges in the USA

Executive MBA Colleges in the UK

Executive MBA Colleges in Australia

Executive MBA Colleges in Canada

An international Executive MBA degree is a sought after credential by many individuals for the following reasons:

• The average annual compensation for individuals graduating from distinguished foreign b-schools is significantly higher than those graduating from Indian b-schools. An international Executive MBA degree helps them to earn potentially higher.
• Individuals graduating from reputed foreign b-schools become eligible for being recruited at senior management positions in universally acclaimed companies.
• An individual pursuing an Executive MBA abroad can avail of greater business networking opportunities. 
• Foreign b-schools equip the students with more leadership skills and business management principles.

Salary for an Executive MBA varies depending on the field of work, job position, and company. The salary for executive MBA candidates ranges from INR12 Lakhs per annum to INR 40 Lakhs per annum. The following table lists the job profiles after Executive MBA along with the salaries available: 

The subjects offered under EMBA by these institutes are Managerial Economics, Marketing Management, Operations Management, Human Resource Management, etc. The most common job profiles for Executive MBA graduates are as follows:

Sales Executive: Sales and marketing executives research and develop marketing and sales strategies for a company. Their job is to drive sales by designing and implementing targeted marketing strategies. 

Business Development Manager: A Business Development Manager is responsible for helping organizations obtain better brand recognition and financial growth. They coordinate with company executives and sales & marketing professionals to review current market trends in order to propose new business ideas that can improve revenue margins.

Brand Manager: The role of a Brand Manager is to develop a brand strategy for a company. Brand managers oversee a wide array of business functions including branding, communication channels, product development, online and offline promotions, and market research. They often conduct market research for a company.

Communications Manager: Communication managers are in charge of overseeing all internal and external communications for a company, ensuring its message is consistent and engaging. Also known as communications directors, their main duties include preparing detailed media reports, press releases, and marketing materials.

Quality Control Manager: A quality control manager supervises staff and oversees product development procedures to ensure that products meet quality and efficiency standards. The quality control manager will also work with clients to ensure the final products meet their needs and requirements.

Senior Finance Manager: A senior finance manager oversees business investment decisions and helps develop strategic financial goals for the company. As a senior finance manager, you supervise financial managers and analysts who study the economic data of the organization.

Senior Business Analyst: Senior business analysts review a company or client's business processes and identify opportunities and strategies to improve business efficiency. They assist a client or company to execute business strategies and ensure that the desired result is achieved in a timely manner.

Executive MBA Top Recruiters

Executive MBA Top Recruiters can be segregated into Public Sector and Private Sector.

Pursuing an Executive MBA enables a working professional to climb up steadily to senior positions and become eligible for a significant increase in the salary packages. Individuals can be recruited to leadership and managerial positions. Executive MBA graduates can avail themselves of a 100% hike in salary in their current organizations. According to a survey, the average yearly compensation for Executive MBA graduates can even rise up to INR 1 crore. Working professionals finally have rich academic knowledge along with industry experience. The average package is more or less 15–20 LPA that can even rise up to 22-24 LPA. 

Executive MBA candidates must be equipped with the following important skills:

Leadership: Professionals designated as managers must be equipped with strong leadership skills. Individuals with great leadership skills empower teams to achieve their full potential, make decisions, and strategize well to help organizations thrive. Good leadership skills lead to the development of a team of dedicated professionals.

Teamwork: It is imperative for an Executive MBA candidate to have teamwork skills to excel as a manager because the corporate sector requires individuals to work as a team. Collaborative problem-solving leads to better outcomes. Working in a team encourages personal growth, increases job satisfaction, and reduces stress.

Communication: To excel as a manager, an individual must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. If the manager delivers messages clearly, there is no room for misunderstanding or alteration of messages, which decreases the potential for conflict among people from different backgrounds.

Patience: Patience, attentiveness, focus, and concentration are the keys to excel. It is crucial for the candidates to learn to be patient about their work, assignments, and profession. 

Dedication: Dedication is important because it helps keep you going no matter how difficult the job or the task may be. Greater positions imply greater responsibilities that can only be fulfilled if one is completely committed to his/her work. When an individual is leading a team, he/she might need to work harder than usual to resolve complicated problems. Dedication and hard work determine one’s problem-solving skills at that point in time. 

Both MBA and Executive MBA are professional management degrees that impart knowledge of business management, operations, and administration. MBA is an excellent choice for graduates looking to make a career in the Management field. While Executive MBA course is great for working professionals who want to gain managerial skills to grab better career opportunities. Each course serves a different purpose for different individuals based on how best they can juggle classes with the responsibility of a day job. The main differences between an MBA and an Executive MBA course have been summarised as follows: