What makes an MBA program different from an Executive MBA. Executive MBA Strategic and Corporate Management

Among them there are leaders in different market segments. If we take only the price component, we must certainly clarify: is this the price of an MBA or Executive MBA program? Comparing these two programs is like mixing alarms and Wrist Watch are very different things.

I know that Executive MBA functional courses are constantly appearing on the market: Executive MBA Marketing, Executive MBA Finance. However, in the understanding of Executive MBA professionals in the functional orientation - what Gogol called "soft-boiled boots": a complete misunderstanding of the genre. We are often told “Master's is the same MBA”. When people don't understand, they start mixing and then they start criticizing.

MBA programs are aimed at middle and middle + management, or those who work in the functional departments of serious companies: marketing, production, HR, finance and accounting.

For example, people work in the HR department. They want to rise up, become heads of HR and come to the MBA program, where they are taught management. Any MBA program on the goal tree has an established structure in large strokes: at the base business environment business, a bit of microeconomics, focused on managers, in the squeeze, without academic promises. Then comes the legal business environment – ​​an introduction to the legal system. Then the trunk continues with the course "management": branches begin to go from it: accounting, financial management, marketing management, personnel management. Branches have grown - all this is combined into project management, strategic management and leadership. People are given general approach to management; at the end of the program there is a specialization (usually it is about 100 hours).

The Executive MBA program is a different genre. It is focused on the first persons of the company, or on people who are "in the personnel reserve", that is, they are ready to rise above the level of the head of the functional unit to the level of the head of the company.

That is why there is a particularly tough selection process for the Executive MBA program. Here there is an interview, during which it finds out whether a person has matured to lead a company, whether they really have managerial spatial thinking.

I have attended many of the talks held by our Belgian colleagues as part of the Antwerp Executive MBA program. They can ask absolutely unexpected questions: “what do you think about music?”, “do you think music helps you in making management decisions? For all the absurdity of the connection between this issue and business, there is a very serious basis here: do you know how to think outside the box? You were taken and taken out of the plane of the applied business in which you work, they asked you an unexpected question. Are you able to immediately react and formulate a certain convincing position? Are you able to think creatively?

These people are “feeled” at the entrance and a completely different program is being built for them. In the description, it may be similar. The names of objects can sound very close and similar. But the meaning of the program is not to teach management and not to give specific knowledge of the function, but to raise people above the functions, to expand their consciousness.

Imagine that you were the director of marketing, and then came to the management of the company. What will happen? You talk about the company's strategy, but all the time you try to pull the blanket over the marketing, in which you have worked for the last ten years.

You have to rise above this. We need to see the perspective of the company. And the emphasis on the Executive MBA program is always strategy and development of personal creative potential.

There are many trainings: on time management, on stress relief, on the art of presentation, on developing leadership potential and other things related to the aerobatics of management. The Executive MBA is like conservatory for a very good musician: they help him hone his personal skills and, in addition, they teach him to look at the system from the outside of the system, because from the inside of the system it is not reformed.

In order to carry out a serious reform in the company, you must rise to the height of a bird's eye view, look at the company from the outside, break away from daily problems and, moreover, from the connection with functions. This is the setup of the Executive MBA program.

The EMBA program is clearly focused on the development of personal leadership and strategic potential and on out-of-functional despecialization - this is the first distinguishing feature Executive MBA from MBA.

The second distinctive feature is that in the Executive MBA program middle management representatives should not be. The homogeneity of the composition of the group is very important here. A heterogeneous group (where there are representatives of small businesses and big business, people occupying middle positions in the company and top managers) is destructive.

If I work in the marketing department, what do I want? I want to get practical knowledge that I will bring to my company tomorrow, implement it, it will give additional profit, bosses will notice me, encourage me - career growth, etc. I work for functions and I need specific tools that increase sales.

Once you have risen to the level of the head of the company, you become interested in the strategy. Your sales director is in charge of sales. And you no longer need the technology of its work. Imagine that the group will include representatives of middle management and leaders who need a strategy (which, from the point of view of middle management, is chatter that does not allow one to move forward). And for technology leaders, work is a waste of time.

That's why good program The Executive MBA is always homogeneous and focused on people who either already work in the company's management or are moving into the company's management.

If the Executive MBA program is focused on despecialization, on exchange of experience, on personal development, on the development of a strategic vision, if it has a homogeneous composition and is backed by a very strong team of teachers, played over many years, it becomes a product that provides very serious career opportunities.

A modern European business school with more than a century of history offers an Executive MBA program for those who:

• Already reached professional heights
• Wants to learn new things rather than taking a formal course
• Strives to develop and solve even more complex problems

Our program is designed for those who seek a better understanding of effective business management, need a structured understanding of the day-to-day workings of a company, and would like to develop decision-making skills.

Our listeners are focused on:

• Mastering real business practice, not standard business cases
• Development strengths and personal potential
• Expanding experience through communication with experts from Sweden, Australia, Finland, the UK and other countries
• Using the latest trends for business development and operations
• Meeting with like-minded people, not formal networking
• Better understanding of the business environment​

SSE RUSSIA OFFERS EXECUTIVE MBA GENERAL MANAGEMENT

for top managers according to the Swedish methodology interactive learning with a focus on the Russian market.

Upon completion of the program, an Executive Master of Business Administration diploma from the Stockholm School of Economics is issued.

More than 90% of teachers come from Europe and other countries of the world.

You can learn more about the program, ask all your questions, meet with representatives of the Stockholm School of Economics by visiting the next information session.

Rector of the EMAS Business School.

Today, the Russian business community is actively thinking about growth drivers. familiar to us in last years growth drivers for the economy in general and specific enterprises in particular have already been exhausted. Oil revenues no longer provide the support necessary for the growth of the economy, the devaluation of the ruble and the unwinding inflation leads to a serious decrease in the real incomes of citizens. Western sanctions and our country's membership in the WTO turn this trend into a long-term trend. For domestic small and medium-sized businesses, this means only one thing - the fat years are over, and a decade of a depressed market awaits us ahead.

Enterprise Growth Factors

Each enterprise in such a situation can have 3 possible growth factors:

First factor is an administrative resource, close ties with the authorities. It has been used in Russia for many years, and therefore it is almost impossible to say that it will give something more than it has already brought to this or that enterprise. Yes, you can sit on budgetary flows and make money out of it, but the problem is that these flows are drying up before our eyes. Everything in the budget every year less money. And it will only get worse in the future. And this applies to both the federation and the regions. Therefore, this growth factor has been exhausted for most enterprises, best case it will be possible to maintain the previous volumes.

Second factor - Growth through entering new markets. But most markets are already occupied by other businesses. Therefore, this factor cannot be realized without the presence of a third factor.

Third factor – efficiency increase business, competitiveness, modernization and debugging of business processes of enterprises. This is a whole complex of works that should be carried out by managers of enterprises. Their goal is to squeeze more profit out of every ruble invested in the business, to become more efficient than a competitor. This is an increase in profitability, labor productivity, etc. projects that are based on improving the company's business processes. It is this growth factor that is most realistic for small and medium-sized businesses today and over the next decade. Its prospects are explained by the fact that most companies have not yet been engaged in the creation of effective business processes at the proper level, which means that significant improvements are still possible here. It is no secret that the effectiveness of the average Russian company lower than its European or American counterpart.

Any project to improve the efficiency of a company's business processes is based on the knowledge that its managers possess. If you don't know how to modernize this or that business process, you won't be able to do it. Here the question arises of obtaining a high-quality business education, because universities do not teach such things - institutions of higher education solve completely different tasks.

Most suitable programs Managers should learn from them in order to ensure the growth of their enterprises through increasing the efficiency of business processes, are MBA format programs. The image of these programs in Russia is somewhat spoiled by the low-quality work of a number of educational institutions, but this does not negate the fact itself - only studying on a good MBA program gives the manager the necessary knowledge to improve his enterprise and his own career growth.

In the world allocate 4 types of programs . They differ significantly from each other and are intended for completely different audiences. An erroneous choice of the wrong format leads to the fact that a person does not get the desired result and is disappointed . It is with this that many complaints about the quality of programs are connected.

Types of MBA programs

First type of program- it's simple or an MBA with a specialization in some topic. Many people think that this is the only existing view MBA programs. But it's not. The content of these programs is certain theoretical knowledge with relatively little practical development. At the same time, in the programs of most schools, practical testing is carried out on training examples (the so-called "cases", as a rule, real testing of the material on the basis of the enterprises of program participants is not carried out. Exceptions are Implementation MBAs , which will be discussed below.

The target audience of MBA all over the world are young people who recently (2-5 years ago) graduated from universities. These people are either in junior management positions or are middle managers. They do not have top-level management experience and do not have the authority to make meaningful decisions for the business and make major changes in the operation of their enterprises. The described specificity of the audience explains the content of these programs.

The goal of MBA programs is to give participants a good theoretical basis for future growth. Deep practical training for the immediate solution of tasks that are significant for the enterprise where the student works, as a rule, is not carried out. At the same time, the low practicality of such programs is not their disadvantage. It's just that their audience is not ready for a different approach - it has neither significant managerial experience nor decision-making powers. Such people need a theory so that when they take a serious managerial position, they can make competent decisions. Senior managers, as a rule, should not be trained in such programs , MBA programs were not originally intended for them. But for young manager these programs are excellent choices.

Second type of program- this (or Executive MBA with a specialization). This is a more prestigious and more practical type of program than the MBA. These are higher level programs. All over the world, such programs are aimed at owners, senior executives and personnel reserve, applying for the highest leadership position. These are already people with real managerial experience and the authority to immediately implement changes in the activities of their enterprises. There are no junior managers in such programs. It is more difficult for a business school to run an Executive MBA than just an MBA, as it is a more practical program. In the right Executive MBA the studied material is worked out by the participants on own enterprises , rather than abstract case examples, and often immediately implemented in the work. Accordingly, the level of teachers should be higher, since the demands of program participants on them are very high. Therefore, only a small number of business schools offer Executive MBAs, most offer only regular MBAs to the market. At the same time, unfortunately, there is a certain number of low-quality Executive MBAs on the market, which are essentially a copy of ordinary MBAs - the requirement for deeper practicality and the participants working out the material being studied on their own, rather than abstract examples is not met. Such fakes are characteristic of those educational institutions who do not have a teaching staff competent enough to maintain the Executive MBA format, but at the same time strive to get their part of the market by introducing a low-quality product to it. Such vicious practice, unfortunately, is practiced by a number of public and private business schools. Diplomas of such fake Executive MBAs are not listed among employers, since the low level of quality of education and its non-compliance with standards in such schools is well known and is simply established by studying reviews on the Internet.

It is important to note that, like an MBA, a quality Executive MBA is a complete degree program that is subject to international requirements, rather than an arbitrary set of different courses. But, unfortunately, under this brand they often give out some kind of hodgepodge of seminars and trainings. This is unacceptable and not correct.

Third type of program- this . This is the most prestigious type of MBA programs, ultra-premium. These are programs of the highest level. . Compared to the number of business schools that offer MBAs and Executive MBAs, the number of schools that offer DBAs is minimal. This is due to the fact that the requirements for the quality and depth of a DBA are even higher than for an Executive MBA. As a rule, owners or top managers (or those who are on the verge of taking this position) with significant life and managerial experience study on such programs. Accordingly, as in the case of the Executive MBA, DBA implies a complete practical immersion in the issues of your enterprise, the absence of any abstract cases, etc. The DBA is generally a longer program than the Executive MBA, as it involves even deeper immersion. In terms of its prestige in business, the DBA is regarded as a kind of analogue of the degree of Candidate or Doctor of Science (although it is not equated to them - these are different, in principle, not comparable degrees).

The fourth type of program– . This is the fastest, cheapest program, also known as Pre-MBA (pre-MBA). These programs are designed for junior professionals, in general, they cannot be considered as an analogue of the MBA, not to mention the Executive MBA or DBA. Those who choose these programs most often see them as the first step towards an MBA, Executive MBA, or DBA. At the same time, according to international standards Mini-MBA programs are not recognized as full-fledged MBAs , only MBA, Executive MBA and DBA programs are considered as such. In other words, if you want to have a full-fledged MBA, but now you can't afford it for one reason or another, consider getting a Mini-MBA as the first step towards your desired goal. This option is chosen by people who, due to their workload or for financial reasons, cannot afford to immediately enroll in full-fledged programs.

However, some business schools that offer a full range of MBA programs, including EMAS, allow graduates of their Mini-MBA to complete the missing courses if they wish and receive full-fledged MBA diplomas, without having to take this program in its entirety . A similar option happens with MBA → Executive MBA → DBA. This, however, is not possible in all schools, but only in those that have studying proccess high level and Mini-MBA, MBA, Executive MBA and DBA are synchronized with each other. This is convenient for a person who plans to develop his education in the long term and wants to be able to get a diploma of a higher level program in the future without having to go through it entirely, re-taking and paying for courses that he has already successfully completed and paid for earlier.

to demonstrate difference in depth of Mini-MBA, MBA, Executive MBA and DBA programs can be on the example of graduation projects that are defended by the participants of these programs in EMAS.

• – Graduation project " Basic elements strategic management of a company (separate business unit) with a planning horizon of 3-5 years".
• – Graduation project "The main elements of the strategic management of a company (separate business unit) with a planning horizon of 3 - 5 years."
• – Graduation project "Development strategy of a company (separate business unit) with a planning horizon of 3-5 years (for a key product group)".
• – Graduation project "Strategy for the development of a company (separate business unit) with a planning horizon of 3 - 5 years (comprehensive - for all product groups)".

Academic or Implementation MBAs?

In addition to differences in the content of the Mini-MBA, MBA, Executive MBA and DBA, there is a significant difference in the formats of the programs, as well as the nature of the schools that run them. Each of them can be either Academic or Implementation. At the same time, the vast majority of programs in Russia are Academic, which is due to the fact that the vast majority of domestic business schools are subdivisions of universities, obey their philosophy and largely use university approaches and teaching staff, i.e. by their nature are academic institutions education.

Under Academic Mini-MBAs, MBAs, Executive MBAs and DBAs, participants are typically given courses that are considered required by some academic standard. The academic program is inherently a kind of continuation of higher education, which is often evident from its content. In such programs it is easy to meet courses on macroeconomics, management theory, etc. – i.e. courses that are not directly related to business practice, but they form a certain general educational basis for the participants.

Wherein within the framework of the Academic programs there is no element of introducing the acquired knowledge into the activities / work of the participants. – Quality control of the acquired knowledge, most often, is carried out in the form of standard exams and, sometimes, in the form of solving control abstract cases. Moreover, the above is true not only for academic Mini-MBA or MBA, but also for Executive MBA and DBA, although the practical component in the latter is still somewhat higher (as required by their format - see description above). Academic business schools do not control the very fact and quality of implementation of the acquired knowledge by participants their programs, believing that it goes beyond the educational process. Academic programs can be seen as good choice for those who are not interested in implementing the acquired knowledge directly during or shortly after their studies (for example, women on maternity leave; men who, at the time of admission, have not decided what they want in their future career, etc.) .

Implementation Mini-MBA, MBA, Executive MBA and DBA in Russia and all over the world are much less than Academic ones, since their implementation is much more difficult for a business school. With regard to Russia, it can be argued that among the leading federal business schools, only 2 or 3 schools offer such programs, the first of which is EMAS. Implementation programs, unlike Academic ones, contain a different philosophy, which directly affects the content of the program and how it is carried out. Implementation MBAs practically lack general theoretical academic courses (macroeconomics, theory of something, etc.). Instead, the emphasis is on providing participants with those courses that have immediate practical and implementation value for the companies in which they work or plan to work in the future.

• Academic program – there will be a separate course on macroeconomics and/or economic theory which is of a general nature.
• , for example, in EMAS - course " Strategic management. Business modeling. Business analysis. Market and Company Forecasting". The course has a purely practical nature, participants study macroeconomic issues in close connection with other issues that need to be known in a single complex to solve the most important practical business task - Creating an effective business model and a system for predicting the dynamics of target markets.

Similar examples are visible to the naked eye when comparing other courses. – The content of the Academic Programs is generally of a general educational nature at the time. as the content of Innovative - applied nature for the purpose of direct implementation in practical activities participant.

In addition to content, significant difference between Implementation and Academic Mini-MBA, MBA, Executive MBA and DBA is also how the business school exercises control over the quality of knowledge of participants . As mentioned above, Academic business schools use standard exams as a control tool in their programs (we are talking about high-quality business schools, there may not be any low-quality exams at all ...). Innovative business schools apart from exams require their students to carry out real implementation projects in the practice of their real enterprises . That is, they require the implementation of acquired knowledge - they control how exactly the participant of the program will implement the knowledge that he received during his studies. Practice shows that from the point of view of quality control of the participants' knowledge, the Implementation approach allows to achieve better results than the Academic approach - starting to do an implementation project at the request of the school, the participant inevitably faces a lot of questions that he missed during the course and which could not be checked during the exam. This advantage in the quality of knowledge has, however, another side. – It is harder to study at Implementation programs than at Academic ones, and this fact should be taken into account when choosing. So, for example, within the Mini-MBA, MBA, Executive MBA and DBA in EMAS, participants perform from 10 to 20 implementation projects “on their own”, each project is 50% for the corresponding course (the remaining 50% is the course exam). When choosing an implementation MBA, you need to be prepared for the fact that studies will require a serious attitude - you will have to do a lot of real implementation projects.

So which MBA to choose?

Summarizing what has been said about the Academic and Implementation Mini-MBA, MBA, Executive MBA and DBA, we can state the following:

• Academic programs are recommended for those who are looking for more theoretical knowledge and does not want to immediately implement, and is also not ready to spend significant time studying.
• Implementation programs are recommended for those who want deeper practical knowledge and wants the school to deeply control the quality of assimilation of this knowledge through the verification of real implementation projects. At the same time, one must be prepared to devote considerable time to the implementation of these projects.

In terms of the value of diplomas, there is no difference between Academic and Implementation Mini-MBA, MBA, Executive MBA and DBA . - If we are talking about a strong federal business school, then its diploma is valued by employers. At the same time, in order to be sure of the value of the diploma, it is recommended to choose programs that occupy high positions not only in national, but also in global global rankings . Such business schools that offer an MBA and are listed in both national and global MBA rankings, in Russia as of 2019 there are only 4, one of them is EMAS (EMAS MBA Top 14 in Central and Eastern Europe, rating The best Masters and MBAs worldwide, 2019). At the same time, among Russian face-to-face MBA EMAS program takes 2nd place!

Executive MBA (EMBA) is a training program for business professionals with work experience - top managers and business owners. As a general rule, students must have at least seven years of work experience.

The main feature of EMBA programs is modular training, which provides for field modules in other cities or countries. In addition, in education for managers there is little theory and a lot of practice: students solve business cases (case studies), do design work participate in trainings, workshops and business games attend interactive lectures.

The first EMBA programs appeared in the US and Europe about 20 years ago. Now they are very popular and are present in the program lineup of almost every major business school (with the exception of a few of them, for example, Harvard business school, which fundamentally does not introduce this type of training, adhering to the classical format of daily training for two years).

In Russia, the first EMBA programs appeared in the early 2000s, immediately becoming popular. Almost every Russian business school has one or more EMBA programs in its portfolio, while in Moscow there are more than 40 of them.

Term of study on the EMBA program

Like a regular MBA program, the Executive MBA can last from one to two years with varying degrees of intensity. Usually these are several modules that can take place in different cities or countries (sometimes there is also training on weekends).

Fully remote EMBA programs do not exist, since one of the main advantages of such a program is the opportunity to communicate with leaders of the business community in order to exchange knowledge and expand professional contacts. However, during the breaks between modules, remote learning is possible using modern technologies(lectures, teamwork and cases can take place online).

Cost of EMBA programs

In Russia and abroad, the cost of EMBA programs is higher than MBA programs. As for Moscow, in the capital there is a wide range of prices for training in these programs, which depends on many factors: the inclusion in the price of expenses for modules abroad, educational literature, etc.

If we compare the prices for an EMBA in Moscow with the cost of education of this level abroad, then education for managers at home turns out to be cheaper. The only exception, perhaps, is the EMBA program of the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, which was published by Kommersant. Money" placed in 2014 on the 7th place in the most expensive programs EMBA of the world.

RANEPA, MIRBIS, Russian School of Economics, Moscow Business School or MGIMO also have their own EMBA options.

As for the cultural capital of Russia, EMBA in St. Petersburg can be obtained, for example, at the Stockholm School of Economics, one of the leading business schools in the world with the “triple crown” accreditations (EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB), as well as at the Graduate School of Management St. Petersburg State University.

You can learn more about EMBA programs in Russia and abroad at the educational exhibition.

Why is an Executive MBA a good investment?

The Executive MBA (EMBA) remains one of the most profitable investments well-being: intensive leadership development, a broader strategic vision and practical skills that can be applied here and now.

Leading business schools with Executive MBA programs abroad

EMBA (Executive MBA) programs in the USA and European countries are the cream of the crop of business education, which in itself is considered an elite and expensive education.

Faculty EXECUTIVE MBA Program international programs RANEPA is an analogue of the joint Kingston University London/RANEPA program, but is implemented in Russian. The program is designed for middle and senior managers, entrepreneurs and business owners who want to get the most out of an international business education while learning in their native language.

The main parameters of the program:

• Program duration 22 months, modular format
• 8 training modules in Moscow + international module in London
• New business reality: focus on digital business transformation in each module
• Balance of theory and practice, practice-oriented learning
• Cross-cutting course "New Leadership" based on the competencies of the 21st century
• Group consulting project at the end of the first year of study, based on the case of a real client company
• Individual project - solving a business problem as a result of training, project defense

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

MODULE 1 SEPTEMBER 2019 5 DAYS	MODULE 2 NOVEMBER 2019 5 DAYS	MODULE 3 FEBRUARY 2020 5 DAYS	MODULE 4 APRIL 2020 5 DAYS
INTERNATIONAL MODULE AT KINGSTON UNIVERSITY LONDON JULY 2020, 5 DAYS
MODULE 5 SEPTEMBER 2020 5 DAYS	MODULE 6 NOVEMBER 2020 5 DAYS	MODULE 7 FEBRUARY 2021 5 DAYS	MODULE 4 APRIL 2021 5 DAYS
PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS JUNE 2021, 2 DAYS

Changing business environment

Global challenges of the digital economy. Key trends and technologies. Macro and micro economics for business

Organization and people

Organizational behavior and development. New format organizations and human capital management. Cross-cultural management. Leadership.

Finance

Modern management finance. Financial reporting and management accounting. Corporate Finance. FinTech - new financial technologies.

Operational management

Value chain management. Lean. Quality control. Enterprise efficiency.

Project management

Traditional approaches to project management. Flexible technologies Agile. Management of risks.

Marketing and communications

Modern interactive marketing. Branding. Digital technologies for marketing and communications.

Strategy and change management

Competition. The strategic position of the company. strategic alternatives. Implementation of strategic decisions. Strategy in the era of digital transformation.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Development of creativity, culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the organization. Creation of new products and services.

IT for business

IT solutions to improve business efficiency. Big data and predictive analytics. AI.

Business Social Responsibility

Ethics and values. Social responsibility. Reputation management. Corporate communications.

Communications

• Public speaking and oratory
• The resource state of the leader
• Business psychology

Critical thinking

• Search and analysis of information
• Problem analysis and decision making
• systems thinking

Interaction / Collaboration

• Leadership and teamwork
• Emotional intellect
• Cross-cultural interaction

Creativity

• Ways to develop creativity
• Design thinking
• Creation of an innovative environment in the organization

Admission conditions

• Higher education
• Management experience from 7 years
• Motivation letter
• Interview with the program director

Internships

Mobile unit in the UK 2019
Beyond the technological singularity. Master class by Dmitry Marinichev
Projects for Sberbank and VkusVill from a group of EMBA students in Russian

Program description

Duration: 22 months

Start date: September annually

Price: 1 250 000 ₽ ( Special conditions for "Leaders of Russia" 1.000.000 ₽)

Language: The program is implemented in Russian. With the participation foreign specialists translation into Russian is provided.