The Executive Assessment Blog

A new year is an opportunity to create new career goals. In fact, behavioral scientists have a term for when “salient temporal landmarks” (i.e., New Year’s, holidays, birthdays, etc.) lead to greater willpower for attaining goals: the “fresh start effect.” New Year’s really is a great opportunity to take advantage of this effect when your motivation is at its highest.

For many, a big goal in the New Year might include going back to school in order to switch careers or progress further in their current industry. If you are looking to take your career to new heights and tick off your New Year’s resolutions, business school may be the right choice.

Here are a few ways an EMBA can help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions in 2020.

Business schools are becoming increasingly international. Among US programs, for example, our research shows that 37 percent of applicants are international, while among European business schools the rate is even higher at 79 percent. Overall, 58 percent of applicants say they plan to apply to schools abroad. For students, commutes that cross borders—and sometimes oceans—to get to class are not uncommon.

There are many advantages to commuting long distances. A significant one is reputation. In fact, we have found that the quality and reputation of business schools is the most important factor for applicants when they decide where to apply. If a business school has a global reputation, then a long commute may be worthwhile. Executive MBA programs are structured for students who work full-time—often offering classes only on weekends or every second or third week of the month—and that makes them especially attractive to long-distance commuters.

But commuting long distance is not always easy. If you’re considering making the world your campus, here are a few ways to make the commute easy and productive.

Technology is one of the most popular industries students in graduate management education aspire to work in. GMAC research shows that 23 percent of students in Executive MBAs intend to pursue a career in technology and 21 percent of EMBA graduates go on to work in technology, making it the most popular industry for employment.

This demand is hardly surprising. The breakneck pace of technological change—from artificial intelligence to nanotechnology—is exciting and something many are eager to be part of. An EMBA helps prepare students for a tech career, whether they are looking to get into it from a different industry or want to accelerate their current tech career. Here’s how.

If you have decided to pursue an Executive MBA, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed by the choices available. Especially if you are open to commuting long distances or even going overseas for your EMBA, you may quite literally have a world of options before you.

Not only are there many EMBA programs available, but you may wonder if there are substantial differences between them. While many EMBA programs look similar at first glance, there are often significant considerations that set them apart.

Here are four tips to help you decide which EMBA program is likely to be the best fit for you.

Building a professional network is the key to success in your career. Not only can your network unlock new professional opportunities, but it can also expose you to innovative ideas. One benefit of an Executive MBA (EMBA) program that you may not have considered is its exceptional networking opportunities.

In fact, the unique characteristics of the EMBA mean that students are exceptionally well positioned to grow their professional connections. Here’s a look at how an EMBA can help you expand your own network.

Joint Executive MBA programs have risen to prominence in recent years. In the latest Financial Times rankings of the world’s best EMBAs, half of the top 10 were joint programs. By pooling their resources together, business schools are able to offer students an EMBA that provides truly exceptional value.

With a joint EMBA you get a degree from not just one, but two (and sometimes even three or more) business schools. That alone is a powerful incentive to consider a joint EMBA program. Beyond that, there are many other benefits. Here’s a look at just a few of them.