In this, the second of our Insider series, Lone Ryevad Boysen, Admissions Manager for the Executive MBA, gives us the lowdown on this highly relevant programme.
Whenever I’m asked about our EMBA, I highlight the holistic understanding of the ecosystem of an organisation that the programme gives our students. This is really the beating heart of what makes the Executive MBA from CBS unique – and so effective.
What I mean by this holistic understanding is that, while many other business schools or courses can teach you about how to develop a strategy, we encourage our participants to become acutely familiar with each department in their organisation first. It’s only by carrying out a detailed overview and considering these different departments’ unique strengths, tools and structure, that a sound strategy can be created.
Furthermore, you’ll become conversant in the language used by every department in your organisation, which will make you a valuable member of a management team who is able to ask the right questions to the relevant business unit in the future. You’ll also learn how to navigate obstacles and use tools that will enable you carry out detailed analysis and find optimal solutions.
An agile structure
As the above programme design also illustrates, our starting point is that the world of business is not siloed anymore and you need to be able to work cross-functionally. Our programme consists of 15 different courses/subjects and the beauty of taking them through the uniquely structured course progression here at CBS is that it gives you a deep understanding of how they interact with and affect each other.
To graduate with the highly acknowledged CBS Executive MBA degree, you’ll need to complete three mandatory terms and a specialisation module in total. Broadly speaking, in term one you’ll become ‘equipped’ to be able to analyse and identify your organisation’s strengths and weaknesses, and in term two you’ll learn how to identify your opportunities and your threats in the market. Term three focuses on giving you the tools for change, which means applying the strategic understanding and management tools to utilise corporate finance, sustainability or innovation to move your department or organisation as a whole into a new era; securing continuing success for the business.
This term is also dedicated to your thesis, where you identify a key strategic issue for your organisation and analyse how to solve this issue. This is the same approach that top-level consultants employ, and by studying with us, you’ll be able to provide your organisation with a final, tailor-made thesis that investigates and identifies key opportunities for growth.
For the self-chosen specialisation, which we call a Concentration, you’ll get the opportunity to delve further into an area that you feel would most benefit you and/or your organisation. Choose between Digitalisation; Governance & Sustainability; Finance; and Entrepreneurship.
Embracing diversity
The classes are truly diverse and your classmates will be drawn from different parts of the world, from different industries, educational backgrounds, and not least age ranges.
We get together once a month and you could find yourself sitting next to a company director, a start-up business owner, a specialist, a consultant or a rising star – all with a minimum of three years’ managerial experience. These people will become your trusted network and you’ll turn to them for insight and support throughout your time with us and beyond. We have a very strong alumni network – the largest MBA network in Scandinavia – and we know that you’ll find this a valuable asset in future.
Stepwise learning
Talking of the time you’ll spend with us, it does not need to be in the conventional format of taking the classical ‘MBA in one go’ (although you are welcome to do that if you choose). Each term can be taken as a freestanding certificate, with you having the freedom to decide upon completion whether you wish to progress to the next level. You can also opt to take one of our Concentrations as a freestanding certificate. If you aim for the full Executive MBA degree, you should plan to complete all three terms and one Concentration within five years of starting the first term.
However, if you choose to pursue our highly acknowledged mid-career education, you’ll emerge as a manager and a leader, equipped for uncertain times, multiple challenges, and you’ll be able to thrive in many different fields.
Ultimately, this is an agile degree programme for ambitious people looking to embrace change and continue their successful leadership journey into new areas of opportunity.
