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Executive MBA Program Moves to Alternating Weekend Schedule at UB School Of Management
Convenience and recruiting cited as reasons for change
By Jacqueline Ghosen
Release Date: October 31, 2003 This content is archived.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Beginning in fall 2004, the Executive MBA (EMBA) Program in the University at Buffalo School of Management will move to an alternating weekend schedule to better accommodate the work responsibilities of its students and to increase attendance by candidates from farther away.
After the first full week of class in August, incoming EMBAs will meet Fridays and Saturdays of one week and then have no classes the following week. This will replace the current schedule in which students meet on Friday of one week and Saturday the next.
"There has been an increase in the number of students in the EMBA Program who live outside our usual market area, and many of our students are traveling more often as part of their jobs," said Courtney J. Walsh, assistant dean and director of the Center for Executive Development at the School of Management.
"The new schedule will make the program more manageable for students, and improve our ability to continue to attract high-quality candidates from a broader geographic region," she added.
An analysis of peer EMBA programs showed that an alternating weekend schedule is the most popular format for programs in the U.S. Currently, 37 percent of programs meet using an alternating weekend schedule, including 13 of the country's top-25 EMBA programs.
"The Executive MBA program is one that must evolve over time to reflect the changing needs of the business community and to continue to attract the highest level of candidates possible," said Frank J. Krzystofiak, faculty director of the EMBA Program at the University at Buffalo School of Management.
The new schedule is one of several changes made in the EMBA program to address the needs of working professionals, said Krzystofiak. "Last year, we incorporated 'emotional intelligence' training into the program, and beginning next fall our new schedule will make the program accessible to more prospective students," he added.
The School of Management's Executive MBA is an intensive, 22-month program designed for executives and senior-level managers. The program has more than 280 graduates from numerous disciplines, and draws on the talents of participating students and the expertise of internationally renowned faculty.
