E MBA VS MBA

[jayaramgokul]

Hi Sir,

Once again I need as small opinion from you on this matter. I want to know exactly how different an E MBA is from an MBA degree?

By difference I mean in terms of perceived quality and credibility from an employers view point,academic prospects and other such parameters. Does the fact that such part time programs select more seasoned applicants( has less restrictions on age) has anything to do with the intended quality of such programs?

On the whole I would like to know if I were to take an E MBA rather than an MBA would I be differentiated from an MBA grad in stances relating to caliber or quality or even when it comes to a situation where both an MBA and an EMBA student are applying for the same job.

Do you think that in such situations an MBA student would have an upper hand than the E MBA student just because of the fact that one was a part time course? Has there been instances, like this or unlike this?

I sincerely hope that you can clarify my issue here.

[CriticalSquareMBA]

Hi there,

Well, I think the first step is to make sure we're on the same page about what the purpose of an EMBA and MBA are.

An MBA is designed for those with 3 - 6 or so years of experience who are earlier in their careers. They're willing to invest in two years to either accelerate their career or, more often, shift tracks and try new things. These are also the most competitive to get into and these programs do discriminate based on age. There is a reason for that - these programs make the most sense early on in a career.

An EMBA is designed for, you guessed it, mostly executives or those with quite a few years under their belts. These folks tend to be in their mid to late 30s. Their purpose is they're settled into their career (they like where they are) but they want acceleration. They need an EMBA to bump them up to the next level.

They're also almost impossible to compare because they're meant for two very different groups of people. If you're in the bucket where you would fit into the traditional MBA pool, you won't be admitted to an EMBA and vice versa.

From a perception standpoint, yes, a traditional MBA is more valuable but brand plays in. An EMBA from Booth is still more valuable than an MBA from, say, Thunderbird.

Because these programs aren't meant for the same groups of people, they're hard to compare. I hope that helps though and let me know if you have any other questions!

Bhavik

[jayaramgokul]

Thank you Sir for your reply.

Before concluding I would just like you to elaborate on a scenario which I am about to describe.

Suppose the candidate is already at the start of his career (say an analyst or an associate at an I Bank) but has reached say 30 or 32 years of age just because of the fact that he has lost a couple of years earlier in high school... due to an exigency kind of situation.. (parent died, or dad got a couple of transfers..etc)

Which group would this particular candidate fit into..? EMBA or MBA ?

Please help me out with this.

[CriticalSquareMBA]

That's a great question. So you'd either be a candidate at a lower ranked full time MBA program (think sub-20) or a part time MBA. You're not quite at the point where you'd fit into the EMBA pool which is why Part Time or 1 year MBA programs exist!

Bhavik

[jayaramgokul]

Thank you Sir for the reply.

Meaning to say that such candidates cant go for top part time MBA programs either..?

Can you give me a resolution as to how such a candidate should effectively program his entry into a MBA program so that he can settle down for a top 10 MBA school..?

Meaning to say should he wait for a couple of years & look forward for an E MBA or can he get a shot at the top 10 Part Time Programs..?

Awaiting your reply..

[CriticalSquareMBA]

To be honest, I don't know enough about your background to really help out here. If you want to share a bit more, I can provide a little more guidance!

Bhavik

[jayaramgokul]

...

[CriticalSquareMBA]

I am responding to your other post on our subthread.

Bhavik