Lifelong Learning – a New EMBA Benefit?

Many business schools tout the idea of continuing education and lifelong learning, but many only carry to this the program’s end. After that, it is up to the graduate to seek out their own continuing education. A few schools, however, are beginning to walk the talk and, in a real show of alumni support, are offering post-degree study opportunities to enhance lifelong learning and continuing education.

In a strong show of its belief in lifelong learning, Cambridge Judge Business School has announced that it will begin to offer Executive MBA graduates the opportunity to return on an annual basis to update their knowledge and skills after completing the 18-month EMBA program. Cambridge Judge Business School plans to open up elective courses so that graduates can study alongside current EMBA students on subjects such as ‘Strategy and Organization for the Information Age’, ‘How to Start Technology Companies’, and ‘Fast Strategy, Intrapreneurship and Business Instinct’. The goal is to help Cambridge Judge Business School alumni keep up with the latest research and thinking, catch up with former colleagues and make contacts in the other cohorts.

MIT Sloan joins Cambridge Judge

Cambridge Judge Business School is not the only school to add this very valuable service to their EMBA alumni offerings; at MIT Sloan, finishing your program does not mean having to leave the enriching academic environment. The school provides podcasts, videos, online learning options and a large selection of executive education courses for graduates to further develop their skills. Additionally, those who have studied at MIT Sloan have access to Learning Edge, a free learning resource with teaching case studies and management simulations developed by MIT Sloan faculty and students as well as MIT Open Courseware, a web-based publication of MIT course materials complete with lecture notes, assignments, reading lists and other materials.

The list of schools offering continued education for their past participants is growing and this positive trend shows no signs of stopping. Washington University in St. Louis offers their EMBA graduates 24 months of MBA electives at no cost and an alumni discount on classes taken after this period. The University of Toronto has created the School of Continuing Studies (SCS) which offers each new graduate a credit, valid for 18 months following graduation, of up to C$600 towards an SCS course of their choice. And Chicago Booth permits alumni to enroll in up to three courses free of tuition to hone or sharpen their skills in a particular area at any time after they graduate.

Thanks to these lifelong learning offerings, many top business school graduates will now have the opportunity to continue to update their leadership skills, management knowhow and global network, not to mention exercising their mental muscles, on a regular basis.