EMBA Q&A: Concordia University, John Molson School of Business

To find out about the executive MBA program at Concordia University, John Molson School of Business, we spoke to the school’s assistant director of the EMBA program Sharon Nelson (pictured below).

The John Molson School of Business, Montreal, Canada most actively recruits for one of five programs: the General Executive MBA; General MBA; MBA in Investment Management; thesis-based Masters programs in Management, Marketing and Finance; graduate certificates and diplomas in Business Administration.

Does your school offer an EMBA?

Yes, the John Molson School of Business offers an Executive MBA program, the first to be established in the Province of Quebec in 1985. We boast a worldwide community of more than 900 alumni.

What are the key differences between an Executive MBA and a regular MBA?

An MBA is a graduate degree that develops skills required for managerial-level positions and covers a variety of business topics such as strategy, finance, accounting and business analytics.

MBA candidates come from diverse backgrounds and have the opportunity to push their career to the next level or plan career changes while building a strong network of like-minded professionals. MBA programs can be pursued on a full-time or part-time basis and attract candidates with two to 10 years’ work experience.

Students in Executive MBA programs also have diverse backgrounds; however, EMBA programs are geared to equip working professionals with substantive business tools, new business ideas and trends. The curriculum also covers a variety of topics relevant to working professionals with considerable business experience. Typically, EMBA program participants are executives, entrepreneurs and professionals from a variety of industries with many years of work experience. Our John Molson EMBA cohorts have professional experience ranging from 12 to 15 years.

In some schools, there is no difference between the MBA and the EMBA degree as the same academic rigour is applied.

At the John Molson School of Business (JMSB), the range of topics and cases explored differ in both programs; the EMBA’s focus develops professionals at different stages of their careers. EMBA programs are generally considered full-time programs, with classes held in a condensed format (either on a weekly or monthly basis) in order to accommodate the busy schedule of working professionals.

The JMSB’s EMBA program schedule is one-day per week (alternating between Fridays and Saturdays), giving its participants the ability to better balance their academic, family, personal and professional priorities.

How many years of experience are needed for an EMBA?

Typically, EMBA programs accept students who have more than 10 years’ work experience and relevant managerial experience. At the John Molson School of Business, we accept candidates with a minimum of 5 years’ full-time work experience, as long as they can demonstrate their experience is relevant to the program and other participants.  

What’s the average length of an EMBA program?

Generally, EMBA programs are part-time (although considered full-time) and last approximately 2 years.
The John Molson School of Business’ four-semester EMBA is a full-time program that lasts 20 months (15 months of actual class time, including an international study trip). There are no classes during the summer or over the December Holidays.

Can I still work while getting an EMBA?

Absolutely. The EMBA is designed for the busy schedule of working professionals. Therefore, most participants work full-time while earning their degree. The program provides participants the opportunity to apply acquired professional knowledge through assignments, feasibility studies, consulting projects, and more.

What does the EMBA application process look like?

At the John Molson School of Business, we offer a personalized and holistic recruitment process that takes into consideration a candidate’s academic background, work experience, career growth and personal achievements. Candidates simply have to follow the following three steps:

1. Request a pre-assessment with our assistant director
2. Gather documents for the application
3. Submit the application

Details for each of the above steps are here