Sponsorship
Admission
Program Structure and Resources
Tuition
Alternating Saturday-only Schedule
Sponsorship
Q: Is corporate financial support required for the EMBA Program?
No. Although many Executive MBA students receive some level of corporate financial support, it is not a factor in the admissions process. About one-third are fully sponsored financially, another third receive some help, and the remaining third are self-funded. The most popular loan program for those paying all or part of the Executive MBA tuition is MBA LOANS® (www.mba.com).
Q: What do you mean by the term sponsorship?
Sponsorship—as distinct from corporate financial support—means that your employer supports your participation in the program and is aware of its time demands. To be admitted to our program, you must secure a letter of sponsorship from your organization indicating they understand the time demands, including the Week-in-Residence at the beginning of the program and the one-week International Residency in the final semester. You will also need two additional letters of recommendation.
Q: Who typically serves as a sponsor?
This varies by organization; your sponsor may be your direct supervisor, human resources director or chief executive officer. It is important that your sponsor has the authority to approve your enrollment in the program and time away from the office.
Q: Can I sponsor myself?
Yes, if you are self-employed. In these instances, we require a statement of self-employment along with two letters of recommendation from individuals who can assess your professional accomplishments to date and your likelihood for success in the Vanderbilt Executive MBA program.
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Admission
Q: Can I be admitted to the program if I have less than five years of managerial experience?
Occasionally, we will admit a student with less than five years of managerial experience if his or her career path is well-developed in their desired profession and other qualifications are exceptionally strong.
Q: What do you want to see in the letters of recommendation?
Each of the two letters should address the applicant’s career to date, intellectual capacity, and potential for assuming increased management responsibilities and leadership roles. One letter should be from your immediate supervisor, and the other should be from someone who has relied on your work. The letters should be submitted on corporate letterhead and mailed directly to the Vanderbilt Executive MBA Admissions Office, or emailed directly from the recommender.
Q: Is the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Text) required for admission?
Yes, we do require the GMAT. The GMAT score enables us (and you) to determine your relative academic ability within the applicant pool for performing in core MBA classes as well as to decide on your best pre-enrollment Executive MBA preparation. Either our complimentary online math/statistics course and/or complimentary Executive MBA Camp, held on Saturdays in July, may be required based on your GMAT score.
Q: Is a personal interview required for admission? If so, is it conducted in person?
Yes, an interview with the Associate Dean for Executive Education is a required part of the admissions process. It is conducted in person on the Vanderbilt campus or in conjunction with one of our regional Information Sessions, with prior notification and approval. Visit the Information Sessions calendar or call 615.322.3120 for an appointment.
Q: How long is the personal interview?
Generally you will spend 45 minutes in the interview. We will review your career to date, your academic preparation and your motivation and fit for pursuing the Vanderbilt Executive MBA degree. The interview is also an opportunity to discuss any questions you may have about the program.
Q: Must I submit my completed application all at once?
Typically, most application documents are submitted directly to the Executive MBA Admissions Office. As a result, we will accumulate all your admissions materials and you can verify with our office whether your application is complete. The most important first step is to complete the online application, whether or not the sponsorship agreement is completed. Some candidates will await seeking sponsorship until after the interview with the Associate Dean.
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Program Structure and Resources
Q: How much time will I need to devote to the program?
Throughout the 24 months it takes to complete the Vanderbilt Executive MBA program, a typical student studies 15-20 hours per week outside of class and work time.
Q: How are students graded?
Our grading system is as follows: A = 4.0; B = 3.0; C = 2.0; and so on. Some test grades are numeric. At the beginning of each course, the syllabus will establish the criteria by which the course grade is computed. Please keep in mind that each class grade is a combination of your individual test scores and individual or team assignments, presentations, and special projects. A grade of 2.0 is required to graduate.
Q: Is it okay to miss school occasionally?
There are times when events dictate an occasional absence; for example, if you become ill or an important family or work commitment arises. However, in order to enable graduation, Executive MBA students must cover a large amount of material on Saturdays. In those rare cases when you must miss a class, you must clear your absence with the faculty. In addition, someone from your study group needs to be willing to share class notes and handouts. You should make every effort to learn the missed material and prepare for the next set of classes so that you don’t risk falling significantly behind in any courses. Exams are not to be missed. Individual faculty reserve the right to refuse make-up exams. Some may allow for an early exam.
Q: How many students are in a study group? Do groups change membership during the course of the program?
A study group usually has four to five members, maximizing diversity in industries and backgrounds. The teams are composed at the beginning of the Week-in-Residence. Study groups remain intact throughout the entire program.
Q: Is the Executive MBA Program accredited?
Yes, our Executive MBA program is accredited by the AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which is the world’s leading accrediting association. To achieve and retain AACSB International accreditation, a business school must meet a wide range of rigorous quality standards, including: an approved curriculum, a high quality of research produced, appropriate admissions criteria and graduation requirements, and a library and computer facilities. No national or regional accreditation is more demanding or prestigious than that of AACSB International.
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Tuition
Q: How much does it cost to attend the Vanderbilt EMBA program?
Tuition each semester for the academic year 2008-09 is $22,850, payable in October and February. Tuition includes books and printed materials; parking permit; breakfasts and lunches while classes are in session; special events and receptions; room and meals for the Week-in-Residence; computer and library access; room and most meals for the International Residency; graduation expenses; and academic services. Tuition typically increases five to seven percent annually. Students are responsible for travel and lodging (if necessary) for all class weekends and airfare for the International Residency.
Many students receive full or partial financial support from their organizations, but this is not a requirement for acceptance. Once you are admitted, a $1,000 deposit is required. This deposit is credited toward your first tuition payment. Tuition is paid in four equal installments during the time you are enrolled at Vanderbilt: September and February. Student Accounts must show all tuition paid prior to graduation and tuition paid from a previous semester in order to proceed to the next semester.
Q: What is the size of the program?
The Vanderbilt Executive MBA program enrolls approximately 50 students each August.
Q: Is financial aid available?
Student loans are available for those who do not receive full financial support. Additional information is available through the EMBA Admissions Office and at www.mba.com (see the MBA LOANS® program).
Q: Does Vanderbilt offer any scholarships or grants for EMBA students?
No. Vanderbilt offers scholarships for the weekday MBA program, in which students are not working. Executive MBA students are working managers and executives who can fund their education through a combination of sponsorship or employer reimbursement, loans and working cash flow.
Q: Is a laptop computer required?
Although a laptop computer is convenient, it is not required for success in the program. Most students do use laptops. In addition, Executive MBA students use a VOIP product and an electronic Blackboard to enable online meeting collaboration and updates from faculty and the Vanderbilt Executive MBA office.
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Alternating Saturday-only Schedule
Q: Why the change in format?
After listening to the challenges that current and prospective Executive MBA students are facing in this difficult economy, we believe that the alternating Saturday format will enable a wider audience of extremely highly qualified executives to consider Vanderbilt. For self-funding individuals, the prospect of being out of the office two Fridays every month has been a conflict, which has migrated to tuition-sponsored students as well, given the economic strains their companies are facing. The new format will fortify our pool of seasoned executives seeking to build upon their career success, while eliminating disruption to job responsibilities during the traditional workweek.
In a recent market survey of 2009 Vanderbilt Executive MBA applicants and inquiries, 70 percent and 80 percent of these audiences, respectively, indicated that they preferred an alternating Saturday schedule. We are confident that our pool of talented candidates for admission will continue to flourish with this new format.
Q: How will the new format be structured? Will the Classes of 2010 and 2011 have different schedules?
Under this new schedule, incoming Executive MBA students (Class of 2011) will attend classes on alternating Saturdays over 24 months, including two short summer sessions (although students will have a four-week break from mid-July through early August between Year 1 and Year 2), and will complete their 60 credit hour program by August, 2011. These students will be in class on alternating Saturdays from 8am to 6:50pm. The extended Saturdays, combined with short summer sessions, enable us to maintain the exact curriculum as the traditional Friday/Saturday Executive MBA program.
The program schedule for the Executive MBA Class of 2010 will remain intact for their second year of study, with the current alternating Friday/Saturday format so as not to disrupt their existing plans to graduate in May, 2010.
Q: Will the new format affect the quality of the program or diminish the degree?
We remain true to being the highest quality, comprehensive world-class MBA degree program for working executives. The new schedule maintains the same number of in-class hours, but positions us to continue attracting the best students who demand high standards and consistency in their education and class peer group. We will not dilute the challenging admissions or course requirements.
Our goals in making this change are simple--preserving the selectivity of the program while bringing flexibility to employers and their key managers who need advanced education for the demands of difficult economic times and beyond.
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