MBA for Executives - Program Overview
PROGRAM SUMMARY
The Master of Business Administration for Executives (MBA-E) offered by Loyola University Chicago in partnership with Carthage, is an 18-month, general management program leading to a Master of Business Administration. The program aims to meet the needs of mid-career executives preparing for senior management, by enhancing their skills and effectiveness.
Students attend classes every other Friday and Saturday, as well as three one-week in-residence classroom sessions. Students also travel abroad for an eight-day international study trip. The class schedule allows participants to continue their career and also study, allowing them to explore and become proficient in a broad range of functional and managerial skills. At the same time, the program affords students the opportunity to apply on Monday what they have learned on Friday and Saturday.
CAMPUS FACILITIES
Located on the shore of Lake Michigan midway between Chicago and Milwaukee, Carthage provides an atmosphere conducive to learning. The College's park-like campus offers a peaceful retreat with 72 acres of tree-lined paths and a commanding view of the lake from every building. To preview the setting, stroll through the campus via an online virtual tour. When you are ready to visit us in person, check here for directions to the campus.
Classes are held in the Hedberg Library at Carthage. A local area network allows participants to connect their notebook computers directly to the Internet from within the classrooms, enhancing opportunities for real-time research and incorporation of multimedia teaching methods.
ACCREDITATION & RANKING
Loyola's MBA Program is fully accredited by the AACSB (the International Association for Management Education) and by the North Central Association for Colleges and Secondary Schools. It is ranked consistently among the top ten percent of all MBA Programs in the country, and it was listed as the "16th Best Part-Time MBA Program" by U.S. News and World Report.
FACULTY AND COURSES
Faculty are drawn from Loyola University Chicago's School of Business Administration. They are selected to teach in the program by the Dean of Loyola's School of Business Administration. They are scholars of distinction, well known for their teaching skills, their research and experience in working with business, government, regulatory bodies, and their overall suitability for executive education programs. The curriculum facilitates the integration of the range of disciplines within management's economic, social, and political environment. For more information on specific Loyola faculty members teaching in the MBA-E program, visit the MBA-E Faculty Page.
A complete listing of courses is also available on-line.
PARTICIPANTS
The program is designed for promising managers, directors, and executives with responsible management experience. The typical class will have participants from for-profit and not-for-profit organizations of varying sizes from all business disciplines representing both the public and private sectors.
Each participant should have the support of his or her organization. In addition to academic promise, the admissions committee considers the following factors:
- Does the organizational sponsor consider that the nominee has outstanding promise and potential within the organization?
- Are there reasons to be confident that the program will be of substantial value in furthering the nominee's career?
- Does the nominee have the motivation and flexibility to make a 18-month commitment to attend classes and prepare assignments?
Although the committee seeks to ensure a diversity of skills and backgrounds, it also seeks to bring together people with comparable levels of management responsibility.
RESIDENTIAL STUDY WEEKS
The program begins with five days in residence, during which participants get introduced to the overall program, and participate in a series of skill-building activities. The initial live-in session is an important time for the development of class identity and for the formation of study groups.
The second residency allows participants to continue classroom discussions, expand their network of business contacts, and develop personal friendships. During the residency, two courses will be studied that will help facilitate the integration of the managerial disciplines being studied.
The final capstone residency is scheduled for mid-February with the purpose of "putting it all together" and bringing closure to the program. It culminates with graduation.
INTERNATIONAL TRIPS
The second term of the MBA-E Program ends in May with an eight-day international trip. Potential international sites include Bangkok, Thailand; Athens, Greece; Beijing and Shanghai, China; South America; and Korea.
To learn more about past trips, visit:
PARTNERS AND SPONSORS PARTICIPATION
Partners and family members, as well as sponsors are part of the support system that allows MBA-E students to have a satisfying and successful program experience. MBA-E partners are invited to open houses, panel discussions, and social events. These events provide an opportunity for participants and their partners to socialize, and provide an opportunity for program administrators and professors to familiarize partners with the MBA-E experience.
GUEST LECTURERS
To encourage MBA-E classes to take advantage of Carthage's and Loyola's close ties with the business community, faculty and participants are expected to invite leaders of industry, government, and nonprofit organizations, as well as managerial experts, to speak during classtime and at specially arranged seminars.
STUDY GROUPS
Study groups are an important part of the MBA-E experience. Many class projects are assigned to these groups rather than to individual students. When forming study groups, every effort is made by the staff to provide a diversity of skills among participants and to create opportunities for peer tutoring. Members of study groups may choose to communicate via e-mail.
GRADING
Throughout the program, there are opportunities for participants to test their knowledge, with examinations and grades awarded for each course. The grading system is pass/no pass. All participants are expected to take all course units. However, under exceptional circumstances, it may be possible for one independent study project to be substituted for one course unit on approval of the Dean.
