Executive MBA - Stephen M. Ross School of Business

The Michigan Ross Executive MBA Program begins in August and spans 21 months. The targeted profile and curriculum for the Ann Arbor and Los Angeles cohorts are identical.

First-Year Course Sequence
Students take three courses concurrently throughout the program. The first-year curriculum begins with the core business fundamentals and includes such classes as Evaluating Financial Performance, Capital Allocation and Valuation, and Business Analytics and Statistics. Parallel to MBA coursework, students participate in the Professional Development Program (PDP), a personalized approach to leadership development that delivers a guided process of self-assessment and reflection. You will create your own customized plan through one-on-one coaching, 360-degree feedback, and other tools that focus on your unique attributes and skills.

Second-Year Course Sequence
The second-year curriculum shifts toward strategic thinking and the enterprise-wide perspective. Classes include Strategic Marketing Planning, Corporate Financial Strategy, and Leading Organizational Change. At the midpoint of the second year, students take two of three electives spanning marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship.

Year two culminates with a global-intensive unit that synthesizes the strategic vision and business acumen necessary to innovate through ambiguity and change. Executives emerge with the critical competencies to lead across cultures and continents.

As in the first year, students continue to progress along the parallel PDP track. Year two of the PDP offers a series of next-level skills workshops and seminars designed to ensure success in the executive ranks. Topics cover everything from delivering dynamic presentations and working with boards of directors to interfacing with Wall Street and handling the media.

Executive Multidisciplinary Action Project (ExecMAP) Course
Through ExecMAP, students consult with partnering organizations on projects designed to motivate executive decisions upon completion: Should a new product or project be launched? Should the company enter a new market? Should an existing facility be expanded or relocated? At the end of the project, Ross EMBAs deliver data-driven results that can be implemented by the project sponsor. The ExecMAP course is offered at the outset of the second year of the program. Students bid on projects that align with their professional interests and goals. Site visits and travel vary by project.

"The once-a-month format is a huge differentiator."
Earning an MBA while staying on top of work and family commitments seemed like a tall order to Ryan Majkrzak, MBA '13, but Ross’ once-a-month format made it possible.
"I was able to apply Ross tools to my work right away."
Matt Denninger, MBA '13, is a senior marketing manager for Advanced Energy Industries Inc.'s solar energy business. He says the tools he's gained at Ross already have enabled him to apply strategic change within his company.
"I'm gaining the business skills I need to manage change in healthcare."
Betty Chu, MBA '13, is a physician and medical staff president. She says she knew that to be a successful leader and change agent, she had to expand her education beyond medicine.
"Faculty are very focused on practical, real-world application."
Preston Young, MBA '13, says the Ross EMBA program is teaching him to see management and leadership strategy from entirely new angles.
"I'm tackling our toughest issues with confidence now."
Tessa Myers, MBA '13, says she's at a point in her career where she's striving to contribute more value to the organization and take on more strategic responsibility over larger areas.
"My new position came as a direct result of the program."
Prasanna Kumar, MBA '11, says he pursued an EMBA program to give him the skills and credibility to take his career further. In just a short time, the Ross experience delivered.
"Every part of the curriculum touched on an important aspect of my work."
Luke Nachtrab, MBA ’11, describes how he looked at 25 of the top EMBA programs and chose Ross because of its strong emphasis on strategy and general management.
"I got a comprehensive set of tools I've been able to apply immediately in my work."
The general management curriculum gave Larry Pemble, MBA ’11, knowledge he says he’s putting to use across his organization.
"I'm a stronger consultant to my clients and better business owner."
Keisha Strong, MBA ’11, says the Ross EMBA is helping her make real world impact. As a consultant, she’s helping clients leverage her new knowledge for global expansion.
"The FBI is run like a business."
FBI agent Jeff Brown, MBA '11, knows how to tackle bad guys. But the Ross EMBA Program has taught him to tackle finance, accounting, and other business fundamentals.
"Ross gave me great problem-solving tools."
Mike Carscaddon, MBA '08, has nailed a solid foundation in international operations at Habitat for Humanity International. The Ross EMBA Program gave him the data-driven outlook needed for his nonprofit.
"The monthly format was ideal."
John Chang, MBA '09, became a doctor in order to help people. But a contentious meeting with hospital administrators made him realize his profession is evolving — physicians now need a head for business.
"Ross made me a more effective leader."
As a doctor and professor, Edith Mensah-Osman, MBA '11, is leveraging her MBA to lead the business side of research.
She calls the Ross EMBA Program the best gift she's ever given herself.