MIT Sloan Executive Education [Show Summary]

Today we’re going to look at executive MBA program options: MIT Sloan’s executive MBA program, which is relatively new, but more typical in structure; MIT's part-time MBA program; and the MIT Sloan Fellows program, a full-time immersive executive MBA program. We are going to learn about them from Johanna Hising DiFabio, Director, Sloan Fellows and EMBA Programs.

Interview with the Director of MIT Sloan EMBA and MIT Sloan Fellows Programs [Transcript]

Johanna worked in business after earning her undergraduate degree from Ithaca College in 2000. She came to MIT Sloan as Associate Director of Student Life and Learning in 2010, became Director of MIT’s EMBA program in 2014, and added the Sloan Fellows program to her responsibilities in 2017.

Johanna, can you provide an overview of both programs, the MIT EMBA and the MIT Sloan Fellows program? [1:54]

The Sloan Fellows program, at over 80 years old, is I believe the oldest executive degree program in history. It’s a one-year, mid-career, intensive fulltime program. Our students come from all over the world for a year to study a curriculum in general management. They start in the summer, and in the fall and spring they have lots of electives to choose from if they want from within the full-time program, as well as other opportunities to fully immerse at Sloan and MIT.

Eight years ago we started the EMBA program. We were a little late to the market with this degree in comparison to other universities out there. We started it with the aim of the curriculum being heavily action-learning focused. Students come every second or third Friday/Satday and spend six hours a day in class with the focus on going back to work on Monday and applying what they’ve learned. It is a 20-month executive program, and we are looking for general managers with experience managing teams and managing businesses. The EMBA program provides an opportunity to earn a general management degree with a few electives but not as many as Sloan Fellows has.

What do the two programs share and where do they differ? [3:50]

They share the core general management curriculum, and with both degrees we expect significant work experience coming in. Both programs also have fantastic cohorts – we hear that across the board. One aspect where they differ is on the EMBA side we expect them to have a job and be working, while with Sloan we expect them to not be working and fully immerse themselves in the program. The Sloan Fellows program is 12 months vs 20 months for the EMBA program. Sloan Fellows also offers many more elective opportunities, while the EMBA is fairly lock step and action learning focused to apply their learnings immediately. On the EMBA side 45% of students are born outside of the US but the vast majority are working in the US, and with Sloan Fellows 75-80% of the population is from outside the US, with most bringing their families. Neither program requires financial sponsorship, but of course time sponsorship is required for both.

MIT puts a strong emphasis on innovation. How does this strong emphasis on innovation play out in each of the two programs? [6:43]

There is innovation in the content students are taught. In the core there is an innovation-driven advantage in Sloan Fellows, and on the EMBA side there is entrepreneurial-driven innovation.