Executive MBA vs. MBA: What’s the Difference?

Business schools offer various master of business administration (MBA) options. Whether you’re a seasoned leader looking to supercharge your career or a young professional who wants to break into management, MBAs come in all shapes and sizes. Many schools also offer flexible, part-time, or online MBA programs tailored to your schedule.

If you’re a mid-career professional, another option awaits you: the executive MBA (EMBA). EMBA programs are geared toward long-time business professionals who want to pursue a graduate education without disrupting their careers.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

The six main differences between MBA and EMBA programs come down to logistics and student type.

Here are some details on the core differences:

Some traditional MBA programs require work experience, but an EMBA usually requires five or more years of relevant experience. Some EMBA programs require up to a decade of business experience. They are geared toward experienced professionals who don’t want to take time off from their careers to pursue their degrees.

A traditional, full-time MBA usually includes a busy schedule that requires many students to step back from their careers, although many business schools have now adopted online and part-time programs for working professionals. Those flexible, sometimes asynchronous options can help you work toward your degree without leaving the workforce.

Many business schools offer the same curriculum across their EMBA and MBA programs, but the intensive, fast-paced environment of an EMBA sometimes means fewer elective options.

That’s because many EMBA programs are offered in a truncated format with short-term classes and seminars to work around students’ busy schedules. Even though MBA and EMBA programs may have the same core curriculum, an executive MBA may have fewer options for specializations and concentrations.

This doesn’t mean an EMBA won’t allow you to pick a concentration: several schools still offer options for specializations within their EMBA programs.

Executive MBA programs may consist of short bursts of high-workload classes over a shorter period of time than traditional MBAs, which typically take two years to complete on a full-time schedule.

Many EMBAs are designed to be finished in just a year, although many business schools also offer one-year accelerated MBA programs. It’s also worth noting that some EMBA programs take longer, and part-time or asynchronous online MBA programs can take even longer than traditional MBAs to complete.

An in-person EMBA program will typically feature meetings after hours and on weekends to accommodate your work schedule. That will mean fewer overall in-person meetings and can translate to a heavier workload for the shortened sessions. Some part-time MBA programs revolve around similar schedules, but those tend to have a pace similar to a regular MBA course rather than an intensive EMBA class.

Many EMBA programs are offered in a hybrid format, with alternating online class sessions and individual assignments in addition to in-person classes. Some programs set aside entire days or weeks out of the year for intensive, in-person coursework. For example, the University of Notre Dame’s revamped global EMBA features in-person residencies at its South Bend campus and global immersion trips.

A traditional full-time MBA will typically follow a semester or quarter-based format, feature more consistent credit hours, and possibly include internships.

Comparing costs between EMBA and MBA programs is tricky.

Executive MBA programs at top schools can cost more than $200,000, whereas regional business schools offer less costly options. Traditional MBAs, which vary widely in cost between institutions and program formats, are also expensive.

The average cost of an EMBA was $94,203, according to the 2023 EMBAC Membership Program Survey. That’s higher than the average MBA program cost of roughly $62,600, but full-time, in-person MBA programs tend to be more expensive than their part-time or online counterparts. However, EMBAs are more likely than MBAs to be employer-sponsored. Scholarships also tend to differ.

MBAs can also pay off. Getting an MBA is generally linked to higher earnings and can increase salaries by as much as 50%. Top business schools regularly report robust job placement and earning rates for their MBA graduates.

The biggest difference between an EMBA and a regular MBA will likely be who’s in your cohort.

Professionals of all ages take regular MBA programs. You’ll likely have mostly newer professionals in your cohort in a typical MBA program, though part-time and online programs will more likely have working professionals as the flexibility accommodates jobs and personal commitments.

An EMBA will mostly feature midcareer professionals, managers, executives, and other experienced workers looking to level up their leadership credentials. Networking is perhaps the most valuable aspect of any MBA or EMBA program, and taking an EMBA as an experienced professional may connect you with many people similar to yourself.

That’s not to say you won’t meet various professionals in a regular MBA program. MBA students come from all professions and walks of life, and building a vast professional network is one of the major benefits of any graduate professional program.