Executive Education

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Executive Education is the term used for programs at graduate-level business schools that aim to give classes for managers or entrepreneurs. These programs do not usually end in a degree, although there is an ever-growing number of Executive MBA programs that are very similar but bestow the Master of Business Administration upon completion of the coursework. A new trend is for business schools to offer a certificate and alumni status for completing a certain number of executive education units, such as Columbia Business School's Certificate in Business Excellence (CIBE).[1] Executive education programs are seen as a boon to both the school (as it usually comes with a hefty price tag in the form of tuition and fees) and the younger, traditional MBA students. The alumni network of the business school is bolstered by the ranks of these high executives, who can help the younger MBAs with finding jobs.

Estimates by Business Week magazine suggest that executive education in the United States is approximately an $800 million per year business, roughly 80% of which is provided by universities (mostly business schools). The fastest growing segment of the market is so-called "customized" programs, which are tailored for and offered to executives of a single company (as opposed to "open enrollment" programs).

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[edit] History of Executive Education

Executive education programs are in a way the descendants of the MBA, which was developed in the U.S. in the early 20th century as a way to strengthen the management skills of senior executives.[2]. There is considerable debate about the nature of business school education as a form of 'professional' development (along the lines of medicine or law) versus observations that by losing track of their professional mission, schools have lost their way, an argument made with great force by Rakesh Khurana [3]. Nonetheless, business schools have become well established as essential partners to business, with executive education benefitting from the cachet of their parent institutions. The executive education concept spread rapidly and globally. Companies recognize the benefits, which include creating opportunities for networking; bringing new thinking and ideas into their organizations; upgrading specific skills and often helping executives become better leaders. Its proponents say it is one of the most effective ways to make an immediate impact on the practice of management. Companies wishing to capture these benefits in a short period of time gave birth to a variety of more flexible programs, from part-time studies to online degrees.

Early executive education programs, including the 13-week Advanced Management Program at Harvard University and the four-week Institute for Management at Northwestern University's School of Commerce (now the Kellogg School of Management)developed in response to the need to rapidly train line executives for general management positions in the Post World War 2 era. In 1979, construction of the James L. Allen Center at the Kellogg School [1]demonstrated the value of a standalone facility dedicated to executive education programs, spurring the development of such facilities at schools nationwide and the subsequent expansion of short open enrollment programs. Executive education further developed in the 1980s and 1990s, as the increasing pace and scope of global business demanded higher levels of education among employees. The dot-com boom further changed the scope of the U.S. business landscape by favoring employees and organizations who were quick to adapt and capable of change. As longstanding business concepts became obsolete, continual training was necessary—but earning a degree was not.

Today, the participation of the most prestigious universities around the world has lent credibility to executive education, unlike other non-degree/certificate programs that may or may not be recognized as valuable. The dot-com influence may be diminished, but the emphasis on learning new concepts throughout one's career has continued, and made executive education extremely popular in the U.S. (Duke University, for example, reports 25% annual growth for its Corporate Education programs.)[2]

[edit] Executive Education Providers

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes and References

  1. ^ http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/execed/certificate
  2. ^ a b CNN
  3. ^ Khurana, R. 2007. From higher aims to hired hands: The social transformation of American business schools and the unfulfilled promise of management as a profession. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

[edit] External links

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