EMBA Employer Support

Wharton requires everyone to provide proof of their employer’s acknowledgement of the time required to participate in the program. Employers may also provide financial sponsorship. Financial sponsorship can range from covering a portion of the tuition cost to providing full financial support. Explore this page to understand whether you are a traditional or Fellows applicant.

Employer Acknowledgement Requirements

For most applicants, proposing and receiving employer support is a crucial part of the application process. While employer endorsement is a requirement for admission, financial sponsorship is at the discretion of the student’s organization. It can range from a small stipend, to covering tuition costs, or providing full financial support for program and travel expenses.

There are two facets of employer support:

• Acknowledgement of time to participate
• Financial support

All applicants required to provide acknowledgement of the time to participate in the program. This acknowledgement is communicated to the Admissions Committee via the Employer Acknowledgement Form.

There are three types of candidates for admission:

• Traditional Candidates: Company-employed candidates with at least 8 years of work experience by the start of the program.
• Fellows Candidates: Company-employed candidates who have fewer than 8 years of work experience by the start of the program.
• Self-Employed Candidates: Self-employed candidates and/or contract employees with more than 8 years of work experience by the start of the program.

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Traditional Candidates

Traditional candidates must have a minimum of 8 years work experience.

Acknowledgement Form
All applicants employed by an organization must have an acknowledgement form submitted by their employer which:

• Acknowledges that the company is aware of the employee’s interest in applying;
• Provides assurance that he or she will be able to take the time away from work to attend all required program sessions;
• Indicates the level of financial support the organization intends to provide (dollar amount, %, None).

Financial Support
Financial support is not required for traditional candidates, but if candidates receive financial support, the employer acknowledgement form should specify the amount. For approximately 30% of applicants, employers provide full or partial financial support. Some organizations cover all expenses, including travel; for others, support may be limited to tuition reimbursement or a fixed level of tuition contribution. Read Financing Your MBA if you do not have full financial support. Fellows candidates are encouraged to seek financial support from their employers (see below for fellows requirements).

Company sponsorships and other external fellowships that exceed the cost of tuition and mandatory fees may reduce or replace any Wharton fellowships.

Fellows Candidates

Fellows candidates are those who have fewer than 8 years of work experience by the start of the program. Organizations support Fellows candidates because of their outstanding promise for advancement in a managerial career.

Acknowledgement Form
All fellows applicants must have an employer acknowledgement form submitted by their employer which:

• Explains the exceptional managerial potential of this candidate;
• Provides assurance that he or she will be able to take the time away from work to attend all required program sessions;
• Indicates the level of financial support the organization intends to provide (dollar amount, %, None).

Financial Support
Fellows candidates are encouraged to seek financial support; the acknowledgement form should confirm this support, if applicable.

Company sponsorships and other external fellowships that exceed the cost of tuition and mandatory fees may reduce or replace any Wharton fellowships.

Self-Employed

Self-employed candidates have at least 8 years of work experience by the start of the program and are able to provide their own financial support. This includes independent consultants, professionals, and business owners.

Acknowledgement Form
Self-employed candidates must submit an acknowledgement form indicating that they understand the program’s structure and have the time and resources necessary to complete the program. If required, they should also show that they will be able to make arrangements with clients or colleagues to ensure full participation in class work and study.

Candidates who are self-employed are also required to supply documentation that provides the admissions committee with a clear understanding of the history, profitability, and future of their business. Some examples of documents that have been submitted include – financial statements, business development presentation decks, SOWs, and client lists.

Required Documentation: 

• P&L statement
• Summary of business
• Company website address
• Corporate structure

Optional Documentation:  

• Pitch deck
• Client lists
• Additional financial statements
• News articles
• Company awards

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Negotiating Your Case

In framing your case for sponsorship, it is important to be confident, present relevant data to back up your argument and be prepared to negotiate. What’s the most effective way to do that?

Relationships are the keys to persuasion at work

Start with your best and closest mentor relationship at work and then move toward your decision maker, step by step, using each person along the way to endorse the idea to the next one in line. The more momentum you build for an idea before putting it to the top people, the more likely it is to pass.

Passion matters

Show 100% commitment to staying with the firm; the greatest fear that companies have is losing you once you get your MBA. Find ways to make this commitment credible.

Set concrete goals

You have to sell the idea in each interview. Goals include:

• Educating your target person on the value of an EMBA using success stories from your own firm or others
• Getting your target person to help you understand the decision-making process for this idea
• Brainstorming how your job can be redesigned at no cost to the firm to make attendance at the program feasible
• Obtaining an endorsement from this person for the idea
• Getting an introduction to the next person you need to speak with
• Obtaining the resources and buy-in from the key decision maker

Speak to people in terms of their interests and needs, not your own

Develop a case based on some of the firm’s most challenging issues.

Follow up

Once a favorable decision has been made, follow up to assure that everything is done and thank those who helped you get here. Relationships established during this process can be invaluable later on as well.

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Sample Sponsorship Requests

Making a good case for support is critical. Here are two sample sponsorship requests written by EMBA alumni that you can use to approach your employer.:

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