Since the first global modular course was piloted in January of 2010, Wharton’s week-long mini-courses offered during winter and spring break have been extremely popular among Executive MBA students.
“We’re continuing to enrich our portfolio of these courses which provide a unique way for students to learn about business challenges and opportunities in parts of the world experiencing rapid change,” says Vice Dean of Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives Anjani Jain. “The global modular courses are an ideal fit for executive MBA students’ busy schedules and desire for greater exposure to international business issues.”
Last year, more than 40% of enrollments came from EMBA students who had the option of participating in eight courses around the world such as “Building Future Markets” in Cape Town, “Finance in Europe” in London, “Global Supply Chain Management in China” in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, “Innovation in India’s Healthcare Sector” in Hyderabad, and “Energy & Infrastructure in Brazil” in Rio de Janeiro.
This year, two additional courses were added: “Conflict Resolution” in Rwanda, and “Financial Institutions in the Middle East/Islamic Finance” in Abu Dhabi.
The offerings this winter were more attractive than ever with several courses creating waitlists. Overall, EMBA students made up 53% of the participants in the January sessions, which is particularly noteworthy given that Executive MBA students comprise one-fourth of the total MBA student population.
Taught by senior Wharton faculty, EMBA students from both the Philadelphia and San Francisco programs were able to attend the courses along with full-time MBA students. Certain courses were also open to undergraduate students, alumni, senior executives who have participated in Wharton’s Executive Education programs, and – when the session was co-hosted with a local institution — local business students.
“Whenever the opportunity arises, we invite students from local institutions who not only add more diversity to the classes, but also can help bring about a deeper understanding of local nuances,” says Jain.
Read more about an EMBA student’s experience in last year’s global modular course in India and the recent GMC in Rwanda.