Top EMBA Programs with Large Alumni Networks

There are many reasons to choose one Executive MBA program over another – just check out Ivy Exec’s 2017 Best EMBA program rankings and some of the factors that are important to students like you – but one of the factors that you should not overlook is the size of your alumni network.

The size of your alumni network matters because it opens opportunities to expand your professional network. Having the same alma mater is a big thing to have in common. Even if you attended in different decades, there is a certain kinship to graduating from the same university. You can leverage that connection to find a mentor, get advice on different career paths, and create the type of professional network that can lead to new opportunities.

Here are some of the EMBA programs with the most extensive alumni networks.

Cornell Executive MBA Metro New York

Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management counts 13,500 people in its business school alumni, including Veronica Carrera, an Execution Consultant at Bloomberg Tradebook, and Hannah Diddams, who works in Global Agency Data Partnerships at Google.

The Cornell Executive MBA Metro New York is ranked sixth for prestige, sixth for career advancement, and sixth for curriculum. It also ranks number seven for global experience and eighth for life balance.

Cornell’s Executive MBA program is 100 percent classroom taught and lasts for 22 months. Classes meet bi-weekly on Saturday and Sundays, so you won’t have to take time off work to get your EMBA degree. However, there is a global study trek in your fourth term that will require the use of some vacation days. Students are required to have a minimum five to seven years of management experience while the average student has 11-12 years of experience.

Weekend and Modular MBA Programs for Executives at Emory Goizueta

Goizueta Business School at Emory University has turned out 19,200 alumni from its programs. Kevin Scott, Senior Vice President of Merchandising at The Home Depot, and Kadri Ozen, Vice President and Head of Global Affairs at Merck, both graduated from Goizueta and both chose the modular MBA option.

Weekend and Modular MBA Programs for Executives at Emory Goizueta are ranked fifth for career advancement, sixth for curriculum, and seventh for global experience. It also ranks tenth for prestige and twenty-fourth in the world.

Executive MBA programs at Goizueta Business School last for 16 to 19 months depending on the program structure chosen. Both the weekend and modular options include a mixture of classroom, online, and experiential learning as well as the opportunity to work abroad. Students can choose from a weekend option that meets biweekly on Fridays and Saturdays or select a modular option that features eight one-week residencies over a 19 month period. Students have an average of 14 years of work experience.

The Fordham Executive MBA

Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business has awarded more than 37,000 MBAs over the years, such as Lisa Ross, MD, the Director of the Department of Anesthesiology at Harlem Hospital, and Christopher Colvin, Senior Operations Manager at Amazon.

The Fordham Executive MBA is ranked third for life balance, ninth for career advancement, and ninth for curriculum. It also placed tenth for global experience and twelfth for prestige.

The Executive MBA program at the Gabelli School of Business takes 22 months to complete. Teaching is divided between classroom, online, and experiential learning, with 70 percent taking place at the school. Sessions meet for one three-day weekend each month as well as an international capstone trip. Students have an average 11 years of management experience.

London Business School Executive MBA

The London Business School has an extensive alumni network of some 42,000 graduates. Andrew Freeman, a Coordinator of the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018, and Lulwa Al Hamdan, a Senior Learning Manager for Saudi British Bank (SABB).

The Executive MBA at London Business School is ranked number two for prestige, number two for career advancement, number two for curriculum, and number two for global experience. The business school is also ranked seventh for life balance is number five in the world.

London Business School Executive MBA takes 20 months to complete. The program is available in London as a bi-weekly program that meets on Fridays and Saturdays or in Dubai in four or five-day modules once a month. Students come to LBA with an average 13 years of work experience.

While there will be many factors that play into your decision about which business school to choose for your Executive MBA, be sure to consider the size of the alumni network. Choose well, and you could open the door to a variety of opportunities that a smaller program would not afford you.