4 EMBA Programs with a Focus on Research and Publication

Even if you don’t plan to pursue a research career after completing your Executive MBA, it’s still important to explore your research interests in graduate school.

Not only can you find solutions to problems plaguing your field, but you may also be able to address issues at your company, as well.

What’s more, it’s important to find professors who are actively researching. Rather than resting on their laurels, professors who still pursue research demonstrate that they’re on the cutting edge of their profession. They’re also able to teach you what they’ve discovered in their research, making you more knowledgeable than others who aren’t pursuing an EMBA.

Ultimately, you want to seek out an EMBA program that both lets you pursue your research interests and attracts professors who develop their own projects.

How do you know if an EMBA program that intrigues you would afford you a strong research background? Primarily, you want to consider if professors are actively publishing their research, as well as if there are centers and institutes at the business school that let students explore their research interests.

Here, we’ll share four EMBA programs that emphasize research for both professors and students.

Temple University’s Fox School of Business and Management EMBA

The Office of Research, Doctoral Programs, and Strategic Initiatives at the Fox School of Business aims to connect research with real-world applications. EMBA students are able to explore their research passions at one of the school’s 21 institutes and centers, each of which has its own focus. For instance, the  Global Center for Big Data in Mobile Analytics lets students consider the future of big data in the corporate sector, while the Consumer Sensory Innovation Lab lets EMBA candidates research how the five senses impact consumer decisions.

Executive Master of Global Management – Arizona Cohort

Thunderbird’s Executive Master of Global Management’s faculty focus on research that keeps them on the forefront of global management thought leadership. Faculty regularly publish on topics like raising capital through public offerings and commercial banks and  integrating business across the European Union. Prioritizing innovation in research, faculty are even rewarded with the Thunderbird Faculty Research Award.

Faculty and students can also get involved with the  Thunderbird International Business Review, a peer-reviewed business journal that publishes emerging ideas about global management. Further, the Thunderbird Case Studies Series is a faculty-oriented programs in which they solve business problems through research. Then, their case studies are used in the EMBA coursework, as well as published for general use.

MSU Broad School of Business EMBA

Broad College’s faculty are expert researchers who are interested in both teaching and collaborating with emerging business leaders. The business school has many centers and institutes where faculty and students can pursue their research interests.

The Axia Institute, for instance, helps Broad retain its top status for supply chain innovations, as its researchers create value chain solutions. Researchers at the Center for Business and Social Analytics explore how factors like social networks and real-time financial information predict social and business practices.

Other centers at Broad include the Institute for Business Research, the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the International Business Center.

OSU Fisher

Fisher’s reputation for forward-thinking research has helped it develop partnerships with businesses around the country. So, the school aims to have its many centers and institutes to develop collaborations between faculty, students, and the corporate world. Recent MSU-published studies have included one report on empowerment initiatives and another on factors involved in maintaining business in a recession.

Students can also explore their interests at the Center for Innovation Strategies (CIS) to create and share research about industry innovation. The National Center for the Middle Market develops new research about this underexplored faction of the industry. Other Fisher centers include the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, the Nationwide Center for Advanced Customer Insights, and the Center for Operational Excellence.

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These four EMBA programs boast robust research opportunities for both faculty and students. But they aren’t the only EMBA programs where innovative research is a priority. In creating your own application list, your first step is perusing “Ivy Exec’s 2020 Best Executive MBA Programs” list. We rank EMBA programs on a number of factors, including curriculum, prestige, and global balance.

Once you make your list of potential programs, then browse EMBA program’s websites to determine if professors are actively publishing in your field and if you’ll have opportunities to explore your research interests at the business school’s centers and institutes. Where Ivy Exec’s list and your research interests collide will lead you towards the EMBA programs that will fit you best.

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