So you’ve decided to earn your MBA—and you don’t want to put your career on hold to do it. But how do you choose between Wisconsin’s two part-time MBA programs: the professional MBA and the executive MBA?
While they may seem similar at first glance, the programs are tailored to different career stages and goals. Let’s take a closer look at what sets them apart!
Who is the program for?
Professional
The professional MBA is designed for growing professionals looking to expand their skill set and reach the next step of their career. While a minimum of two years’ full-time work experience is required, on average our students have six years of experience.
Executive
As its name suggests, the executive MBA is for more seasoned professionals—particularly those looking to grow as leaders. A minimum of 10 years’ full-time professional experience is required, with at least five years in a leadership role. On average, executive MBA students have 15 years of experience under their belts.
What is the program format?
Professional
The professional MBA is a hybrid program. Once a week, you’ll have synchronous online classes. One weekend a month, you’ll come to the beautiful UW–Madison campus for in-person classes.
Executive
The executive MBA follows the exact same hybrid format: online classes once a week and in-person classes one weekend a month. Additionally, the executive MBA has two on-campus residencies (one at the start of the program, and one in the spring of the first year). Both residencies span four to five days.
How long is the program?
Professional
The professional MBA offers you the flexibility to take between two and five years to complete it, depending on your preferred pace and curriculum choices (more on curriculum below). You can choose between a fall (September) or spring (January) program start.
Executive
The executive MBA is an accelerated program, which means you’ll finish in just a year and a half. The program runs for 18 straight months—beginning in August and ending in February of the following year—aside from one-month breaks in May and August.
What will I learn?
Professional
In the professional MBA program, you’ll gain the strategic business insights you need to be qualified for higher-level management positions, plus expertise specific to your interests.
In year one, you’ll take foundational business and leadership courses. Starting in year two, you get to choose your own coursework. You’ll earn four “badges,” each consisting of three, month-long courses. Currently, the program offers 10 badges:
Artificial Intelligence
Apply AI to solve problems, enhance productivity, and re-imagine business practices. Develop AI literacy for responsible engagement in business and society.
Business Analytics
Learn to make data-based decisions and bridge the gap between managers and data scientists. Coursework includes data visualization, machine learning, and databases.
Customer Insight
Enhance marketing and data analysis skills through courses in strategic pricing, consumer behavior, and digital marketing.
Financial Insight
Boost your financial savviness with courses in corporate financial theory, managerial accounting, and risk management.
Global Business
Dive into global issues and travel to businesses in another country during our Global Immersion Experience.
Business Sustainability
Learn about sustainability, responsibility, and ethics. Developing practices that impact diverse stakeholders.
Strategic Growth
Build skills for expanding your organization and overcoming business challenges. Coursework includes general growth strategy, as well as marketing and digital strategies.
Strategic Innovation
Develop your entrepreneurialism and creative thinking through coursework in management, product, and design innovation.
Real Estate
Gain real estate fundamentals with courses covering the development process, property analysis and commercial investment.
Consulting
Gain applied problem-solving skills to help your organization implement strategies and overcome challenges. Coursework focuses on internal consulting through experiential learning.
Executive
The executive MBA is all about leadership—building your skills to reach the next level of your career, which for many students is the C-suite. You’ll enhance your executive presence, improve communication in situations ranging from executive board meetings to crises, and grow skills like effective storytelling and change implementation.
The curriculum is broken into four modules:
Additionally, you’ll have the option to keep learning after you graduate! You can take two noncredit badges free of cost within five years of graduating. (Badge options are the same as those listed above.)
Will I get career support?
Professional
Yes! You’ll have the opportunity to work one-on-one with career coaches to map out your goals and steps for reaching them. They’ll also help with your personal branding, résumé, interview preparation, and more! You can even continue working with the coaches after you graduate. In addition, opportunities for networking with alumni and visiting executives are integrated into the program.
Executive
Also yes! Throughout the executive MBA program and beyond, you can work one-on-one with our career coaches to develop strategies to get where you want to go. They’ll likewise help with personal branding, expanding your network, job search strategies, and more. The program also incorporates opportunities for networking with alumni and business leaders.
Additionally, during the executive MBA program you’ll take a 360-degree leadership assessment and work through the results with a coach to learn how you can become a more effective leader.
How can I learn more?
- Compare all three of Wisconsin’s MBA programs (the part-time programs, plus a two-year full-time MBA) in this table.
- Explore our website for more details about the professional MBA and executive MBA.
- Reach out to the professional and executive MBA student ambassadors.
- Schedule a chat with the admissions team.