Blog | Executive MBA versus MBA | University College Birmingham

July 2024

Blog | Executive MBA versus MBA - what's the difference and which is right for me?

By Elaine Limond

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Read time: approx 6 mins

An MBA qualification is known as the gold standard in business administration. But did you know you can take this to an even higher leadership level? As we launch our new Executive MBA, our Vice Dean of the Business School, Professor Elaine Limond, talks us through the differences...

When it comes to management education, a Master of Business Administration or MBA is the holy grail.

This postgraduate qualification, which doesn't always require you to have an undergraduate degree, has been around for over a century and usually involves a wide range of management-based content such as financial understanding, leadership, operations and international business. The MBA initially had a ‘Western’ focus, but is now offered and valued across the world.

With a global marketplace now offering MBAs, there’s so much diversification across the qualification, with some providers offering targeted MBAs for different industries, online MBAs or MBAs designed for executives and senior managers.

An Executive MBA takes this to the next level, helping managers hone their business knowledge and commercial acumen, offering forums to engage with other similar learners and industry-experienced experts. In short, they are for ambitious, forward-thinking leaders who want to continue to grow, and be challenged. It is a unique classroom environment where students can share experiences, existing challenges and offer great peer-to-peer support opportunities.

What my Executive MBA gave me

When I was first introduced to the idea of an ‘Executive’ MBA, I was concerned if I was ‘executive’ enough. I imagined rooms full of CEOs and other C-Suite executives or 'chiefs', which was daunting.

However, while Executive MBAs do attract executive-titled leaders, they are also very much aimed at those in middle-senior management positions who are looking to enhance their existing skills and experience rather than build them, as you would on a ‘traditional’ MBA programme.

Gaining my Executive MBA was a hugely valuable step in my leadership and management journey. There is theory involved, yes, but it wasn’t overly conceptual and was pitched in a way that I could apply it and make it relevant to my own business context.

Leadership is often a lonely place, and making ourselves vulnerable by admitting we still have a lot to learn can be hard. But mixing with a diverse, but like-minded group of people enhanced and supercharged my career. Modules focused around familiar skills such as self-reflection, leadership and strategic decision-making soon put my mind at rest and I overcame any initial concerns, while still being challenged.

It was win-win for my employer/sponsor as well, with the return on investment for supporting my career - staff retention, engagement, increased loyalty, to name a few benefits - and allowing me to implement a range of changes, learned through my studies, which totally benefitted the organisation, colleagues and other stakeholders.

As someone coming into business from a more ‘non-traditional’ background, I hoped that achieving an Executive MBA would enhance my CV further, develop my knowledge in more unfamiliar areas, while still developing my areas of strength, ultimately, adding value to my organisation. It actually gave me all this and so much more, adding to my repertoire of enhanced skills, confidence and insight that has proved invaluable across my professional career.

The barrier, however, can be the ability to learn flexibly to fit in with your work life balance. Which is where our new 'no fear' Executive MBA will change the landscape for those wanting to grow in their leadership, but need to build their study around other commitments.

Professor Elaine Limond

Study an Executive MBA on your terms

The great thing about most Executive MBAs is that, unlike MBAs, which are largely one-year full-time, they are predominantly part-time and usually run for up to two years. This gives students, who will usually still be working full-time, the chance to engage with learning while supporting their existing responsibilities.

The University College Birmingham Executive MBA is just under two years, with the final semester (around 6 months) dedicated to your own choice of consultancy project, where you’ll conduct in-depth research to address key issues facing an organisation of your choice.

You will have several online learning weeks to undertake at your own pace and in your own time and online ‘live’ sessions to engage with lecturers and peers. Most crucially, the in-person sessions on campus, largely dedicated to case method teaching, offer vital networking, shared learning and opportunities to engage with a diverse range of people.

Recognising the experience and existing skillsets of groups of learners like this, we have implemented a case method teaching approach to the in-person sessions, ensuring maximum impact for learning and the value this offers businesses and employers. Harvard Business School has been very influential, making complex concepts accessible and developing students’ leadership skills, all while creating an engaging intellectual atmosphere.

Was gaining my Executive MBA easy? No. But would I do it again? Absolutely, and I can’t wait to help you reap the benefits that I did.

Apply for the Executive MBA

*Professor Elaine Limond graduated with a BSc (Hons) in sport and completed her PGCE to become a lecturer at the University prior to her appointment as Vice Dean. During her lecturing days, she also coached rugby – including for the England U20 Women’s team – and earned her Level 4 coaching qualifications alongside an MSc.