Academic Curriculum
Academics are the foundation of the Executive MBA experience.
Our curriculum covers all major areas of business through a succession of courses that are issue-oriented and immediately applicable. Courses are structured around a few central themes that transcend industries and expertise areas, ensuring that students emerge as dynamic leaders capable of pivoting seamlessly across diverse sectors and disciplines.
Establish A Legacy: Our approach creates authentic leaders through lectures and storytelling, but also through a leadership experience — one that is transformative, research-based, intellectually rigorous and facilitated by our faculty with proven success.
Magnify a global perspective: A global perspective forms an integrative thread throughout the program. It recognizes that successful decision-making may often depend on understanding the current global business environment.
Drive decisions with Data: Analytics is more than a toolset; it is a mindset. You will learn how to see, think and work with data to sharpen your decision-making and reveal growth opportunities.
Create and Sustain Change: The power of data and analytics is diminished if it collides with “established ideas and mindsets.” The principles of change management can be applied to open eyes and minds to the new learning that analytics can provide.
Foster An Entrepreneurial Spirit: Through class sessions and experiential immersions, you are exposed first-hand to industry leaders to explore how to disrupt an industry and incorporate best practices within various sectors.
Unlike the traditional semester schedule, Executive MBA students are enrolled in three classes simultaneously, allowing for a concentrated focus on each subject. This structure enables students to dive deeply into course material, fully immersing themselves in the content while balancing their professional responsibilities. Our dedicated staff take care of all enrollment and course preparation logistics, ensuring that students can devote their time and energy to their studies. Below is the tentative course schedule for the Class of 2026.
Orientation
November 2024
Module 1
January, February, March 2025
Organizational Behavior
Strategy Formulation
Accounting for Decision Making
Module 2
April, May, June 2025
Marketing Management
Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital
Data Analysis for Managers
Domestic Immersion - Silicon Valley
July 2025
Module 3
August, September, October 2025
Operations Management
Financial Management
Global Environment of Business
International Immersion - Spain
November 2025
Module 4
December 2025, January, February, March, April 2026
Managerial Economics
Principled Leadership
Topics Courses
Your experience begins in November with a fast-paced orientation residency to immediately prepare you for the academic rigor of the program. The orientation introduces you to your classmates through a business simulation that challenges your knowledge of business functions and decision-making skills.
After orientation, you will meet on campus for 14 required residencies, typically Thursday morning through Saturday afternoon. During each on-campus session, you'll have the chance to engage in lively discussions and form lasting connections. Whether you're learning about finance, marketing, strategy or leadership, you'll benefit from the wealth of knowledge and perspectives that your peers bring to the table.
SAMPLE SESSION SCHEDULE
*Saturday class begins at 7:30 a.m., and include a half-hour lunch. Students are done by 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Included in the Fisher Executive MBA program are two immersions, one domestic and one international.
Silicon Valley Domestic Immersion: The Fisher Executive MBA domestic immersion trip takes place in Silicon Valley and is integrated with the Entrepreneurship course. Often referred to as the “Tech Capital of the World,” students are exposed to the inner workings of this unique ecosystem through intimate meetings with industry titans and providers of capital. From the expansive campuses of Apple and Google to the intimate Sandhill offices of Lightspeed and Andreessen Horowitz, students learn firsthand what it takes to raise capital, disrupt an industry and provide an exit for investors. A life-changing experience for many, students have commented that the trip alone was “worthy of their entire tuition.”
International immersion: The international immersion trip is designed to integrate classroom learnings with a real-world look into the business practices and challenges of operating in a foreign country. Currently focused in Spain, this trip takes students through a cultural and business journey complemented by alumni in senior positions sharing direct insight into new trends, consumer behaviors and best practices within various manufacturing and service sectors. This all-encompassing trip integrates our core curriculum with the experiences of our students to provide insight and business frameworks that we believe will pay dividends throughout your career.
In between on-campus sessions, students typically dedicate 10 to 20 hours per week on case studies, course assignments and team project work.
Our Faculty
Our faculty have a deep understanding of business management principles, experience with current business issues and ability to apply that knowledge in the classroom to create a stimulating and challenging educational experience. In addition to being benefactors of expert research and knowledge, Fisher faculty are accessible to students and often engage in discussion and collaboration with them outside of the classroom. In recent years, U.S. News & World Report and other surveys have placed Fisher accounting, finance, operations/production and real estate programs among the top ten in the nation.
Meet some of the EMBA faculty:
PhD, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, B.Tech, Indian Institute of Technology
Dean's Distinguished Professor of Corporate and Global Strategy
PhD, University of Minnesota
Associate Professor of Management Sciences
Dean, Fisher College of Business
John W. Berry, Sr Chair in Business
Ph.D., 2000, Organizational Behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Associate Professor, Management & Human Resources
PhD, University of Rochester
Professor of Finance
Dean's Distinguished Chair in Finance
PhD, The University of Chicago
Associate Professor, Accounting & Management Information Systems
Contact Us
From the moment students embark on their educational journey, through beyond graduation, our team is committed to providing support at every step. Please reach out to us so we can assist you.
Meet the Executive MBA Support Team
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2100 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210