Campus News

Inaugural Class Begins Joint Executive MBA Program

Lexington, Ky. (Aug. 8, 2014) — This weekend, Kentucky’s two largest business schools will welcome the inaugural class of students for the state’s first joint master of business administration program for executives.

The University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics and the University of Louisville College of Business are teaming up on the executive MBA program (EMBA) aimed at preparing mid-level executives at profit, non-profit and government organizations for senior leadership positions. Orientation takes place tomorrow (Aug. 9) at the Louisville Crowne Plaza Hotel and the PNC Club at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer is scheduled to address the group.

Seven women and 13 men are in this inaugural cohort. The average age of the students is 42, and the average work experience is 18 years. Four vice presidents and two doctors are among the students in the class.

Classes begin this coming week in the 17-month program, with students attending classes every other weekend, allowing them to keep their existing jobs, while preparing for more senior roles. About half of the classes will take place in Louisville and half in Lexington, with courses offered in three- to four-week terms that alternate between the two campuses.

The program’s 46-credit-hour curriculum includes 22 course hours on management, six on current business issues, four each on accounting, economics, finance and marketing and two on quantitative methods. Total program tuition is $67,500.

"We're very excited about this initial cohort that we have assembled for the EMBA," said Joe Labianca, Gatton Endowed Chair in Management and director of the Don and Cathy Jacobs Executive Education Center and the Executive MBA Program. "These 20 executives are all excellent, averaging 18 years of workplace experience at high levels of a wide variety of industries and functions. They will set a very high standard for this program."

Rohan Christie-David, interim dean of UofL's College of Business, agreed.

"The EMBA program is getting off to a good start," he said. “It's wonderful to see the interest and enthusiasm for this degree.”

UofL and UK officials have said the program will allow students to learn from the best business educators in the state and will boost Kentucky’s business climate by providing an advanced education to emerging leaders who might otherwise leave the area.

The recruiting process already is underway for the next cohort, which will begin the program in August 2015.

For more details, see http://execmba.biz/ or contact Vernon Foster, UofL's executive director of MBA programs and career management, at 502-852-2855 or Labianca at 859-257-3741.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Carl Nathe, 859-257-3200; carl.nathe@uky.edu.