Kellogg's Executive Offerings

In a recent online chat, representatives of Northwestern's Kellogg School discussed EMBA and executive ed programs. Here's a transcript

Stephen Burnett
Northwestern University

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Full-time MBA programs might get most of the attention. But there are plenty of options at business schools (BusinessWeek.com, 11/1/07) for people interested in gaining leadership training, picking up additional skills, and stretching their minds.

At Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, for example, candidates who are a bit more experienced and would rather not give up their job can apply to the Executive MBA program. Companies that are looking for additional training for their staff can send employees to the school for executive education programs that cover a range of topics from accounting to general management.

Recently, Stephen Burnett (SteveKelloggExec), associate dean of Executive Education and professor of Strategic Management, and Julie Cisek-Jones (JulieKelloggExec), director of Executive MBA Programs at Kellogg, fielded questions from BusinessWeek.com reporter Francesca Di Meglio (FrancescaBW) and the public during an online chat. Here are edited excerpts of the conversation:

KYen: Can I apply the executive education classes toward a degreed program?

SteveKelloggExec: No, certificate programs do not count toward an MBA. However, we often have participants in our certificate programs apply to our EMBA program after they have experienced the quality of the Kellogg school faculty and facilities.

MegT: How do you keep your programs fresh in executive education? What is new at Kellogg Exec Ed?

SteveKelloggExec: Since the faculty of the Kellogg school is on the cutting edge of management practice and research, our executive offerings are constantly [being updated] as the faculty lead their respective fields. Regarding new program offerings, we are always working with the faculty on how to translate their current research and teaching interests into programs. For example, our new program on Organic Growth flows directly from faculty research and teaching in this area.

rhoeta: What is your acceptance rate for the EMBA North America program?

JulieKelloggExec: Regardless of which program you decide to apply to, the acceptance rates are fairly similar. In each instance, we are able to accept only about one in three people who submit a completed application. This wonderful depth in the applicant pool really helps us achieve a superior mix of industry representations, academic backgrounds, and life experiences that we are striving for as we build each class. That said, we really go out of our way to treat each candidate as an individual.

Leah: Can you tell us a little bit about what a typical week-long/two-week-long program is like?

SteveKelloggExec: All of our executive offerings are very intense. Participants want to maximize their learning and peer interactions while on campus. They typically start on Sunday afternoon and end Friday at noon for a week-long program. A normal class day starts at 8:30 a.m. with four class sessions until 4:15 p.m. We then have a short break followed by dinner and an evening session which ends around 9 p.m. The class then gathers for an hour or so for networking before preparing for the next day's class.

rgautam: I wanted to understand about your schools [presence] in Europe and Asia and what feedback you have gotten?

JulieKelloggExec: This has been extraordinarily well received by students across the Kellogg network. In all cases, students are invited and encouraged to take part in our global elective opportunities in their second academic year. The program started small about four years ago and took full bloom in 2006-07. The weeks are a complete sellout with over 70% of our U.S. students taking advantage of these opportunities and well over 90% of our international students taking advantage.