Wharton’s EMBA program is known for having a global focus with its International Seminar; however the addition of global modular courses has taken this to a whole new level. Launched in 2010, the week-long  mini-courses offer students opportunities to learn about topics such as financial institutions in Abu  Dhabi, supply chain management in Shanghai, innovation in India, and leadership and conflict resolution in Rwanda.

Having recently returned from the course in Rwanda, we asked EMBA students Marla Bleavins and Bill Williams to tell us about their experience. Here’s what Marla, a second-year student at Wharton | San Francisco who is a special projects manager for Los Angeles World Airports, had to say:

“Most Americans know about Rwanda because of the tragedy of genocide that happened there in 1994, but we aren’t as familiar with the progress the country has made since then. It’s the fastest growing economy in Africa and one of the safest and least corrupt countries on that continent so I was intrigued to learn more about it through this course, which was taught by Prof. Katherine Klein and called, ‘Leadership, Conflict, and Change.’

Philadelphia deadline:   Wed., 2/1/12 at 11:59pm EST
San Francisco deadline:  Mon., 2/6/12 at 11:59 PST

Please call the office of the program to which you’re applying if you need to arrange an extension of the deadline.  Phila: 215-898-5887 / SF: 415-777-1000

Ins and Outs of Interviews for Wharton EMBA Candidates

If you are applying – or thinking of applying – to Wharton’s MBA for Executives program, call us soon to schedule an interview.  Don’t wait until you’ve finished your application to schedule an appointment because slots on class days are filling up fast.

Having recently overseen the move of Wharton’s West Coast facility into the Hills Brother Building on San Francisco’s Embarcadero, we asked COO of Wharton | San Francisco Bernadette Birt to tell us about the move and the new campus.

Q. Students experienced the new facility for the first time in early January. How have they reacted?

There have been a lot of ‘Wows!’ which are exactly what we want to hear.  They are thrilled with the quality of the classroom experience, the number of group study rooms, and having places to connect with each other during the day. For example, we have an incredible dining space with stunning views of the San Francisco Bay where our students love to gather with their laptops and iPads to collaborate and relax as the sun sets.

Get insights on the future of jobs from a top Wharton professor, learn more about our EMBA program from Philadelphia and San Francisco alumni, and see what our new campus looks like in San Francisco, then make sure to join us for a virtual reception on Mon., January 23 from 9:00pm-10:00pm EST / 6:00pm-7:00pm PST.

Hosted by Vice Dean Anjani Jain, the event will feature a presentation by renowned labor expert Prof. Peter Cappelli on how the global economy is impacting careers and what this means for the future of employee development. Prof. Cappelli, who teaches negotiations, also will share tips that may help you secure support for your MBA studies and career development.

Afterward, a panel of alumni from our Philadelphia and San Francisco EMBA programs will discuss how the Wharton MBA and network have shaped their careers.  You’ll have an opportunity to ask questions of both Prof. Cappelli and the panelists via your computer or mobile device.

In addition, West Coast COO Bernadette Birt will take participants on a virtual tour of our beautiful new San Francisco campus.  A 21st century learning environment, you’ll see how our technologically advanced facility was designed to provide the most cutting-edge and connected classrooms possible.

To register for this live webcast on Jan. 23, click here.

Phone chat tonight for women considering the MBA degree.  Wed., 1/4/12 6pm EST / 3pm PST

To hear the discussion:   1-270-400-2000* Access code 433559#

To pose questions before or during the chat:  email them to dsharp@wharton.upenn.edu or send them via Twitter using #WhartonEMBAchat

As a woman making your way forward in your career, you face a unique set of issues that require consideration.  Get clarification from an expert whose research has focused on these issues and reassurance from two Wharton alumnae who will share how the MBA degree has impacted them professionally and personally.

Panelists:
Prof. Monica McGrath - Wharton Adjunct Professor of Management
Cori Johnson, WG'09 - Sr. Global Platform Manager at Covidien
Rachel Cervantes, WG'11 - Director, Business Development at Merck
Cathy Molony - Director of Admissions, Wharton MBA Program for Executives
Kathy Lilygren - Director of Admissions, Wharton | San Francisco

 University of Pennsylvania will be closing on Fri., Dec. 23rd at 12:00pm EST.  If you have any immediate admissions questions, please contact our offices before that time.  Our Philadelphia office will reopen on Tues., Jan. 3rd at 9:00am EST. Wharton | San Francisco will close at 12:00pm PST on Dec. 23rd and reopen on Jan. 3rd at 9:00am PST.

As you work on your application over winter break, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Wharton Accounting Professor Christopher Ittner isn’t trying to teach all of his students to be accountants. In fact, the focus of his Managerial Accounting class – a core course in Wharton’s EMBA program - - is on the decisions that managers make using financial data as opposed to the data itself.   We asked Prof. Ittner, whose research areas include performance measurement and cost management systems, to tell us more about the class and what it’s like to teach exec MBA students.  Here’s what he said:

“I’ve been teaching this course in Wharton’s East Coast EMBA program for 15 years and at Wharton | San Francisco for 10 years. And I’ve taught this same course to the full-time Wharton MBA students for the last 20 years.  Needless to say, I understand the material really well!

“It’s very different from a financial accounting course since we talk more about internal decision making and whether the numbers coming out of the accounting system are relevant or not to your decisions.  EMBA students tend to like it a lot because this is what many of them are doing in their jobs every day.

“I really enjoy teaching execMBA students.  Although it’s the exact same course as I teach to the full-time MBA students, the EMBAs bring a different perspective since they can go back to their jobs and apply what they learned right away.  And the EMBAs often bring issues from their work to class, which we discuss as a group.

“In addition to students bringing their real-world examples into class, I often bring examples from my consulting work as well as my research findings into the classroom.

“While you might think that we talk a lot about the economy, it’s not that big of a theme in the class.  Other than it being a riskier environment for decision making because we live in a more turbulent world, the fundamentals of decision making have remained the same regardless of whether people did it well or not leading up to the crisis.

“What has changed in my class is that the industries used as examples have expanded.  Now, we talk a lot about healthcare as well as other areas like the service sector, the motion picture industry and even nonprofits.   The course applies to more than just big manufacturing companies because everyone needs to use financial data to make managerial decisions.

“Another thing I enjoy about teaching EMBA students is the opportunities we have for interaction with the students.  Not only do our classes run for three hours at a time, but we eat lunch and dinner with them.  In San Francisco, our offices are right next to the EMBA area.  We get to know the students a lot more which frequently leads to ongoing relationships years after they have graduated.

“As for flying out to Wharton | San Francisco to teach this course, this is not something that is required of faculty, but rather something we want to do. The majority of us have been choosing to fly out there to teach since the West Coast program was launched 10 years ago.  We do it because we really like teaching these students.

For more information on classes in Wharton’s EMBA program, please click here.

When Brian Davis, a first-year EMBA student, signed up for a six-hour tour of the Gettysburg battlefield, it wasn’t because he’s a history buff. Rather, the director of communications for Allegiant Travel Company in Las Vegas, NV saw it as an opportunity to learn more about leadership and spend the day with classmates.  

“I’m still in awe at the opportunity to be here at Wharton and it’s such a short window that I want to say yes to any opportunity to learn that fits into my schedule,” says Davis, who recently spent a class weekend in Philadelphia with his fellow first-year classmates from Wharton | San Francisco. The Gettysburg tour was an optional Leadership Development Workshop offered to students from both coasts.

Wharton | San Francisco MBA Exec candidates who submit their application by December 1, 2011, will receive a decision by January 16, 2012. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can reach the admissions office at 415-777-1000 or via email at lilygren@wharton.upenn.edu. We look forward to reading your application. Good luck!

Each year, second-year students in Wharton’s EMBA program vote on a location for their International Seminar trip. With options including India, China, Turkey and Brazil, it was a tough decision, but in the end both the East and West Coast classes voted on Brazil.

The BRIC country’s position as Latin America’s largest economy and its strength in a diversity of areas such as steel, oil drilling, and renewable energy attracted the students’ interest. During the week-long trip, they visited local and international companies to learn more about challenges and opportunities in the region.

Wharton Executive MBA students have a lot on their plate with school, work and personal obligations.  So why do they need MBA Exec Career Management Services?

“Everyone can benefit from learning how to manage their career over the course of their lifetime,” says Mary Gross, director of MBA Exec Career Management for Wharton’s East Coast program.  “Students may have a great job now, but they want to continue to grow in their career, so we help them learn to identify next steps and the actions they need to take to get there.”

Steve Hernandez, director of MBA Exec Career Management at Wharton | San Francisco agrees, describing their role as career coaches.  “Career management is not just about moving up the ladder or changing jobs, but rather the ability to determine goals whatever those may be and then to go after them.”

In case you haven’t seen it yet, Christy Luquire is blogging about being a first-year EMBA student in Wharton’s East Coast program for the Poets & Quants for Executives Website. So far, the resident of New Orleans has written about everything from trading in jambalaya for cheesesteaks to using iPads in class to ordering takeout seven nights in a row.

Blogging after every class weekend, the vice president of Federated Sample, a market research technology company, shares anecdotes about her life as a student working full-time who commutes to school from Louisiana. A recurring theme in many of her posts is what it’s like to juggle school, work, home and other activities. She wants readers to know that although students have to make some sacrifices, it is possible and worthwhile. 

We’re all excited about Wharton | San Francisco’s move in January to the Hills Plaza Building on the San Francisco Embarcadero. Not only will it provide us more space, but the facility will also feature “a 21st century learning environment.” To learn more about the technology going into the new space as well as other technology initiatives in Wharton’s MBA Exec program, check out Wharton CIO Deirdre Wood’s latest blog on the Wharton Magazine site:

“Kicking off a new academic year is always an exciting time, but that is particularly the case this year as we’re immersed in designing and building classrooms of the future. Wharton’s upcoming move to a new San Francisco facility has provided us an opportunity not only to design the most cutting-edge and connected classrooms possible, but also to bring that technology back to our campus in Philadelphia. As a top business school, our constituents expect a 21st-century learning environment, and we are providing that on both coasts.” more...

Do you want to learn more about Wharton’s executive MBA program? If so, then we encourage you to attend one of our MBA for Executives information receptions where you can ask questions as well as talk to students and alumni about the program. Please check our listing of events because we’ll likely be coming to a city near you. Upcoming receptions include:

Mon. Sept. 12, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm in Santa Clara, CA

Wed. Sept. 28, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm in Portland, OR

Mon. Oct. 3, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm in Las Vegas, NV

Tues. Oct. 4, 2011, 11:30am-1:00pm in Salt Lake City, UT

Tues. Oct. 4, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm in Scottsdale, AZ

Admissions chats also are a great source of information. To watch recent Webcasts and listen to audio recordings on a wide range of topics, please click here.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Working in Los Angeles as the debt and treasury manager for LA World Airports, Marla Bleavins looked at several nearby business schools with EMBA programs when she decided it was time to pursue her MBA degree. However, in addition to wanting a high level of academic rigor, she also wanted to  differentiate   herself from others in the LA area so she set her sights on Wharton.

Wharton’s executive MBA program hosts a lot of events, but one of our recent panel discussions was particularly unique.  After all, it’s not every day that the School sponsors a women’s networking event  at a San Francisco Giants baseball game much less at a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.  

“The San Francisco Giants are a hot ticket in town,” explains Katherine Lilygren, who manages marketing and admissions at Wharton | San Francisco.  “This event was a great opportunity for us to raise awareness about Wharton’s EMBA program in San Francisco, particularly among professional women.  Diversity is very important in our classes so these types of events provide a wonderful venue for us to spread the word about our program to different audiences.”

If you’re considering applying to Wharton’s executive MBA program this year, this is a good time to create an account to access our online application. Once you begin, you’ll be able to save your work and keep track of your progress until you’re ready to submit your information.

We also invite you to attend one of our many upcoming MBA for Executives information receptions where you can learn more about the admissions process from our staff as well as talk to alumni and students about their experiences in the program. We’ll be hosting receptions around the world, but a few events coming up include:

Mon. Sept. 21, 2011, 6:00–8:00pm at Wharton | San Francisco

Tues. Sept. 27, 2011, 6:00–8:00pm in Bellevue, WA

Tues. Oct. 4, 2011, 5:30–7:30pm at the Wharton School, Philadelphia, PA

Tues., Oct. 11, 2011, 6:00–8:00pm in Los Angeles, CA

Tues. Oct. 11, 2011, 5:30-7:30pm in New York, NY

Wed. Oct. 19, 2011, 6:00–8:00pm in Denver, CO

Tues. Oct. 25, 2011, 5:30–7:30pm in Washington, DC

Tues. Nov. 1, 2011, 5:30pm – 7:30pm in Boston, MA

For the full listing of information receptions or to register for a specific event, please click here. You also can visit our Admissions Receptions and Chats site to watch recent Webcasts and listen to audio recordings about a diversity of topics such as women and the MBA, career management, full-time vs. executive formats, and many more.

And it's not too late to attend tonight's event at Wharton | San Francisco, Wed., August 17, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm, tomorrow night's event in Seattle, Thurs., August 18, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm or next week's event in Palo Alto, Thurs., August 25, 2011, 6:00-8:00pm.

We’re looking forward to meeting you at an upcoming event!

A common question from students living in San Francisco and Philadelphia is whether they are required to stay over on class weekends. The short answer is: yes. Wharton’s residential EMBA program requires  all students to spend class nights either at a designated hotel in San Francisco or in the executive facilities of Wharton’s Steinberg Conference Center in Philadelphia. Not only does this provide the necessary time for groups to study and complete projects, it also fosters deep bonds among students as they get to know each other outside of class.

Each year, second-year Wharton EMBA students spend a week abroad examining how businesses develop and implement strategy in a competitive global context. While that trip is the culmination of their International Seminar, it’s not uncommon for students to organize additional treks to gain further insight into the economic, political, social and cultural factors that influence business in other regions.

Last month, a group of 21 students from Wharton | San Francisco participated in a trek to Beijing and  Shanghai. We asked second-year student Hari Kannan, a technologist at VCE in the Silicon Valley, to share some highlights from the trip. Here’s what he had to say:

Welcome to our newest students in Wharton’s EMBA Program! Both the East and West Coast classes are comprised of exceptional students from near and far.

At Wharton | San Francisco, most of the first-year class is based in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco area, however students are also commuting from Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Washington. The class of 96 students brings an average of 11 years of work experience to the program with nearly 50% holding advanced degrees.