Executive MBA FAQ

The prerequisites for applying to the Carlson Executive MBA program are a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (regardless of major), a minimum of six years of full-time, professional work experience, and you must be currently employed. Some foreign students may need to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), Pearson Test of English, Duo Lingo Test, or the IELTS, as well.

The Executive MBA program considers applicants with a minimum of 6 years of work experience and will look at the type and quality of experience that you have achieved. We are looking to see that applicants have successfully managed new and diverse challenges, while progressing in their chosen profession. Management experience can be both people management and project or product management. We prefer a minimum of 2 years of management experience, and the average is 10 years.

No. All graduates of the MBA programs from the Carlson School of Management receive a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Minnesota. The Executive MBA program is designed for more experienced professionals who wish to complete their program in a format convenient for them and their career. The curriculum and faculty are the same as our other MBA programs at the Carlson School. To learn more about executive MBA degrees in general, you may want to visit the website of the Executive MBA Council at: executivemba.org.

The Carlson Executive MBA does not require the GMAT for admission. We do, however, recommend it or the Executive Assessment for those applicants who do not have a strong academic record or who have concerns about the overall strength of their application or are also considering the part-time program.

The Carlson Executive MBA accepts applications on a rolling basis throughout the year prior to the fall start in August. Admission decisions are made within a week of your interview. The Executive MBA admissions staff will contact you to schedule your admissions interview upon submission of your application. The Carlson Executive MBA has three priority deadlines: December 31, May 15, and July 31. Applications that are not complete by this deadline (that includes completion of the admission interview) will be held and processed in a batch admission procedure to fill any remaining seats. Our application and directions to apply are here: choose.umn.edu/apply

The Carlson Executive MBA program reviews all applications that are received. For any applications received after our deadline, admissions decisions are made on a space-available basis. If the class is full, we will make a decision on your application for the following year and place you on a waitlist for the current admission period if you applied prior to mid-July.

You will receive an admission decision via email, within 1-2 weeks of completing your application, although typically within a few days. We do not give admission decisions over the phone.

Occasionally, students defer admission due to family or work situations. We will transfer your decision to the following year and get a new admission letter out to you that year.

You are not required to have an undergraduate degree in business. The Carlson School of Management recruits and admits individuals from a broad range of academic and professional backgrounds. We are looking to see that applicants have successfully managed new and diverse challenges while progressing in their chose professions.

A foreign credentialing check is required to determine that the undergraduate degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Additionally, students who are not native English speakers from the following countries (United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Canada, or New Zealand) must take one of the following English language proficiency tests: the TOEFL, IELTS, Pearson Test of English, or Duo Lingo. If the applicant has completed the last two years of their baccalaureate degree or one year of graduate school in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Canada, or New Zealand they are exempt from the TOEFL, IELTS, and Pearson exams.

A total of 52.5 credits is required to complete the MBA degree through the Executive MBA program.

No. The Carlson School’s MBA classes are not open to the general public. We guarantee our current students that everyone in class with them went through the same application process that they did, thereby ensuring the quality of class discussions, group work, etc. You may want to join us for a class visit to experience the program first hand, before you apply. Check this button on the website: ATTEND AN EVENT for upcoming class dates (October through April only).

If you have the necessary work experience, the executive MBA program may be a richer experience for you by allowing you to study amongst your professional peers, as well as complete the degree through a program that provides the appropriate level of services and networking opportunities for experienced professionals. This program will focus on the strategic decision making and leadership skills needed for leadership roles.

Certainly! We would be happy to connect you with one of our many Carlson Executive MBA Alumni Ambassadors who look forward to sharing their experiences with you. Please email Jacquelyn Wingfield, Admissions Manager at: [email protected] for more information.

The best way to learn more about the Executive MBA program is to attend an information session or lunch and class visit opportunity where you can meet our admissions staff, hear the perspectives of current students, experience the classes first hand and find answers to your questions. Please contact Jacquelyn Wingfield: [email protected] or 612-626-8129. You can also set up time on her calendar for a meeting.

Tuition for students entering the program in Fall 2024 is $70,200.00/year. The program fee covers tuition and fees, books, digital case library, laptop and software for the program, meals and parking on class days, lodging for the two immersion weeks, and some costs of the international residency. Tuition is set by the Regents of the University of Minnesota in late Spring of each year.

The University of Minnesota's Office of Student Financial Aid makes available financial assistance in the form of Federal and Private educational loan programs. We have a limited number of merit based scholarships available to support building a diverse cohort of students. Most of our students utilize some combination of financial aid, employer support, and personal funds.

There are two types of corporate support: time off and financial sponsorship. Organizational support in the form of time off to attend class is the only corporate support required by the Carlson Executive MBA program. There is no required level of financial sponsorship required and we do not consider financial sponsorship in the admission decision process. The Carlson School does have a Corporate Discount program with several companies. 

The Carlson Executive MBA program is a delivered as a lock-step, cohort program, which means your schedule of courses is predetermined and that you go through the entire program with the same group of students (your cohort).

Classes are held on Fridays and Saturdays, predominantly on alternate weekends although there are some back-to-back weekends each semester. Class days begin at 7:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. on each class day.

From orientation to graduation, the program length is approximately 20 months. This includes the fall and spring semester for year 1 and then the fall and spring semester for year 2. You do not have classes during the summer in between those two years.

Many, if not most, of our Executive MBA students travel for work, and our faculty are aware of the tensions and challenges in balancing a busy career with graduate study. Policies and standards vary by professor. Our faculty members are as flexible as possible about issues regarding professional travel. You should work directly with your instructors to work out such issues. If you do need to miss class for travel or any other reason, you should immediately contact your professor, along with your study team members. Students are encouraged to attend class via the HyFlex method on zoom when they cannot attend in person and review any videos after the fact if they cannot attend virtually.

Executive MBA study groups are formed by the program office and are created to provide teams with diverse perspectives, educational backgrounds, careers, international backgrounds and overall experiences to enhance their learning and networking opportunities. Study groups are rotated between the first and second years of the program.

The Carlson Executive MBA program includes two immersion weeks which occur at the beginning of each school year. Immersion weeks allow for study team building, networking, and a focused academic start each fall.

The Carlson Executive MBA program has a strategic management focus, with an understanding of the global environment and a focus on leadership development of self and others. In the first year of the program, students complete a series of MBA core courses, which cover the basic functions and tools of business. The second year courses explore the broader context of business and help you develop the ability to deal with complex management challenges, as well as develop a deeper global perspective.

At the end of the Executive MBA program, you'll participate in an intense international residency that gives you hands-on experience in emerging and mature markets around the world. While overseas, you'll have the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of cultural and social differences that can have a profound impact on global business.

Led by senior faculty, the residency incorporates speakers, projects, and team presentations. Along with company visits and plant tours, you may attend presentations, discussions, and lectures by government officials, business leaders, and local professors.

The Global Virtual Team Project, or GTP, is a unique project where CEMBA students are placed on teams with students from our Global Executive MBA programs in China and Austria. Students work virtually for a large part of their second year in the program and come together at the Carlson School the week prior to graduation, to present their projects to a panel of faculty and peers from all four programs.

The general guideline is that you will spend two times the amount of class time on assigned readings and team projects outside of the classroom, which means approximately 15-20 hours per week.

The Graduate Business Career Center offers a variety of services and programs that help students in finding the right job and in determining their career path. These services include resume critiques, mock interviews, career counseling, job search workshops, and job postings. Students are asked to meet with the GBCC prior to beginning the program. Services are lifetime as an alumnus of the program.