Executive education is a way to deepen knowledge and build an impressive résumé. Leaders who commit to continuing their learning journey even after attaining positions of authority within their businesses are actively demonstrating how dedicated they are to their craft. They're also reaffirming their commitment to staying up to date on the latest and most important trends, such as the AI revolution which has recently swept countless industries.
The best-known option for executives who continue their business studies is to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. This isn't the only pathway available, however. Executive education offers diverse options, tailored to varying levels of time commitment and investment, rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.
These additional programs open new options for participants who aren't currently seeking a full diploma, allowing more leaders to fit courses into their varied schedules. Ambitious executives and hopefuls who previously considered themselves too busy to seek out formalized recognition of their professional development may be able to reassess when faced with alternatives to a traditional MBA.
Find out how flexible educational offerings can help executives deepen their knowledge.
What are the differences between MBA programs and alternatives?
Business leaders who intend to join the C-suite have to build up their credentials and résumés, while also establishing a personal brand that will mark them as viable candidates for those top roles. Education is one of the most prominent ways to keep developing, with an MBA program being the most-known, but not only, option in this regard.
Since earning an MBA has become the default pathway for executives interested in continuing their immersion in learning, it's important to generally define what MBA programs entail — while also listing promising executive education offerings that serve as alternatives to an MBA.
Here's how these programs are similar, and how they differ:
MBA
An MBA program consists of a series of interrelated business courses that lead up to a standard diploma. Because an MBA is such a well-known credential, it can be useful for an executive to place on their résumé, especially when the degree comes from a business school with a strong reputation. When reviewing a candidate's credentials for a C-suite or other executive role, a manager will know what an MBA means.
While the clout and wide understanding that come with an MBA are strengths, there are reasons why some individuals might not opt for a full MBA program. Perhaps the most prominent is the time commitment. Studying for an MBA can stretch for over a year as participants accumulate the necessary credits from multiple courses.
Top institutions, such as the MIT Sloan School of Management, offer variations of MBAs to suit executives' preferences and needs:
- MBA: An in-person program consisting of a Core semester followed by up to three semesters of electives and other opportunities to collaborate and integrate real-world work into learning, designed for established business leaders at various levels of their careers.
- Executive MBA (EMBA): A 20-month, in-person program that meets on weekends and is designed to help mid-career executives (with an average of 17 years' experience) grow their potential to take on ever-greater responsibilities.
- Sloan Fellows MBA: A 12-month, full-time in-person program that fosters an environment of mutual learning and networking among participants and faculty members who are advanced representatives of their fields — applicants should have 10 years of professional experience to enter.
While each of these programs confers a degree and each holds its own appeal, they are also connected by the fact that they demand an intensive time commitment.
Executive education
Flexible non-degree education offerings exist as an alternative path to a full MBA, one that can help leaders focus on the most relevant and applicable topics for their roles, industries, and immediate circumstances.
Sometimes, these executive education courses take the form of shorter in-person programs offered on campus. In other cases, they're administered online to better fit into participants' professional schedules. Much like longer MBA programs, courses from respected institutions allow executives to work directly with the top thinkers in their respective industries as they deliver actionable insights about the state of business.
Some of the targeted offerings from MIT Sloan Executive Education include:
- Executive Certificate: A flexible program in which executives, mid-career professionals, and high-potential managers tailor their educational experience by choosing from among over 90 courses along one of four tracks: Management and Leadership, Strategy and Innovation, Technology Operations, and Digital Business.
- Advanced Certificate for Executives (ACE): A more in-depth expansion of an Executive Certificate, it is designed to provide extensive learning time and hands-on experience exploring critical business concepts alongside distinguished faculty and peers. Graduates gain MIT Sloan affiliate alumni status to recognize their commitment.
- Advanced Management Program (AMP): A month-long in-person course that offers networking opportunities, workshops, and focused coursework to prepare participants for added executive responsibilities. The AMP is aimed at managers considering becoming founders or entering the C-suite and confers an ACE.
- Global CEO Program: An in-person program for senior leaders, run as a collaboration with the IESE Business School in Spain. Participants meet for modules in Massachusetts, Singapore, and Spain to network and learn to solve highly specific business challenges.
By finding the right executive education program, a leader can deepen their understanding of the concepts that matter most to them, without the time investment that goes into a full MBA.
Learn how leaders aim for C-suite roles through executive education.
Why pursue executive education as an alternative to an MBA?
The main idea that can shape an executive's decisions about education is specialization. What specific information does that individual need to get ahead? Would the best option be a full MBA program or a shorter, more focused type of experience designed to take less time away from professional duties?
Some of the specific considerations informing these questions include:
- Time: An ideal candidate for an MBA is someone who is ready to set aside time over the course of months or years. Whether through a relatively self-guided semester model with many electives or a focused, in-person style, accumulating credits for an MBA is a long process that can take executives away from their day-to-day duties. Executive education offers a variety of certificate programs and courses designed to convey specialized information in a participant's chosen topics on a far shorter timeline.
- Specialization: Due to the typically quicker and more focused nature of executive education programs compared to MBAs, leaders who enroll can aim more directly at their specific objectives. Pursuing an executive certificate in a subject with direct relevance to a role or area of business that relates to a professional's current role — or dream position — can represent a way to engage with that subject and make significant additions to a résumé.
The existence of various pathways allows business leaders to decide what they want to study and for how long on a case-by-case basis. A business school that offers a broad selection of management courses and programs can assist leaders at numerous points in their careers and across industries.
See what business leaders learn in an executive certificate program and read about an example outcome of an advanced certificate program for executives.
Exploring 4 MBA alternatives available from MIT Sloan Executive Education
Perhaps the clearest way to envision what executive education entails is to take a more detailed look at some of these programs. By comparing and contrasting three options available from MIT Sloan Executive Education, it's possible to see how different these offerings are, compared to one another and to a more standardized MBA curriculum.
Executive Certificate
An Executive Certificate is a targeted program aimed at ambitious business leaders who want to deepen their knowledge along one of four tracks: Management and Leadership, Strategy and Innovation, Technology Operations, and Digital Business. Finishing the program, which can take a matter of just weeks depending on how participants schedule their time, requires the accumulation of 8 Executive Education Units (EEUs), generally equivalent to four courses.
Three-fourths of students' required EEUs must come from their selected track, which ensures a focus on that particular area of business, and at least one of the courses must be in-person or live online. Participants can engage and network with faculty and peers while in their courses, and emerge from the program with a digital Smart Certificate that can broadcast expertise on networks like LinkedIn.
Advanced Certificate for Executives in Management, Innovation and Technology (ACE)
Earning an ACE doesn'tnecessarily mean completing the AMP. Executives can earn this type of certificate, a more in-depth expansion of the Executive Certificate, by taking courses on subjects that matter to them. The courses must add up to 25 EEUs, with 10 of them coming through live online or in-person courses. An ACE is a credential that demonstrates a commitment to self-improvement and business principles and conveys MIT Sloan Affiliate Alumni Status. Taking the necessary courses is a powerful networking opportunity.
Professionals can choose the courses that count toward their ACE requirements. This not only gives them the freedom to select subjects that matter to their present and future work, it also frees them to pick their pace. Attending back-to-back courses is a fast way to get through the program, while spacing the sessions out allows executives to spend more time on their professional duties.
Advanced Management Program (AMP)
The AMP is aimed at executives who are making moves in their careers or planning to do so. Whether this means moving into the C-suite for the first time, launching a new entrepreneurial venture, or contemplating another significant move between roles, leaders undergoing major transitions in their professional lives can build experience by studying in person with their peers for five weeks.
While lasting just five weeks, the AMP is designed to deliver a wide range of actionable business information. Faculty members present learnings based on their experience and latest research, and since the participants are all executives, they can network together and share their own useful insights. Participants have the chance to work on projects that relate to their current situations and, at the end of the program, receive an ACE, and thus MIT Sloan Affiliate Alumni Status.
Global CEO Program
The Global CEO Program, with modules in Cambridge, Singapore, or Madrid, invites leaders to connect with one another as they build their knowledge and experience. As the program is designed exclusively for executives who have already spent significant time in top roles, it serves a different purpose from other educational offerings. Rather than helping professionals aim for the C-suite, it allows those who are there to sharpen their skill sets.
By discussing real-world business issues in a collaborative setting, the Global CEO Program helps executives make real progress on the problems that are most challenging and compelling to them. After the participants have learned from one another, they can move back into their existing roles with new perspectives, confidence, and connections with peers.
For further exploration of degreed learning offerings, take a more detailed look at MIT Sloan's EMBA and Sloan Fellows offerings.
Is pursuing an MBA alternative right for you?
Choosing what kind of education to pursue is a personal decision determined by a variety of factors. By selecting between the many options available, each executive can land on an option that is right for them and points them toward ideal career outcomes.
The decision of the best MBA alternative may come down to a professional's place in their career. Someone who has recently taken on a leadership role for the first time will have a different path from someone who has been a member of the C-suite for years.
When deciding between a traditional MBA and one of several executive education options, leaders can ask themselves:
- How much time do I have available on my schedule? The time required to earn a diploma, certificate or other credential can vary widely. Some management courses demand weekends over a period of months, while others are more focused over a short time frame and still others are more flexible due to a self-guided course structure. Comparing durations can help clarify which program is ideal.
- Is in-person or online education a better option for me? Traveling to attend a preferred business school can help an executive receive an education perfectly targeted to their needs and interests. In today's digital landscape, however, there are plenty of online options that allow executives to study at top-ranked institutions from anywhere.
- What is my budget? Just as courses and degree programs differ in duration, their costs also vary. By balancing costs with personal budgets, it's possible to receive an education that suits an executive's current needs perfectly.
See how executive education helps leaders keep up with their industries.
Explore your executive education options
Continuous learning for business leaders means more than one thing. While earning an MBA is the most well-known option in this regard, the ideal path for each executive will vary based on factors such as availability, location, and personal goals.
MIT Sloan Executive Education offers numerous certificate paths, courses, and programs that can serve as an alternative to an MBA for a business leader hoping to build knowledge and credentials.
To learn more about executive education, explore Executive Certificates, the ACE, the AMP, or the Global CEO program.