Executive MBA

The Frank G. Zarb School of Business offers a 48 s.h. Executive M.B.A. program (E.M.B.A.) for those individuals who hold middle- to senior-level management positions in private industry, government and the not-for-profit sector. It is organized to allow working managers the opportunity to continue their professional commitments while simultaneously participating fully in a lockstep M.B.A. program that is twenty months in length.

Objectives of the Executive M.B.A. Program

• Provide a graduate management education leading to the M.B.A. degree for those qualified students who possess at least seven years of managerial (or equivalent) experience and for whom a more appropriate venue for pursuit of the M.B.A. would be the structure and environment of the executive mode of delivery.
• Provide an appropriate professional perspective, broad exposure to the functional areas of business, specialized instruction in the leadership aspects of business, integrative capstone courses and an international residency component to foster global skills.
• Serve the particular needs of E.M.B.A. students through a lockstep program that encourages interaction among students.

Program Description

The 20 month schedule of the Executive MBA program consists of seven consecutive semesters. The first 12 months of the program (four semesters) combine an overview of the various business functions in the context of decision making and management. The final eight months of the program (three semesters) adopt a more interdisciplinary methodology and intense international business study. The International Management Practicum is conducted at the beginning of this eight month time frame.

Each cohort will initially meet in September of each year. Classes convene at 8a.m. and conclude around 6p.m. Sessions are conducted on an alternating all day Friday/Saturday schedule, with sessions being held all day Friday of one week and then all day Saturday of the following week for a total of four full class days each month. During a typical day, time is allotted for short breaks and a lunch period. Through this structure, instructors are able to assist students in optimizing the time allotted to build on the skills they are in the process of developing and complementing the skills they have already mastered.

Program Requirements

The course of study in the E.M.B.A. program includes representation from all of the functional areas of business, as well as specific residencies geared toward working executives and professionals. This structure is as follows:

• Component I Initial Executive M.B.A. Residency, 1 s.h.
• Component II The E.M.B.A. Core, 31 s.h.
• Component III International Management Practicum, 6 s.h.
• Component IV The Executive Cluster, 10 s.h.

More than ever, the world of business seeks graduates who have a deep understanding of the business environment, but who are also familiar with literature and the arts, have command of the spoken and written word, and have an understanding of science and its impact on industry.

The Frank G. Zarb School of Business faculty at Hofstra University believes that the best business education provides students with a sound knowledge of their field together with insight into other spheres of life. To achieve this end, the Zarb School of Business offers a broad, well-rounded program of study guided by an experienced faculty committed to excellence. Today, numerous Zarb School of Business graduates are leaders of some of the largest corporations in the United States.

The Frank G. Zarb School of Business offers day and evening undergraduate and graduate study leading to the Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration and Master of Science degrees, as well as minors in business subjects and certificate programs.

The following departments make up the School:

• Accounting, Taxation, and Legal Studies in Business
• Business Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Methods
• Finance
• Management, Entrepreneurship and General Business
• Marketing and International Business

The School has organized its professional curricula to prepare students for leadership in business and not-for-profit institutions within and outside of the United States. It seeks to provide students with the common body of knowledge in accounting, finance, management, marketing, business law, production, quantitative methods, information systems, human behavior and business policy while encouraging them to explore the legal, ethical, social, economic, political and international implications of business decisions. Students are helped to strengthen their skills in communication and problem solving under conditions of uncertainty. The School recognizes that educational excellence takes place in a community of scholars. It works to attract and retain effective faculty and to enhance faculty opportunities for professional and personal growth. During the summer, the School of Business offers Hofstra students the opportunity to study at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and at Hong-Ik University in Seoul, South Korea.