UCI Program Graduates With Honors

UC Irvine’s executive MBA program was ranked 17th in the nation in a recent issue of Business Week.

Executive MBA programs allow students to earn their master’s in business administration while working full time. Students typically take two years to earn the degree and meet on weekends. Some have made liberal use of technology to do “distance” learning, away from campus.

In bestowing a top ranking on the UC Irvine program, the magazine cited the health-care executive MBA program launched last year. About 40% of the 120 enrollees come from high-tech companies. Like most other programs, an international trip is required.

David H. Blake, dean of UCI’s graduate management school, said that executive MBA programs are “a marvelous format for learning because people are very high caliber, and they learn a lot from each other.” About half of the graduates typically receive a promotion within two years of completing such a program, he said.

Blake said most students are employed at Orange County-based companies, but some come from long distances to attend. One student in the health-care program, for instance, is a dentist who commutes from Taiwan.

Business Week ranked Case Western Reserve University’s executive MBA program No. 1 in the nation. USC was 13th and UCLA was 18th.