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Executive MBA
Vanderbilt Executive MBA

Curriculum

Advance your leadership. Broaden your perspective. Drive meaningful impact. The Vanderbilt Executive MBA delivers a rigorous, flexible experience designed for professionals ready to lead at the next level, without stepping away from their careers.

Executive MBA Student collaborating with classmates
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Curriculum at a Glance

If you want a world-class MBA with comprehensive curriculum options that pays lasting dividends, you’ve come to the right place. 

The 21-month Executive MBA begins with a Week-in-Residence and continues with classes held on alternating Saturdays during the first year, allowing you to continue working while immediately applying what you learn. You’ll build a strong foundation in leadership, strategy, and core business disciplines, supported by a collaborative learning model that mirrors real-world executive teams.

Throughout the program, students typically dedicate around 20 hours per week outside of class to coursework, much of it completed alongside their C-Team, a small, diverse group of peers who bring complementary functional and industry expertise.

In the second year, your experience evolves based on your chosen track—Executive Edge or Global Immersion—with schedules and coursework designed to deepen your strategic perspective and global outlook. Regardless of track, all students complete the program together in 21 months and earn the Vanderbilt Master of Business Administration (MBA). 

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The level of expertise and instruction here at Vanderbilt has cemented the university as a pillar in Nashville and the local business community.

Curriculum Overview

  • Year 1: Fall

    Both Tracks Courses 

    • Week in Residence, New Harmony, IN 
    • Financial Accounting 
    • Managerial Economics 
    • Managerial Statistics 
    • Leading Teams and Organizations
  • Mod 1 – Spring

    Both Tracks Courses

    • Business Ethics
    • Corporate Valuation
    • Managerial Accounting
    • Managerial Finance
    • Operations Management
  • Year 1 – Summer

    Both Tracks Courses

    • Macroeconomics
    • Marketing Management
  • Year 2: Fall

    Executive Edge Track Courses

    • Strategic Management
    • Corporate Financial Policy
    • Creating and Launching New Ventures
    • Global Innovation Strategy
    • Negotiation
    • Operations Topics
    • Domestic Capstone Strategy Project (Fall and Spring)

    Global Immersion Track

    Canada (August): Courses

    • Cross-Cultural Management
    • Global Strategy

    Brazil (October): Courses

    • Corporate Social Responsibility
    • Strategic Management for Emerging Markets
    • International Capstone Strategy Project (Fall and Spring)
  • Year 2: Spring

    Executive Edge Track Courses

    • Global Enterprise
    • Marketing Strategy
    • Strategic Human Resources Management
    • International Residency
    • Domestic Capstone Strategy Project (Fall and Project)

    May Graduation

     

    Global Immersion Track Courses

    Mexico (January):

    • Competitiveness and Strategy
    • Family Business

    United States (April): 

    • Creating and Launching New Ventures
    • Global Innovation Strategy
    • International Capstone Strategy Project (Fall and Spring)

    May Graduation

Learn from Faculty Who Are Leaders in Their Fields

Meet Our Faculty

FAQ

  • Q. What is the grading system?

    A. Our grading system is as follows: SP (Superior Pass) = 4.0; HP (High Pass) = 3.5; P (Pass) = 3.0; LP (Low Pass) = 2.5; F (Fail) = 0.0. Some test grades are numeric. At the beginning of each course, the syllabus will establish the criteria by which the course grade is computed. Please keep in mind that each class grade is a combination of your individual test scores and individual or team assignments, presentations and special projects. A grade of 3.0 is required to graduate. 

  • Q. Is it okay to miss school occasionally?

    A. There may be a time when an unavoidable event dictates an absence. However, in order to graduate, Executive MBA students must cover a large amount of material on Saturdays. In the rare case when you must miss a class, you must clear your absence with the faculty. Exams are not to be missed. Individual faculty reserve the right to refuse makeup exams. In addition, someone from your C-Team needs to be willing to share class notes and handouts. You should make every effort to learn the missed material and prepare for the next set of classes so that you don't risk falling significantly behind in any courses. 

  • Q. Is the Executive MBA program accredited?

    A. Yes, our Executive MBA program is accredited by the AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which is the world's leading accrediting association. To achieve and retain AACSB International accreditation, a business school must meet a wide range of rigorous quality standards, including an approved curriculum, a high quality of research produced, appropriate admissions criteria and graduation requirements, and a library and computer facilities. No national or regional accreditation is more demanding or prestigious than that of AACSB International. 

  • Q. Is this the same degree as the daytime MBA program?

    A. Yes. The degree earned is the Vanderbilt Master of Business Administration (MBA). The differences are in the age/experience level of students and in the specific electives in the weekly curriculum, replaced by deeper core and strategic integration courses in the Executive MBA curriculum. 

  • Q. How many students are in a C-Team? Do C-Teams change membership during the course of the program?

    A. A C-Team usually has four to five members, maximizing diversity in industries and backgrounds. C-Teams comprise members whose depth of experience casts them in roles of CFO or CAO/CEO, COO, CIO, CMO, CPO and CHRO. The teams are composed at the beginning of the Week-in-Residence. The C-Teams for both the Executive Edge and Global Immersion tracks will adjust at the beginning of Year Two. This gives students on both tracks the opportunity to work closely with more students in the program. 

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