UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

So the change had to do with the dynamics of the P&Q list. The new school directly above UNC–the Thunderbird Global School of Management–moved up six places because of some significant rankings changes. That was enough to put UNC at a slight disadvantage. It’s worth mentioning, too, that the school’s EMBA ranking is based on the quality of its weekend MBA program.

BusinessWeek, which ranks EMBA programs on the basis of graduate satisfaction and a reputation poll of EMBA program directors, received many rave reviews from the latest graduating class. Said one recent grad: “Their commitment with our personal development and our development as leaders was amazing. The entire program is designed in such a way that we can only work as a group. Although we had tutors available to help us in the different subjects, I don’t think anyone used them since we could always count on our peers to help us understand difficult concepts. This program was excellent!”

If there were any doubts, it had to do with balancing one’s life with the experience. As one Class of 2011 grad put it, “I would like to have seen a greater emphasis on going deeper into fewer readings and assignments rather than the breadth offered in some of my courses. I felt a bit overwhelmed at times, especially when life and work had higher demands on my time. Deeper investigations into fewer readings might have made it easier to balance and might have provided room for more diverse approaches to problem solving and class discussions about case studies and readings.”

Application Deadlines: Check with school admissions office

Application Fee: $140

2012 Tuition & Fees: $89,000 for Weekend program; $99,500, up from $97,500 for OneMBA in 2011

Average Years of Work Experience: 12 (Weekend); 10 (OneMBA)

GMAT Required: Yes, for the weekend program. No, for the OneMBA program. If your focus is on the mainstream weekend EMBA, you may qualify for a GMAT exception if you have a PhD or Master’s in a technical field. If you’re keen on the global OneMBA program, the GMAT is optional. The school recommends taking the test if your academic records do not show strong quantitative skills.

Average GMAT Score: 577 (weekend)

GMAT Range (mid-80%): 448 to 30 (Weekend)

Acceptance Rate: 88% (weekend)

Enrollment: 213 (55 in each Weekend class); 55 (30 in each OneMBA class)

International: 15% (Weekend); 24% (OneMBA)

Female: 17% (Weekend); 10% (OneMBA)

Mean Age: 35 (Weekend); 32 (OneMBA)

Classes Meet: Alternate weekends with occasional week-long sessions (Weekend); Friday, Saturday, Sunday once a month with occasional week-long residencies (OneMBA)

Length of Program: 20 months (Weekend); 21 months (OneMBA)

Students From These Sectors:

  • Consulting: 13%
  • Consumer Products: 4%
  • Financial Services: 18%
  • Government: 4%
  • Manufacturing: 20%
  • Media/Entertainment: 0%
  • Non-Profit: 0%
  • Petroleum/Energy: 0%
  • Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology/Health Care: 13%
  • Real Estate: 11%
  • Technology: 9%
  • Other: 8%

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