Desiderio is careful to emphasize that not every school gives out scholarships and fellowships. And the amount available (and the number of students receiving grants) varies from school-to-school. However, the money set aside for student support is increasing. In 2012 – the first year that EMBAC tracked scholarships and fellowships – the average amount available to EMBAs was $96,000. Two years later, the average pool has leaped to $125,000 to $127,000 on average.
In Desiderio’s view, there is a strong correlation between stagnant company support and increasing school support. “I really believe it is a result of students having to fund more of the degree themselves. It’s a way schools are trying to respond and help with that.”
SPEAKERS AND GLOBAL TRAVEL INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN EMBA PROGRAMS
The EMBAC study also unearthed other intriguing tidbits. The percentage of women in EMBA programs remained relatively steady in 2014 at 25.4%, down from its 2012 high of 26.7%. On average, EMBA students are 37.5 years old, possessing 13.7 years of work experience (and 8.7 years of management experience). According to EMBAC, these numbers have changed little over the past five years.
However, overseas trips have emerged as a popular offering among EMBAC members, who operate in 30 different countries. Ninety-four per cent of EMBA programs surveyed now make international trips available, up 9.2% from five years ago. Members cited China, the United States, Brazil, India, Hong Kong, Chile, and South Africa as the most popular destinations.
And campus speakers, once the province of full-time students, are growing increasing popular among EMBAs. Eighty-five per cent of EMBA programs now include an executive speaker series, up from 64.1 percent in 2011.
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