Maryland’s Smith School of Business

Maryland's Smith School of Business

18. University of Maryland

Robert H. Smith School of Business

2417 Van Munching Hall

College Park, Maryland 20742

Admissions: 301-405-2559

Email: embainfo@rhsmith.umd.edu

Website: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/emba/

Apply Online: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/emba/apply.aspx

The University of Maryland Smith Executive MBA, a 19-month program, includes core business disciplines that are covered in-depth but with an executive perspective in mind. Four key concepts stand at the center of the Smith EMBA program: Foundation, Mastery, Leadership Development & Executive Coaching, and Action Learning Projects. Foundational knowledge is brought to bear on action learning projects, where students establish firms, refine processes, and learn how to lead change within those firms. Students then focus on the mastery of leadership skills and competencies, beginning with assessments—including a 360-degree personal assessment—to help establish a baseline and measure your progress.

Many students believe the executive coaching part of the program–a differentiating feature of Smith’s EMBA program–is an extremely valuable attribute of their degree. One Class of 2011 grad told BusinessWeek: “My coach helped me to sort through my personality assessments and better align myself to my goals.”

The Smith EMBA is a curriculum based on a systems thinking approach to solving and dissolving problems. Throughout the curriculum, students learn an approach to problems and complex situations that cross multiple functional areas.

Application Deadline: April 30

Latest Up-to-Date Executive MBA Rankings:

2012 Poets&Quants: 18

2011 BusinessWeek: 16

2011 U.S. News & World Report: NR

2010 The Wall Street Journal: 22

2011 Financial Times: 48

Rankings Analysis: The Executive MBA program at Maryland’s Smith School moved up seven places, the second most significant gain of any top 20 program, in PoetsandQuants’ 2012 ranking of the world’s best. The main reason: BusinessWeek, which had not ranked Maryland’s EMBA program  in its previous survey, awarded it a rank of 16th in 2011. Along with the program’s rank of 22 from The Wall Street Journal and a comparatively impressive showing in The Financial Times’ survey, Maryland jumped ahead. The school’s advance would have been even bigger if not for falling 12 places in the Financial Times’ 2011 ranking to 48 from 36 in 2011.

BusinessWeek, which ranks EMBA programs on the basis of graduate satisfaction and a reputation poll of EMBA program directors, collected many rave reviews from the Class of 2011. As one grad put it, “The University of Maryland does an amazing job with its EMBA program. We had a cohort full of top-notch professionals, first class professors and best in class assistants. The entire program was challenging, exciting and will be missed. The tools, education and confidence I am leaving with was well worth the money invested.”

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