Studying EMBA Singapore - NUS, SMU or NTU?

Since the debut of the first EMBA or Executive MBA in the States around the mid 1940s, there are now no less than 400 institutes offering a MBA specially catered for senior business executive who wish to increase their leadership skills without stepping away from work. There are no official statistics to show how many Singapore EMBA graduates. A quick check on NUS website, indicated they are currently running about their 20th intake. The best guess is they are about a thousand EMBA graduates in Singapore. If you are choosing a EMBA in Singapore, there are only about 7-10 reputable choices to go for.

There are various references and organizations that provide guidance and measurement to help those who are considering to take up an EMBA course. There is the Executive MBA Council and there is the AACSB. There are, of course, the whole array of rankings given yearly by various magazines. Even with these, the choice in selecting a suitable program can still be a mind boggling process.

In Singapore, the EMBA program is offered by NUS, NTU and SMU. NUS, being one of the pioneering universities in Singapore, has been running the program for many years. Singapore Management University or SMU, the baby university in Singapore, just celebrated their 10th anniversary, is starting their first intake in 2011. However, the new kid on the block, has given the others a run for their money. SMU undergraduates are already commanding a higher starting salary than the other local universities upon graduation.

Most university requires a minimum of 10 years working experience. A quick check shows that only NTU requires 8 years of working experience. One of the key consideration in selecting an EMBA is convenience. From what we have found, a Singapore EMBA takes no less than a year to complete. NUS runs the course over 15 months. NTU requires 6 weeks of on campus segments, each requiring 2 weeks, over 18 months. Only SMU EMBA is offering a 7 segments over 13 months program.

There are of course more considerations in choosing a suitable EMBA for yourself. Choosing the right EMBA is very much like choosing your own personal banker. You really need to be comfortable with the university, the teaching faculty and the kind of classmates and alumni you are meeting. My advice is do your homework and speak toevery university before deciding.