McColl Executive MBA Curriculum

Developing a General Manager's Cross Functional Point of View

The McColl Executive MBA curriculum is designed for people with substantial professional and management experience. Academic topics are integrated across courses and semesters in ways that foster development of a general manager’s cross-functional point of view. Current issues are discussed in their classical management context, yielding deeper insights into issues of present concern for participants and the organizations that employ them.

The Curriculum

• Semester 1 - The Big Picture

• Semester 2 - Anatomy of the Enterprise

• Semester 3 - Control and Development

• Semester 4 - Managing Strategically

• International Study Tours

• Non-Profit Consulting Project

Outside of the Academic Box

The McColl Executive MBA curriculum is particularly unique from other MBA programs and even other Executive MBA programs in that most courses extend over two or even three semesters. This unique format enables faculty to coordinate their topics and achieve a degree of integration unattainable in educational programs following a more traditional format or even a "modular" format. 

Additionally, rather than every course receiving equal time, McColl Executive MBA courses are of an appropriate length for the subject matter.  This allows for specialized courses which are very short while others have sufficient time to fully develop their subject matter. 

A glance at a typical half-semester schedule indicates the thought and coordination the McColl EMBA faculty puts into sequencing concepts and ideas so as to maximize the value of the Executive MBA experience.  Click on these links to see the current semester schedule for the first year and second year class. 

The Schedule

The McColl Executive MBA is completed over two calendar years. The program consists of four semesters of academic work and two summer terms working on practical application of your management and leadership skills.  In each semester, related concepts are introduced from different academic disciplines. This integration of topics puts concepts developed in one area to use in another and results in a comprehensive and coherent educational experience.

Friday Leadership Forum Series

An integral part of the McColl Executive MBA is the Leadership Forum speaker series.  Each week prominent executives interact with participants to share their perspectives on leadership, success and what it takes to make a difference in today's world.  When you come to visit an Executive MBA class prospective participants are welcome to stay to hear the Leadership Forum speaker for the day.

Semester one provides a framework for understanding the discipline of management as an integrated whole.  The concepts and analytical tools of management are introduced and put to use in the context of developing a "big picture" understanding of management. Participants will begin their leadership development activities including an intensive self-assessment and work with a personal management coach.  By the end of the semester, each participant will have developed a holistic appreciation of basic analytical concepts and will have begun to use some new ideas and approaches to management in their workplace. Specific topics covered in the first semester include business strategy, relevant cost, financial accounting, tradeoff analysis, marketing management, organizational behavior, international business, history of capitalism, microeconomics, decision structures, probability assessment, and business ethics.

During the second semester, participants develop a deeper understanding of the ways organizational activities are structured and the internal and external driving forces behind decisions and direction. Classroom work in this semester further develops the use of analytical concepts and highlights the integrated nature of organizations by examining the interrelated flows of resources, information, products, and people. Participants develop a deeper understanding of organizational structure and operation and further investigate the integrated nature of the organization by examining the interrelated flows of funds, materials and products.  Coursework during the second term includes cost accounting, working capital management, forecasting models, materials management, capacity planning, market environments, technology management, human resource management, macroeconomics, and managing risk.

The third semester continues examination of the enterprise with emphasis on the competitive and regulatory environments.  Work in this term further develops the theme of interrelated business functionalities and objectives.  Understanding the organization in the external environment and management's role in rationalizing, controlling and developing the processes and activities of the firm stretches the participant's ability to think and reason in strategic terms.  The detailed examination of the enterprise during the third semester expands understanding of integrated business functions and begins to focus on the external environment.  Participants blend concepts related to rationalizing, controlling and developing the organization's activity to develop meaningful understandings of the strategic relationships between the enterprise and its environment.  Classroom activity during the third semester includes management accounting, capital budgeting, investments, services management, marketing strategy, international economics, development of competitive strategies, communication, and the legal environment of business.

Semester four extends the concept of controlling and directing the enterprise.  Relationships between the organization's internal environment and the highly competitive and rapidly changing external environment are emphasized.  The semester’s coursework includes budgeting, controlling, capital structure, financial strategy, competitive decision making, negotiation, corporate communication, and the international environment.  The business leader's role as an organizational prime mover is examined and experienced through a team-based entrepreneurial project which requires presentation of a thoroughly developed business plan to a panel of successful entrepreneurs. Click here to learn more about the Executive MBA Business Plan Competition and Capstone Project.

EMBA participants do not meet for weekly classes from early May through mid-August.  Participants use the summer in the program to complete summer EMBA project requirements.

The International Study Tours  are led by a McColl School faculty member and deliver rich, first-hand experiences that broaden participant's cultural and managerial horizons. Frequently, we visit overseas affiliates of firms employing current participants and meet up with McColl School alums working abroad.  The tours visit with a variety of business related firms, meet with politicians and officials, and explore cultural nuances of the region.  The EMBA tuition provides a $2500 credit towards the cost of a trip.

The McColl EMBA Non-Profit Consulting Projects have been an exciting opportunity for Executive MBA participants to give back to the community and apply the knowledge they've learned in class.  Participants work in a small team under the guidance of a faculty member to address a managerial problem for a local not-for-profit organization.  These Non-Profit Management Consultancy Projects have the benefit of providing an excellent service to Charlotte and the surrounding community while giving participants practice in addressing and resolving highly unstructured and often very sophisticated management issues.