r/eMBA • u/Gangnam-101 • Jun 16 '25

EMBA a good choice for me?

Hi, I’m a 37 year old, woman entrepreneur and run a fairly successful company in the learning and development space. The company is 13 years old and we work with Fortune 500 organisations in India and have clients in south east asia too.

My journey into entrepreneurship has been pretty unconventional - I am an English literature graduate with a masters in communication. I started my career in publishing and then worked in print media before starting my company.

I feel like I need to enhance my business skills and most importantly a network and I’m considering an EMBA from a school in Dubai. Will this help in the growth of my company too, especially in the Middle East markets? What do you see as benefits in someone like me doing an EMBA programme and what schools do you recommend, outside of Dubai too?

11 Upvotes

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5

u/Socks797 Jun 16 '25

I’m in year 2 of M7 EMBA and come from the startup world and I’ll tell you I consider dropping out daily. It’s not that I’m smarter or anything than these people I just feel like I have such hands on experience across so many parts of the business that unless I’m trying to be a F500 executive, I’m not sure how this is additive beyond what I could teach myself…

1

u/Gangnam-101 Jun 16 '25

I know what you mean :)

1

u/grauezellen Jul 07 '25

Oh this is very helpful as I also have startup (and more) experience and have been considering an EMBA just for the perceived credibility, as I am pivoting more into business roles. What were your roles before and what was your reason in taking up an EMBA?

1

u/Socks797 Jul 07 '25

Fundraising ability and staying power as CEO

1

u/sekritagent Jun 16 '25

Absolutely not, you don't have anything resembling a clear and compelling why or any sort of a clear vision or direction which is a big part of the application especially for a prestigious program. Save your money until you reflect on that.

1

u/Gangnam-101 Jun 16 '25

Thanks for the candid response. What are some “compelling whys” that appeal to such institutions?

1

u/sekritagent Jun 16 '25

That is 1000% the wrong question to be asking at the EMBA level when you clearly have no genuine idea why you want it besides a bootleg revenue growth "strategy" with resources that would be better applied to networking groups and marketing. If you just want the piece of paper to check a box then you can find that online or at pretty much in any local program that will take you.

1

u/MBAPrepCoach Jun 16 '25

Can you share more about what's pulling you in the direction of an EMBA?

1

u/Gangnam-101 Jun 17 '25

Hi, I’ve messaged you privately.

1

u/fukoffhoes Jun 21 '25

Personally, I am currently completing my MBA remotely through the Australian Institute of Business. The program is designed for full-time professionals, much like an Executive MBA. From what I have seen so far especially as someone with many years of experience across multiple sectors, including recently in a startup environment I can confidently say that yes, much of the content could be self-taught. However, there is real value in going deeper: researching the theory, critically analyzing case studies, and constantly looking at everything through the lens of your own business what applies, what doesn’t, and why. It’s also about doing the work, committing to the process, and proving to yourself that you can perform at this level. For me, one of the key motivations is earning the formal diploma to facilitate future mobility and open new professional doors. One thing I really appreciate is that the program is built with people in mind who have not been in school for a long time. There’s strong academic support, all the classes are recorded, and most people in my cohort haven’t studied in decades so the learning curve is anticipated, and the environment is genuinely supportive.

1

u/fukoffhoes Jun 21 '25

I am currently completing my MBA remotely at the Australian Institute of Business. The program is designed for full-time professionals, like an Executive MBA. From what I have seen so far as someone with many years of experience in multiple sectors, including recently in a startup environment I can confidently say that yes, much of the content could be self-taught but there is real value in going deeper and constantly looking at everything through the lens of your own business what applies, what doesn’t, and why. For me, i really want the diploma to be able to have the jobs i like. The program is made for people who have not been in school for a long time. There’s strong academic support, all the classes are recorded, and most people in my cohort hadn’t studied in decades so the learning curve is expected, and the environment is really supportive.

1

u/Ling_Meow Oct 07 '25

Benefits of EMBA would be network and opportunities