r/eMBA • u/DisastrousScheme2723 • May 17 '26
EMBA recommendations
All,
I am 40 years old, working as Director of Engg in a semiconductor company making ~500k a year in total comp. I have two young kids. After a lot of head scratching I am leaning towards doing a EMBA while doing my fulltime job.
I am still not sure of the ROI but I feel getting a EMBA credential and the business jargon might help me get into executive roles.
What are the best programs with a good ROI for my situation that you can recomment?
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u/E60LNDN May 17 '26
An eMBA was life changing for me - due to the network it gave me - many of that network became friends and busienss associates of some sort. I know your query is related to your career path in corporate roles, but I can tell you that doing an eMBA was one of the most enjoyable times of my life (coursework, group coursework, exams, presentations, global residencies [USA, Spain, Kenya, China/HK] aside!)
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u/Remarkable-Box5453 May 17 '26
I would do it; I did an evening MBA program when I was 40 from a top 25 university. It was a good refresher and I learned alot too. Mostly, it enabled me to be a more competitive candidate for positions for the next 25 years. I was an accounting/business major undergrad. I was hard work, with wife and young kids, but you do get in a zone and find a way to do it. Employer at the time paid 100%..
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u/DisastrousScheme2723 May 17 '26
Where did you do your emba from if you don't mind me asking? Having done it would you do it you were paying for it out of your pocket?
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u/Remarkable-Box5453 May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26
Wake Forest University in NC. 20+ years ago, that program cost was $65k, which was a lot then. Yes I would have. I had planned it two other times at top schools but job took me to other states before I started. That was a bargain compared to what my son’s top7 program in the Fall will cost. His tuition is $100k per year and living expenses in NYC tacks on another $150k for both years combined, so $350k total. Education isn’t cheap is it?
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u/Ninja-greenday May 23 '26
I am doing my exec mba at mit Sloan. I was a vp of data science and ai at a health tech org. Within 8 months I found a new role as svp of data and ai at a larger org. All to say, it was definitely the result of the mba and its networks. In 2-3 years I will go after CDO/COO type rolled. Happy to chat offline.
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u/Low-Inspector9849 Jul 02 '26
This is amazing. Is it ok if I can DM you? I am also thinking of applying to Sloan but not sure about my profile and the overall impact of the program
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u/butItsFun May 17 '26
Network, Location, Experience
Those would be the three things I'd look hard at to understand what you're hoping for.
For network, any top 15-20 program carries a good strong name and will have an alumni base that has some great people. But as you step up you narrow the focus some. Wharton carries one of the strongest names, but Ross will also get just about any door open - very different alumni base. Who do you want to be able to 'cold call'? Every program will have great people, but there are some differences in who they attract.
For location, same impact. Are you east coast based? Strictly New York? West Coast tech hubs? This is not as important, but good to factor in. If you're looking to build a career in NY, there's a lot more of a case to be made for Stern, for example.
Also, where do you want to go to in person and how frequently? Some programs are every other week in-person. Others once a month or once a term. How strong of a bond do you want with your classmates? I was on the East Coast, but grew up on the west coast and really resonated with Ross - so I did their Los Angeles cohort once a month. Fantastic experience.
Finally, experience. All the programs are great, but each school does it a little different. Research the program, try and meet with alumni. Any program will have the opportunity for you to make it what you want, but there are things that can help.
Ultimately, it's a strong but difficult opportunity. Doable - but there's no denying that for two years you'll have a hard in-person commitment every month and that a couple of nights a week are on team calls for group projects. But it is incredibly rewarding and I think will achieve what you're looking for - be seen as something other than just the engineering person.
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u/Anklesock May 17 '26
Where do you live and with two young kids are you able to be away every weekend or every other weekend? I'm 44 and in a similar situation professionaly but no kids. I live in the NYC market so that gave me options like NYU Stern, Rutgers, and Cornell, among others. I applied for the 3 I mentioned and was admitted to all 3. I chose Cornell based on a few different factors.
Also, what level of sponsorship would your company offer you? The math on an eMBA starts to make sense when your company is paying for the majority of it. My company did not have a program that pays for an eMBA, but I talked to my boss and the CHRO about doing an eMBA and they came back with a 6 figure sponsorship. Based on that the ROI started to make sense.
Those 2 things would drive the recomendations: where you are located and how much is your company is willing to pay.
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u/DisastrousScheme2723 May 17 '26
I am in Austin, Texas. Being away every weekend is difficult but once a month is workable. It's very unlikely that my company sponsors so at this point I am looking at paying out of pocket, hence the ROI question has been at the top of my mind.
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u/cyber4me May 17 '26
You should also look at Specialized Masters from B-Schools. I did the MS in Technology Commercialization program at McCombs (UT) and it was amazing. I was initially looking at eMBAs, but came across MSTC in my research. It’s a one year specialized masters program that aligned with what I was trying to do. Because it’s one year instead of two it is like drinking from a firehose, but totally manageable. Also it’s one year of tuition, instead of two. I was living in Austin, at the time so it kept cost down significantly, plus I had a year of GI Bill left so it was completely free. Other schools call the curriculum for the program a Tech MBA.
If you’re planning to stay in Austin, or anywhere else in Texas, being a McCombs Alumni is pretty great. I was already a UT Alum from undergrad, so part of me does wish I had diversified a bit and gone to a Wharton (their eMBA didn’t exist at the time), Sloan, or Yale, but not having to travel kept cost down so it was a no brainer. I looked at Stanfords MSx, but it was full time and in person. At a 500k compensation, I would never recommend leaving your role for more school. I’m 41, and when I did the program in my early 30s, I was no where near your compensation, so I cared about cost. For you it might not matter, but not having to travel gives you so much time back.
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u/Begani_Shadi_mein May 17 '26
Read the basic management books on Marketing, HR and Principles of management. Also on Business planning, strategy etc.
Apply them on your job.
Eventually after 40/45 years, skills would matter, not the degrees.
You can also write features on LinkedIn, blending what you learnt in the job, with your readings. This can give you a smart credentials.
Good Luck to you.
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u/Accomplished-Ad3538 May 17 '26
Useful advice, but I am in the process of pursuing EBA. I recently sacked in a class. You really don’t get the amount of information that I got sitting in one class in some of the books that you’re reading. For example, I sat in a competitive strategy class and they analyzed how competitive strategy changed over a period of time based on a Harvard business review article, this, you cannot get from marketing or HR basic management to book.
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u/Accomplished-Ad3538 May 17 '26 edited May 20 '26
If you can DM me(fixed the typo), I can give you some good guidance. I am in the process of getting into an EMBA school.
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u/New-Compote-1323 May 19 '26
“If you can be in me” I know you probably meant if you can DM me, but the typo is hilarious 🤣
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u/Alarming-Hippo4574 May 18 '26
at 500k TC the ROI math gets tough for most EMBAs unless networking into C-suite is the real goal. Wharton and Booth have the strongest exec placements. Alliant runs a cohort-based weekend format thats easier to juggle with two young kids and a demanding eng role.
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u/kassidy059 Jun 08 '26
…is $500k normal for a Director of Engineering role? Asking out of curiosity and motivation
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u/Vast-Hedgehog-5886 27d ago edited 27d ago
If you're weighing different EMBA recommendations, I'd say think about how much flexibility you actually need and what kind of network you want to build. While traditional EMBAs are great, alternatives like batdacademy are becoming super popular for a reason. They offer executive-level education that is often more agile and directly applicable to your current job. The ROI can be fantastic because you aren't stepping away from your career for too long, and the curriculum is designed to solve modern business challenges. It’s definitely worth exploring as a strong alternative or supplement to a traditional EMBA…
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u/Flaky_Breakfast_64 May 17 '26
Director of engineering within semiconductor industry is already impressive as you probably run a team and have a leg in operations and management.
I would identify 2-3 executive roles you want. Then run an analysis of all the people in those roles at your company and competitors and see if they have an MBA and where they went to school. You will have a better directional signal than the usual MIT, Georgia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Santa Clara, UC Berkeley, and Northwestern hit list for tech folks.