The Yale School of Management offers an M.B.A. for Executives (EMBA) program leading to the degree of Master of Business Administration. The EMBA program is designed for working professionals and combines the rigor of the Yale SOM integrated core curriculum and leadership development program with advanced study in a chosen area of focus: asset management, healthcare, or sustainability. Students spend three weeks in residence (two weeks in year one and one week in year two) and every other Friday and Saturday on the Yale SOM campus over the course of the twenty-two-month program.
To learn more about the M.B.A. for Executives program, visit https://som.yale.edu/emba.
The EMBA Curriculum
The EMBA program follows essentially the same curriculum as the M.B.A. program (see M.B.A. Curriculum in the chapter Full-Time M.B.A. Degree Program). In the first year, students devote the majority of their time to the core courses. In the second year, in addition to advanced management courses, students take courses in their respective focus areas—asset management, healthcare, or sustainability—and wrap up their core classes.
In addition, the curriculum includes a colloquium speaker series and the EMBA Global Network Week. Students may choose to take optional electives such as SNOCs and independent study projects outside of the EMBA curriculum.
The Colloquium
The Area of Focus colloquium is a credited course, and students’ grades are based upon attendance, participation, and deliverables assigned by the faculty director. A student who receives a grade of Fail must take another credited Yale SOM elective or complete other work—approved in advance by the faculty director from the respective focus area—to make up for the lost credit in order to graduate on schedule.
EMBA Global Network Week
All EMBA students are required to participate in the EMBA Global Network Week at the end of their first year. Each June, students attend a week of programming at another Global Network for Advanced Management school that is participating in Global Network Week. Students are responsible for airfare, visa costs, required vaccinations (if applicable), and ground transportation. The cost of hotels and some meals is included in the EMBA program tuition and fees. Please note that EMBA students cannot satisfy this requirement with an M.B.A. Global Network Week or International Experience.
Optional Electives
Students may also enroll in Yale SOM and Yale University electives and in SNOCs offered through the Global Network for Advanced Management, and in independent projects. Students wishing to enroll in more than 24 units of courses per term must obtain approval from the assistant dean of the EMBA program.
Credit will not be given by Yale SOM for any course taken outside Yale University during the period of the student’s enrollment in the program.
Yale SOM and Yale University electives EMBA students may enroll in elective courses at SOM, Yale College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and any professional school of Yale University.
Students interested in enrolling in a course offered by another school at Yale University must comply with the enrollment procedures of the school offering the course. In addition, the student must file the appropriate forms with the School of Management, as described below. Students will not be granted permission to take a course that conflicts with the EMBA class schedule, and it is up to the student to ensure that there is no conflict. It is the students’ responsibility to ensure that they do not sign up for electives that conflict with each other. Students wishing to enroll in a course in Yale College, the Graduate School, or one of the other professional schools at Yale must receive permission from the course instructor. Enrollment in a Yale Law School course also requires subsequent authorization from the registrar of the Law School.
In some schools, students may be offered the individual option of taking a course on a Pass/Fail or Credit/D/Fail basis. Yale SOM students are not permitted to elect such an option.
The credit to be awarded for courses offered by Yale College, the Graduate School, or one of the other professional schools at Yale will be determined by the registrar. Credits earned for Yale courses outside of the EMBA curriculum will not count toward fulfilling EMBA program requirements.
Add/Drop Policy for Yale SOM and Yale University electives Students are responsible for adhering to all add and drop deadlines set by the registrar. If a student would like to add or drop any course after the deadline has closed or after the Yale University course add/drop deadline they must file a late add/drop form with the Yale SOM Registrar’s Office. In addition, a late fee of $25 per transaction will be charged to the student. If the registrar approves the request, the student will be added or dropped from the course, and the fee will be applied to the student’s account. These fees apply to audit requests as well. No course may be dropped after half the class sessions for a course have been held.
Small network online courses (SNOCs) SNOCs, or Small Network Online Courses, are electives delivered virtually by a Global Network for Advanced Management member school. Students must apply to and be accepted by the instructor of the SNOC. Details for the application process will be posted to the EMBA Canvas Class site. SNOCs are open to students from across the Global Network. Students log in through an online platform and participate in video conferencing for synchronous lectures and discussions. Students collaborate on team projects, developing virtual teamwork skills, and benefit from cross-cultural perspectives in lectures and discussions.
Students may drop an elective or SNOC by completing a Late Add/Drop Form. Dropping a course after the drop deadline also requires permission of the instructor. In addition, a late fee of $25 per transaction will be charged to the student. No course may be dropped after half the class sessions for a course have been held.
If a student is enrolled in a course and does not complete the work of the course and does not receive the appropriate permission either to drop the course or to receive an Incomplete (see Incomplete Course Work), a grade of Fail will be recorded. No student may receive credit for a course that the student has previously audited.
Independent Study Course Students can undertake a research project under the supervision of a Yale or SOM professor starting in the spring term of year one. The self-driven project is meant to allow students the opportunity to expand and develop their understanding of a particular challenge or question in their area of focus or to pursue an academic question in another discipline or disciplines with any Yale University professor.
Students must submit a Petition for Independent Study form that includes the project proposal, number of credits, and written approval from the proposed faculty sponsor. The proposal must indicate the means by which the student’s performance is to be evaluated (e.g., a final paper) as well as the scope of the project and a timeline. Projects can carry up to four units of credit, commensurate with the breadth and depth of the research undertaken. The assistant dean of EMBA must approve independent studies proposed by students in the EMBA program. Forms are due within the first weeks of the term in which the project will take place. Late add or drop fees will apply for changes made after this date.
EMBA Program Degree Requirements
The program adheres to all requirements for the M.B.A. as designed and administered by Yale SOM (see M.B.A. Degree Requirements in the chapter Full-Time M.B.A. Degree Program). Any exception to the requirements must be approved by the faculty. The following requirements are specific to the EMBA program.
Enrollment Requirement
A student must complete all program requirements in twenty-two consecutive months unless the student receives advance permission for a leave of absence (see Leaves of Absence in the chapter General Information).
Distribution of Courses
To graduate, a student must:
- Achieve credit in each of the following year-one courses:
- Area of Focus Colloquium (2 units)
- Basics of Accounting (2 units)
- Basics of Economics and Game Theory (3 units)
- Competitor (2 units)
- Customer (2 units)
- The Global Macroeconomy (2 units)
- Innovator (2 units)
- Introduction to Negotiation (1 unit)
- Investor (2 units)
- Modeling Managerial Decisions (2 units)
- Operations Engine (2 units)
- Power and Politics (2 units)
- Probability Modeling and Statistics (3 units)
- Sourcing and Managing Funds (2 units)
- State and Society (2 units)
- Teams 1: Managing Groups and Teams (2 units)
- Teams 2: Global Virtual Teams (2 units)
- The Workforce (2 units)
- Complete the EMBA Global Network Week requirement (2 units).
- Achieve credit in each of the following year-two courses:
- Area of Focus Colloquium (2 units)
- Advanced Negotiations (1 unit)
- Business Ethics (2 units)
- Corporate Finance (2 units)
- Competitive Strategy (2 units)
- The Executive (2 units)
- Leadership Development Practicum (2 units)
- Management Controls (2 units)
- Designing and Leading Organizations or Game Theory and Market Design (2 units)
- Leading Small and Medium Businesses or Informed Business Decisions (2 units)
- Legal Context of Management or Big Data & Customer Analytics (2 units)
- Asset Management Track courses:
- ESG Investing (2 units)
- Financial Market Regulation (2 units)
- Financial Markets & Macroeconomic Policies (2 units)
- Investment Management (2 units)
- The Future of Global Finance (2 units)
- Financial Markets & Macroeconomic Policies (2 units)
- Portfolio Management: Alternative Asset Classes (2 units)
- Healthcare Track courses:
- Global Health (2 units)
- Healthcare Economics (2 units)
- Healthcare Operations (2 units)
- Healthcare Policy, Finance, and Economics (2 units)
- Investing in Healthcare: Capstone (2 units)
- Population Health and Health Equity (2 units)
- Sustainability Track courses:
- Climate Change: Law, Policy, and Opportunity (2 units)
- ESG Investing (2 units)
- Managing Sustainable Operations (2 units)
- Sustainable Systems (2 units)
- Metrics in Sustainable Management and Investing (2 units)
- Social Intra and Entrepreneurship (2 units)
Quality Standard
Failure to meet the Quality Standard for the EMBA program results in dismissal from the program. A student falls short of the Quality Standard if the student:
- Accumulates Pass or Fail grades in more than 15 units of year-one courses; or
- Accumulates a grade of Fail in more than 4 units of core courses; or
- Accumulates Pass or Fail grades in 24 or more units of core and/or elective courses.
Further information on academic grounds for dismissal, the Academic Standards Committee, and appeals of academic dismissal can be found in the chapter Rights and Responsibilities of Students.
Remediation of Failing Grades in Courses
A student who fails a core course must remediate the failing grade either by retaking the course and achieving a passing grade; by passing a proficiency examination, if offered; or through alternate activity as specified by the instructor. In no case will a grade higher than Pass be recorded when a failed core course is remediated. A student who has not remediated a failing grade in a core course is unable to graduate. A student who fails an advanced management or focus area course must remediate the failing grade through a process proposed by the instructor.
Academic Policies
Request for Change of Focus Area
The EMBA program combines the rigor of our integrated core curriculum with advanced study in a chosen area at the nexus of business and society: asset management, healthcare, or sustainability. Students are admitted to a focus area during the admissions process. Generally, a switch will not be considered. However, if a student requests a change in area of focus, the student must meet the admissions criteria specific to that area of focus. Students informed during the admissions process that they were not eligible for an area of focus will almost certainly not be admissible for that change during the program.
All students who submit a request must have a track record of relevant work experience in the area of focus sector that they are requesting to switch into, must have demonstrated potential for leadership in that sector, and must be employed in that sector.
Students with questions about whether or not they meet the criteria for the area of focus should speak to a member of the EMBA program office or the faculty director to discuss their professional background. Verbal encouragement from any party does not equate to approval of the request; students must submit an official request by the deadline in order to be considered for a change.
The official request should include an updated résumé along with an essay of not more than 500 words outlining the reasons for the request and how the proposed area of focus aligns with the student’s background and future career plans. This request should be submitted via email to emba@yale.edu by Friday, March 15, 2024. The program office, in consultation with the faculty director and assistant dean, will review requests and will provide a written response via email by Monday, April 15, 2024.
The program office reserves the right to contact the student for additional information. All decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
Attendance
EMBA students are expected to attend all classes and colloquium sessions, be on time, and be prepared to contribute. Students who receive one or more unexcused absences may, at the discretion of the faculty, receive a final course grade of Pass or Fail. We recognize that there are times when circumstances may cause a student to occasionally miss class or a colloquium. Excused absences include: religious observance, unplanned hospitalization, or an illness that directly affects the student or an immediate family member. Students with excused absences should tend to the reason for the absence, watch class recordings available immediately after class, and be in communication with faculty. In the case of an extended medical absence due to illness, the student must provide the program director with written confirmation of the disabling condition from a healthcare professional providing treatment. Whenever students are unable to attend class or a colloquium, they are required to notify a program administrator and the course instructors. If the circumstances make advance notice impossible, an email as soon as possible after the missed class is the next best alternative. At the discretion of the faculty, absence can negatively impact academic performance if a student misses more than one class session of a course, regardless of whether the absence is excused or unexcused. Several absences, regardless of whether the absence is excused or unexcused, can lead to a failing grade.
Examinations
Students are expected to take all examinations at the scheduled time and submit all take-home exams on the assigned due date. Exams may be rescheduled only in exceptional circumstances such as a religious observance, incapacitating illness, or serious family emergency. Travel arrangements, mild illness, recruiting activity, case competitions, conferences, and any other avoidable conflicts are not acceptable reasons to change an exam time or miss a deadline.
If there is a need to change the date or time of an exam, written approval must be obtained from the instructor prior to the date and time of the exam, unless the nature of the emergency is such that advance notice is impossible. In the case of delay due to illness, the student must provide a program director with written confirmation of the disabling condition from a healthcare professional providing treatment.
Deadlines for Deliverables
Students are expected to adhere to all deadlines set by faculty. A student who is not able to meet a deadline for an assignment or exam must request an extension from the instructor. If an extension is granted, the student will submit the assignment by the extension date or risk receiving a grade of Fail for the assignment/exam. The instructor will determine if a late assignment/exam will affect a student’s grade. If a student fails to meet a deadline without notifying the instructor, the student will be in jeopardy of receiving a failing grade for that particular assignment/exam.
Incomplete Course Work
Students are expected to complete all assignments by the deadlines established by the instructor. Marks of Incomplete are rarely approved, and only in cases where incapacitating illness or serious family emergency prevents the student from completing class work on time. A student who anticipates a problem should contact the instructor and the program director before the last day of class. If the Incomplete is approved, the mark must be converted to a grade no later than sixty days after the date on which grades for the class are due. If no grade has been received by that date, a grade of Fail will be recorded automatically. Grades of Incomplete in the second year of the program may delay the awarding of a student’s degree.
Grades
There are five grades at Yale SOM: High Honors, Honors, Proficient, Pass, and Fail. The grade distribution that instructors use, and the policy with respect to the reporting of grades on official transcripts, are described below.
HH: High Honors Up to top 10 percent of class. Reported on transcript.
H: Honors Next 25 percent. Reported on transcript.
PR: Proficient Next 55 percent. Not reported on transcript.
P: Pass Lowest 10 percent in core courses; guideline of 5 percent in electives. Not reported on transcript.
F: Fail An absolute standard; no minimum requirement. To the extent it is used, the F grade counts toward the 10 or 5 percent Pass category. Not reported on transcript.*
Once grades are officially recorded, they may not be changed except in cases in which a mathematical error has been made in computing the grade or a clerical error has been made in recording it. Students seeking correction to a grading error must contact the instructor within two weeks (ten working days) from the receipt of the grade.
If a student takes a course in another school at Yale, the SOM registrar will ask the instructor to submit the grade according to the SOM grade scale.
*F grades in core courses require remediation. The failed core course is not reflected on the official transcript until remediated. Elective courses with F grades are not reflected on the official transcript. Students must replace failed electives with other electives to meet total credit requirements for graduation.
Academic Grounds for Dismissal
Failure to meet the Quality Standard for each degree program results in dismissal from the respective program. The Quality of Standard for each program is described in the Quality Standard” section of the M.B.A. for Executives chapter. The decision of dismissal is subject to appeal before the Faculty Review Board. A student who has been dismissed and has exhausted the appeal process cannot be readmitted except through the normal admission process.
A full description of the appeal process can be found in the chapter Rights and Responsibilities of Students.
Auditing
After the first term, students may, with the permission of the instructor, audit Yale SOM elective courses or courses at another Yale professional school. The normal expectation for auditors is attending all class meetings in person; instructors may set additional conditions. Audited classes will appear on the transcript only if the instructor certifies that the conditions for auditing have been met. Auditing of SOM core courses is not permitted. No student may take for credit a course that the student has previously audited.
Any person who is not a degree candidate at Yale University and who wishes to audit an EMBA course must obtain written permission from the SOM faculty member teaching the course and the assistant dean. SOM does not issue transcripts for courses audited under this arrangement. The charge for non-Yale students to audit a course is one-ninth of the SOM tuition for the year.
Course Evaluations
At the end of each course, students are asked to evaluate the course and instructor. Course evaluation dates are chosen by the instructor and must close prior to the release of the course’s exam. The course evaluation results are given to the instructor, relevant department chairs, assistant dean for EMBA, deputy dean, and dean of the School, and the aggregate results are available for review on the SOM internal website after the grades have been submitted.
Extended Classroom
The Extended Classroom allows students to attend some class weekends remotely to participate in classes and team breakout sessions. While the Extended Classroom provides some degree of flexibility, students should not expect the learning experience to be the same as being in-person. At the request of faculty, some class weekends are not available for the Extended Classroom. These dates will be shared as soon as they are identified.
Students should familiarize themselves with the Extended Classroom guidelines and requirements (including supported operating systems, browsers, and bandwidth) before signing up for the Extended Classroom. Detailed information is available on Campus Groups. Questions may also be directed to the EMBA program office, emba@yale.edu.
Registration and Deadlines
- The Extended Classroom will not be available during residence weeks and at least four class weekends each year.
- Students can utilize the Extended Classroom up to four times a semester provided space is available.
- A set number of spaces per class weekend will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and can be reserved once the dates are posted to Campus Groups. A waitlist will be used once capacity for any given weekend is reached.
- Students must register on Campus Groups by 11:59 p.m. on the Monday before a class weekend. On Tuesday, the program office will begin making arrangements to notify faculty and deliver the Extended Classroom.
- After the Extended Classroom registration deadline, students who cannot attend in person will be expected to watch class recordings (available immediately following class). Refer to the absence policy for details regarding absence(s).
- Students who wish to cancel their reservation must do so as soon as possible but no later than the 11:59 p.m. Monday deadline to allow other classmates on the waitlist an opportunity to participate via the Extended Classroom.
- Students are responsible for canceling their hotel accommodations if they are utilizing Extended Classroom. Omni Hotel reservations made by the program for students in the Class of 2024 and all Pozen-Commonwealth Fellows will automatically be cancelled by the EMBA Program after Extended Classroom registration closes; students who participated in Extended Classroom are not reimbursed for unused hotel nights.
- If there are no requests to use the Extended Classroom by the registration deadline, the Extended Classroom will not be set up during the coming weekend.
- Once registered for the Extended Classroom, students will receive an email confirming their reservation.
- Students who have not registered will not be given access to the session(s).
- The EMBA program office reserves the right to deny a student’s participation based on academic performance.
- Students participating in the optional March or October Global Network Week will not be able to connect if the courses conflict with GNW academic and social obligations. Priority is given to participation in the GNW. Students will receive an unexcused absence for their missed EMBA class(es). Students may, however, participate in the Extended Classroom after their GNW obligations are fulfilled.
Extended Classroom Protocol
- Students are responsible for notifying their learning team that they will be participating remotely and for arranging to connect with their learning team remotely for in-class group work.
- In order to access the Extended Classroom, students must be connected using their Yale Zoom account.
- Students must connect twenty minutes prior to each session in order to test their connection with the SOM Media Control Center. If the student does not participate in the test and experiences issues with connection, sound or video, the Media Control Center may not be able to offer assistance until the break.
- It is imperative that the Internet connection is stable and the remote location is quiet, ideally a home or office. Students may not connect in transit or while in public areas, such as airports or restaurants.
- Students must be on camera at all times. Students may not receive participation credit if they remain off video. A student whose camera is turned off will be disconnected from the session.
- Students should unmute their microphone while speaking and mute once they have posed their question.
- For questions or issues with the technology, students should use Slack to alert the SOM Media Control Center.
Extended Classroom Etiquette
- Please be on time and test your connection before the start of class. Logging in late distracts the faculty and your peers.
- Keep in mind that your image will be displayed on the screens installed in the classroom and you will therefore be visible to the faculty as well as your peers at all times.
- The room from which you are connecting should be clutter-free and should not cause any distractions for faculty or your peers. Similarly, you should be in a quiet area without background noise.
- The room from which you are connecting should also be well-lit; please avoid sitting in front of windows.
- Please do not sit too close or too far from the camera.
- Please refrain from eating on camera.
Use of Career Development Office (CDO) Resources
The Career Development Office (CDO) at Yale SOM provides career management assistance and coaching to EMBA students, once they have created a Career Management System (CMS) profile. The CDO has a number of resources available to EMBA students in their career management, including coaching, workshops, and an online recruitment system. Visit the CDO website, https://som.yale.edu/careers, or email som.cdo@yale.edu for more information.
Housing Requirements
Yale EMBA tuition covers housing during orientation and residence weeks at the Omni New Haven Hotel. During residence weeks (two weeks in year one; one week in year two), all students are required to stay at the Omni New Haven Hotel. The EMBA program has negotiated rates and secured class weekend dates with the Omni New Haven Hotel and The Marcel Hotel. Students in the Class of 2025 will be responsible for confirming or canceling their reservations at the hotel of their choice and paying the hotel directly. Class of 2024 students who do not wish to stay at the Omni are eligible to opt out of the housing requirement and have their room fee adjusted. This adjustment will appear on their student account. This change must be requested by the stated accommodations survey deadline. Students who have opted out of housing and who then change their mind must contact the Omni directly to arrange for their accommodation and will be billed directly by the Omni.
Students may choose to include a Thursday evening (Wednesday evening on three-day weekends) accommodation at the Omni on all class weekends at the Yale Omni rate. This additional cost will appear on their student account for the Class of 2024; students in the Class of 2025 will be billed directly by the hotel. This change must be requested by the stated accommodations survey deadline. All reservations booked through the EMBA Program with Omni New Haven are charged to student accounts and are nonrefundable.
Per the housing agreement with the Omni New Haven and the Marcel, rooms are reserved for single occupancy. Students may not share rooms (double occupancy) during class weekends under the housing contract. Room reservations cannot be transferred to another guest. Students should alert the Omni and the Marcel if they have guests joining them for the class weekend, per fire code.
More information about the hotels can be found at www.omnihotels.com/hotels/new-haven-yale and https://www.hotelmarcel.com.
Rights and Responsibilities of EMBA Students
In general, the policies in the chapter Rights and Responsibilities of Students apply to all students, including EMBA students. The following policies are specific to the EMBA program.
Required Leave of Absence
A student who demonstrates insufficient commitment to the program—as evidenced, for example, by an accumulation of absences, frequent tardiness on deliverables, and/or disengagement from required group work—may be required to take a leave of absence at the discretion of the assistant dean. A leave of absence is granted for one year, and the return to the program will depend on the approval of the assistant dean. Once the return has been approved, the program office will support a student’s return.
For more information on policies related to leaves of absence, see Leaves of Absence in the chapter General Information.
Electronic Devices
All EMBA students receive a Surface Pro tablet upon arrival at orientation. This device is the personal property of the student, and lost or stolen tablets will not be replaced. The SOM-IT webpage offers videos and instructions to help students self-configure their tablets, and our SOM-IT staff are able to offer hands-on help.
Laptops and tablets are not to be used in the classroom or during the colloquium unless explicitly permitted by the instructor or faculty director. Using cell phones, browsing the Internet, or reading email during class distracts the instructor and classmates and interrupts the learning experience. Cell phones and other electronic devices are to be turned off during class and the colloquium.
See Policies on the Use of Information Technology Facilities in the chapter Rights and Responsibilities of Students for more information.
EMBA Device Replacement Policy As noted, lost or stolen tablets will not be replaced. In the event of manufacturing defects (covered by the Microsoft one-year warranty), the EMBA program will replace one Surface Pro per student. Surface Pros that experience accidental damage will be replaced at the student’s expense; the cost can be paid by check (upfront, before receiving the new device), or it can be added to the student’s account. IT will assist with reinstalling all software that students require for their devices. The EMBA program will be notified by IT if/when students request replacements.
Class Recordings
EMBA classes are recorded with the permission of the faculty member. Recordings are posted to the class course site in Canvas. There are times when faculty will request that a session not be recorded. In such instances, the program office will notify students of this request.
Course videos are Yale University property and cannot be downloaded from Canvas or Panopto. Use of tools or video recording platforms as a way of circumventing security measures and taking the video without permission is prohibited and is an Honor Code violation.
Academic Support and Resources
The School provides a variety of resources to help students who are experiencing academic difficulty achieve the highest possible standard of academic excellence. To that end, tutoring is available for the quantitative components of the first-year core curriculum. In addition, the School’s Professional Communications Center is available to assist with written and/or oral communication skills. Information about the center and its services can be found on the SOM internal website.
Access to tutoring assistance is limited to students with demonstrated need. To that end, students must utilize TA review sessions, TA office hours, and faculty office hours prior to requesting a tutor. Once these resources have been utilized, the course instructor may determine that the student requires additional support for the course. The instructor will then refer the student to the EMBA program office for assignment of a tutor. Please note that tutor assignments are based on availability.
Students should report any issues or concerns with the tutoring program to the assistant dean.
Honor Code Committee
In instances when an EMBA student is referred to the Honor Committee, there will be at least one student representative from the EMBA program serving on the committee.