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 options in 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 electives, courses in the 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. Starting in the spring term of year one, students may choose to take optional electives such as SNOCs and independent study projects outside of the EMBA curriculum.
The Colloquium
The 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 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
Starting in the spring term of year one, students may enroll in Yale SOM and Yale University electives and in SNOCs offered through the Global Network for Advanced Management, and in independent projects. Students enrolling in Yale SOM and Yale University electives must commit to attending classes in-person as no remote options are available. 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. Once the appropriate permissions have been obtained, the student should use the SOM late add/drop form.
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 faculty from a Global Network for Advanced Management member school. 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.
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 two weeks of the term in which the project will take place. Late add or drop fees will apply for changes made after this date. Petition forms are available on the SOM internal website and from the registrar.
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:
- Management 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:
- Management 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)
- Leading Small and Medium Businesses or Everyday Leadership (2 units)
- Game Theory and Market Design or Informed Business Decisions (2 units)
- Legal Context of Management or Pricing Strategy (2 units)
- Asset Management Track courses:
- Entrepreneurial Finance (2 units)
- ESG Investing (2 units)
- Financial Markets & Macroeconomic Policies (2 units)
- Investment Management (2 units)
- The Future of Global Finance (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 Controller (2 units)
- ESG Investing (2 units)
- Social Intra and Entrepreneurship (2 units)
- Sustainable Investment in Private Markets: Exploring Alternative Assets (2 units)
- Sustainable Systems (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 is required to remediate failing grades in all core courses to graduate from the program. 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
Area of Focus Designation
The EMBA program combines the rigor of our integrated core curriculum with advanced study in three chosen areas at the nexus of business and society: asset management, healthcare, or sustainability. For the Class of 2025, students are admitted to a focus area during the admissions process and must remain committed to that area. For the Class of 2026, students may decide their area-of-focus study by a date specified by the program office towards the end of their first year.
A student must complete all area-of-focus requirements to receive that designation on their transcript.
To receive this designation, a student must:
- Successfully complete the colloquium course requirements for their area which includes:
• Attending all six sessions of their area-specific colloquium sessions,
• Attending at least two plenary colloquium sessions outside of their area of focus, and
• Completing the assignments for the course.
- Successfully meet the track-specific course requirements
• For the Class of 2025: completing the six area-of-focus courses.
• For the Class of 2026: completing the two required and at least two of the remaining courses specific to the area of focus.
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. Travel arrangements, mild illness, work and social engagements, recruiting activity, case competitions, conferences, or any other avoidable conflicts are not acceptable reasons to be absent. 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, work and social engagements, 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. The instructor will determine if a late 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 exam.
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. Travel arrangements, mild illness, work and social engagements, recruiting activity, case competitions, conferences, and any other avoidable conflicts are not acceptable reasons to request an extension. 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 Standard for the EMBA program is described in the Quality Standard section of this 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 or EMBA advanced management 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 EMBA 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 for academic programs, 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, residency weeks and some classes or class weekends may not be available for the Extended Classroom. The EMBA program office reserves the right to deny a student’s participation based on academic performance.
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 regarding registration, deadlines, protocols, and etiquette is available on Campus Groups. Questions may also be directed to the EMBA program office at emba@yale.edu.
Use of Career Development Office (CDO) Resources
The Career Development Office (CDO) at Yale SOM provides career management assistance and coaching to EMBA students. 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 Hotel Marcel. Students will be responsible for confirming or canceling their reservations at the hotel of their choice and paying the hotel directly.
Per the housing agreement with the Omni New Haven Hotel and the Hotel 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 https://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 General Information chapter.
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 can 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 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. More information on the Honor Committee and process can be found in the Rights and Responsibilities of Students chapter.