The curriculum employs a modular structure with the focus shifting from analysis and evaluation in Year One to strategic application and execution in Year Two. During the first year, we concentrate on the fundamentals – how to decipher the numbers, assess the impact of decisions on the bottom line and understand the economic, technological and political forces that impact a firm. Most importantly, you gain a deeper understanding of how your own leadership and decision-making abilities can be used more effectively to enhance human potential and improve organizational performance. In the second year, the program hones your strategic thinking and leadership skills.  Through skill-application projects involving real companies and in-depth industry assessments, you will learn how to develop and execute strategic direction.

Our executive students bring a deep understanding of the workplace and managerial experience into the classroom. Their diverse knowledge base becomes an important shared-learning tool for fellow students, creating a broad range of perspectives on wide-ranging business issues and contributing to a challenging and enriching learning environment. You will enter and graduate as a group having experienced a high level of collaborative learning and exposure to real-world business situations taught from an executive management level perspective.

Our EMBA includes four complementary off-campus areas of learning that support classroom activities and are key components of the program:

Executive Leadership Retreat

You begin your EMBA program with a four-day residential retreat where we help you set learning goals, form study teams and engage in a variety of workshops and team-building exercises. We also include a workshop for our students and their spouses/significant others addressing the importance of achieving balance between family, work and school.

Field Research Project

At the end of the first year, your team will conduct an in-depth study of an actual business, usually a small disadvantaged or non-profit enterprise.  You will learn how to apply concepts learned in the classroom to actual business situations, and your recommendations and solutions will carry real consequences.

Industry/Government Sector Study

Between the first and second year, we visit government and/or business centers for one week where you gain first-hand exposure to the forces and personalities that shape policies and decisions. You will learn how businesses are currently adapting their operations to successfully compete in today’s marketplace. Recent visits have included Washington, D.C.

International Trip

You will take a two-week journey to one or more major, non-US business centers that will broaden your understanding of what it takes to manage in today’s global business environment.  In recent years, we have traveled to China, India, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Our students regularly cite the visit as a highlight of the program.


*The Executive MBA Council’s recent student survey rated LMU’s EMBA curriculum design higher than 6 peer and 59 national EMBA programs.