Posted: January 29, 2010

By Philip Newswanger

philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com

Old Dominion University's College of Business and Public Administration has launched a 12-month Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) program that aims to help executives think globally and act locally.

Six one-week residencies include two in other countries and four in Norfolk.

"A small part of the program will be conducted via distance learning," said Nancy A. Bagranoff, dean of the College of Business and Public Administration. "There will be two residences per semester over three semesters. We will provide an immersive learning experience that's intense but lasting."

Students will travel to Sao Paulo and Shanghai where they will learn the culture, politics, financial systems and history.

"Given the rising importance of the global economy, cultivating a global mindset is critical," Bagranoff said. "The best way to learn about the global economy is to immerse yourself in it via structured learning experiences.

"Many executives visit foreign countries now, but they fail to learn very much from their travels since their focus is doing business rather than creating a global mindset. In the global EMBA program, we design an entire residency for them to study and appreciate the culture and business model in another country."

Seven core faculty members have designed and will help deliver the program. And as many as seven other faculty members will address special topics.

ODU can handle up to 35 students, Bagranoff said, adding that the ideal class size would be 20 to 30.

The total cost is $58,000, plus a $1,000 nonrefundable deposit.

No grants or loans are available. But Bagranoff said many EMBA students are sponsored by their employers, or at least there is some cost-sharing.

The target market is middle and upper management, from 30 to 45 years old, with five or more years on the job.

"Business doesn't happen in functional silos," Bagranoff said. "In ODU's GEMBA, subjects are integrated and what you learn in the classroom one day can be applied in your work environment the next."

"Problems you cope with at the office provide great fodder for discussion and solutions in our classrooms," she said. "This program gives the executive student what they want in an MBA, including strategic and leadership skills and quality instruction from faculty who are highly respected both nationally and internationally."

The program totals 45 credit hours and offers all of the traditional MBA curriculum including marketing, strategy, organizational behavior, economics and finance.

But ODU is offering a different angle to the traditional MBA approach. The program accelerates the learning process by eliminating repetition and redundancy in coursework, the school said in a press release.

In addition, GEMBA, structured around the executive student's convenience, is not limited to weekends like more traditional executive MBA programs, according to the press release.

The university will host information sessions on the program Tuesday, Feb. 9, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Westin Hotel at Virginia Beach Town Center and Tuesday, Feb. 23, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Berkeley Hotel, 1200 E. Cary St., Richmond. nib