Classmates today. Network for life.
Today’s world doesn’t wait for change and neither does Drexel. The University’s tradition is built on innovation with an eye to the future. Drexel LeBow’s Executive MBA is designed to equip driven and determined executives, entrepreneurs and professionals to be leaders and changemakers focused on real-world solutions.
Drexel’s strong industry connections are rooted in the University’s foundation and culture, and these connections aid in providing students with a leading edge on experiential learning that will allow them to compete and thrive in a time when companies and communities across the country and the world need leaders to be and do more than ever before.
Executive MBA Experience
Our accelerated — not abbreviated — 16-month program begins with a five-day residency, providing an immersive opportunity for the cohort to get to know each other and our expert faculty. Throughout the hybrid program, EMBA students typically meet for live sessions twice per term, creating a classroom structure that allows them to fully engage in the course while reducing time away from their work and personal lives. This structure also provides opportunities to build a network with fellow EMBAs and interact with Drexel’s Executive Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) participants on the same schedule.
Drexel EMBA Alumni Outcome Statistics
$264,000
60%
88%
EMBA Global Rankings by CEO Magazine
18th
6th
Cohort and Network
Through our cohorted program, EMBA students establish a lifetime network with professionals from varying industries and geographies — in addition to the tens of thousands of Drexel and LeBow alumni in the larger Dragon Network. Best of all, the coursework, projects, immersions and networking combine to provide real-world pathways for students to take what they learn in the classroom on a Saturday and apply it in their organization’s Monday morning meeting.
15–20
39
40%
40%
15+
18
I was blown away by the caliber of my cohort. Upon meeting them, I knew that my EMBA education would come from both the professor and the classroom experience.
EMBA Curriculum
The Drexel LeBow EMBA addresses the changing needs of industry and our executive students through our newly enhanced program and format.
The Drexel EMBA program’s hybrid curriculum amplifies LeBow’s rigorous and relevant courses through immersive experiential residencies in an executive education format. Designed to leverage executives’ industry experience and previous learning, each EMBA term has a theme to enhance connection to the integrated content across disciplines while fostering critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making. Integrated term themes include:
- Strategic Value and Financial Impact
- Analytical Leadership and Data-driven Decisions
- Global Impact
- Managing the Value Chain
- Tech Innovation and Competitive Advantage
- Strategy, Implementation and Leading Change
Electives, offered in terms three and four, emphasize strategic leadership and explore emerging business trends — from blockchain and investment business decisions to sustainability and analytical storytelling — with faculty and subject matter experts from the business world sharing practical applications and real-world experience.
The international residency is a great example of experiential learning that you can’t get anywhere else
Senior Manager of Global Business Development Operations and Planning
Olympus Corporation
Watch Erin's story
As a Hispanic woman, it’s challenging in a male-dominated field—this program gave me confidence to bring my full self to the conversation.
Director Global Corporate Sustainability Strategy and Operations, ESG
Bristol Myers Squibb
Watch Adriana's story
While in the EMBA program, you have a great opportunity to engage and immerse yourself with your cohort.
Senior Vice President
Marsh
Watch Steve's story
I really believe this program propelled me to where I am now.
Regional Program Manager
Amazon
Watch Sarah's story
Drexel’s EMBA gave me the experience, the network and the tools to take my career and my business to the next level.
Owner
Napa East
Watch Mike's storyEMBA Completion Time
Our 16-month program is delivered over three calendar years so students can make the most of their organization’s PTO and tuition reimbursement programs.
Specifically designed to maximize the executive learning experience while streamlining the time expected on campus, the Drexel LeBow EMBA curriculum incorporates targeted campus residencies, online asynchronous courses, reading and prep time into the schedule, providing a seamless way to balance studies with work and life.
Experiential Learning for EMBA Students
Drexel LeBow EMBA students on a game drive in South Africa during an international residency.
Immersive Residencies
The program offers two experiential residencies per term (six terms), including:
- Eight on-campus immersive residencies (one of which is Electives Week)
- One global residency
- Three virtual remote sessions
Each residency serves as a milestone in the EMBA experience. A five-day, multidisciplinary Strategic Value and Financial Impact immersion kicks off the program, focusing on value creation across the enterprise and integrating critical thinking and decision-making across finance, strategy, marketing and the supply chain — all while building a connection and community among cohorted classmates.
The program’s midpoint is an international residency, which adds a global perspective to coursework and workplace experiences. It concludes with an executive capstone, the culmination of efforts in critical thinking and decision-making, in which EMBAs use the knowledge they’ve gained from the variety of courses and combine it with their professional experiences to tackle executive-level scenarios from faculty and subject matter experts.
Throughout the program, a practical, hands-on approach is embedded into the program, integrating experiential learning across all components of the EMBA experience.
Electives Week
The annual Executive Electives Week allows students to expand their business horizons and pursue their unique goals — all while taking classes with peers outside of their conventional network. Recent elective topics have included leading strategic change, analytical storytelling, sustainability, executive communication and more.
For more information on Drexel’s Executive MBA schedule, view the 2023–2025 EMBA calendar.
EMBA Faculty
Our research-active faculty, who are experts in their respective fields, go beyond theory. They bring evidence-based perspectives and practical, hands-on approaches to business in topics as wide-ranging as strategic change and innovation, aligning business and IT, and diversity in the workplace.
With Drexel’s designation as an R1 research university, our faculty are not only here to teach; they bring their expertise to ongoing research projects, publications and more, working side by side with students who are ready to excel and be part of industry-leading research.
Career Coaching
In and out of the classroom, the Drexel EMBA program prepares leaders to thrive in all aspects of their professional and personal lives. Through one-on-one executive career coaching, expert discussions, executive teamwork training and more, our executive education takes a detailed approach to ensure our students are prepared to tackle all challenges.
Campus and Facilities
Drexel LeBow Executive MBA Lounge
Our 12-story, 177,500-square-foot home, Gerri C. LeBow Hall, is located at the heart of Drexel’s University City campus — at the intersection of Woodland Walk and Market Street — where it forms a gateway to Drexel and serves as a backdrop to the historic statue of A.J. Drexel.
Drexel’s University City campus is located in Philadelphia’s vibrant technology and research corridor and is just steps to hotels, museums, world-renowned restaurants and more — in the city where our nation literally began (not to mention a UNESCO-designated World Heritage City, one of only two in the United States).
Explore Executive Education at LeBow
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does a Drexel EMBA differ from other EMBAs?
Just as business keeps evolving, so does the Drexel EMBA.
Each year, we work to strengthen the best of our program and to include new content and teaching methods to make the entire Drexel experience richer, more rewarding, and more relevant for our students.
Since our doors opened 133 years ago, Drexel has always valued the practical and experiential as part of a complete education. It’s not simply a tradition, it’s a commitment at the core of everything we do.
- How long does the program take to complete?
The entire EMBA program runs over six quarters and takes 16 months of study delivered over three calendar years. Find a complete calendar of the program on the plan of study page. Because the EMBA runs over over three fiscal years, employer-sponsored programs have the opportunity to contribute and deduct more than with typical two-year programs. Learn more about EMBA tuition costs here.
- What are all the various parts of the program?
Drexel’s EMBA is built around six different types of learning experiences.
- 20 courses over 16 months covering 22 disciplines and including classroom, online, residencies, on-location and international travel immersion experience
- Five one-credit elective courses encompassing your choice among 12 disciplines during electives week
- One-on-one executive coaching sessions throughout the program
- How does each part work – classes, online, residencies, etc.?
Classes are typically clustered into full-day sessions at Drexel with meals provided (early morning beverages and light fare, break refreshments, lunch, and afternoon refreshments). Online classes and supplemental sessions are self-scheduled and include recorded lectures and resources, along with reading materials.
Seven of the residencies are multi-day immersion programs where students are usually housed in The Study Hotel on campus with most meals provided. The Global Immersion provides transportation (excluding airfare), housing, and some meals.
- How rigorous is Drexel’s EMBA Program?
The Drexel EMBA Program was designed for professionals and executives who set high standards for themselves. It is best suited to individuals who possess grit and the ability to work through tough challenges while staying focused. Drexel EMBA students expect to face daunting challenges, take significant risks, and solve problems likely well beyond anything they have faced before.
Accelerated programs like ours require a realistic view from the beginning. Our students are selected based in part on possessing qualities like initiative, self-motivation, resilience after failure, and the ability to adapt, overcome, and make good judgments under pressure.
The rewards are significant. Our graduates report finishing the program having far broader understanding and perspective and a level of proven confidence that will empower them for their entire career.
- What degree will I earn?
Upon successful completion, you will earn a Masters of Business Administration degree (MBA).