Does Executive MBA have the same value as a fulltime MBA

Opportunities after completing an MBA degree are endless. There are several types of MBA courses, major ones being the fulltime MBA and executive MBA. There has been an argument which has been persistent since the inception of MBA itself, an argument about which is better? Executive MBA or fulltime MBA? Some say two years is needed to learn all about business administration while some say it can be learnt quickly with experience. 

To break it down, a full time MBA is a two years course and is mostly pursued by fresh graduates without any prior experience. An executive MBA on the other hand is a one year MBA course designed for seasoned professionals. The candidate should have a minimum of 2 years work experience while applying for an executive MBA. 

So which one holds more value? A fulltime MBA teaches you all of the nitty-gritties of this course that includes internships among others, there are no prerequisites of any previous work experiences and most of the institutes offer campus placements. On the other hand there’s the executive MBA that is designed for professionals with work experience, the course is for a year and augments the skills of the candidates. This course also covers everything (from basics to advance) but as the candidates are already experienced, their ability to grasp complex matters of any subject is better than fresh graduates.  

The aspect of ‘value’ is debatable as candidates applying for an executive MBA program are already in a mid or senior level job profile in their organization. For them an EMBA will propel their roles and responsibilities forward into the senior management cabinet. Also, most of them prefer an EMBA because they can’t afford to waste 2 years of their careers. 

The fulltime MBA program offers the candidates a comprehensive understanding of this course in two years and any top business school like XLRi, IIM, SOIL, ISB etc. have campus placements at the end of the course. There are several top global companies that come to these campus placements and recruit the elite. 

It all boils down to a matter of choice, both, an executive MBA and a fulltime MBA have their set of advantages, it’s up to you to decide which suits you better, a fulltime MBA or an executive MBA course?