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Frequently Asked Questions

Questions (click for answers)

1.  When does the next cohort begin? What is the typical application process and deadline?

2.  Where are classes held in Geneva? How about during the international field seminar modules?

3.  Will I need to take the GMAT to earn admission?

4.  What is the typical demographic of the Executive MBA in Europe?

5.  What makes the Thunderbird Executive MBA unique?

6.  Is employer sponsorship required to pursue the Executive MBA? What if I am (or become) unemployed?

7.  I'm just getting familiar with Thunderbird. Where and how active in Europe are Thunderbird alumni?  What other activities does Thunderbird Europe host?

Answers

1.  When does the next cohort begin? What is the typical application process and deadline?

Answer. The next Executive MBA-Europe cohort will start on October 7, 2011. Most often, candidates reach out to us by phone or email to express interest, and often submit their CV or a description of their work backround to see if the program fits their interests and needs. The application itself can be completed in stages: there is an online application form, formal academic records of prior learning (by post) and interviews, which can be by phone or face-to-face with our team in Geneva. It is highly encouraged that candidates join us in Geneva for a visit during one of our modules, if possible.

Executive MBA applications will be accepted through July 31, 2011, after which time we will consider applications on a space-available basis.

Complete an online information request form to receive further information about the program and our upcoming informational events.

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2.  Where will classes be held in Geneva? What about during the international field seminar modules?

Answer. The majority of modules are held in Geneva at our partner institution, the Villa Barton campus of The Graduate Institute on Lake Geneva, or at the Conference Center Varembe (CCV), near the United Nations. Both locations, within a 10-minute walk of each other, are easily accessible to city center hotels and restaurants. 

The international field seminars are held in hotel or conference facilities in major global cities (in BRIC nations) for class sessions, and often include site visits to local companies and organizations as well as cultural visits.

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3.  Will I need to take the GMAT?

Answer. The GMAT is not required of our Executive MBA applicants. However, we assess each candidate personally through three interviews with Thunderbird professors and staff (in person or by phone). Feel free to contact us any time with questions about your own background, both academic and professional, to see if your profile matches our typical candidate credentials. A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education (recognized in its own nation), along with applicable, progressive and relevant professional experience (8+ years), is typically the minimum for consideration.

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4. What is the typical demographic of the Executive MBA in Europe?

Answer. The cohort composition is a mix of participants who travel primarily from Europe and the Middle East for the modular program. Candidates typically have more than 10 years of professional work experience (minimum is at about seven or eight years), with a few years of experience in management (managing people or projects).

Thunderbird is committed to creating a diverse student community (gender and nationality) in each cohort.  The average age is typically 37-38 and there are usually a dozen or more countries represented by the students, who commute for the one-week modules from as far as Kazakhstan, the Emirates, Brazil and New York.

Current cohorts range from 30% to 40% female, and typically more than half of the participants commute from beyond Switzerland to pursue the modules, often juggling work, family and business travel along with their studies. The cohort represents a wide spectrum of industries and global organizations.

In addition to the Executive MBA-Europe cohort, there are several shared learning opportunities (cross-cohort courses) with the Executive MBA-United States program, which draws its own international diversity from across the US and around the world. This expands your global network and provides additional learning exposure to real-time trends across industries.

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5. What makes the Thunderbird Executive MBA unique?

Answers:

Global Teams & Global Collaboration. Our participants come from Geneva and well beyond, and many have already experienced expatriate life or working on global teams. The program brings together managers currently living & working across a broad range of locations & industries, and the exchange in the classroom, facilitated by professors, challenges each participant to think along new paradigms but also to contribute to the learning of their peers by sharing insights and observations.

Global Learning. The Thunderbird curriculum includes both best global practices from traditional management disciplines as well as a comprehensive look at the global business environment (region by region), the interdependence of sustainable business and society, economic trends and cultural influences. The program is designed to be highly practical, where skills and concepts taught can be directly applied to your work immediately following each module. This enhances your performance and helps your organization achieve its objectives.

Personal Global Exposure. In addition to course work, the international field seminar rotations bring you a practical, hands-on engagement with the global business community and develop a repertoire of personal experiences to draw upon in future business scenarios.

Global Professors. Many of the same professors who teach in the Executive MBA also teach for Thunderbird's Executive Eudcation clients from as far as Korea, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, bringing relevant and current anecdotes and cases to the classroom. These are highly-qualified, globally-minded (often multi-cultured) and adventuresome individuals whose research and personal endeavors have brought them to Thunderbird from as far as Malaysia, Persia, France, India, Peru...

International Geneva. Very few cities in the world have a similar level of global engagement as Geneva. Between the various banks, corporate headquarters, United Nations and scores of International Organizations, there are a broad range of opportunities for unique exposure in classroom discussions.  
 
World-Class Reputation and Our Mission. The entire Thunderbird institution is dedicated to one task: educating globally-minded business leaders. Thunderbird has consistently been acclaimed in global business media rankings for both the Executive MBA degree as well as for Executive Education programs for companies and organizations. 

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6.  Is employer sponsorship required to pursue the Executive MBA? What if I am (or become) unemployed during the program?

Answer. Thunderbird does not require your employer to sponsor your tuition expenses; however, after earning admission, candidates must have their supervisor or HR designee sign that the individual is authorized to take the necessary time away from work to pursue the modular series.

We have had some participants join while in between work positions (although it is not designed as a full-time program--typically, they seek to resume employment during their degree), and others have had career transitions during the program. One benefit of the modular structure is that, should your employment location change, your studies can continue without interruption since you can 'commute' to modules from an alternate location.

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7.   Where and how active are Thunderbird Alumni in the region? What are Thunderbird’s other activities in Geneva and Europe?  

Answers. 

Alummni: Thunderbird has over 40,000 alumni in more than 140 countries around the world. Many Thunderbird alumni seek global career opportunities that rotate them to locations beyond home region - either on assignments or in their regular projects and travel. Thunderbird's tradition is to have a local alumni chapter in major cities worldwide. From London to Moscow, Hamburg to Dubai, alumni chapter leaders host regular events in their area and maintain relations with the main campus in Arizona and with our Europe office in Geneva.

All applicants to the program are put in contact with alumni in their region or industry as part of the application process. Alumni chapter leaders host monthly receptions in dozens of major cities worldwide as part of our Thunderbird alumni networking community. If you're seriously considering the Executive MBA and wish to speak with an Executive MBA alumni ambassador, we encourage you to reach out to us and we'll connect you to someone nearby, or in a similar industry.

More about Thunderbird Europe:

In addition to the Executive MBA program, Geneva serves as headquarters for our Corporate Learning division across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Thunderbird Europe has extensive outreach to the corporate community with clients from various sectors (banking, oil and gas, pharmaceutical) and provides them customized executive training programs taught onsite by Thunderbird faculty.

Thunderbird Europe also hosts other MBA student groups from the Arizona campus on short-term courses in various European destinations each year. We also serve as a link to thousands of alumni living and working in the EMEA region.

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