Poets&Quants Top U.S. Executive MBA Programs

Designed Specifically for Advancing Leaders

Everywhere you look, work is changing.  Changes are reflected in technology, the workforce, delivery methods and customer expectations.

 How do you lead with confidence amidst all this change? Enroll in a program created specifically for experienced leaders. Build on your expertise and learn how to transform your industry or organization with a cohort of other advancing professionals in this 19-month program.

The University of Pittsburgh Executive MBA within the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business is designed to enhance your business skills and abilities while you work and prepare you to be a catalyst for change. Rising leaders in technical fields such as engineering and computer science, discover how the addition of finance, economics, business management, and leadership skills opens doors to advancement.

PITT EXECUTIVE MBA QUICK FACTS

  • One of the most established Executive MBA programs in the country
  • Designed for leaders with 10+ years of experience
  • Ranked No. 6 among public university programs, 2022-23 Poets&Quants Executive MBA Ranking
  • Program includes online coursework and one Friday and Saturday per month of on-campus classes
  • Includes one week abroad for a global research project
  • Campus conveniently located 40 minutes from the airport
  • An Executive-in-Residence is available for one-on-one career guidance and mentoring
What is the difference between an Executive MBA and a Regular MBA?

A regular MBA is created for the young professional and teaches business fundamentals to prepare for a management career. An Executive MBA has coursework designed specifically for the advanced business leader. If you hold a bachelor’s degree, have more than ten years of experience and have managed others, the Pitt Executive MBA will teach you how to be a more effective manager and help you hone your problem-solving and collaborative capabilities. (read more)

Designed for Busy Professionals

At your level, you do not have the time to come on campus once or twice a week for class. However,  you recognize the value of face-to-face interactions. Our 19-month program blends online coursework with in-person sessions held one weekend per month. You get the best of both worlds; the flexibility you need and the ability to engage and learn both virtually and on-site.

Course Schedule

All courses are taught by full-time, research-active faculty at Pitt Business. Since your classmates are accomplished leaders in their respective fields, you will benefit from insightful classroom discussions and learn from each other.

Financial Accounting

Financial statements are the primary way of measuring and reporting an organization’s financial performance. Students learn the fundamentals of accounting and how to interpret financial information to make business decisions and communicate such information to others.

Statistical Analysis: Uncertainty, Prediction and Quality Control

Students learn how to use sample data to draw conclusions about a population, starting with confidence intervals and hypothesis testing. Next, we study statistical process control to monitor a production process or service quality and assess process capability. Finally, we learn regression techniques to explore associations and make a prediction. Design of experiments, categorical data analysis, forecasting and rank correlation are also covered.

Organizational Behavior 

Leadership requires a clear understanding of human behavior and social processes. Leaders need self-awareness in addition to insight of those whom they lead. Leaders need to know how to leverage performance of employees in their work group and organization. Understanding how and why individuals and groups behave enables a leader to utilize appropriate strategies to effectively manage and lead others into the future.

Information Systems: IT and Business Value

This course addresses the strategic aspects of information systems and the critical skills that managers need when using, developing and managing information technology resources in organizations. Students identify differences between information technology and other goods and services and discover how the differences can be managed for competitive advantage.

Economic Analysis for Managerial Decisions: Firms and Markets

This course develops an understanding of how a market economy reconciles the separate needs of consumers and producers. It provides an economic framework and set of tools to inform managerial decisions across business fields. It integrates the analysis of domestic and global market structures and covers topics such as pricing, output and quality decisions; the impact of productivity improvements on costs; market imperfection; and the role of regulation.

Marketing Management

This course examines the role of marketing in creating value for customers and the firm. It addresses marketing strategy – what value to provide and to whom – using the tools of segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP), and how marketing mix programs – product, pricing, promotion and place – follow from an effective STP program. Experiential learning and trends in digital marketing, competition and globalization are emphasized.

Decision Optimization and Risk Management

Students identify, formulate and solve real-world problems using optimization techniques that serve to improve a firm’s profitability and competitiveness. We discuss linear/nonlinear optimization, simulation, network models and decision analysis. These tools can be applied to production planning and scheduling; product mix; inventory management; queueing systems; project management; personnel scheduling; advertising and media selection; and optimal asset allocation.

Critical Global Issues

This course provides students a hands-on perspective of how industry is facing and responding to challenges through a global lens. We explore an industry or challenge in depth through interviews, problem-solving and project-based work.

Strategic Leadership 

Organizations are experiencing significant change and navigating complex human, technological and global landscapes. This course focuses on key principles for developing strategic leadership in navigating change, disruption and crisis while optimizing a dynamic workforce and achieving organizational strategic priorities.

Strategy: Values, Purpose and Performance

Students learn the concepts of strategy and conventional processes of strategy formulation and implementation. Using these as foundations, students examine the role of strategy in guiding managerial decisions and ensuring an organization’s survival and success in a changing world. 

Supply Chain Management

Students learn the fundamental principles of supply chain design, how to improve inter-organizational flow, and applications from different industrial contexts. At the conclusion of the course, students are able to demonstrate how operational and supply chain decisions can affect growth, customer satisfaction, corporate strategic priorities and profitability.

Business Analytics: Strategies for Creating Business Impact from AI, Data and Insights

This course explores how to use AI and advanced analytics to drive organizational strategy and set operational priorities. The case/article- and conversation-based course examines how to frame the critical questions underlying advanced analytics programs, measure the effectiveness of the models, and communicate the output to catalyze change. We also examine the challenges of bias in data and models, as well as the legal and ownership issues with data.  

Financial Management

This course provides a solid understanding of the theory and practice of financial decision making based on the shareholders’ wealth maximization valuation framework. Topics include how to value an uncertain stream of cash using the concept of time value of money. The course develops an understanding of the basic investment criteria used by many corporations, the trade-off between risk and return, and relates these to financing and capital structure choices. These tools apply also to personal finances and the investment decisions of private companies.

Strategic Cost Management

Students develop a critical understanding of the nature of costs, as well as cost measurement and management in a variety of organizational settings. The course includes cost accounting tools and techniques and implications for managerial-level decision-making (e.g., outsourcing, cost control, budgeting) and helps identify ways to provide appropriate incentives to improve financial performance.

Practicum

Students prepare a major research project on a business problem to demonstrate the knowledge, tools and skills learned through the program. This experience-based learning opportunity challenges students to solve a real business issue within their company or industry. At the end of the program, students present their findings and recommendations to a panel of faculty and business leaders.

Global Research Practicum

Given the global economy, the Executive MBA program includes a global research project. Your cohort picks the industry and the region of the world to study, you then use research and data to explore the topic and spend a week in this part of the world to experience local business operations and engage with industry leaders.

Previously, this project has taken students to Munich and Prague.

Problem Research Practicum  

Problem solving is a critical skill in today’s changing environment. Throughout the program, you will work on addressing a problem within your industry or organization. Utilizing data analytics, process improvement strategies, and teamwork, you will work in a team (or individually), identify an issue to research, collect data, analyze the research, and then, deliver a recommendation in a report and 30-minute presentation. Previous research has looked at topics such as the value to investors for adopting ESG programs, a small business acquisition process, optimizing capital deployment strategies, how to develop a conceptual framework for a sales and operations process and other timely issues.

Tuition

The cost for this program includes all materials and meals when attending on-campus weekends and is the same for in-state and out-of-state residents.  Merit aid and travel scholarships are available for qualified students. Visit tuition.pitt.edu for tuition information. 

The Executive MBA program has filled in gaps in my business knowledge, particularly in areas of accounting and marketing, that has enabled me to have better conversations with my customers and helps me better communicate with my finance team on contractual issues, making me more effective in my role.

Ben Coffman, Executive MBA ‘23

Coupa Software, Senior Customer Value Director

KATZ GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

GLOBAL LEADER IN BUSINESS EDUCATION

#6

Among Public
University Programs
Poets&Quants 2022-23

#18

Nationwide Executive MBA
Poets&Quants 2021

#8

Worldwide for Executive MBA
programs in public universities
Financial Times 2021

#3

Salary Percentage Increase
The Economist 2020

Student and Alumni Spotlight

I came to a point in my career where I decided that an MBA would really help broaden my overall knowledge, expand my horizons, and really help me become a better leader. I chose Pitt due to its excellent reputation and because it does have an executive program. I was looking for an executive program based on all the experience I have. I wanted to be able to learn from others in different industries and learn how I might apply some key learnings to my own industry and business.

Katie Brisky, Executive MBA ‘23

Director of Operations and Project Management , Duquesne Light

The biggest myth is that it will take years to complete an MBA while working full-time. The executive program is intense, but it progresses quickly and efficiently. The EMBA program has filled in gaps in my business knowledge, particularly in areas of accounting and marketing, which has enabled me to have better conversations with my customers and helps me better communicate with my finance team on contractual issues, making me more effective in my role.

Ben Coffman, Executive MBA ‘22

Director, Customer Value Engagement, Coupa Software

The EMBA program made me more well-rounded to tackle new responsibilities by adding product development/management, finance, economics, marketing, business management and leadership to my skill set. Now I can better manage partners and coordinate activities, oversee international testing initiatives, and work with international teams and nuclear plant utilities to find the right solutions.

Zach McDaniel, Executive MBA ‘19

Director of Innovation, Westinghouse

The key to advancing and to being effective is to know how to use the resources around you. And one of the things that the MBA did for me was to give me a grasp of where I should be looking. It’s like, Google’s right in front of me, but, you know, there’s a heck of a lot of information. I wish I knew the question to ask. The MBA gives you the questions to ask, as well as the places to go.”

Richard Lincoff, Executive MBA ‘80

Professor of Strategy and Critical Thinking, Washington University

The Katz course work and pace stretched my productive capacity. This challenge was integral in developing my character and confidence. This became extremely important during the COVID crisis as I was asked to step into a stretch role and lead a mission-critical program. When I look back, I can clearly see how my Executive MBA prepared me for that moment.

Jonathan Hicks, Executive MBA ‘20

Philips, Engineering Category Leader

Upcoming Events

13 March
Wednesday

Katz Executive MBA: An Introduction

Now more than ever, the world needs leaders who can rise above the challenges and complexities they are facing and move their organization and industry forward. The Executive MBA Introduction demonstrates how this dynamic program prepares leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful today and in the future. REGISTER HERE
20 March
Wednesday

Financing Your Executive MBA

As you consider pursuing your Executive MBA, how will you fund it? What resources are available to you? Financing Your Executive MBA reviews a variety of options that may be available to you, from external scholarship sources and educational loans to employer sponsorship and Executive Programs merit aid.   REGISTER HERE
02 April
Tuesday

Executive MBA in Healthcare: An Introduction

Leading in healthcare has never been more demanding. The future is unpredictable, and the challenges are high. The Executive MBA in Healthcare Introduction demonstrates how this dynamic program prepares leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful today and in the future. REGISTER HERE

Connect with Katz

Are you ready to create your future success through a Katz Executive MBA? If so, consider speaking with one of our outreach specialists or attend one of our online information sessions.
 

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