Technology is powering new innovations for EMBA students and more women are choosing EMBA Programs to advance their careers, according to the results of the 2022 EMBAC Membership Program Survey.

Conducted on behalf of EMBAC by Percept Research, the annual survey offers the most comprehensive look at the EMBA industry. In 2022, 76 percent of EMBAC member programs participated in the survey.

The percentage of female enrollment reached a new high of 34.8 in 2022, compared to 33.4 percent in 2021 and 30.1 percent in 2017.

“The steady growth in women attending EMBA Programs is a positive signal for business schools and the business community at large,” says Michael Desiderio, EMBAC executive director.

Another ongoing trend involves the increasing use of technology.

In fact, 86 percent of participating member programs incorporated distance learning into their curriculum, compared to 55 percent in pre-pandemic 2019. Distance learning content that programs delivered synchronously increased from 34 percent in 2019 to 44 percent in 2022. In addition, more than 80 percent of participating member programs reported the use of electronic cases and books.

“EMBA Programs continue to adapt to the changing needs of working professionals,” says Desiderio. “Much of that change comes from applying technology that allowed students to continue their education in the program during the pandemic in new ways that help enhance the in-person learning experience.”

Other key findings from the survey include the following:

In terms of experience and age, EMBA also continues to attract high-quality candidates. In 2022, the average age of enrolled EMBA students rose very slightly from 38 to 38.9 years. They also came to the program with more work and management experience, averaging 14.6 years of work experience in 2022 compared to 14 years in 2021 and 9.2 average years of management experience in 2022 compared to 8.9 years in 2021. 

Executive coaching remains an integral part of EMBA Programs: 89.8 percent of EMBA Programs offered executive coaching in 2022, up from 88.1 percent of EMBA Programs in 2021.

The percentage of students who received full financial sponsorship increased slightly, while self-sponsored leveled. The 56.2 percent of self-funded students stayed the same in 2022 as last year, and 16.4 percent of students received full sponsorship in 2022, compared to 15.2 percent in 2021.

Travel is back: 92 percent of programs included either a mandatory or optional international trip in their curriculum. The United States, Germany, and England were top destinations in 2022.

Almost 61 percent of programs offer scholarships or fellowships, a 3 percent increase since 2018, with 31 percent of EMBA students receiving scholarships or fellowships. Programs that offered such support averaged a total of $223,700 in scholarship and fellowship funds, compared to $210,645 in scholarship and fellowship funds in 2021, and $134,779 in 2017.

“The EMBAC Membership Program Survey is a crucial tool for our industry,” says Desiderio. “It helps us understand trends, spot the big picture innovations, and share concrete data about the value of EMBA Programs.”

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