Michigan Ross EMBA Overview

The Ross School promotes its Executive MBA as preparing leaders who “shatter convention, inspire others, and drive innovation.” Firmly centered in the Michigan Model of Leadership, this top-ranked program promises to give its student-professionals executive skills to lead more effectively, expedite their career progression, and inspire change in their company. Leadership and teamwork are central to the program.

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2022-2023 Michigan Ross EMBA Essay Questions

  • Essay 1: What is your proudest professional achievement?

  • Essay 2: Adopted by thousands of businesses and leaders around the world, and recognized by the Financial Times as one of the 40 most important management frameworks in history, the Michigan Model of Leadership underlies all leadership research and teaching at Michigan Ross. Please describe your personal leadership goals and how the Michigan Model of Leadership and the EMBA leadership development curriculum will help in the achievement of those goals.

  • Optional Essay: This might be an opportunity to elaborate on your skills, describe your experiences, or tell us why joining the Michigan Ross EMBA program is important to you.

What Sets the Ross EMBA Program Apart

  • Once-a-Month Format: Classes meet one weekend a month in Ann Arbor or in Los Angeles for five terms beginning in August. Students complete their MBA over 21 months. At key points in the program, students from Los Angeles will join those in Ann Arbor for classes, networking, collaboration, and to graduate as a group.
  • Curriculum: Twelve core courses provide the foundational elements of the curriculum, with topics such as Business Analytics and Statistics for Executives, Strategic Thinking and Competitive Analysis.
  • Leadership Development: The Leadership Development Program is an integral part of the Michigan Ross Executive MBA experience, which is grounded in the Michigan Model of Leadership (MMOL). Based on cutting-edge empirical research and real-world practice, and recognized by the Financial Times as one of the 40 most important frameworks in the history of business, the MMOL grounds the teaching of leadership in a delicate balance of tensions between building teams, developing one’s self, and empowering peers and employees, all for the achievement of goals and results. The program weaves coursework, coaching, and workshops tailored to master leadership skills.
  • ExecMAP: A key feature of the Michigan Ross Executive MBA, this project immersion course offers the student-professional the opportunity to collaborate on a project for a company, defining market entry strategy, for example, or performing strategic growth planning or financial modeling. Among the companies that have engaged in the course with Ross students and sponsored opportunities for this exploration are Microsoft, Walt Disney, Nestle, Teach for America, and Mattel. The ExecMAP program also can be completed abroad.

2023 Ross EMBA Class Profile

The Michigan Ross EMBA class of 2023 is made up of 103 students (both in Ann Arbor and Los Angeles). Of these students, 50.5% identify as non-white, 26% identify as women, and 23% are international.

Collectively, Ross EMBA students represent 22 states and 10 countries.

The average age of the Ross EMBA class of 2023 students is 39, with 4% under the age of 30 and 21% over the age of 45.

Class of 2023 Ross EMBA students had an average of 15.2 years of work experience and 9.5 years of supervisory experience. Additionally, 34% held advanced degrees pre-EMBA and 12% were C-suite, owners, and company presidents.

In terms of work sponsorship, about 37% of the class of 2023 students were sponsored by their employers (>50% financial support).

2022-2023 Michigan Ross EMBA Application Deadlines and Timeline

  • Application Deadline: December 15, 2022
  • Application Deadline: February 1, 2023
  • Application Deadline: March 15, 2023
  • Application Deadline: May 1, 2023