About MBA

Origins of the MBA

The study of Business at the graduate level has long been part of the academic offerings in universities. The oldest Business School in the United States is at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire which was founded in 1900.  The Graduate School of Business at Harvard University opened in 1908, and the College of Business at the University of Illinois in 1915.  The purpose of these early programs was to provide management training for individuals with traditional, non-business undergraduate degrees.

The first MBA programs in Europe were started in the early 1960s in the United Kingdom.  The focus of many of the European programs was different to those of the US programs. Today, the MBA degree from a United States university remains the benchmark by which all other MBA degrees are measured.  MBA programs at US universities top the rankings when compared to universities worldwide. 

What is an MBA?

A Master of Business Administration Degree is a professional-level graduate degree.  MBA programs are designed to help participants develop an understanding of the major functional areas of business as well as teaching the modern decision-making tools available to 21st century managers. Part of the value of our Executive MBA degree comes from the synergy between academic study when combined with practical exercises, projects, and internships that afford multiple opportunities and venues in which to develop new skills. Equally important is the value that comes from the opportunity to meet and intensively interact with executives from other businesses, both in one's own industry as well as different industries and varying academic backgrounds. 

Some programs claim to offer a degree but are actually awarding a non-degree certificate.  The prospective MBA student should carefully examine all program materials to insure they are completely informed about the degree awarded upon completion of their program.

MBA and your career

An MBA degree is an important part of your career management process. Possessing an MBA degree will not automatically make you successful, but it will give you the fundamental knowledge, skills, and abilities that you need to become highly successful. An Executive MBA program is the right choice for both current managers and those individuals who aspire to become managers. You will learn to manage human resources, financial assets, products, and services in an ever-changing business environment. These valuable skills are equally applicable in the for-profit or not-for-profit sector, family-owned businesses, publicly traded companies, entrepreneurial endeavors, or the government service.  An Executive MBA program is the right choice for individuals wanting a career change. Graduates have moved from one industry or sector to another and from one functional area in business to another...or both.

An Executive MBA program is also the right choice for an individual looking for a career enhancer, someone who needs additional technical skills in order to take their career to the next level. In recent years we have had two mathematicians, one who became a marketing consultant, the other an IT expert. We have had a psychologist who became a human resources executive and a professional piano player who chose marketing as her new profession.

MBA vs. Executive MBA

Executive Programs

The Executive MBA at the Univeristy of Warsaw (EMBA@UW) is structured for busy professionals.  The program is designed to complement and bolster one's professional routine.  Learning is geared for the individual who has already had success in a career, yet is pushing to achieve more.  Executive MBA students have more work experience, including in-depth managerial responsibility than typical MBA students. Hence, the typical candidate is in his or her mid-thirties. In the case of the Executive MBA@UW  program students must have at least three years of work experience.

An important aspect of an EMBA program is the ability to continue working full-time while pursuing an MBA degree. Executive MBA programs typically have a shorter completion time than full-time MBA programs.  Classes tend to be either offered every weekend, or as in the Executive MBA@UW program, on Fridays and Saturdays every second week. We also have week sessions for the classes offered by Amercian professors and field trips. Please see the schedule of the classes for detailed information.

Who should attend?

The Executive MBA program is designed for the experienced manager who needs to increase his or her knowledge base, enhance skills and acquire new abilities in a variety of management fields. The Executive MBA@UW program is a general management program that equips professionals with the tools and perspectives required to manage and lead a company or business unit.   Whether you are currently a specialist or a generalist, you can benefit from our program and the outstanding faculty. Our graduates will confirm it.