Sample Courses and Electives
Providing Tools to Lead Effectively
The Berkeley MBA for Executives curriculum begins with ten required core courses anchored in the fundamentals of business and delivered in the first three terms. These courses build upon one another and provide the analytical tools and essential knowledge to lead effectively.
Think systematically about achieving competitive advantage through the management of the firm's resources.
Examine accounting measurements for general-purpose financial reports, and gain clear understanding of published financial statements.
Become a critical consumer of statistical analysis by learning how to interpret regression analysis, model formation and testing, and diagnostic checking.
Understand how to value assets given forecasts of future cash flows and about the risk characteristics of different asset classes.
Understand how to make optimal decisions and to manage teams effectively, and gain tools to lead and influence others.
Advance your understanding of buyer behavior, market research, segmentation, marketing decision-making, marketing structures, and evaluation of marketing performance.
Gain an overview of issues facing manufacturing and service companies, including process analysis, project management, and supply chain management.
Study approaches that lead to a firm’s achievement of strategic goals and objectives—within a competitive context.
Frame managerial questions within a larger macroeconomic context, increasing your ability to navigate uncertainty with more precision and confidence.
Strengthen your ability to lead others through conceptual understanding of and tools for building trust in a business setting.
"I'm already applying classroom lessons in my own enterprises. Managerial Economics gave me insights into pricing for competitive advantage, while Marketing Organization and Management underscored the need to be customer-obsessed and to address regional differences in marketing."
Aneel Ursani, MD
Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, Revive Telehealth
Elective Courses
Following three terms of core coursework, you take electives in your final two terms. Your options include Executive MBA anchor electives, independent study, and cross-listed electives at Berkeley Haas. Elective classes in Terms 4 & 5 are held Thursday-Sundays with occasional off-Block offerings. And, because you study on campus, you also have access to the many electives across UC Berkeley graduate programs, from engineering and education to law and public policy, based on schedule and seat availability.
Our anchor electives are tailored to the Executive MBA schedule and further your abilities along the four most critical dimensions of the executive skill set: leadership, entrepreneurship, strategy, and finance.
Sample electives in the Berkeley MBA for Executives Program include:
You’ll apply design innovation methods to a project of your choosing, giving you deeper expertise and familiarity with the design innovation process along the way.
This course is an optimistic take on the daunting issue of climate change, and maps how business can play a definitive role in addressing the problem of climate change.
Adopt the perspective of a CFO as you learn how to finance and value projects and companies.
Make your marketing strategy more robust by learning how to leverage data scientists and analytics experts.
To explore and take risks regarding your own identity and what you disclose to others, and how this and your own biases, power, and privilege may impact your ability to be a more inclusive leader.
Understand how to maximize collective success and set the context for extraordinary work.
Gain a framework for applying business analysis and valuation to a variety of business decisions.
Understand with mathematical precision what happens when decision-makers interact.
Learn how to develop and implement a strategic plan for achieving cross-border goals and objectives.
Understand how to create shareholder value and avoid costly pitfalls in acquiring or selling a business.
Deepen your understanding of human nature and the psychology of conflict to be successful in achieving your goals.
Learn how to successfully finance a high growth business through each of its life stages.
You’ll seek to make technical knowledge and data more accessible through clear communication and storytelling, and also to make communications more impactful by using data and technical content to enhance credibility.
Learn specialized topics in business administration (offerings vary year to year). Past topics include Red Teaming, Mastering Executive Conversations in Difficult Circumstances, Leadership & Happiness, Turnarounds, etc.)
To develop an understanding of institutional private capital investment from the perspectives of the investor, venture capital and private equity funds, pension funds, insurance companies, other pools of capital, and the manager in privately-held businesses.
Additional Elective Options
Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM)
GNAM leverages resources from 32 leading global business schools in over 30 countries, bringing students together to explore how business is done in countries at every stage of their development. You can participate through Small Network Online classes or participate in a Global Network Week at a member school.
Learn More About GNAMElectives in Other Berkeley MBA Programs
Some electives offered in our Evening & Weekend Berkeley MBA Program are dual-listed and hold a set number of seats for EMBA students. Additionally, students may elect to enroll in other Evening & Weekend or Full-time MBA program electives, subject to course availability and space constraints. Students have taken classes that include Strategic Management of Nonprofit Organizations, Hedge Fund Strategies, and The Business Case for Investing in Women.
Electives in Other UC Berkeley Graduate Schools
You may also choose to take electives in other graduate schools, such as the Schools of Law, Information, Public Policy, or Engineering. Note that some courses may conflict with the executive MBA schedule and that students in those schools receive priority enrollment.
Certificate Programs
Michaels Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business
Haas launched the Michaels Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business to empower new leaders to create the economic and social transition to a climate resilient, low-carbon, and equitable future.
Graduate Certificate in Health Management
In partnership with the Berkeley Health Management & Policy Division, acquire skills in applied managerial decision-making in the healthcare sector.
Experience the Executive MBA Classroom
There is no better way to get a feel for our unique culture and the outstanding caliber of our students than to experience the energetic exchange of ideas in our classrooms. Catch a glimpse inside the EMBA classroom of Microeconomics with Professor Steve Tadelis.
Watching video: Experience the Executive MBA Classroom
Learn More & Apply
The Berkeley Executive MBA is a prestigious program designed for executives looking to earn their MBA. Learn from world renown faculty and join a cohort of accomplished peers. All this in the heart of Silicon Valley and on a schedule that respects the rest of your life.