Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the Berkeley MBA for Executives Program. Please don't hesitate to contact us to further discuss these or any other questions you may have about Berkeley Haas and the EMBA program.
The program starts with Orientation in July, lasts 22 months, and is divided into 5 terms. Students attend classes Thursday-Saturday about once a month.
In all programs, you can take advantage of Berkeley Haas' vast resources, and you will earn the same Berkeley MBA degree. The key differences are the experience level of the students, the program structure, the residency aspect (EMBA), the class size, and some of the programmatic elements, such as EMBA's five field immersions that make up 25 percent of the curriculum vs. EW's Signature Events. For more detailed information, please view our program comparison website.
With classes meeting about once a month, the program also attracts more students from outside the San Francisco Bay Area. Hear how two students made their decisions in this podcast on EMBA vs. Evening & Weekend.
While elective offerings are more targeted in the EMBA program, EMBA students may also choose to partner with a faculty member for an independent study project. They also have access to electives in other Berkeley MBA programs, and, pending any scheduling or space constraints, to electives in other UC Berkeley graduate programs.
The Berkeley MBA for Executives Program curriculum engenders the same general management perspective and focus on innovative leadership as the school's acclaimed Full-Time and Evening & Weekend MBA programs.
The EMBA program consists of 19 units of core courses and 22 combined units of elective coursework and immersion modules, including leadership communication, an applied innovation course on problem framing and design thinking, one on Silicon Valley innovation, an international trek, and a final immersion that is industry-specific, for example, a deep dive into public policy and learning how business works in Washington, DC.
Other elective offerings will allow students to further develop their executive skill set and to shape the program according to their interests.
Five times during your EMBA studies, at the end of each term, you will engage in immersive learning.
Immersions are 5-7 days long, take place off campus, and include opportunities to develop your authentic leadership style on a leadership communications immersion on the Monterey Coast; explore the startup culture of and get a real feel for entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley; learn and apply design thinking and other innovation skills to a large-scale challenge in San Francisco; delve into the intersection of business and public policy in Washington, DC; and explore the culture and key factors influencing global business success during a week in an international hub, such as Shanghai, Singapore, or Copenhagen.
Evening & Weekend MBA Program elective courses are available to Executive MBA students pending space availability and instructor approval.
It is important to note that the format and schedule for the Evening & Weekend MBA Program is significantly different from the Berkeley MBA for Executives Program, since the EWMBA program holds weekly classes on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday evenings and on Saturdays.
The Berkeley MBA for Executives Program plans off-site learning experiences to bring its students closer to a variety of today's business challenges. Off-site locations have included Washington, DC, the Napa Valley, Silicon Valley, and Shanghai, Singapore, and São Paulo.
While it varies depending on the specific courses taken, you can expect to spend an average of 15-20 hours per week on program work outside the classroom.
The Berkeley Haas Career Management Group provides a wide variety of services for EMBA students including, but not limited to: executive coaching, advising, job listings and job search services, resume posting, career fairs and networking events, and career management workshops and webinars.
We draw from the same faculty pool for the Full-time MBA Program and the Evening & Weekend MBA Program. The faculty will be a combination of tenured and tenure-track and professional faculty, chosen specifically for their ability to effectively teach to executives.
The application will go live in early September.
Round 1
Deadline: December 7, 2021
Decision: January 21, 2022
Round 2
Deadline: February 9, 2022
Decision: March 24, 2022
Round 3
Deadline: April 7, 2022
Decision: May 20, 2022
We encourage all interested applicants to review the application process and to apply.
You begin with our secure online application, creating an account and being able to enter, update, and save information at any time.
Applying to the program also requires writing essays, submitting transcripts and a resume, taking the GMAT or GRE, procuring two letters of recommendation, and completing an interview.
Applicants who received their degrees from countries in which the official language is not English must also submit official evidence of English language proficiency.
The Berkeley MBA for Executives Program is designed for seasoned executives with a median of 12 years of professional work experience (with the middle 80% range being 8 - 20 years), who represent a wide range of industries and functions and who span the western United States and beyond. Some already have graduate degrees, and some may travel from abroad to attend the program.
We expect to enroll 65 to 75 students for the next incoming EMBA class.
All applicants must furnish results from the GMAT, GRE, or EA exam.
The GMAT, GRE, or EA may be taken up to two weeks after the posted application deadline for the round in which you are applying. If you are unable to take the GMAT/GRE/EA during this time, please contact our office, as we process special requests for additional time on a case-by-case basis.
If you are planning to take the exam after you have submitted your application (either for the first time or as a retake), please make sure you enter your future test date in your application and email our office your unofficial score report as soon as possible after the exam.
All applications without an unofficial test score will be considered incomplete. We cannot guarantee a decision by the posted notification deadline for incomplete applications.
NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to notify us at mbaforexecs@haas.berkeley.edu with new test scores and/or future exam dates for consideration.
There is no minimum GMAT, GRE, or EA score requirement — admitted students have a range of scores. If you are not happy with your GMAT/GRE/EA test results, we encourage you to take the exam again in an effort to improve your results.
The GMAT/GRE/EA is an important component of your application, but it is one of many. Every aspect of the application is used in making an admissions decision, and the final decision is based on a holistic review of all materials submitted.
The admissions committee takes into consideration your highest overall test score. Our application allows you to report multiple test scores.
Please keep in mind, you may only take the Executive Assessment (EA) up to two times.
We are looking for evidence of quantitative skills to assess your readiness for MBA study. If you do not feel comfortable with your standardized test quantitative score and have not had significant evidence in either your academic or professional background, we would suggest that you pursue additional coursework. We highly recommend taking one or more of the following courses, either in-person or online at a community college or other institution. Course(s) should be taken for a letter grade.
In cases where there is very little evidence of quantitative proficiency in your application, we would encourage you to take two of the courses mentioned or similar quantitative-heavy coursework for a letter grade.
While these suggestions will help bolster your application and prepare you for MBA study, they are not a substitute for taking a standardized test.
Applicants who received their degrees in countries other than the U.S., UK, Australia, English-speaking Canada, or Singapore are required to take the TOEFL exam or the IELTS exam. This includes applicants with degrees from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa, the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries. Residence in the US does not waive this requirement.
However, if at the time of application you have already completed at least one year of full-time academic coursework with grades of "B" or better in residence at a recognized U.S. institution, you do not need to take a standardized English language proficiency test. Instead, you must submit an official transcript from the recognized U.S. institution. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement:
Courses in English as a Second Language
Courses conducted in a language other than English
Courses that will be completed after you apply
Courses of a non-degree or non-academic nature
There are two standardized tests you may take: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). No other waivers will be granted.
TOEFL test dates are limited, so please schedule your testing date as soon as possible.
Since the Berkeley Haas MBA for Executives Program is a part-time program, we are unable to assist with or issue an F-1 student visa. Typically, our students work with their employers to assist with their visas, the most common of which are L1 and H1B.
U.S. Military service members (active duty and veterans) and non-profit/public service employees may be eligible to waive the $200 application fee.
After you have started your online application, but before submitting it, please email the admissions office at mbaforexecs@haas.berkeley.edu if you are interested in submitting the Application Fee Waiver Request form. Please do not submit your application until you receive a response to your request.
Is an interview a required component of the application process?
An interview with the Admissions Committee is required for applicants before admission to the program can be offered.
The interview is approximately 30 minutes long and will be with a member of the Admissions Committee. During the interview you will have the opportunity to ask specific questions as well as help us better understand your career, background, and interests.
For your convenience, you can choose to schedule your interview before or after you submit your application. We do not have a preference for when you choose to interview and it will have no impact on your admission decision.
You can find information about scheduling your interview in the Interview section of the application. You will need to have completed the personal data section of your application and have your current resume uploaded before you interview.
We communicate admissions decisions through email. Decisions will be released on the notification deadline for each round. You will receive an email from our office at that time, instructing you to check your online application status.
If you have submitted an application to a Berkeley MBA program within the last two years, you are considered a reapplicant. If your application was incomplete or withdrawn, you are not considered a reapplicant.
You are required to submit all sections of the application, including the Haas Reapplicant essay, unless otherwise specified below:
Essays
You do not need to respond to Essay #1. Instead, please answer the Reapplicant Essay and Essay #2.
Haas Reapplicant Essay:
Please submit a statement explaining how you have improved your candidacy since your last application to the MBA for Executives Program. If you have previously applied to one of our other Berkeley MBA Programs, please help us understand why you are now interested in attending the MBA for Executives Program. (350 word limit)
Essay #2:
As a working professional, you have developed unique skills, knowledge, or experience in your career. Please summarize your primary area of professional expertise or knowledge. Highlight any aspect(s) that makes you unique or sets you apart from your peers. (150 word limit)
Recommendations
You will need to include one new or updated letter of recommendation. In Recommender 1 box, you will provide your additional recommender information.
To complete this section, you will need to input information for Recommender 2, regardless of whether you are submitting a second reference. If you are only submitting one new letter of recommendation, please follow these steps for Recommender 2:
Transcripts
If you previously submitted official transcripts, you are not required to resend them. However, if you only submitted unofficial copies, you are required to send in official transcripts. You must also send transcripts for new coursework completed since your previous application.
Test Scores
Reordering official test score reports is not required unless you are listing new EA/GMAT/GRE or TOEFL/IELTS scores in your application. If so, please send an official score report to the Berkeley MBA for Executives Admissions Office.
You must submit new test scores if your test was taken before June 1, 2020 (TOEFL, IELTS) or October 1, 2016 (GMAT, GRE, EA). Please submit an official score report to the MBA for Executives Admissions office using the following codes:
More information can be found on our Reapplicants page.
The cost for the executive MBA class entering in August 2021 was $196,000 for the 22-month program.* This includes hotel accommodations during core course sessions in terms 1-3 and immersions week, most meals while in residence and on field immersions that happen off campus, as well as books and an ebook reader. Airfare to and from Berkeley and field immersions is not included. Payment is collected in five installments.
* Fees typically increase each academic year.
Scholarships
We offer a limited number of $10,000-$20,000 EMBA fellowships and provide information on external MBA scholarships as well. Scholarships are awarded to both entering and continuing students based on numerous criteria such as merit, industry, commitment to diversity, and financial need. More about EMBA Scholarships.
Loans
Approximately 40 percent of Berkeley Executive MBA students rely on some form of financial assistance, including loans. The University of California, Berkeley participates in the Federal Loan Program, which allows students enrolled at least half-time (6 units) to borrow money directly from the federal government at fixed interest rates.
A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be filed each year that a student intends to borrow a Federal Loan. The loans must be paid back beginning six months after graduation or dropping below half-time enrollment. The standard repayment term for these loans is 10 years. Students may also pursue private loans and international loans.
For more information, please visit the Financial Aid website. If you still have questions, you may contact the Financial Aid Office directly.
Typically, 10% of our EMBA students are fully sponsored by their companies. The majority of students are self-sponsored.
Berkeley Haas awards scholarships to both domestic and international students.
U.S. financial institutions almost exclusively require a credit-worthy U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident co-signer for international student applicants.
We have partnered with a lender to provide a no-cosigner option by assuming some of the risk on your behalf. For more information see the International Student Loans section of the Financial Aid website.
Scholarships
For scholarships, we encourage all prospective executive MBA students to complete their scholarship application in the same round for which they are applying for admission. Please note, funding is limited, and funding strategies are subject to change annually.
If scholarship funding is a major factor in your decision-making process, we recommend that students apply sooner rather than later in the admission cycle to ensure that you are considered for all available scholarship opportunities.
Federal Loans
To apply for Federal Loans, file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can complete the FAFSA any time after October 1st for the upcoming academic year in which you will begin your MBA studies.
Private Loans
For private loans, you may begin the process as early as May with the lender. We encourage you to complete the private loan application process by the end of July to ensure funds are processed in time for the fall semester.
When filling out the FAFSA, use UC Berkeley Federal Code 001312.
When requesting certification for private loans, use Haas' branch code: 001312-75.
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the University of California, Berkeley publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This report includes current security policies plus crime and fire statistics for the previous three calendar years. The body of the report also contains contact information for various campus and community resources related to crime prevention and survivor assistance. A digital copy of the report can be accessed via the link below, or paper copies are available free of charge at 1 Sproul Hall.
UC Berkeley Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
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