Executive MBA
This section outlines the course rules and other requirements for the Executive Master of Business Administration offered by the University of Sydney Business School.
Overview of the degree
| Course details |
Executive Master of Business Administration |
|---|---|
| CRICOS code | N/A |
| Course abbreviation | EMBA |
| Credit points required for completion | 72 |
| Duration (minimum) | 1.5 calendar years of full-time study |
The Executive Master of Business Administration is designed to meet the needs of experienced managers who are on a path to senior leadership positions in their organisations.
It is structured as a series of five two-week units of study over 18 months, enabling busy executives to complete the degree in tandem with their work commitments. In addition, throughout the 18 months participants prepare a Board Report that addresses a major strategic issue facing their organisation (the sixth unit of study). These reports are presented to a senior executive group at the end of the degree. Learning is highly experiential and structured around major strategic challenges rather than traditional business disciplines, with leadership as the underlying theme. The course will also expose participants to a wide range of perspectives drawn from beyond business and economics, such as drama, music and philosophy, to broaden the mind and develop leadership attributes.
As well as taking place in Sydney, learning occurs in three other continents representing contrasting business contexts. Participants gain hands-on experience in these other parts of the globe by working on live projects and being exposed to a range of people and situations.
Degree structure and progression
Degree requirements
To qualify for the award, Executive Master of Business Administration, a student completes core units of study totalling 72 credit points.
Core units of study
Note: All core units except EMBA6000 are worth 12 credit points.
- EMBA6000 Executive MBA Primers (zero credit points)
- EMBA6001 EMBA Report
- EMBA6002 Leadership
- EMBA6003 Foundations of Management
- EMBA6004 Creating and Developing New Opportunities
- EMBA6005 Managing Growth
- EMBA6006 Turning Around Mature Businesses
Progression guide
The Executive Master of Business Administration will involve one and a half (1.5) calendar years of full-time, intensive study. Students will be required to follow a prescribed schedule of study, as there is progressive learning.
Students will enrol in six, 12-credit point units of study over 18 months (two units in each of the three semesters).
The timing of the units of study is depicted in the table titled "Executive Master of Business Administration Delivery Structure - 2012 Intake".
Executive Master of Business Administration Delivery Structure - 2012 intake
This degree will be delivered as set out in the following table for students commencing in 2012.
The total duration of this program is 18 months.
| Module / Unit of study | Module / Unit Location | Module Timeframe / Duration |
|---|---|---|
| EMBA6000 Executive MBA Primers # | Online: Economics, Financial Statements, Business Statistics, Excel Spreadsheets | December 2011 / January 2012 |
| EMBA6001 EMBA Report # | In-company project; ongoing over 18 months | February 2012 to July 2013 |
|
EMBA6002 Leadership # * |
University of Sydney and off-site location in Sydney | February 2012 |
| EMBA6003 Foundations of Management # * | University of Sydney and off-site location in Sydney | May / June 2012 |
| Functional knowledge on-line modules # | Online: Cross Cultural Management, Finance / Accounting, Organisational Behaviour, Operations and Supply Chain Management, Strategy Marketing | May / June 2012 |
|
EMBA6004 Creating and Developing New Opportunities # * ^ |
Bangalore, India | October 2012 |
| EMBA6005 Managing Growth # * ^ | Silicon Valley, USA | January 2013 |
| EMBA6006 Turning Around Mature Businesses # * ^ | London, UK and Languedoc, France | May / June 2013 |
# These modules involve self directed distance learning (with mentors) / pre-module preparation.
* These modules involve two-week face-to-face delivery approximately every four months.
^ Please note, the locations of the 'Creating & Developing New Opportunities', 'Managing Growth' and 'Turning Around Mature Businesses' modules may change, with locations to be confirmed by July 2012.
Please note: For further details regarding how individual modules/units will be offered students should refer the EMBA page on the faculty website sydney.edu.au/business/globalEMBA) or the EMBA Program Coordinator.
Units of study for the Executive Master of Business Administration
General information relating to unit of study offerings
The unit of study information listed is for 2012 and was correct at the time of printing of this handbook.
The Business School website sydney.edu.au/business/pgunits) contains the most up to date information on unit of study availability or other requirements. Timetabling information for 2012 is also available on the faculty website (sydney.edu.au/business/timetable). Students should note that units of study are run subject to demand.
Most units of study for this degree will be offered in intensive mode. The intensive sessions are explained in the following table.
Key to intensive unit of study offering sessions
|
Session code |
Description of how the unit will be offered |
|---|---|
| Int January (101), Int February (102), Int March (103), Int April (104), Int May (105), Int June (106), Int July (107), Inr August (108), Int Sept (109), Int October (110), Int November (111) and Int December (112) |
the unit of study will run intensively for the month indicated. |
Intensive sessions were introduced to cater for units of study that are delivered in non-standard ways.
The units of study available for 2012 for these programs are detailed under :
- Table of postgraduate units of study: Executive Master of Business Administration
- Postgraduate unit of study descriptions: Executive Master of Business Administration
1. Table of postgraduate units of study: Executive Master of Business Administration
| Unit of study | Credit points | A: Assumed knowledge P: Prerequisites C: Corequisites N: Prohibition | Session |
|---|---|---|---|
| The following units of study are only available in the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA). | |||
Core units of study |
|||
| EMBA6000 Executive MBA Primers |
This unit is available in the Executive Master of Business Administration only |
Int January |
|
| EMBA6001 EMBA Report |
12 |
Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study |
Semester 2 |
| EMBA6002 Leadership |
12 |
Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study |
Int February |
| EMBA6003 Foundations of Management |
12 |
Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study |
Int June |
| EMBA6004 Creating & Developing New Opportunities |
12 | P Minimum credit (65 percent) average in EMBA6002 and EMBA6003 Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study |
Int October |
| EMBA6005 Managing Growth |
12 | P Minimum credit (65 percent) average in EMBA6002 and EMBA6003 Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study |
Int January |
| EMBA6006 Turning Around Mature Businesses |
12 | P Minimum credit (65 percent) average in EMBA6002 and EMBA6003 Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study |
Int May |
2. Postgraduate unit of study descriptions: Executive Master of Business Administration
EMBA6000 Executive MBA Primers
Session: Classes: Online unit Assessment: 'Completed Requirements' awarded when unit completed (100%)
Note: This unit is available in the Executive Master of Business Administration only
Primers in statistics, economics, financial statements and excel spreadsheets.
EMBA6001 EMBA Report
Credit points: 12 Session: Assessment: Individual report (100%)
Note: Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study
This unit requires students to provide leadership on a strategic, Board level issue facing their organisation. In doing so students will be required to apply the cross-disciplinary knowledge, skills and personal attributes developed during the degree to a significant strategic issue confronting their organisation. Thus, as in other parts of the course, the approach to the project must be integrative, international in scope, and build in the wider context in which the organisation operates. The unit will require the student to demonstrate the leadership skills, knowledge and attributes developed throughout the course. This is the final component of the EMBA, and as such will allow students to draw on the content and experiences from throughout the course. Students will work closely with an in-company sponsor as well as an academic mentor to ensure the project is both of substantial and practical value to the organisation and completed with academic rigor. The completion of this Unit of Study is the final component of the Executive MBA.
EMBA6002 Leadership
Credit points: 12 Session: Classes: 2 week block intensive in February Assessment: Team project (50%); Individual reflection report (50%)
Note: Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study
This unit will develop, though experiential methods, a critical appreciation of the application of different perspectives on leadership to business situations. It will achieve this by deconstructing and reconstructing new and existing perspectives of leadership in ways that are of value to the practice of leadership in organisations. Perspectives examined will include military, political, philosophical, dramaturgical, ethical and musical. Students will study specific leadership skills, knowledge and attributes related to different organisational and group situations. These include: creative thinking and acting; critical reasoning; strategic thinking; reflexive listening; identifying and managing power relationships; persuasiveness and; ethical decision making.
EMBA6003 Foundations of Management
Credit points: 12 Session: Classes: 2 week block intensive in May/June. Assessment: Team Presentation Project (50%); Individual reflection report (25%); EMBA6001 Report Proposal (25%)
Note: Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study
Today's business leaders need not only to understand core business functions but also demonstrate an ability to ask the right questions of functional specialists and integrate this knowledge in order to solve complex business problems. This unit provides students with an integrative appreciation of the core business functions, with particular focus on the disciplines of strategic management, organisational behaviour, human resource management, international business, marketing, supply chain management, management accounting and corporate finance. The unit also develops and enhances the ability of students to work effectively in teams, a critical skill for the effective management of complex processes in uncertain environments and provides key building blocks for the remainder of the program.
EMBA6004 Creating & Developing New Opportunities
Credit points: 12 Session: Classes: 2 week block intensive in October Assessment: Group presentation (30%); Group final document (40%); Individual reflection report (30%)
Note: Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study
It is a huge challenge to launch a new enterprise, whether that business be developing a new product, entering a new market, or leveraging a new business process. This challenge is further complicated in the global environment, with businesses now operating across diverse cultures and countries. This unit introduces the issues facing the entrepreneur or manager who is creating a new venture. Topics to be covered include opportunity discovery and recognition, leveraging the start-up's (limited) resources and capabilities, financial modelling and sources of finance, and intellectual property management. Specific focus will be given to leading the entry of a new venture in developing economies, with their complex institutional and cultural environment. Over the two-week intensive programme, students will develop a business entry and financing strategy for an entrepreneurial venture. Central to the unit is the integration of theory and practice through workshops, visits and panel discussions. Students will pitch their new business to a panel of professional investors (if a start-up) or senior executives (if a form of corporate venturing), with feedback guiding their final documentation. The unit will initially take place in Bangalore, India.
EMBA6005 Managing Growth
Credit points: 12 Session: Classes: 2 week block intensive in January Assessment: Group presentation (45%); Group executive summary document (20%); Individual reflection report (35%)
Note: Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study
Growing businesses are presented with a complex array of opportunities and challenges for maintaining and driving expansion. Leaders in these enterprises need to be able to assess and exploit these available options and, at the same time, to navigate pitfalls that impede growth. This unit of study offers a curriculum that addresses these opportunities and challenges. The course examines ways to get the most out of the firms strategic resources, explores the various paths to strategic corporate expansion, and present models for making key decisions faced by growth enterprises. Managing Growth emphasises hands-on experiences, including instruction from executives at leading Silicon Valley firms, on-site visits, and "live" projects with successful growth firms. The unit will take place at a location consistent with the growth theme. This will initially be California's Silicon Valley, a location which offers a showcase of internationally-renowned growth businesses. During the two-week unit students will explore the business environment, including the cultural, social and broader environmental context in which it operates.
EMBA6006 Turning Around Mature Businesses
Credit points: 12 Session: Classes: 2 week block intensive in May/June. Assessment: Group presentation and final document (50%); Individual reflection report (50%)
Note: Only students enrolled in the degree FC065 - Executive Master of Business Administration, are permitted to enrol in this unit of study
This study program introduces the issues and challenges facing the consultant or manager charged with turning around a business in a stagnant or declining industry. It will take place in an offshore setting consistent with the mature industry theme. Over the two-week intensive unit the primary focus will be on developing a turnaround strategy for an organisation in the chosen location. This will involve independent research prior to attending the unit as well as on-site field work during the two weeks on location. Theory and practice relating to turnarounds will be integrated through workshop sessions, site visits, and talks from customers, producers, and others in the industry value chain. Students will also explore the business environment, including the cultural, social and environmental context in which it operates. The central ideas that lie at the heart of this unit include the following core concepts, all related to the management of corporate renewal and organisational change: re-positioning the business, re-branding the market offering, re-energising the business (and indeed the industry as a whole), re-thinking the role of management, re-defining innovation, re-considering the role of democratic principles and internal markets, and recognising the growing importance of institutional constraints on companies.
Course rules and resolutions
Executive Master of Business Administration
These resolutions must be read in conjunction with applicable University By-laws, Rules and policies including (but not limited to) the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2000 (the 'Coursework Rule'), the Resolutions of the School, the University of Sydney (Student Appeals against Academic Decisions) Rule 2006 (as amended) and the Academic Board policies on Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism.
Course resolutions
1 Course codes
|
Code |
Course title |
|---|---|
|
FC065 |
Executive Master of Business Administration |
|
FG017 |
Graduate Certificate in Business Administration* |
* No direct admissions to this course - exit point only
2 Attendance pattern
3 Master's type
4 Embedded courses in this sequence
5 Admission to candidature
(1)
Available places will be offered to qualified applicants ranked on merit in accordance with the following criteria:
(a)
a bachelor's degree, graduate diploma, graduate certificate or equivalent qualification at an institution approved by the Business School and graded at a standard acceptable to the Business School; and
(b)
have met the relevant work experience requirements as determined by the Business School (approximately 10 years of business experience); and
(2)
Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration is not permitted. This is an exit only course. Applicants are assessed for admission to candidature for the Executive Master of Business Administration.
6 Requirements for award
(1)
The units of study that may be taken for the course are set out in the Table of postgraduate units of study: Executive Master of Business Administration.
(2)
To qualify for the award of the Executive Master of Business Administration, a candidate must complete 72 credit points of core units of study in a prescribed sequence specified by the Business School.
(3)
To qualify for the award of the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration candidates must complete a minimum of 24 credit points of units of study from the table.
7 Progression rules
(1)
Candidates must achieve a minimum credit average in EMBA6002 and EMBA6003 before proceeding to the next core units in the prescribed sequence.
(2)
Candidates who fail to achieve a minimum credit average in EMBA6002 and EMBA6003 will be eligible for the award of the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration provided the candidates have met the requirements for that award.
8 Credit for previous study
0.
Credit will not be granted towards the requirements for the Executive Master of Business Administration for previous study completed at the University of Sydney or other institutions.
9 Course transfer
0.
Candidates for the Executive Master of Business Administration may elect to discontinue study and graduate with an award from this embedded sequence, with the approval of the Business School, and provided the requirements of the embedded award have been met.
10 Transitional provisions
(1)
These resolutions apply to students who commenced their candidature after 1 January, 2011 and students who commenced their candidature prior to 1 January, 2011 who elect to proceed under these resolutions.
(2)
Candidates who commenced prior to 1 January, 2011 may complete the requirements in accordance with the resolutions in force at the time of their commencement, provided that requirements are completed by 1 January, 2016. The School may specify a later date for completion or specify alternative requirements for completion of candidatures that extend beyond this time.