The Hybrid Model Comes to Executive Education was originally published on Ivy Exec.
In an unexpected silver lining to the crisis of the Coronavirus pandemic, a new era of inclusive work and study options has begun. At UConn, the Executive MBA program is creating opportunities for ambitious professionals from all walks of life to further their career through the launching of a ‘HomeLink’ option this fall. Through HomeLink, students are able to fully participate in live classes and are only required on campus one weekend every other month. Meanwhile, full in-person learning remains an option available to those who want it.
In UConn’s Executive MBA program, experienced professionals seeking top leadership positions engage in a 20 month course of study while maintaining their current professional jobs. Through HomeLink, students are able to take full advantage of UConn’s high-caliber classes and networking opportunities as the technology enables live participation. With the ability to fully engage from wherever they live, students can build the relationships with their peers and professors that categorize UConn’s Executive MBA program no matter how far from the Hartford campus they may be.
Director Michael Bozzi explains, “Our typical EMBA student is in his or her early 30s and those with young families may find travel challenging. We don’t want a few hundred miles to separate someone from a great education.” With the need to attend on-campus classes only once every two months, students with demanding work schedules and high ambitions can progress their career without boundaries.
The pandemic created the opportunity to fine-tune the remote learning experience, Management professor and academic director of the Executive MBA program David Souder says that HomeLink “preserves the integrity of the learning experience while maximizing student flexibility and minimizing travel time.”
Established in 1992, the Executive MBA at UConn boasts illustrious alumni such as Mary Laschinger, the retired CEO of Veritiv, Matt Fleury, the president and CEO of the Connecticut Science Center, and Vincent G. Capece Jr., the president/CEO of Middlesex Health. The UConn School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, considered the gold standard of accreditation. The AACSB says that UConn fulfills a core set of strict educational metrics, a designation received by less than 5 percent of business programs worldwide.
