The University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler), which Fortune ranks as having the No. 1 online MBA program in the U.S., is adding to its docket of business school programs. UNC will offer a third format for its executive MBA program starting this fall that’s specifically designed for working professionals, the school announced earlier this month.
The new UNC Kenan-Flagler Charlotte Executive MBA will be offered in a hybrid format: Students will take some courses in person and others online. In-person classes will be held on Monday nights in Charlotte at the school’s satellite campus there; UNC is based in Chapel Hill, N.C. On some Fridays, the school will host working lunch sessions with Charlotte business leaders, and orientation and other networking weekends will take place in person.
“We are excited to have this special opportunity to bring our executive MBA program to working professionals in the Charlotte area to serve the business community there,” Doug Shackelford, UNC Kenan-Flagler’s dean, said in a statement announcing the program. “We look forward to being more deeply engaged in Charlotte to benefit students as we develop their next generation of leaders.”
UNC’s executive MBA programs
UNC Kenan-Flagler offers two other executive MBA programs: one with classes on the weekends and the other in the evenings. The main differences between the three offerings are where and when classes are held.
While UNC’s other executive MBA programs are held in Chapel Hill, the school has seen Charlotte businesspeople travel to attend its evening and weekend programs, Shackelford says. “As we did with our online MBA program, we are opening access to earning a UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA for people who are unable to come to Chapel Hill,” Shackelford tells Fortune.
All of the executive MBA programs at UNC Kenan-Flagler take 24 months to complete, and all students take the same core courses. The executive MBA students will also attend two Impact Weekends during which they will meet in person over the course of three days to hear executive speakers, participate in career and leadership activities, and attend networking events. Impact Weekends are held in both Charlotte and Chapel Hill.
The application process is the same for the three programs, but Charlotte and evening executive MBA candidates need just two years of work experience while weekend students need five.
Charlotte is home to more than 4,400 alumni of UNC Kenan-Flagler, and the city is a “dynamic, thriving part of our state and our business capital,” Shackelford says.
“Every year it is growing more important to the state’s economic development and national prominence,” he adds. “We are excited to contribute to it and be more deeply engaged there to benefit students as we develop the next generation of leaders in Charlotte.”
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