Students enrol for new joint EMBA at LBS and Columbia

The part-time EMBA (executive MBA) course takes place during week-long

modules once a month, with months spent alternately in London and New York.

Many of those taking part work in banking and finance.

The 'EMBA-Global' course is targeted at students with cross-national job

responsibility. At 60,000, fees are substantially higher than the 36,000

required to undertake a standard MBA course at LBS.

In addition to meals, and rooms at Hilton hotels in London and New York,

fees cover access to the full range of elective courses at both London and

Columbia. Students will in a sense come away with two MBA degrees from two

leading business schools, plus access to the alumni network of both.

Inger Pedersen, programme director for the EMBA-Global at LBS, says that the

combination of the two schools provides a particular strength in finance.

Columbia came fourth for finance in the Business Week rankings (2000) and

LBS is known for its finance specialism and popular Masters in Finance

Course.

Pedersen said strategy and organisational behaviour also play a big

role in the course, with a particular focus on leadership development.

Other joint EMBAs include the TRIUM EMBA, which is to be offered jointly by

the London School of Economics (LSE), New York University's Stern Business

School, and the HEC Paris Graduate Business School from September 2001.

Wharton in the US, and Insead in France and Singapore, also have plans for a

global EMBA.

The Otto Beisham Graduate School of Management in Germany already runs an EMBA

programme with the JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management based near

Chicago.

Peter Calladine, educational services manager at the AMBA

(Association of MBAs) says that the creation of global EMBAs is market driven.

&quotBusiness schools are simply responding to demand. There is an obvious advantage of

studying in a multi-campus scenario: students are experiencing MBA learning

in the global business environment - New York today, and London

tomorrow.&quot

Finance professionals form the largest professional group taking

the EMBA at LBS and Columbia. Among them is Ross Newman, a vice president of Deutsche

Bank's global markets division. Newman says a key advantage of the EMBA is the part-time course structure, which means that he can continue working at Deutsche

throughout.

&quotThe opportunity cost of stepping away from an investment banking

career is high. If you are looking to advance your career it is a contradiction to

take two years out for study,&quot he says. Proximity to financial centers is

also a plus. &quotYou can see Wall Street from Columbia,&quot he adds.