Live & Learn

More working professionals are taking executive education courses

By Noelle Coyle

Come graduation day, students are filled with excitement, telling themselves they are finally done with school. But after a few years in the work force, many discover there are more things they need to learn if they want to advance in their careers. So they turn to executive education programs.

Universities throughout Arizona are offering degree and non-degree programs to working professionals who can’t attain this knowledge through the workplace.

Arizona State University offers programs in two formats: custom and open enrollment. Custom programs are tailored both in terms of method of delivery and subject matter, which ranges from supply chain to finance to marketing. Students can take the customized classes online, in the classroom, or teachers can visit the companies and teach on-site. The open enrollment classes are taught on campus, but some may be offered online in the future.

Andrew Atzert, assistant dean and director of the Center for Executive and Professional Development, says an increasing number of working professionals are finding it necessary to return to school to keep up with today’s advancing disciplines.

“(Executive education programs) are growing because the rate at which people have to learn in order to keep up with other careers is accelerating,” Atzert says. “You don’t learn everything you need on the job anymore.”

More than 700 students participated in ASU’s programs last year and Atzert expects that number to continue to rise.

“A person who does not know how to implement strategies will only go so far. A person who aspires to a leadership position but can’t understand financial data will only go so far,” he explains. “It’s important to understand what the hot button issues are in business. You don’t get that just in your job because you’re only seeing your industry and the eyes of your colleagues. Here you get in touch with faculty who have knowledge across industries and the globe and bring a wider perspective than what people usually get.”

Northern Arizona University offers a Master of Administration with an emphasis on professional writing, project management, community planning, public management or health sciences. Students can also take individual courses without attaining the degree. Classes are available online or in the traditional classroom setting in Flagstaff, Phoenix or Tucson.

Fred Hurst, vice president for NAU’s extended programs and dean of distance learning, describes the average student in the program as a professional in his or her early 30s who knows exactly what they want out of the experience. He adds that both public and private institutions are represented.

“These people know what they want — they have a life goal and want to take the courses and put together the skills they need for that niche,” Hurst says.

He explains there are a variety of factors that encourage working professionals to return to school.

“More and more people have multiple careers. They start out thinking they want to do X, Y and Z, then decide to go in a different direction, so they need to upgrade their skills to change careers,” he says. There are also students who simply want to improve their skills and others who need an advanced degree to receive a promotion.

Brent Chrite, associate dean of MBA programs at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, says returning to school for an executive education is a good investment for all involved.

“One of the few areas of remaining competitive advantage is in the caliber and capacity of (a business’) people,” Chrite says. “They can define themselves by the type of human capital they have. The MBA degree has really withstood the test of time. It has convinced both individuals and organizations that sending their top and up-and-coming managers and executives back to school for these intensive learning activities is a worthwhile investment. Bottom line, if it wasn’t paying dividends, people wouldn’t pay for it.”

Brian Gill, CEO of Sonora Behavioral Health in Tucson and an Eller Executive MBA, can testify to that.

“My ROI from the Eller MBA program has been pretty significant in that I went from being a mid-level manager to a CEO in a new organization,” Gill says. “I recently started in that role and I can honestly say that I’m using the tools and skills I learned in the Eller MBA program immediately.”

U of A offers 14-month and 18-month programs in Phoenix and Tucson. It also has short course offerings for those who don’t wish to pursue a degree. Between the two locations, the school currently has more than 80 students enrolled. It has also initiated a contract relationship with Phoenix Children’s Hospital to offer a Business of Medicine program to its staff, which will begin this year.

“(Executive education) is important because it develops leaders moving forward,” says Beth Stoops, senior vice president of corporate learning at Thunderbird School of Global Management. “It opens their eyes to other opportunities and other ways of thinking and doing business.”

Thunderbird develops more than 10,000 executives worldwide each year, with locations in Moscow, Beijing, Geneva and the United States. Its courses are offered online or face-to-face, and can be customized to fit a company’s needs. A recent five-year contract was established with LG Electronics to teach courses to its employees in Korea, who will then come to the U.S. for the final portion of the program before graduating.

“(Students) see immediate application (to their jobs),” Stoops says. “They’ve told us it enhances their bottom line ... they are working more in sync across global and virtual teams.”

ASU’s School of Global Management and Leadership offers open enrollment and custom courses.

Open-enrollment courses include accelerated financial planning, wealth management and classes on development. The school works with companies to tailor its custom programs to help businesses meet their goals.

No matter which program you choose, evidence has shown that returning to school to earn an advanced degree, or merely taking a few classes here and there, produces benefits for the student, their workplace and the community.

“For the students, it can mean a promotion or new career, which leads to higher income, which is also good for the state for spending,” Hurst says. “Once they have (new skills), they feel better about their ability to do their job. ... As a public institution, our role is to serve the state of Arizona.”

wpcarey.asu.edu/exec
wpcarey.asu.edu/sgml.cfm
distance.nau.edu
www.eller.arizona.edu
www.thunderbird.edu