EMBA Program Offers First-Time Access for Place-Bound Professionals

There is some truth to the often quoted line, “If you build it they will come.” The University of Idaho’s Executive Masters of Business Administration (MBA), currently offered in Sandpoint and beginning in August in Coeur d’Alene, is a case in point.

“This is the first time since I have lived in Idaho that I have lived a geographically palatable distance to pursue a degree,” said Lisa Hals, business manager for the Pend Oreille School District and a University of Idaho Executive MBA student at Sandpoint.

Hals, 45, began a master’s degree program 25 years ago, but was unable to continue. In addition to its accessibility, what attracted Hals, a 20-year veteran in the field of finance, to the University of Idaho program, is its integrated curriculum focus, a unique mix of business theory and investigation of how that theory plays out in the trenches.

“It’s not just theory, but theory and application in sync with one another,” Hals said. “And there is teamwork, which also very much mirrors real life. In the real world, you don’t approach anything unilaterally. You work together.”

The Executive MBA program allows students to examine the overriding themes of leadership, globalization, sustainability, decision making, and relationship management, as they acquire mastery of accounting, finance, management, marketing, information systems and operations management. The College of Business and Economics Integrated Business Curriculum is an award-winning approach to teaching and learning, designed to break down silo thinking in the corporate sector.

Executive MBA students at Sandpoint meet twice monthly, on Fridays and Saturdays, at the Coldwater Creek Training Center in Sandpoint. The incoming Coeur d’Alene cohort will meet once a month for three days, Thursday through Saturday, in the University of Idaho classroom at Molstead Library.

The program admits a single class, or cohort, of 25 students each year. Students learn and network with that group of peers throughout the 22-month program. Classes are taught by seasoned College of Business and Economics faculty.

“I know it sounds hokey, but I’m so impressed with the professors teaching the program – with their knowledge and their ability to teach,” said student Mike Mason, director of operations for Advanced Input Systems in Coeur d’Alene. “They care, and that goes a long way, especially for someone like me who is working full time.”

While choosing a program, Mason looked for something that would fit his busy work schedule and still provide accredited, high-quality education.

“I heavily scrutinized the curriculum to ensure I was getting the breadth I would get in a traditional program,” Mason said. “The integrative structure really does teach you how this education works in the field as opposed to in a textbook. It’s like an engine: you can actually see how all the parts work together.”

The University of Idaho's Executive MBA program recently was accepted for full membership in the Executive MBA Council. Only programs in full swing are considered for full membership. The Executive MBA Council looks at the quality of both the curriculum and the students when they evaluate applications for full membership.