This spring, the Financial Times website heralded the “revival of executive education.” The report cited increased demand for short courses in management and other areas at business schools in the U.S. and abroad, as company spending on employee development rebounds from the financial crisis of 2008.
At Bentley, demand is up for open-enrollment executive education programs as well as for those customized to particular companies and career fields. All are developed and coordinated by the Executive Education Department, in collaboration with university faculty.
One highly subscribed offering is Essentials of Management — aka the “mini-MBA.” Course participants meet two days per week on campus, every other week, for a total six sessions.
“This program is for scientists, HR people, engineers and other corporate employees who didn’t study undergraduate business,” explains Alan Hoffman, professor of management and mini-MBA program manager. “They have business experience, but not an academic business background. Our program provides the business fundamentals they lack, so they can be more effective managers and well positioned for future promotions.”
The condensed format was a plus for Mary Jane McCraven, director of strategic communications for Buildings Division Global at Schneider Electric, which specializes in energy management.
“I was looking at Executive MBA programs and wanted to understand the scope and depth of work that would entail,” explains McCraven, who holds a BA from Salem State College and a master’s in communication management from Simmons College. “The Bentley program gave me a taste of that … and provided some good nuggets of information.”
Executive education programs at top U.S. business schools have grown by almost 5 percent since 2012, according to a survey by the Booth School of Business at Chicago University. Bentley’s two-year-old mini-MBA meets demand with topics such as history of the global economy, finance, negotiations and organizational resources, and strategy implementation, for instance.
“We have five classes on strategy — that’s a heavy weighting,” notes Hoffman, who credits the emphasis for driving the program’s appeal among mid-level and senior managers.
Gary McGuire, vice president, Customer Success, at CA Technologies, signed up to refresh his skills and map new insights.
“I was primarily interested in marketing and the impact of social media on business-to-business interactions,” says McGuire, whose firm is named among the 100 most-innovative companies in the world by Forbes magazine.
Leadership across cultures was another hot topic, as his role includes overseeing a customer success team in Latin America.
“You definitely get a sufficient level of depth to implement what you’ve learned in the workplace,” says McGuire, who holds an associate’s degree from Post College and several industry certifications.
Sean Collins ’99, who earned a Bentley BA in Environmental Science, recommended the mini-MBA to others after attending in 2013.
“The two-day sessions provide a nice balance with work,” says the alumnus, who is director of training delivery at EMC Corp. “The subject matter is germane to the business world and the faculty make learning enjoyable. The program delivered what I was hoping for — and some great networking opportunities.”