MIT Executive MBA Sponsorship FAQ's

No. Financial sponsorship has no bearing on admission decisions.  Many students self-fund for a variety of reasons. However, we consider corporate sponsorship of the time requirement to be critical. In your application package, one of your recommenders needs to be from a direct boss (or skip boss), and address the topic of time sponsorship.

It is not a concern and the admissions committee is needs blind to the financial aspect of sponsorship. Many students draw financial support from multiple channels, including student loans.

Tuition reimbursement is popular employment benefit that is open to most employees. Corporate sponsorship is generally reserved for high potentials who are strategically important for the future of the organization. In cases of corporate financial sponsorship, MIT can customize and directly invoice the sponsoring organization.

Don’t give up. About 25% of our students receive full financial support. Sometimes that support comes from a line executive vs. an enterprise-wide program. Talk to your boss to find out if he/she will be supportive. You may need to sell the idea up the chain of command. Be prepared with a business case addressing how your company will benefit through your participation in the program, and how you will manage the time commitment. This is a process which can take some time, so be patient. We have resources available to help you.

It’s important to realize that you are not losing your key executive.  Instead of removing them from the global business world, you are immersing them in it through a modular program that allows them to keep working full time. You are sending your best managers to learn advanced skills and tools, to network with international business leaders, and to develop the talent they have demonstrated in day-to-day business.

Certainly, and many companies do. Please understand, however, that organizations nominate more qualified men and women than the program can accommodate. The selection committee makes each decision based on the strength of the individual applicant and on the experience he or she has to offer the cohort. The quality and diversity of the class is one of its essential learning components.

No, we do not require this type of a commitment. This is a rigorous program with a competitive acceptance rate. We seek, and a specific student profile is attracted to this program. It is a strategic development opportunity for the right person at the right time. We are happy to have ongoing conversations to help you identify the strong prospective applicants. 

It is possible for EMBAs to join the program with a specific agenda and leave with specific deliverables. Every student uses his or her organization as a frame of reference, so the lessons learned can be applied directly to organizational challenges iteratively throughout the 20 month program. 

Through your MIT EMBA student, you gain access to all the resources offered by the program and the broader MIT community. Many sponsors contend that being plugged into the MIT global network is itself worth the tuition One new relationship with a faculty member, fellow student, MIT researcher, or organization could translate into a significant opportunity.

During the program, MIT EMBA students have many opportunities to conduct project work, apply case examples, and examine other organizations’ operations (in and outside of your industry). These represent potential revenue enhancement, cost reduction, or process improvement opportunities that your sponsored student can bring back to your company.

For generations, MIT Sloan’s mid-career executive programs have been a tradition of leadership excellence in organizations of all sizes and functions. Larger organizations may promote several candidates who are reaching pivotal points in their careers. Other organizations — large and small — will handpick promising managers and use the program on an intermittent basis. We would be pleased to work with you to determine how we can make the MIT Executive MBA Program an effective tool in your overall executive development strategy and plan.