Many businesses related companies offer executive MBA programs for their senior executives through an affiliation with a traditional university.  While these programs are aimed at those who do not wish to take a break from their careers and enroll full time, they are certainly not exclusive in their purpose.  With the popularity of online MBA programs on the rise, it seems only a matter of time before E-MBA programs will see a decline in number.

The main advantage of an executive MBA program is that working adults can use prior business experience toward their degree.  While online programs traditionally do not accept past experiences as credit toward completion, a few make exceptions.  At one time, E-MBA programs were the only way working executives could obtain an MBA without full time enrollment.  Online offerings have presented many more options for those in this particular situation over the last several years.  While the end result of either choice will likely be a good education for the postgraduate student, online offerings are a better choice for businesses.

When businesses affiliate with a university in order to offer an E-MBA program, they are essentially guaranteeing themselves of executives with the exact same learning experiences, aside from chosen concentrations.  Because businesses are better served by having a multitude of executives with independent experiences that can be brought to the table versus a collective conscience that details one institutions instruction methods, many companies are opting for allowing their employees to enroll in the online MBA program of their own choice.

  The obvious immediate benefit is that businesses can utilize a variety of approaches when marketing, problem solving, or simply conducting company affairs. Since the different curriculum and instruction can vary widely between one online institution and the next, there is a better chance that interaction between executives will result in the best possible ideas, solutions and policies.  Additionally, online MBA programs afford executives the ability to interact with other students who come from diverse backgrounds both socially and in the job market as well. 

Executives must rely on their online counterparts for group projects instead of their co-workers, which is often the case in E-MBA programs.  Having interactions with different students who hold differing experience levels and an unfamiliar point of view can provide enrichment and understanding that staying within a close knit group simply cannot.   Businesses who value well rounded employees would do well to take note.