Executive MBA Program Blog

One of the most frequent questions we receive from Executive MBA (EMBA) prospects has to do with the required capstone project, a five-to-six-month client consulting project that teams complete in the final two semesters of the program.  The interest in the capstone lies mostly in its novelty.  While most EMBA students have strong functional expertise in one or two areas, few have had the opportunity to own and manage a major and messy project with multiple deliverables. 

The Choice:  Teams get to choose from among a wide variety of projects, recent examples of which include identifying the three best cities for a company expansion, analyzing the viability of a proposed market diversification initiative, an opportunity assessment for a specific technology, and a market entry recommendation for a foreign firm planning expansion into the U.S.  

When I initially heard the details for my three day EMBA orientation experience, I was more than a little skeptical. It was hard to imagine what could possibly fill three full (and I mean full) days that couldn’t be done in much less time. Not to mention, it’s difficult to think about disconnecting from your routine, taking time off of work, and being away from your family mid-week. By the end of the first day I knew I couldn’t have been more wrong.

There was truly not a moment of the orientation experience that wasn’t completely necessary and beneficial in countless ways. On a practical level, getting all of our accounts set up and ready to go helped us to be prepared for the weeks to come with the materials we will need and the ability to use the technology we are being given. We were able to experience our first class, led by a phenomenal instructor who managed to hold our attention for hours at a time and challenged us to think and discuss in ways I suspect most of us hadn’t had the opportunity to do in a long time. I think we could all have happily spent another three days just finishing some of the engaging conversations we started during this session.

Gaining admissions to the Online Executive MBA Program at RIT, and attending the 3 day orientation experience was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done. I knew that I was going into a jam-packed, back to back experience for 2.5 days. What transpired in those two full 14 hour days and one short 8 hour day was completely unexpected.

Though it was a high intensity experience, all of the information was precisely delivered and more than palatable, despite the robust content. There was a combination of what to expect in the program and how to properly prepare for what’s coming. In addition, we had team building activities, courses, and homework. We went over an explanation of available resources, technology setup, and enjoyed group dinners in the evenings. All of the activities were engaging and presented in an entertaining way.

I have to admit when the locations for the international trip were announced, I had to go to a map and find Estonia.  It wasn't on my team's short-list of places we'd like to go nor was it ever discussed as a potential destination.  The second location that was a part of the trip, Finland, garnered initial excitement as somewhere we all would like to visit.  But once we arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, our minds were forever changed.

Tallinn is the capital of Estonia located on the Baltic Sea.  About 1/3 of Estonia's population of 1.3 million live in the capital.  It's one of the oldest walled cities in Europe dating back to the 1300s.  It's also a thriving city that has a rich history of technology and entrepreneurship.  Some familiar names have come out of Estonia like Skype and Rovio- the makers of Angry Birds.

I have had the opportunity to travel internationally for business, so my only hope when we were learning about our EMBA international trip was that it was somewhere that I had not been to before. My personal “wish list” of places was very long, but I admittedly had never even considered Estonia or Finland as somewhere I would visit. After spending five days in Tallinn, Estonia, and four days in Helsinki, Finland, I hope to return to both cities as soon as possible!

The “Old City” of Tallinn is exactly how I would picture a medieval city that has barely been touched in 800 years, yet it is amazing just how focused the country is on high-tech solutions. Helsinki has a drastically different appearance, yet is equally focused on high-tech developments. I was amazed to learn of the companies that began in Estonia and Finland including Nokia, Skype, Rovio (Angry Birds franchise), and Supercell (Clash of Clans), among others.

First off, I should probably start with the obvious; that I am extremely lucky to have the opportunity to participate in the international trip as a previous survivor of the Executive MBA program.  Survivor, wait, I meant alumnus.  I joke because many outside of the program may not realize how much work is involved. 

Travelling abroad to Estonia and Finland, two very similar yet different countries, provided me an opportunity to relive the end of the program 10 years later through the current students’ international trip.  I witnessed them wrapping up capstone projects, reading for their remaining course work, and taking in the businesses we toured.  However, what they impressed upon me most was the comradery and enthusiasm they all displayed despite having 14 intense months behind them with only one to go.