Barton School Launches Innovative Executive MBA Program with Executive Coaching Emphasis

The W. Frank Barton School of at Wichita State University has launched a new, industry-aligned Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program. The innovative curriculum will be taught by top faculty members and focused on the latest industry trends and content to more effectively prepare students for greater responsibilities at the executive level. The 30-credit hour program spans 18 months and will begin October 2023. A key feature of the new EMBA program is students will be paired with a personal executive coach. Their coach will guide them to discover their unique talents and develop a strengths-based approach to solving current and future leadership and business challenges.

“We’ve spent the past two years developing not just a curriculum, but a truly unique and meaningful program for EMBA participants,” said Chris Broberg, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Research at the Barton School. “The executive coaching is just one facet that will give future business leaders an elevated academic experience.”

Executive coaches will combine their experiences as successful leaders with guidance from Curt Coffman, a global strengths-based thought leader and co-author of New York Times bestsellers, “First Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently” and “Culture Eats Strategy for Lunch.”

“The knowledge and skills EMBA students will learn in the classroom and with our executive coaches will create a strong generation of transformational leaders,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, Dean of the Barton School.

The curriculum will focus on executive level decision making and include courses on strength-based leadership, competitive strategy, innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, global business, strategic human resources management, business analytics, digital transformation, supply chain management, negotiation, communication and more. It will culminate with a strategic consulting capstone project that tackles a pressing social or business problem. The EMBA program will also provide networking opportunities for its cohorts with peer students who are also leaders in their respective organizations as well as members of Barton School’s Dean’s Advisory Board and keynote speakers brought in by the school.

“The Barton School’s EMBA program won’t just be beneficial for each student and the companies in which they work; preparing leaders in our business community and providing them with an opportunity to make connections with other future executives can also positively impact economic development in Kansas and beyond,” said Dr. Shirley Lefever, Provost and Executive Vice President at Wichita State University.

To learn more and enroll in the Barton School’s EMBA program, visit wichita.edu/academics/business/emba/.