UA Executive MBA Announces New Format For Tuscaloosa and Huntsville Programs

• May 15th, 2020
• in EMBA Program Information, UA EMBA Latest News/Events

The Executive MBA Program offered by The University of Alabama’s Manderson Graduate School of Business announces new features to its format to better accommodate the schedules of busy working professionals.

“When considering adjustments to how we deliver the EMBA Program, we had a strong desire to preserve the valuable in-person classroom experience our programs offer. We recognized a need to make the required in-class session schedule more manageable for our students who have busy careers, plus active family and social commitments,” said Donna Blackburn, Director of Manderson Executive MBA programs.

What is new about the EMBA program is significant. Now professionals who choose the Tuscaloosa location will attend class sessions on Friday from 12:00 to 8:00 PM, and Saturday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM one weekend each month during the 17-month program. EMBA students were previously required to be on campus two weekends per month.

Each course provides online instruction and content to support monthly in-person class meetings. This blended-instruction model aims to allow students more control over their busy lives while growing their business acumen through a meaningful and academically rigorous degree experience.

The Huntsville EMBA location adopted the one weekend per month, blended-instruction format in 2015. As a result, enrollment for that program has steadily grown, and students appreciate the flexibility the blended format offers.

About the blended format EMBA format in Huntsville, Lakota Holder, current EMBA student, and Regional Service Sales Director for The Bailey Company, said, “I can’t image earning my MBA any other way.  The class sessions in Huntsville provide the face-to-face engagement with my classmates and faculty I wanted, and because it’s just one weekend each month, my performance and travel schedule for work doesn’t suffer.”

Additionally, students in the EMBA Huntsville location can now earn their MBA in four semesters rather than five.  The program previously spanned 21 months but will now cover 17 months, or four semesters, like the Tuscaloosa location. In both programs, students work through 16, three-hour courses to earn an MBA.

Furthermore, the immersive international study trip is now optional to allow students to save on their EMBA experience. Previous study trips have taken EMBA students to South Africa, Peru, Ecuador, and other locations to meet with and learn from local entrepreneurs and executives and to gain an understanding of business as it applies to international settings.

UA EMBA enrolls twice each year.  Huntsville location students start the program in August and graduate in December 2021. Tuscaloosa location students begin in December and graduate in May 2022.  Application deadlines are July 6 for Huntsville and October 19 for Tuscaloosa.

Successful applicants generally have a minimum of five years of professional work experience and must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.  We typically do not require a GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment entrance exam score for applicants meeting or exceeding our work experience minimum.  EMBA prefers a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average but does offer conditional admission for some candidates with a strong professional profile.

To become a part of our upcoming programs, contact Samantha Vasey at svasey@culverhouse.ua.edu or 205-348-0954 to request more information and attend a virtual information session.

Tuscaloosa EMBA 2021 Class Begins Orientation With A Little Disney Magic

• November 22nd, 2019
• in EMBA, EMBA Program Information, UA EMBA Latest News/Events

The University of Alabama football Coach Nick Saban likes to say, “A process guarantees success and a good process produces good results.” November 13-15 future legends met at The University of Alabama to begin the EMBA Program. The EMBA Class of 2021 participated in a variety of orientation activities to get to know their classmates and define what a good process should look like to produce good results from their EMBA experience.

On the first day, former strangers now found themselves among friends as they learned more about the program and about the classes that would start them on their journey to graduation.

On Thursday the students were divided into their teams to test their business acumen in the Executive MBA Case Challenge. Each team was asked to develop a SWOT analysis on a company, then develop and propose a budget for one game-changing recommendation. Each team presented to a panel of judges, University of Alabama alumni: Managing Director Garey Morrison (BS Acctg 1977) of GPM Advisory, Corporate Controller Lilly Setiawan (EMBA 2017) of The Dutch Group, and CEO Mark Sullivan (EMBA 1986) of the Bank of Tuscaloosa.

Following lunch, the Class of 2021 learned more about the values that take a team from good to great. They also learned how influential a “paying it forward” culture, and handling hot button issues are in making exceptional leaders. Finally, the day culminated with a Disney themed scavenger hunt meant to familiarize the class with UA’s campus and inject a healthy dose of competition into the spirits of everyone present.

The orientation ended with the Huntsville EMBA 2021 Class joining the incoming TEMBAs to take part in a workshop from the company labeled the “Happiest Place on Earth.” Holly Hoffman, an instructor from the Disney Institute treated the Class of 2021 to a behind-the-scenes glimpse in Disney’s Creating A Culture of Employee Engagement and Quality Service program. Students learned how Disney selects its cast and crew members and how they instill the Disney culture. Students also learned how excellent service is the result of understanding your customers’ expectations and exceeding those expectations through their customer “Touch Points.” In the end, the class realized that making their team feel more like a family was crucial to success, and starting the process was as easy as saying, “You’ve got a friend in me!”

Congratulations to our incoming TEMBA Class of 2021. Roll Tide!

Rebecca Bonner, Tyndall Federal Credit Union

Suzanne Boozer, Studio by the Tracks

Suzanne Braden, Encompass Health Corporation

Sydney Burns, Lou and Company

Robert Dobson, Mossy Oak Properties

Adam Finefrock, The University of Alabama

Austin Hudgins, Otis Elevator Company

DJ Jackson, The University of Alabama

Mitchell King, Altec Industries

Pamela Laffitte, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office

Ronald Powell, City National Bank – An RBC Company

Matthew Preskitt, Morris-Shea Bridge Company

Angela Quick, Wells Fargo

Chad Smith, Stifel

Michael Spears, Deloitte Consulting/Missile Defense Agency

Micah Sutton, CCS Medical

Valerie Watts, Dal-Tile Corporation

Jesse Wheeler, Stillman College

Valencia Winston, Tuscaloosa City Schools/SkyPop Gourmet Popcorn

Bryne Zuege, CenturyLink

For more information on The University of Alabama Executive MBA Program, visit the UAEMBA website or contact Cheryl Altemara at 205.348.4501 or caltemara@cba.ua.edu.

Article was written by Ben Tarkoff, Graduate Assistant in the Executive MBA Program.

Welcome to our New HEMBA Class

• August 15th, 2019
• in EMBA Program Information, UA EMBA Latest News/Events

The newest students in The University of Alabama’s EMBA in Huntsville Program are up and Rolling! After completing their orientation on August 7-8, they began classes immediately, tackling accounting, marketing, statistics and project management.

The new class represents a diverse group of industries. The average work experience for the class is 14 years, representing industries in aeronautics, defense, military, technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, energy, distributions, services, engineering, government, education, and non-profit.

The HEMBA program is taught in a hybrid format with students combining face-to-face one weekend per month classes with online learning. Click here for more information.

We look forward to getting to know our new EMBAs over the next 21 months. Roll Tide Roll!

HEMBA 2021 students:

• Gene Cox, Target Corporation
• Dean Cozzolino, The Boeing Company
• Tom Evatt, The Boeing Company
• Doug Fitzgerald, Legrand
• Jessica Grubbs, U.S. Army SMDC
• Tara Guilfoil, Aerojet Rocketdyne
• Lakota Holder, The Bailey Company
• James Lee, SAIC
• Jim Lopresti, Yulista Aviation
• Lorenzo Mack, U.S. Space and Missile Defense Command
• Miracle Osborne, ITW Sexton
• Sam Overdear, Aerojet Rocketdyne
• Jason Richburg, PPG Aerospace
• Ryan Roberts, The University of Alabama Intercollegiate Athletics
• Aundrey Ruffin, Army Material Command
• Gareth Scott, Boneal Aerospace
• Shardra Scott, Alabama Power Company
• Michael Sommer, U.S. Army
• Christina Zegler, Girls on the Run of North Alabama
• Don Zegler, KBR Government Solutions

TEMBA Class Visits Mercedes

• June 13th, 2017
• in EMBA Program Information, UA EMBA Latest News/Events

The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Executive MBA Class of 2018 visited Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc., (MBUSI) in Vance, Alabama on June 8, 2017. The trip is part of the OM 516 Operations Management class taught in the second semester of the TEMBA Program.
During the trip the students met with Senior Manager-Body Shop Rusty Jones, Senior Manager Assembly 2 Shawn Gilliam and Assembly 2 Process and CI Specialist Patrick Weber.

Packaging Group Leader at MBUSI Maren Cross (TEMBA 2018) arranged for the class to be given a private managers tour of the Tuscaloosa county plant. MBUSI, which is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year, is the sole distribution site for the GLE-Class, GLS-Class vehicles, GLE Coupe which are sold in 135 countries.

The plant is more than five million square feet, encompassing two large body shops that feeds into a paint shop and two assembly shops and a logistics center. MBUSI exports more than $1 Billion in finished product. The Operations Management course exposes students to the nature of the operations side of an enterprise, and to the strategies and tactics utilized to enhance the competitive position of the organization. Operations Management is one of twelve courses the EMBA students take to complete their M.B.A. degree program. The Manderson Graduate School of Business has two EMBA Programs, the next Tuscaloosa EMBA Program begins with an orientation in November and the Huntsville EMBA Program will begin in August.

For more information on UA EMBA contact Cheryl Altemara at caltemara@cba.ua.edu or call 205.348.4501. To request information now, click here.

UA EMBA Announces New Scholarships for Incoming Students

• April 26th, 2017
• in EMBA Program Information, UA EMBA Latest News/Events

The Executive MBA Program at The University of Alabama is announcing two new scholarships for students beginning Fall 2017: The Diversity Award and the Civilian Women in Defense and Technology Award.
The Diversity Award will grant two scholarships of up to $15,000 in value to candidates representing diverse backgrounds.  Diversity can be exhibited through educational and professional experience, unique career goals, ethnicity and citizenship.The Civilian Women in Defense and Technology Award will be given to two women enrolled in the EMBA Program.  The award recipients must be employed in the defense or technology industries. A recipient of the $10,000 CWDT scholarship must be a fully accepted student (minimum 3.0 GPA and five years of professional work experience) to the EMBA program and able to demonstrate financial need.According to Cheryl Altemara, assistant director of the UA EMBA Program, “We are excited to increase our scholarship award offerings for EMBA students.” These awards join the existing Mitchell Scholarship, which is awarded to incoming students who present evidence of exceptional academic ability, substantial professional experience and can also demonstrate financial need.
“Our goal is to increase our enrollment, promote diverse backgrounds that bring different viewpoints into the classroom, challenge our students to broaden their viewpoints and to have them learn as much from each other as from their faculty.”

Application for these annual awards must be made by the stated deadline for each program.

For deadlines for the TEMBA and HEMBA classes click here.  The award recipients are announced prior to orientation for each cohort.

For more information on these and other scholarships, click on the EMBA website or contact Cheryl Altemara at 205.348.4501.

EMBA Program Welcomes Ninth Huntsville Class

• August 19th, 2016
• in EMBA Program Information, EMBA Uncategorized

With summer winding down and fall just around the corner, many students are getting ready to go back to school. The EMBA Program is no exception and has begun another academic year by welcoming the ninth Huntsville cohort at the UA campus in Tuscaloosa for orientation and their first day of classes.

On Wednesday, August 10, the new class got to know their classmates and teammates better, were instructed on university logistics and participated in a campus-wide team-building scavenger hunt. The full day was capped off with a dinner at the Hotel Capstone where the class mingled with professors, staff and alumni. Benjamin Paulk (TEMBA 2012) and Russell Shamburger (TEMBA 2004) represented the EMBA Alumni Network Board.

Following orientation, the students began their first semester classes on Thursday and Friday with Accounting, Statistics, Marketing and Project Management.

This year’s Huntsville class is composed of seasoned professionals from a variety of industries, including defense, healthcare, and manufacturing. Some other industries represented in this year’s cohort are services, telecom and construction. The average age for the Huntsville class is 41, and the average work experience is 19 years, with 12 years being management experience. Sixty-seven percent of the class are managers in their jobs and 20% are C-level/VP/Owners. Twenty-seven percent of the class has military experience, ranging from current active duty to retired service members.

“Although students take classes one weekend a month in Huntsville for twenty-one months beginning in September, it is great to get them on the UA campus to meet faculty and alumni at orientation,” said Director Donna Blackburn. Some HEMBA students in the past haven’t been able to visit the campus, so this is an excellent way to help them fully acquaint themselves with The University of Alabama.

Everyone is excited and ready to get started. The alumni were especially eager to welcome this new class into the program and see them thrive over the next twenty-one months.

The 2018 H-EMBA class are:

Colton Campbell, Otis Elevator Company

Chemeka Dabney, LP Building Products

Daryl Evans, TotalPrint

Lacey Hyche, Oral Arts Dental Laboratories

Eric Janssen, SportMed

Pete Kerr, ADTRAN, Inc

Nancy Laster, Piedmont Healthcare

Brian Lee, Sentry Insulation

Andy Maguire, Tennessee National Guard

Mario McKinnon, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

John Meshensky, ManTech International

Rachel Smith, WOW! Business

Carl Vasilko, PAE

Tory Wiles, SAIC

Tyler Williams, Parker Hannifin Corporation

For more information on the UA EMBA Program, contact Cheryl Altemara at caltemara@cba.ua.edu or call 205-348-4501.

University of Alabama Welcomes HEMBA 2017 Class

• August 21st, 2015
• in EMBA Program Information, EMBA Uncategorized, UA EMBA Latest News/Events

Fall on the University of Alabama campus is exciting as new and returning students arrive. There is cooler weather and talk of classes, faculty and football, and not necessarily in that order.  From Denny Chimes to the Bryant-Denny Stadium, from the President’s Mansion to the Ferguson Center (Ferg), from Coleman Coliseum to the Park at Manderson Landing along the Black Warrior River, The University of Alabama is welcoming its students.

On August 12, the Culverhouse College of Commerce greeted the new Huntsville EMBA Class of 2017 with its first orientation at UA. The HEMBA Program began in 2008. In the past, students would take classes on the UAHuntsville campus and only come to Tuscaloosa for graduation. We wanted to do something different this year and have them begin their 21-month, five-semester experience with the Capstone. For many it was their first time on campus.

Over the two-and-a-half day orientation, the students met with their first semester faculty, participated in team building, and met with the Executive MBA Alumni Board. They also spent time seeing some of the sites and meeting other alumni and students on campus while involved in a team challenge scavenger hunt. They also nailed down the “Rammer Jammer” and “Roll Tide” cheers and are looking forward to a tailgate this fall in T-Town.

The students represent companies such as PPG Industries, ADTRAN, Infosys, Nissan North America, Sikorsky Aircraft, Southern Telecom, Amerex Corporation, the US Army, Northrop Grumman, and the Missile Defense Agency. The defense and manufacturing agencies are hugely represented in this cohort, with 28% and 24% of the students working in them, respectively. Other industries include finance, technology, healthcare/pharmaceutical, retail, telecom, construction, real estate and services.

The class reflects more diversity in terms of educational backgrounds. 43% of the students who just joined the program graduated with undergraduate degrees in engineering, followed by 29% with liberal arts degrees, 19% with business degrees, and 10% with science/math degrees. The average age is 37 with an average of 15 years of work experience. We also have 38% of our students coming from a military background.

Incoming students have goals to develop and further their career, develop business skills, further their mentoring and leadership skills, pursue financial security, own a business, have an impact on their company, become a better manager and motivator, and travel and work abroad.

Please join us in welcoming our HEMBA Class of 2017:

Ryan Burch, Northrop Grumman Corporation

Felicia Craig, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Jason Deane, Nucor Steel

Chuck Freind, Amerex Corporation

Sonya Harner, Nissan North America

Jimmy Hassan, Dayton Superior Corporation

Rodney Hoover, DRS Technology

Shane Jackson, AMRDEC

Ray Morris, VentureSouth

Barry Navarre, Southern Telecom

Gaurav Negi, ADTRAN, Inc.

Phillip Patterson, Stutts Properties, Inc.

Nicole Reynolds, Zero Point Frontiers

Joshua Rountree, Nissan North America

Will Stinson, TotalPrint, DEX Company

Joe Taylor, PPG Industries

Bhuwan Thakur, Infosys Limited

Josh Vinson, Parallon Business Solutions

Dustin Whited, MDA/ECM

Nirvana Williams, ENDO Pharmaceuticals

Matt Zepp, Department of the Army

For more information on the Culverhouse Executive MBA Program, click on EMBA or contact Cheryl Altemara at caltemara@cba.ua.edu or call 205.348.4501.
 

UA EMBA Celebrates 30 Years

• February 11th, 2015
• in EMBA Program Information, UA EMBA Latest News/Events

Since 1985, the Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA Program has been broadening our students’ horizons and inspiring professional and personal growth. In 30 years, our program has grown to include two locations – Tuscaloosa and Huntsville – and has educated over 800 professionals.

In celebration of 30 years of excellence, we will host several events throughout the year. Our kickoff celebration will be the Rooftop Reception at the new Renasant Bank in downtown Tuscaloosa on Friday, April 17, from 5 to 7 pm. At the reception, we will also be honoring Dr. Lonnie Strickland, strategy professor and one of the founders of the EMBA Program at the Culverhouse College of Commerce. With live entertainment and views of the Black Warrior River, this is sure to be a remarkable night of toasting to the EMBA Program’s 30 year anniversary. “We are looking forward to seeing our alumni, faculty, and staff return to Tuscaloosa and celebrate this great occasion,” said Associate Dean Brian Gray.

Next, we invite our EMBA alumni to join our 30th graduating class for brunch in the North Zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, May 2, from 10-11:30 am. Come and meet the EMBA Class of 2015 at one of the most iconic locations on campus and enjoy the stunning scenery of the stadium as well as the Walk of Champions.
We will also host Family Day at the Tuscaloosa River Market on Sunday, June 14, from 4-7:30 pm. This will be a casual event for EMBA students, alumni, faculty, staff, and family. Join us for fun games such as Bingo and Corn Hole as well as barbeque, Steel City Pops, and a movie. You may even win a prize!

Other events will follow including an EMBA Alumni Network Tailgate during the 2015 football season along with our annual Women’s Leadership Luncheons in Birmingham on Wednesday, March 11, and Huntsville on Tuesday, April 7. Our 30th Anniversary events make this an exciting year full of opportunities to network, socialize, and celebrate.

With this landmark anniversary comes reflection and feelings of nostalgia. Pictured to the left is the Class of 1986 – the first of hundreds of Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA graduates.

Alumni, what are your favorite memories of your time in the EMBA program? Send us your stories and pictures to include in our Memory Book, a recollection of our first 30 years to be distributed at Family Day in June.

To RSVP for these events or to contribute to the memory book, please contact Donna Blackburn at dblackburn@cba.ua.edu or 205.348.8748.

For more information about the Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA, please contact Cheryl Altemara at 205.348.5401 or request information here.

2014 in review

• January 5th, 2015
• in EMBA Program Information, EMBA Uncategorized

Happy New Year to our followers and Bama fans.  We had an amazing 2014, welcoming our new Executive MBA classes in Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, celebrating the graduation of our EMBA Class of 2014, tailgating, connecting with alumni, showcasing companies, hearing great speakers and recruiting outstanding students.  Our visits to Santiago, Chile and Lima, Peru, and the breathtaking Machu Picchu, are some of the many moments we will never forget.

We are looking forward to 2015 as we celebrate our 30th Anniversary of the EMBA Program.  There are wonderful events being planned throughout the year and we look forward to having you join us to celebrate this milestone.  In addition, we will be reporting on recruiting events, showcasing our students and alumni, highlighting speakers, blogging about our upcoming trip to Panama and Colombia, and letting you get to know more about us, the EMBA staff and faculty.  Get ready for another AMAZING YEAR with the Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA at The University of Alabama.

ROLL TIDE!

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 7,900 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 7 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

For more information on the UA EMBA Program, contact Cheryl Altemara at 205.348.4501, or caltemara@cba.ua.edu.

UA Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA Named Military Friendly School 2015

• October 9th, 2014
• in EMBA Program Information

For the fifth year in a row, the UA Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA Program has been named a Military Friendly school by GI Jobs. “Schools that have earned the elite Military Friendly® designation have demonstrated a commitment to supporting student veterans on campus and in their careers,” according to the GI Jobs website. Last year, 25% of the Culverhouse EMBA graduating class had military experience.

GI Jobs is a magazine that works to provide veterans with a reliable education and employment resource to ease veterans’ transitions and connect them with career opportunities. The magazine also releases annual lists of military friendly employers, schools, and careers.

Factors considered in the Military Friendly school selection process include on-campus military support, credit acceptance, school offered tuition assistance, spouse and dependent benefits, and flexibility. The Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA program earned the highest scores in the school offered tuition assistance, flexibility, and on-campus military support categories.

For more information about the Culverhouse College of Commerce Executive MBA at The University of Alabama, contact Cheryl Altemara at 205.348.4501 or request information here.