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Professional MBA more flexible: 4 day vs. 8 day track in the Business Core
May 07, 2019
Which track suits you best?
In order to better meet the individual needs of our Professional MBA participants when it comes to good time management, we now offer the Business Core in 2 tracks: the familiar 4-day version and the new 8-day track. For all those who are not sure yet, which option to choose, we asked Alexander Damev, Senior Learning & Education Consultant at the WU Executive Academy, to present the differences between the 2 tracks and give tips on who is best suited for which track.
Alexander, Professional MBA participants can now choose whether they would like to study in Vienna in four long modules or in several shorter ones. Why are there now two different tracks?
An MBA is a time-consuming project, so time management is crucial. Here the attendance time in the module plays a central role because this is exactly when you are not available at work. By introducing the two tracks, we can respond even more individually to the needs of our participants. In many conversations with future MBA students, I identified the following patterns:
Individual learning type: Students of the 4-day version like to learn in smaller segments, while those of the 8-day version prefer the intensive focus on content ("concentrated inputs").
More time for reflection: In the 4-day version, you are constantly challenged to deal with the content and reflection. In the 8-day track, the time between courses is longer and you can better manage the time when you want to deal with individual topics again intensively.
Reasons from the environment: In some business contexts, it is easier to accommodate an MBA if you are away less often, but longer (4 absences of 8 days). Travel costs and arrival days before and after the module can also play an important role, as the 8-day track significantly reduces the amount of flights to Vienna.
What is the difference between the 2 tracks?
Basically, the amount of days in class is the same for both tracks. So you don't lose any valuable "teaching days". The kick-off week is even the same for both tracks (7 days Mo-Fr). In the 4-day track you have approximately 1 module per month, and you meet 7 times in total. With the 8-day track you only meet 4 times and there is 1 to 4 months time between the modules.
Who would you suggest be part of the different tracks?
If you don't have a long journey, because you either live near Vienna or within a 1-2 hour flight radius of Vienna, and you want to divide the workload as evenly as possible over the duration of the MBA and thus avoid learning peaks, then the 4-day track is certainly the right choice for you.
If, on the other hand, you want to focus on the MBA topics on the module for a whole week or if you have to take a long journey to attend the modules in Vienna, then the 8-day track is definitely the better option for you.
The 8-day track actually lasts 9 days. What is the reason behind this "free" day in the middle of the module used for?
The 8 days are indeed interrupted for didactic reasons and there is a very clear reason for this: we don't want students to feel that they have to endure 8 days of classes in a row with the maximum amount of energy and intellectual power. It makes sense to have other activities in between. This day in the middle can be used for a variety of things such as getting involved with the local business community (the company visits we offer are arranged to take place on this day - participation voluntary), working on the assignments that have been completed in the first 4 days, processing work tasks (emails, calls) or simply taking a day off to explore the city and attractive cultural offerings of Vienna.
For more information about the 4 day and 8 day track in the Business Core, please click here.