UCI Executive MBA Storybook Brochure

Executive MBA

The Merage School is transforming business education, and our Executive MBA curriculum is designed with leaders like you in mind. Our programs are at the forefront of digital leadership and centered around helping executives better manage innovation.

By earning an MBA, you will make an immediate impact on your organization: From your very first weekend in class, you will work to confront the challenges of the ever-changing business climate. Our MBA courses evolve with the demands of businesses, including the steady shift in technological advancements, and feature specialization courses to develop the next generation of business executives.

The Merage School Advantage

As a top research institution, UCI is recognized nationally and internationally for its schools, including the highly ranked Paul Merage School of Business, which offers a collaborative and innovative learning environment that challenges students to think creatively, anticipate change and lead strategic growth in a competitive, technology-intensive global economy.

Our world-class faculty and staff thrive on your success. With rigorous coursework that includes a pronounced emphasis on technological leadership, an engaged and impressive alumni network, and a global business focus, your experience will yield extraordinary professional dividends for years to come.

For more than a decade, our Executive MBA (EMBA) program has earned top rankings recognizing its quality, career outcomes, faculty, curriculum components and overall value.The Merage School is consistently ranked among the top 5 percent of business schools worldwide.

Our Recent Accolades

in the world for female faculty (Financial Times, 2021)

EMBA program in Southern California (The Economist, 2020)

EMBA program among U.S. based schools and #58 worldwide (Financial Times, 2020)

public university (U.S. News & World Report, 2020 Best Colleges)

“The Merage School is focused on developing leaders with the ability to anticipate disruption and lead their organizations to success.”

Ian O. Williamson, Dean UCI Paul Merage School of Business

The Advancer

You’ve put in the work and you’ve made great strides in your career thus far. You could stop now but there’s still more to go. That next promotion will grant you the influence to better guide your organization to where it needs to go. On average, EMBA alumni report an increase of 38% in salary between pre- and post-MBA job titles.

Peman Montezemi, CTO Bright Uro Over his long and successful career as a biomedical engineer specializing in R&D and the commercialization of medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic instruments globally, Peman Montazemi EMBA ’22 learned what it takes to become a valuable changemaker within a company—there’s a difference, he says, between a rockstar and a true leader.

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The Pivoter

You’ve become a master in your trade but you wonder – what else is out there?

The world is changing daily. Industries evolve and organizations rise and fall overnight. With a dedicated EMBA Career Coach, a community of students and alumni, and faculty committed to your success, we help EMBA students find their next career.

Christian Peralta, Army to Amazon

Given his natural affinity for leading and supporting others in their work, Peralta chose to focus on business leadership after stepping away from the Army. But the road back to the civilian world has been far from straightforward for Peralta and his fellow veterans. “Developing a comprehensive, step-by-step pathway to help me achieve my personal and professional goals has helped me discover a new purpose without becoming too overwhelmed by all the options.”

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The High-Potential Leader

You’re a step from the top. It’s time to lead others in your organization with a passion that will give greater purpose. You’re here to make a difference and influence change. In addition to the hard skills, the EMBA Leadership education will guide you to actualizing the leader you know you can be.

Amanda Brewer, VP Veris Manufacturing Amanda grew with her company, Veris, for almost 20 years, working up from her starting role as a program manager to her current position as executive vice president. At each level, her accomplishments continued to impress all around her. Her mentor and the President of Veris Manufacturing, completed the UCI EMBA program 20 years prior and attributed his initial leadership style and business knowledge to this program. Amanda decided to follow in his footsteps and has unlocked her own leadership style, enabling her to react and pivot at a moment’s notice to care for her team and the prosperity of the business.

The Entrepreneur

You’ve said it time and time again – “I could do this better.” With every unfulfilled need, entrepreneurs solve problems throughout society. Many Merage School alumni successfully launched business during the program. EMBA students are given the key to the UCI Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship as well as UCI’s extremely entrepreneurial community.

Derek Dashti, Scientist to Entrepreneur With a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in bioengineering and a doctorate in bioinnovation, Derek had a strong academic background that he used to grow and manage his biomedical company, D&P Bioinnovations. His MBA pursuits were to “gain the insight necessary to manage the finances and growth of D&P Bioinnovations” and to lead the company through FDA approval. The Merage School’s nationally ranked executive business education and strong networks in the OC area have opened doors for future collaborations with those within the community.

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Executive MBA Program

The Merage School’s Executive MBA program prepares managers and leaders for the next decade of change that every industry will face – giving you a competitive edge.

EMBA students are professionals, executives, physicians, military professionals, and entrepreneurs who want to immerse themselves in the dynamic thinking required in our current business environment.

Key components within the EMBA program:

• Four immersive class weekends per quarter for 21 months

• World-class faculty teaching pertinent curriculum

• Elective classes that align with your professional goals

• Executive leadership focus

• Dedicated executive career coach

In a recent EMBA Student Survey, graduates rated the Merage School higher than all other schools in the western United States in the ability to advance their careers.

“In efforts to propel your organization and yourself forward in this digital age, you don’t need Oakley lenses to see UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business is the clear choice.”

Byron Ferrise, EMBA ’20 Senior Product Development Engineering Manager Oakley

“When you marry business managerial skills with clinical expertise, you have an opportunity to be a transformational leader in a distinct way. In the current landscape of healthcare disruption, UCI provided me diverse proficiencies and a competitive advantage to be an astute physician leader.”

Rahul Bhola, EMBA ’19 Division Chief, Ophthalmology Children’s Hospital of Orange County

Healthcare Leadership Track

The Merage School’s expertise in digital leadership prepares our MBA for Executive students to think creatively and strategically about business challenges of the future. Because of our location on the Tech Coast, we are uniquely equipped to leverage knowledge and expertise from a variety of established and growing industries, especially healthcare. We have a long tradition of training professionals from the medical device, biotechnology, and health services sector to succeed at the executive level.

Federal Policy in Healthcare Residential

If you are looking to pursue our

you will gain a first-hand understanding

in the Healthcare Federal Policy Residential in Washington, D.C. This experience takes you to our nation’s capital to delve deeply into our complex world of healthcare

Immersive learning is essential to your experience in the Executive MBA program. Growth and learning happens beyond the classroom, and that is why we take you out of the classroom for a deeper dive into areas such as leadership and global business to gain first-hand knowledge.

Residentials: Immersive Learning Experiences

Opening Residential: Responding to Dynamic Times – Thinking Strategically for Executives The offsite residential held in Orange County brings your EMBA class together to learn about senior-level organizational design, culture and power, competitive analysis, corporate strategy, and business ethics.

International Residential: Global Business II This global course is a highlight of the EMBA program. You will gain experience in international business and visit with companies to learn how executives effectively navigate economic, regulatory and cultural challenges to sustain a global competitive advantage.

Closing Residential: Executive Leadership - Throughout the 21 months of the program, you will gain a perspective on your strengths as an executive and how others perceive you as a leader. During this offsite retreat, you will prepare a career and life plan to move forward as a leader in your organization.

“Our MBA students participate in international residentials and travel to different countries to gain first-hand knowledge of the evolving global business environment and the cross-border technology links that arise from the digital age. Importantly, these company visits and presentations help students to collectively learn real-life examples of how to adapt their personal and business decisions in fastchanging and unfamiliar environments.”

Yuhai Xuan Dean’s Professor of Finance and Associate Dean of Masters Programs

From Medical Academic to CMO, Start-Up, IPO

“In my academic career, my favorite part about my job was being able to improve patients’ quality of life. However, I was only able to impact one patient at a time, which was frustrating. I was looking for my next step and had the opportunity to join a medical device start-up company as chief medical officer while also pursuing my MBA. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. Applying my skills from the Executive MBA program, my company completed its FDA clinical trial in recordbreaking time and recently navigated one of the fastest and most successful medical device company IPO’s in years. The EMBA program provided me an entire new skill set, access to entrepreneurial resources at UCI Applied Innovation and the confidence to successfully navigate through any business venture.”

You’ve Led Companies. Are You Ready to Start One?

Acquire the knowledge, tools and mentorship you need to start your own organization. Southern California is a hotbed for entrepreneurial ventures. At the Merage School, you can take your ideas from conception through launch and growth, scaling a viable and profitable venture.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Immersion

The Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship provides training to launch and/or grow a business in today’s competitive environment. The immersion in innovation and entrepreneurship prepares you to pursue a career as an entrepreneur (innovating to form new companies) or an intrapreneur (innovating within existing companies). By participating in our annual New Venture Competition, you’ll put your entrepreneurial skills to the test while competing for thousands of dollars in prizes.

UCI Applied Innovation

Campuswide resources like UCI Applied Innovation offer you robust access to a community of entrepreneurs and Orange County’s “innovation district.” UCI Applied Innovation facilitates connections between UCI and industry, including entrepreneurs seeking access to university inventions and talent, large corporations looking to tap the university’s research capabilities, and investors wanting to financially support promising new companies.

As a UCI Merage student, you may take advantage of state-of-the-art facilities offered through UCI Applied Innovation at the Cove. The power of the Cove lies in its ability to bring people together. A key differentiator is the wide-range of community partners with offices in-house, making them readily accessible to you.

Axonics Modulation Technologies

Karen Noblett, MD, EMBA ’19 Chief Medical Officer

“The Executive MBA program is helping me learn how to synergize my information technology and data science skills with broader business strategy. The digital leadership specialization offered through the Center for Digital Transformation provides necessary tools to better leverage data science in today’s information revolution. The structure and schedule of the program allows me to put to work the concepts learned in the classroom on an ongoing basis.”

Sanjeev Baniwal, EMBA ’20 Senior Data Scientist Vital Data Technology

Centers of Excellence: Building a Professional Network

The Merage School is home to seven Centers of Excellence enabling you to collaborate with respected business and industry leaders. Each center provides networking, mentoring and executive speakers.

• Beall Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• Center for Digital Transformation

• Center for Global Leadership

• Center for Healthcare Management and Policy

• Center for Investment and Wealth Management

• Center for Real Estate

• UCI Long US-China Institute

MBA Immersions

Immersions allow you to customize your MBA education and build relationships with influential business leaders. You may earn a immersion by completing a combination of courses and programs hosted by the Center of Excellence focused on that immersion. Immersions include:

• Digital Transformation

• Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• Real Estate

Being All He Can Be

“From service member to defense contractor abroad and back to the public sector, UCI’s Executive MBA program gave me the tools I needed to make the smooth transition to civilian life. I was referred to EMBA by a friend who made a similar transition and as information security executives, we earned the business perspective from this program. With the skills I learned from the military and the knowledge of business from this program, I have advanced my career, receiving two promotions within a four-month period.”

Greg McCord , EMBA ’20 Director of IT and Security Operations CalAmp

Your Premier Resource for Executive Career Advancement

Whether you are looking to rise higher within your own organization or make yourself more marketable to other companies, our executive coach will advise you on how to successfully navigate a lifetime of career decisions. Career seminars, executive speakers, networking events and expanding your professional connections will expand your knowledge base.

Executive Leadership

The EMBA program delivers personalized leadership coaching usually reserved for executives at Fortune 500 companies. Using assessment tools, your personal leadership coach will help you interpret assessment data to recognize your strengths and weaknesses as you become a better leader and revitalize your short and long-term plans. Leadership coaching is available as soon as you enter the program and available to you throughout the program and for life as an EMBA alum.

“UCI’s EMBA program exceeded my expectations and gave me the tools I needed to accelerate my career. As a result, I was able to successfully negotiate a 40% salary increase within six months of graduation.”

Brittany Hurd Peterson, EMBA ’18 Senior Marketing Manager FinTech at Experian

Alumni: Connections for Life

At the Merage School, you will become part of a robust and influential network of more than 15,000 business professionals from a multitude of backgrounds and industries – leaders you will call on throughout your career. Many of our graduates are at the forefront of digital strategy and innovation and will become an active and valued part of your network.

Life-Long Learning

Our EMBA students are the first to agree that our alumni community is accessible, eager to provide help and mentorship, and make valuable connections. As an EMBA alum, you will have lifelong learning access to new electives as well as our executive leadership resources.

Your Personal Board of Advisors

“One of the biggest takeaways for me was the amazing opportunity to develop a personal board of advisors while I was in the program. I met great people that will forever be my advisors in every stage of my life. Business people got to know me and they will always look after my best interests.”

Omar Morales, EMBA ’18 Vice President La Terra Development

Become A More Strategic Leader

Change in the digital age is now commonplace, with the UCI Merage School leading the way among business schools. Few could have predicted the changes that 2020 brought. As leaders, our students are influencing the future for their organizations in these unprecedented times. Many companies have missed that the most common and prevalent pattern of disruption is driven by customers.

Strategic leadership is key to staying ahead of the competition and that’s why Merage School faculty are focused on targeting such skills. With our core curriculum and five immersive leadership residentials, you will gain a broad understanding of business, team management and a digital leadership focus. At Merage School’s EMBA program, you will find yourself in a community of thought leaders, including our business and industry partners as well as your fellow classmates.

“The Executive MBA program expanded my perspective beyond my finance and accounting background. I am now a better leader, value measurable results, and recognize the importance of building up the right culture, process and team to attain true success in an organization.”

Ann Tai, EMBA ’16 Director of Financial Operations & Administration Standard Cable USA, Inc.

Admissions Checklist

Successful candidates will have a minimum of eight years of strong professional experience, including five years of demonstrated management experience. To be considered the following is required:

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of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

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*Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Financial Resources

be required

the language

instruction

your bachelor’s degree was not in English.

The Federal Stafford Loan is available to all U.S. citizens and permanent residents regardless of their financial situation. Private loans are also available. You may work with our financial advisors to learn more.

Merit-based scholarships are available to qualified applicants of our Executive MBA program with specific fellowships awarded to entrepreneurs, and healthcare, city and county government, nonprofit and STEM-related organizations. Ask us how to apply for these fellowships.

Tuition is fixed for the duration of your program.

more at merage.uci.edu/financialaid.