Executive MBA Copenhagen Business School

Learn. Develop. Lead.

The process of becoming - or staying - a high-performing leader can be complex, requiring growth and development in many areas. At the same time, it's easy to plateau; to reach a point where you have achieved everything you can in your chosen field. So how do you prove to yourself and your colleagues that you are ready for the next step? That you have the ability to take the holistic view that's required to successfully lead the company to a bolder, brighter future? You know you are ready to take on bigger challenges, to spend more time developing and growing rather than focusing on the day-to-day. Now it's time to investigate.

The Executive MBA from CBS will show you the way.

Learn From The Best

Triple accredited (AMBA, EQUIS & AACSB) the CBS EMBA is a personalised programme with a global outlook providing the opportunity to choose the format that works best for you.

Develop A Trusted Support Network

Study alongside high-calibre peers from different industries, different backgrounds, and with different points of view. You will work together to move outside your comfort zones and develop the skills and support group you need for a journey to global success.

Lead Your Teams With Confidence

Building on the foundations of life within the organisation, you will learn to analyze performance, financials, and customer behaviour. And then you will step back and look at the bigger picture, turning the knowledge you have gathered into an executable management strategy.

Set yourself up for success with the CBS Executive MBA.

The Scandinavian Way To Your EMBA

Renowned across the globe for its approach to management, growth, and innovation, Denmark is at the front of the pack when it comes to sustainability and responsible leadership. And you will find these values reflected in everything we do.

We offer flexible options for study, the chance to focus in-depth on a business area of your choice, and the opportunity to learn across three continents alongside experienced business people from across the world.

We offer a truly global approach to your personal and professional development, while still keeping Scandinavian values and sustainability at the core of what we do.

Paths to your EMBA

Study for your EMBA in one go over 21 or 25 months or tackle it in bite-sized chunks with our Executive Certificate path. You will have the flexibility to start in May 2022 or wait until September 2022. We like to give you options – because we know that one size rarely fits all.

A Practical, Flexible Approach

Whether you want to work through the programme as quickly as possible, or you are only ready to commit to one part at a time, our Executive MBA options will fit around you.

A Personalised EMBA

With a commitment of on average four days a month, you can choose between two paths: the Executive MBA in one go; or the stepwise approach through Executive Certificates. You can opt to start in May or September.

You will complete your Executive MBA with the Integrated Strategy Project, testing out your learnings in the context of an operational issue from within your own organisation.

As a supplement to the core subjects, you will be able to personalise your experience by choosing one of four Concentrations, providing you with more in-depth knowledge of an area of your choice.

Take Your EMBA in One Go

Commit yourself to 21 or 25 months of highly developing studies. Choose your start date and study three terms of general management and one term in-depth on a subject of your choice, giving you a holistic view of your organisation and the broad skill set required to take you to the next level.

A Choice of Start Dates

Do you feel like it is never the right time to take the plunge?

We offer a choice of start dates for our EMBA programme. You can begin with a Concentration in May, or opt to join in September with the Term: ‘Understanding the Organisation’.

Executive Certificates: A stepwise approach

If you find the EMBA programme the right mid-career development for you but are not able to commit to two years of consecutive studies upfront, we also offer our outstanding executive education through a certificate path. We offer flexibility so you can choose the right time for you to start. Complete each freestanding term, receive an Executive Certificate and then choose if or when you wish to move on to the next.

Next Starting Date

You can start on your first certificate in May or September. In May, you can opt to enrol in a Concentration of your choice and receive a certificate upon completion. In September, you can opt to join the Executive Certificate in General Management (five months' module). Your certificate can either stand alone or become the springboard to your next certificate.

Flexible Executive Learning

At CBS we offer you a modular option for your Executive MBA. Each Executive Certificate stands alone as a business qualification, meaning you will find value in studying them individually. But work your way through them all and you will receive your EMBA degree alongside your peers. Upon completing the last term, Managing Strategic Execution, you will earn the CBS Executive MBA degree.

A Choice Of Certificates

The available certificates are:

• Executive Certificate in General Management
• Executive Certificate in Business Analysis and Leadership
• Executive Certificate in a Concentration of Your Choice
• Managing Strategic Execution + Integrated Strategy Project

Your EMBA Experience

With its innovative personalised approach, our EMBA will allow you to develop your knowledge in the areas that will benefit you the most, start on a date that suits you and study at a pace that is just right. The CBS EMBA is about more than just career acceleration. It is about inspiration and collaboration. It is about learning to lead your organisation in a more holistic and sustainable way.

Embrace The Scandinavian Way

CBS is founded in Scandinavian business values, renowned across the globe for their unique influence on management style and culture. CBS offers an inspirational environment for leaders wanting to set themselves up for long-term success by being at the forefront of sustainable business practices and cutting-edge research in this field.

Our businesses deliver creativity, innovation, and growth in a world that is increasingly fast-paced and data-driven. They consider society and its people to be as important as profits. And they seek out diversity and the benefits it brings.

Learn Across Three Continents

Our EMBA is truly global in outlook, with modules taking place in six cities around the world. You will have the opportunity to learn about new cultures, new ways of working, and new perspectives to inspire and inform your evolving leadership style.

Benefit From Small Class Sizes

The CBS EMBA is designed to ensure you benefit from the connections you make and the networks you create. Study alongside executives from a diverse mix of industries and backgrounds in an intimate setting that will allow you to benefit from valuable conversations and the personal attention of experienced staff and mentors.

Put Your Learnings Straight Into Practice

By allowing you to choose cases and exam projects from your own organisation, we enable you to put your newfound knowledge straight into practice. Learn how to stand back and appreciate the bigger picture, lead your teams strategically and create immediate ROI for your employer.

An Exceptional Learning Environment

The learning environment at CBS has been designed to inspire innovation and foster creativity. Here you will find modern open spaces flooded with natural light and panoramic views of the park outside. And it is only a short walk to the world-class facilities of our main campus.

Outstanding Facilities In The Heart Of Copenhagen

The Executive MBA programmes are housed at Råvarebygningen, formerly occupied by Royal Copenhagen Porcelain before being converted into a competition-winning design by Henning Larsen Architects. In fact, each of our buildings has a unique architectural style and atmosphere that makes CBS a very special place.

Supporting Your Studies

At CBS, we provide everything possible to help you succeed in your studies. You will gain access to our unrivalled library resources (our Library is also Denmark's National Library for Business Economics), a dedicated online platform, state-of-the-art facilities, and break-out areas designed to optimise learning and inspire great discussion and presentations.

Holistic Learning Opportunities

As an Executive MBA participant or alumni, you will be given access to exclusive MBA events. These will reflect the diverse themes that can impact your professional career and are intended to help you develop the big picture thinking that is so vital for success.

World-Class Faculty

You will benefit from the varied teaching approach of our own experienced professors and lecturers combined with renowned academics from other leading universities and business schools.

Renowned And Distinguished Professors

Our CBS-based professors are some of the most prominent and distinguished academics in the country, if not the world. Similarly, our external faculty members are chosen not only for their academic expertise but also for their global experience and insight.

Our Teaching Approach

The Executive MBA faculty will take you through our rigorous case study approach and beyond with simulations, debate, experiential learning, discussions with in-field managers, company projects, and international modules.

Their teaching methods are designed to help you maximise the value of your time with us and ensure you develop a broad skill set that will ensure you are ready for that step you would like to take.

Location Copenhagen

Located in the beating heart of the Øresund region, Copenhagen is a buzzing business hub and home to a wide variety of companies offering numerous opportunities. Perhaps better still, Copenhagen is also a delightful place to live – the quality of life is high, green spaces are easily accessible, and a majority of the population use bikes to get around, setting the standards for low-emission living.

Copenhagen Living

A lively and charming city, Copenhagen is regularly voted among the top cities in the world to live and work. And with good reason. Why? Here are the jewels in Copenhagen’s crown:

• Safety and security: the city has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
• Green city: Copenhagen is world-renowned for leading the sustainability agenda in transportation, energy, waste management, and other aspects of city development.
• Biking culture: more than a third of the population commutes by bicycle and there is more than 390km of designated lanes around the city.
• Efficient public transport: the city’s underground system has been given the prize for best Metro in the world.
• The World’s Best Restaurants: Copenhagen is home to ten restaurants that have received Michelin awards – great news for the culinary explorer!

Furthermore, Denmark offers some of the most optimal conditions for business, having been voted the easiest place in Europe to do business by the World Bank 2012-2019.

Sustainability in Business

Denmark and Copenhagen are at the forefront when it comes to developing sustainable business practices. That is why there is no better place than CBS for furthering your knowledge within this forward-thinking discipline.

Why Sustainability Matters

We, as a global society, are waking up to the fact that we need to look after our planet and the communities and people around us. And it is not just in our personal lives that we must do our bit. Companies and organisations have a huge part to play in making sure sustainable business is at the top of the agenda, and consumers, investors, and stakeholders are increasingly holding them to account.

An Integral Theme In Our MBA

We believe that the business leaders of tomorrow should uphold and endorse sustainable, responsible, and ethical business values. That is why you will find that corporate sustainability is one of the key themes weaving its way through our programme. Because running your business in a sustainable way is not a fad, it is a long-term strategy and one that should be integrated across all departments. CSR is integral to the success of your business and should never be merely an afterthought.

What You Will Learn

Throughout the course, you will discover how corporate responsibility is pursued as a core strategy from the board level down, how flat organisational structures and leadership gender equality can foster company cultures built on trust and respect, and how public policies support sustainability initiatives from start-ups to mature organisations.

Most importantly, you will master the skills and the strategies to succeed in this critical arena and embrace the future of modern business in a sustainable way.

Programme Structure

No matter whether you choose the direct route to your EMBA, or you want the flexible certificate approach, you will study the same core courses alongside your talented peers.

A Carefully Designed Programme

Our EMBA programme is designed to build knowledge and skills in a structured way.

Beginning by looking in-depth at the fundamentals that impact your organisation from the inside out, we will move on to studying those elements that can exert an impact on your business and the environment in which it operates. And in the final term, we will bring everything together with an understanding of how your newfound MBA skills can be used to create and manage strategies for future organisational success.

Term 1 - Understanding The Organisation

This term will give you the tools to develop a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of organisational behaviour.

During this first term, you will gain a solid foundation in basic economic and accounting principles and reflect on how you can use your newfound knowledge to solve managerial problems, efficiently use resources and inform key decisions within your organisation.

In the course Managerial Economics you will learn how to price products and services, understand competitive interactions in a market, and also gain insight about auctions and procurement, and the design of incentives.

We will cover the important subject of digitalisation, exploring the best ways to extract value from the plethora of data available in an environment that is uncertain and ever-changing.

And lastly, we will tackle the first of our sustainable leadership topics. Working with contemporary leadership theories and practices you will begin to better understand your own position as well as how to manage your HR resources more effectively and efficiently.

During this term, we will travel to Shanghai.

Term 2 - Exploring The Organisation's Environment

This term develops your knowledge and analytical skills to succeed in your market environment.

It is now time to explore contemporary marketing techniques, enabling you to better understand how to analyze consumer behaviour and thereby generate higher demand for your products or adapt to market requests.

We will look at how macroeconomics and financial markets shape the environment in which your organisation operates as well as learn about how organisations and investors interact, and which options exist to finance their activities.

And we will build on the leadership course from the first term by allowing you time to reflect on your own personal leadership challenges.

During this term, we will travel to London/Frankfurt and Chicago.

Personalise Your EMBA: Concentrations

As part of your CBS EMBA, you will be able to choose from four key study areas or concentrations: Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship, Governance & Sustainability, or Finance.

Each concentration will include two to four tightly integrated courses with one final exam at the end.

Term 3 - Managing Strategic Execution

The final term provides you with ‘tools for change’ and encourages you to use your MBA tools to develop a strategy for your organisation.

This final term is about consolidating and building on the knowledge you have acquired, giving you the skills to become a valued member of your organisation’s strategic leadership team.

You will not only analyze the competitive positioning of your organisation and use this to inform strategic decision-making, but also improve your organisation’s capabilities in terms of managing process innovation.

You will also find that we place huge importance on our discussions around sustainability - making strategic decisions in a way that they create value for society as a whole, not just the corporations they serve.

During this term, we will travel to Mumbai.

Integrated Strategy Project

At the end of your studies, you will get the chance to put your enhanced MBA skillset into practice when you choose an issue that impacts your own organisation and use the theories and techniques you have learned to create an effective strategy as well as the highly important implementation plan.

Personalise your EMBA

Dive deeper into an area you feel will most benefit your career aspirations and your organisation. Or satisfy your quest for knowledge by simply selecting the concentration you will find the most interesting. The direction you choose is entirely up to you.

Align Your EMBA To Your Career Goals

As part of your CBS EMBA, you will be able to choose from four concentrations: Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship, Governance & Sustainability, or Finance.

Each concentration will include two to four tightly integrated courses with one final exam at the end.

You may also opt to take additional elective courses at our partner school ESADE in Barcelona.

Find out more about the concentrations below.

Digitalisation

Giving you practical tools to drive change in the digital economy.

Learn to embrace innovation and harness the capabilities of digital technology to inform your strategic thinking and transform every area of business.

You will discuss the threats of disruption, new market entrants, and global platform companies as well as learn how to use data to lead the way forward, how to motivate and manage a digital workforce, and how to act to prevent and control the damage of cyberattacks such as we have seen hitting large businesses in recent years.

Course examples: Digital Platforms, Innovation Strategies in a Digital World, Managing the Digital Workforce, Digital Delivery Models

Governance & Sustainability

Understand the importance of corporate governance and sustainability for the leader of the future.

We will explore the need for strong leadership in understanding business risks and opportunities in an age of sustainability; compliance management and the importance of an ethical approach; the need to design production and supply systems in a more sustainable way as well as the need for leveraging finance and investing to expand long-term business contributions to a sustainable economy.

Course examples: Leadership & Corporate Governance, Compliance & Risk Management, Circular Economy and Sustainable Supply Chains, Sustainable Finance

Entrepreneurship

Valuable tools for start-ups and established companies facing transformation.

Understand key aspects of the entrepreneurial journey along with frameworks and methods to help manage the inevitable uncertainty.

You will learn how to use design thinking to help articulate and map your entrepreneurial vision as well as how to create a value-driven business model, engage stakeholders in the process, and build a platform strategy to shape the market around your innovation. We will use applied, hands-on projects and work through common challenges with innovation-driven start-ups in the entrepreneurship lab.

Course examples: Venture Creation: The Entrepreneurial Process, Platform Disruption, and Platform-Based Business Models, Entrepreneurship-Lab, Resources for Scaling-Up: Engage with The Innovation Ecosystem

Finance

Understand how companies finance their operations and investments while simultaneously controlling risks and fulfilling the expectations of their stakeholders.

We will look at how entrepreneurs finance start-ups and how organisations raise funds both inside and outside of organised markets; the ways to control strategic and financial risks; how to value your own or another company; and how you can seize upon the opportunities provided by international financial markets.

Course examples: Private Equity & Venture Capital, Strategic Risk Management, Valuation & M&A, International Financial Management

International Recognition

The CBS Executive MBA belongs to an exclusive group of global business schools that hold triple accreditation from the awarding bodies AMBA, EQUIS, and AACSB. This sets us apart from our peers and ensures that an Executive MBA degree from CBS is recognised, respected, and rewarded globally.

Accreditations and rankings are not just about being able to put nice logos on our site. To us, it is a sense of pride. It is the reassurance we are doing what we do to a global standard; and the motivation to keep striving for improvement.

These awards are the proof that you can trust in us to give you the tools and skills you need to reach the next stage of your career.

Global Rankings And Accreditations

Our triple-accredited programme is ranked among the world’s best EMBA programmes by the Financial Times and QS Global EMBA Rankings.

The Association of MBA, AMBA

In 2007, CBS became the first university in Denmark to receive accreditation from the AMBA, underlining its international credibility and status. The number of MBA qualifications available worldwide is now in the thousands, but only a small percentage of these would achieve accreditation if they were submitted to AMBA’s rigorous international criteria.

Accreditation by the Association of MBAs identifies programmes as the best there is. In a crowded and complex market, the AMBA accreditation provides a reliable list of meticulously tested programmes and ensures that students' investments are rewarded with the finest business education available.

European Quality Improvement System, EQUIS

CBS has been accredited by EQUIS since 2000. The EQUIS accreditation is awarded to business schools based on general quality, taking into account the business school's level of internationalisation. EQUIS assesses institutions as a whole. It assesses not just degree programmes but all the activities and sub-units of the institution, including research, e-learning units, executive education provision, and community outreach.

The Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business, AACSB

In August 2011, CBS was the first school in Scandinavia to receive the AACSB accreditation. The accreditation standards are used as the basis to evaluate a business school’s mission, operations, faculty qualifications and contributions, programmes, and other critical areas. AACSB accreditation ensures students and parents that the business school is providing a top-quality education. It also ensures employers that AACSB-accredited business school graduates are ready to perform on day one.

Additionally, AACSB accreditation provides many benefits to the faculty and staff at its accredited schools by attracting higher quality students, providing greater research opportunities, and allowing for global recognition.

The Global Alliance in Management Education, CEMS

CEMS is a strategic alliance of leading business schools and multinational companies. Its first mission is to set a global standard of excellence for a pre-experience Master in management. Founded in 1988 in Europe, CEMS provides the global league of leaders on the pre-experience Master’s market and it cannot be equalled in terms of the reputation of its members: 28 world-class academic institutions collaborate together with over 70 corporate partners and 4 NGOs to offer international, postgraduate students a unique blend of high-quality education and professional experience.

Partnership in International Management, PIM

PIM, Partnership in International Management, is a consortium of leading international business schools, founded in 1973. Each member institution represents the highest degree of excellence in the fields of business administration and management, demonstrates leadership in their geographic region, and delivers an MBA or a graduate-equivalent degree in management.

Career Impact

Choose to study for a CBS Executive MBA and open the door to a world of opportunities. Not only will this important decision benefit you for the rest of your career, but your organisation will also gain from your increased insight from day one.

Boost Your Salary

The Financial Times has ranked the CBS Executive MBA number 54 globally. Their latest ranking reveals that the surveyed class increased their salaries by 45% in the three years since graduating from the CBS EMBA.

Create ROI From Day One

Using examples from real life, we let you apply your learnings directly to your role and your organisation. Projects and assignments, and in particular the final Integrated Strategy Project, allow you to identify a specific issue within your organisation that needs attention, analyze it and create a strategic solution and implementation plan.

So not only will this mean your newfound skills are more likely to stick, your organisation will see immediate ROI on their sponsorship.

Meet Your Personal Career Goals

As a CBS EMBA participant, you will have one-to-one access to our experienced CBS MBA Career Manager. You will be able to tailor-make your experience to receive help with career planning, goal setting, development opportunities, and personal branding and networking. And you can also gain insight on how to leverage your EMBA in your current organisation.

Get Global Insight

Travelling abroad to study specific modules will give you first-hand knowledge about how businesses operate in some key international business hotspots. Gain an understanding of the culture and logistics of working with companies based in these and other global locations.

Develop Trusted Networks

Increase your company's network thanks to the broad range of fellow participants and alumni you will meet. These are your business opportunities for the future.