Master knowledge for marketing and communication professionals

Executive MBA programs are in demand among marketing and communications professionals. FROM ROBERT WILDIWithin the walls of the University of Zurich, value is placed on cultivated communication. An expression of this is the fact that the university has incorporated various modules in its coveted Executive MBA program that deal explicitly with marketing and communication topics.There are their five: Marketing Management I and II, Information Management, Negotiation, and Information and Communication. "This focus can also be extremely attractive for professionals from the marketing and communications industry," says Christian Rosser, Managing Director of the Executive MBA at the University of Zurich.Advertising/Marketing in ChinaThe part-time continuing education program lasts a total of 86 days, spread over 26 course blocks within 18 months. The clearly structured course blocks are designed to offer graduates the opportunity to optimally combine their day-to-day professional business with continuing education. "Our Executive MBA is tailored to the professional requirements and personal needs of managers and also takes into account the interests of the companies represented," says Christian Rosser. The obligatory study week "Advertising/Marketing in China" at Fudan University in Shanghai, which is integrated into the program, offers special added value for graduates from the communications industry.For reasons of sustainability, the EMBA program at the University of Zurich is largely paperless. At the start of the program, all participants receive a tablet (iPad), which, together with a customized app, enables them to access and work on the course materials from any location and at any time.The average age of graduates is now 38 years. "The percentage of women exceeded the 20-% quota for the first time in the current edition," Rosser said. Most participants have a university degree and usually several years of management experience with budget responsibility.36- to 40-year-old executivesThe fact that executives from the communications industry are increasingly acquiring valuable master's knowledge at established universities is not limited to Zurich. This trend is also noticeable at the University of St. Gallen (HSG). Five different master's and executive master's programs are offered in St. Gallen with start dates in 2014. These are the Fulltime MBA (August), the Parttime MBA (August), the Executive MBA (March and September), the International Executive MBA (June) and the Omnium Global Executive MBA (August). "In each of these programs, there are various main and elective modules that deal in depth with topics from marketing, communications, PR or advertising," confirms Fabio Lenzlinger, Head of Marketing of the Executive MBA at the HSG. The average graduate of an EMBA program at the HSG is 36 to 40 years old, has a university degree and around twelve years of professional experience with management experience.Executive MBA programs of the universities of applied sciencesAlongside the universities, it is traditionally the universities of applied sciences that cover the further education needs of communications professionals in the EMBA segment. The HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich is doing this specifically with its Executive MBA Marketing, which will start on March 28 of this year. The name of this sought-after program reveals that it is explicitly aimed at professionals and managers from the marketing and communications industry," says Michael Grund, Head of the Center for Marketing at the HWZ and Head of the Executive MBA Marketing program. In the two other Executive MBA programs at the HWZ, the EMBA General Management and the MBA/EMBA International Business, marketing is one of many topics and takes up about 10 % of the course material.International Executive MBAMarketing and communications professionals also get their money's worth at the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur. There, the International Executive MBA (IEMBA) is offered, which explicitly includes a module on marketing management. The program, which is taught exclusively in English, is particularly suitable for marketing and communications experts who want to acquire business knowledge to develop their careers," says Daniel Seelhofer, head of the IEMBA program.The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) offers two master's degree programs, the MBA Lucerne and the Executive MBA Lucerne, which are definitely of interest to the "M&K" readership. The MBA Lucerne is a management education also for marketing and communication professionals who want to strengthen their management and leadership skills. It is a generalist management continuing education program aimed at participants from very different industries.Higher management functionsIn contrast to the MBA, the Executive MBA Lucerne requires graduates to already have a sound knowledge of business administration. It prepares students for higher management positions. "Our Executive MBA is also regularly completed by managers who have specialized training in marketing and communications," confirms Erik Nagel, Head of Continuing Education at the HSLU.The program deals with key business topics from a strategic perspective. "This also explicitly applies to the disciplines of marketing and communication," says Erik Nagel. In addition, very current topics are also addressed, such as the skillful handling and use of social media.