Emily Haydon, Senior Director of Admissions for Evening and Weekend and EMBA, Kellogg School of Management

1. What is the typical number of years of experience required?

We do not require a specific number, however, incoming students on average have 6 years of work experience. We believe that meaningful work experience is important to enhance classroom conversations and to gain the maximum ROI from the program.

2. What is new/exciting happening this/next year in your Evening & Weekend MBA program?

Kellogg launched exciting enhancements to the E&W program over the last few years with the goal of evolving the student experience to complement the program’s rigorous curriculum.

The Kellogg Leadership Journey (KLJ), specific to the Evening and Weekend Program, was recently redesigned to accelerate students’ leadership development through three distinct phases throughout their time at Kellogg:

1. Orientation, which kickstarts students’ journey with the keys to leadership development.
2. Leadership Immersion, which includes a deep dive into leadership frameworks with top faculty.
3. Capstone Immersion, which leverages insights from speakers, small group reflection exercises with fellow classmates and alumni facilitators to help students think critically about the practices that will help them focus on leadership development following graduation.

The KLJ is orchestrated and taught by Associate Dean of Leadership Development, Bernie Banks, and is a great way for the working professionals of the E&W program to reflect on their character and competence.

Additionally, we’ve introduced curricular and experiential enhancements to accommodate for the unique demands of our working professional students.

We created our Technology Management Pathway to prepare students for the growing sector of tech-related jobs. The Energy and Sustainability Pathway was developed to provide students with skills for leading enterprises in natural-resource-based industries and for integrating sustainability into enterprise and investment decisions. The Asset Management Pathway builds on our strong finance curriculum, with a focus on experiential learning course offerings – including the Asset Management Practicum, where students manage long/short equity portfolios that have up to $10 million in assets.

Students have always had the option to take courses in Evanston with our Full-Time Program, but now, seats are reserved for our E&W students in high-demand electives, adding to the diversity and flexibility in course offerings.

And lastly, from a community-building standpoint, we’ve introduced Kellogg Table, an opportunity for E&W students to network over a free meal before every class. This provides an opportunity for our students and class visitors to engage and form connections at various stages of the program.

Students can also enjoy easier transportation to class and to the airport with newly offered Uber discounts providing increased flexibility and convenience.

3. What are options for Evening & Weekend MBA students in terms of nights and weekends?

At Kellogg, we’re committed to making the program a positive experience for working professionals who are already juggling a full-time career, done so by offering flexible course offerings.

Our cohort model offers courses in the evenings, Monday through Friday, and throughout the day on Saturday. Students can customize their schedules and tailor their academic experience to meet their unique goals and pre-existing commitments.

Regardless of where they live in the US, students can earn a Kellogg MBA. The concentrated weekend schedule is a great option for students commuting from across the country or for local residents who prefer the convenience of weekend learning. For professionals who live or work in the Chicago area, the evening schedule is a popular choice.

Our program offers both a traditional pace and an accelerated pace. The traditional pace is 20.5 courses including 9.5 core courses that ground students in a cross-functional baseline of knowledge. Students then select 11 elective courses to customize their academic program. With the accelerated pace, students can leverage previous coursework in core areas (statistics, operations, marketing and microeconomics) to waive up to four of the core courses, thereby reducing the number of credits required to graduate and reducing the overall investment in the MBA.

 4. Are the alumni networks of the Evening & Weekend / Full Time / Executive MBA programs integrated? and if so, how?

Kellogg alumni enjoy a lifetime relationship with a unique community that lends its support both personally and professionally.

The global alumni network includes over 60,000 entrepreneurs, innovators, and experts across all industries and endeavors. Across degree programs, alumni have access to numerous benefits such as social and professional networking, continued learning, career coaching and more. New events hosted by clubs, affinity networks and volunteer opportunities are always available, allowing graduates to stay active the Kellogg community.

5. Are Evening & Weekend MBA candidates permitted to sign up for on-campus interviews or is that restricted to Full Time?

Top employers from across industries and geographies regularly visit Kellogg to meet with and recruit students from the Evening & Weekend MBA Program. Evening & Weekend students may participate in the on-campus recruiting process with Full-Time student participants. Recruiters also frequently host events at the Chicago campus to hire E&W students throughout the year, not just during Fall on campus recruiting.

Additionally, many students prefer to pursue a more customized and targeted approach, working closely with their Kellogg career coach to identify opportunities better suited to their individual needs and aspirations.

6. What Placement Resources are typically provided for your Evening & Weekend MBA programs?

Within the Career Management Center (CMC), E&W students have a team of career coaches specifically dedicated to their program. There are six coaches with an average of 20-25 years of experiences in industries including technology, finance, consulting, marketing and CPG. The coaching team is uniquely equipped to support students who might want to shift careers, amplify their current paths or launch a new venture. Evening and Weekend students may also participate in on-campus recruiting alongside full-time students and enjoy the same access to resources like self-assessment tools and career development workshops.

7. How flexible is the Evening & Weekend MBA curriculum to not require students with specialized backgrounds (such as accounting or finance) to take basic core courses.

Kellogg offers an Accelerated Option within its Evening & Weekend MBA program. With the Accelerated pace, students can leverage previous coursework in Statistics, Operations, Marketing, and Microeconomics to waive up to four core courses.

The Accelerated Option requires 15.5 credits to graduate, as opposed to the traditional 20.5. E&W students pay by the course, therefore, this option offers significant savings in both time and money. The Accelerated Option can be completed in as little as one year and reduces the overall investment up to 25%.

8. How many Evening & Weekend MBA programs does the school launch per year?

All prospective Evening and Weekend students have the flexibility to apply to one of four quarters; Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall. This is true for all applicants regardless of Pace (Traditional or Accelerated) and class schedule (Evening or Weekend). The E&W program renders decisions on a rolling basis, giving applicants the ability to apply up to one year in advance.