Executive MBA Faculty & Curriculum

Cox graduates are equipped with a curriculum anchored in analytical rigor, refined leadership skills to support complex problem solving, and knowledge with practical application gained through hands-on experiential learning.

Executive MBA Courses

Enhance your ability to think globally, plan holistically and implement strategically through the progressive 21-month SMU Cox EMBA curriculum. Led by some of America's most respected business professors, you'll focus on real-world applications of general management with an emphasis on finance and strategy. Your first-year coursework is designed to build knowledge, skills, and practical expertise in several business disciplines. In the second year, you will cover the broader, policy-level aspects of business and management. Students also travel abroad, embarking on an international business experience that is a highlight of the Executive MBA Program.

Program Calendar Fall 2024 Entry

Program Calendar Spring 2025 Entry

Curriculum for Executives & C-Suite Leaders

In August 2020, SMU Cox launched the new STEM-designated NextGen MBA Curriculum, designed to shape future leaders who are not just job-ready, but also future-prepared. The NextGen Curriculum integrates three foundational pillars: Leadership, Analytics, and Experiential Learning, to develop graduates who can confidently navigate any business environment. 

SMU Cox Foundational Pillars

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Leadership

At Cox, we know what it takes to become a well-rounded business leader. From managing cross-functional teams to thinking innovatively, you will hone your business leadership skills for the changing world of work.

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Analytics

Data analytics now has a bigger impact on business than ever before. As an Online MBA candidate you will learn data analytics skills and how to clearly communicate findings to colleagues and management, no matter the industry.

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Experiential Learning

You will gain hands-on experience by examining the challenges of real companies and applying your own solutions. Our model of experiential learning provides the framework to keep building on the knowledge and skills you acquire over the course of the program.

Curriculum Overview

Executive MBA students earn a Master of Business Administration degree internationally accredited by the highest standards of the AACSB. A hallmark of the Cox EMBA is the range of electives offered in the final two semesters. You as a student can take electives offered in the EMBA program or you can select from over 170 electives offered by the Cox School of Business.

Knowing that our Executive MBA students need a particular curriculum to fit their own individual career needs, we heavily encourage choosing electives that work for you and your growth. Those 170 electives truly aim to shape your MBA toward your trajectory. Although the degree is an MBA, differentiators like extensive electives make it YOUR Executive MBA.

Recent elective options:

  • Business Analytics
  • Digital Strategy
  • Financial Statement Analysis
  • Human Capital
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Negotiations

View Curriculum Roadmap

EMBA Faculty: Learn from the Best

We don't just teach business — we're immersed in business. When they’re not educating you in applicable knowledge and skills, your professors are consulting for Fortune 500s, publishing books and research, running their own businesses and serving in government. Small class sizes and a calendar full of events where you can mingle informally mean you’ll be able to build one-on-one relationships with the academics and professionals who are invested in your future.



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Meet the Faculty

Robin Pinkley

Robin Pinkley

Professor, Management and Organizations

The recipient of SMU's Golden Mustang Award for innovative teaching, Robin is a recognized authority on strategic negotiation and conflict management. She's the author of the book "Get Paid What You’re Worth: The Expert Negotiators’ Guide to Salary and Compensation," and she has consulted with numerous corporate and government organizations.

Robin Pinkley's bio
John Terry

John Terry

Adjunct Professor, MBA, Business Administration

John Terry is a Principal at ChurchillTerry, an advisory firm providing services to owner-managed businesses, entrepreneurs and investors. Thirty years of experience in technology, sales and finance in companies of all sizes and phases. John pairs more than twenty years as a successful entrepreneur with seventeen years as an adjunct professor at SMU Cox where he teaches entrepreneurship, private equity, and venture capital.

John Terry's bio
James Linick

James Linck

Professor, Distinguished Chair in Finance, Department Chair

James Linck — aka "Jim" — has been asking tough questions and challenging perceived knowledge throughout his 20 years of research on corporate finance, governance and control. His work has been published and cited in numerous academic journals, and he's widely quoted in the press. An award-winning educator, Jim has held positions at Intel, NCR/AT&T and Ernst & Whinney.


James Linck's Bio
Instructor in classroom

How long does it take to get an Executive MBA?

Have a question about the length of the program? Unsure if the time commitment will work for you?

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