This fall, Columbia Business School is launching the Professional MBA, a part-time degree program for fully employed professionals who want to strengthen their leadership and business skills while continuing to advance in their careers.
The program combines Columbia’s MBA core curriculum with a schedule built around weeknight classes and intensive block weeks. Columbia Business Insights spoke with Dean Costis Maglaras, David and Lyn Silfen Professor of Business, about why the School developed the program, how it will work, and what students can expect to gain from it.
CBS Insights: Why is Columbia Business School launching the Professional MBA?
Maglaras: This program was designed to serve the needs of working professionals and the expectations of employers in a period of rapid change and opportunity. We heard clear demand from talented professionals who want the rigor and breadth of a Columbia MBA while continuing to work full time.
We also wanted to make sure the program reflected what students and employers need, so we spoke with hundreds of faculty members, current students, alumni, and prospective candidates. That research helped us design a program that maintains Columbia’s academic standards in a format built for working professionals.
CBS Insights: What kind of student will benefit most from the Professional MBA?
Maglaras: The program is best suited for driven, high-achieving professionals who want to learn while remaining employed. Their goals are to accelerate their current career trajectory and take on greater leadership responsibility. These mid-career professionals are asking, "How do I accelerate my growth and advance right now?” They are already confronting complex real-world challenges at work, and they want a broader set of tools including quantitative frameworks, strategic vision, and refined leadership skills. They'll use these tools to make better business decisions and step into larger roles.
Because students remain employed full time, the connection between classroom lessons and discussions and daily practice is immediate. They can bring live workplace challenges directly into evening discussions and apply next-morning solutions in their organizations. For that reason, active full-time employment is a mandatory condition of admission and enrollment.
CBS Insights: How does the Professional MBA fit within the School’s broader MBA portfolio?
Maglaras: Each MBA format serves a distinct career stage and set of goals. The Full-Time MBA is designed for professionals who want to fully immerse themselves in the campus experience, engage deeply to build new skills, and execute a major career switch or industry pivot.
The Professional MBA is tailored for working professionals with 5–10 years of experience who want to integrate their ongoing work with academic study to drive upward momentum and expand responsibility without stepping away from their careers.
The Executive MBA serves senior leaders who are focused on elevating their leadership, future-proofing their organizations, and tapping into a specialized peer "learning lab" network to guide enterprise strategy.
Across the entire portfolio, every student learns from Columbia’s world-class faculty and practitioners, engages with exceptional peers, and gains lifelong access to the School’s global alumni network.
CBS Insights: What will the schedule and student experience look like?
Maglaras: The first year gives students the shared structure they need to build an academic foundation and strong relationships. They will come to campus two weeknights each week and complete one long-weekend intensive course per term. Students will move through the core with a dedicated cohort and close-knit learning teams.
Beginning in the second year, students will have more control over their schedules. They can combine weeknight electives with short-format block weeks and, depending on their choices, come to campus as little as one night per week. And, they can self-pace their progress towards completing their degree.
CBS Insights: How will the School maintain academic rigor in a part-time format?
Maglaras: Professional MBA students will complete the same required core curriculum, taught by CBS faculty and active practitioners. Admissions will remain highly selective, and students will choose electives that align with their goals.
CBS Insights: How will students’ professional experience shape the classroom?
Maglaras: Students will arrive at class with questions and examples from their work. They can apply an idea from class in their organizations and then bring that experience back into the discussion. That exchange will make the conversation more immediate: Faculty can engage with business problems as they unfold, and students can learn how peers in other industries and functions are responding to similar challenges.
CBS Insights: What do you hope students take away from the Professional MBA?
Maglaras: I hope students see a difference in how they approach their work from the start. They should leave class with ideas they can use right away — to frame a decision, lead a team, or respond to change in their industry. As they build on that learning, they should be ready to take on broader responsibility.
I also hope they form lasting relationships. Students will learn with a dedicated cohort, work closely with learning teams, and connect with faculty, practitioners, career coaches, and alumni. They should graduate with a network of people they trust and can continue learning from throughout their careers.
