The Best Professional MBA Programs

• Working professionals looking to pursue the best Executive MBA can choose from five top programsbusiness image by Jaroslav Machacek from Fotolia.com
  
  While several general and business-oriented publications rank the best business programs, they seldom agree on the best of the best. Rankings of executive MBA programs (geared toward seasoned, working business professionals) are no different. While the lists vary, five schools rank near the top of both the U.S. News and World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek ratings: the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, Duke University and Columbia University.
  
  

University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)

• Penn's Wharton School of Business ranks at the top of U.S. News and World Report's list of Best Executive MBA Programs, but only merits a No. 3 rating from Bloomberg. Wharton's Executive MBA is a two-year weekend program that boasts courses on both the Penn campus in Philadelphia and in San Francisco (with faculty from the main campus traveling to San Francisco to teach).
  
  Wharton MBA Admissions Office
  Suite 420, Jon M. Huntsman Hall
  3730 Walnut St.
  Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6340
  215-898-6183
  wharton.upenn.edu
  
  

Northwestern University (Kellogg)

• While Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management earns the top spot on Bloomberg's list, U.S. News and World Report gives Kellogg its No. 2 ranking. Professionals wishing to pursue the executive MBA from Kellogg can choose one of three schedules to accommodate their working lives: twice-monthly courses starting in September on the Evanston campus, twice-monthly courses in Evanston starting in January or twice-monthly courses starting in January in Miami.
  
  Kellogg School of Management
  2001 Sheridan Road
  Evanston, IL 60208
  847-491-3300
  kellogg.northwestern.edu
  
  

University of Chicago (Booth)

• The University of Chicago's Booth School of Business earned U.S. News and World Report's No. 3 ranking, while securing the No. 2 rating from Bloomberg. Students in Booth's executive MBA program may take courses in Chicago, London or Singapore in a 21-month program that begins in June. Those pursuing the Booth MBA can concentrate in finance, marketing or strategy.
  
  The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
  5807 South Woodlawn Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60637
  773-702-7743
  chicagobooth.edu
  
  

Duke University (Fuqua)

• While earning the fourth spot from U.S. News and World Report for executive MBA programs, Duke University's Fuqua School of Business earned the 10th-best ranking from Bloomberg. The Fuqua School offers both a Weekend Executive MBA program and a Global Executive MBA program, the first of its kind. Thanks to Internet-enabled distance learning, students who choose the Fuqua School can take courses from anywhere in the world with a cohort of international colleagues.
  
  Fuqua School of Business
  1 Towerview Drive
  Box 90120
  Durham, NC 27708-0120
  919-660-7700
  fuqua.duke.edu
  
  

Columbia University

• Columbia University's Graduate School of Business earns Bloomberg's No. 4 ranking among executive MBA programs while taking the No. 5 spot on the U.S. News and World Report list. In addition to the executive MBA offered on the New York campus, Columbia students may also enroll in one of two Global Executive MBA programs offering courses in London, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Columbia also features a joint executive MBA program with the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, which allows graduates to hold the MBA degree from both schools.
  
  Columbia Business School
  3022 Broadway at 117th Street
  New York, NY 10027
  212-854-5553
  gsb.columbia.edu