Attend a Top-Ranked MBA Designed for Executives. The Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degree program at Rice Business is a top-ranked, research-driven program designed for executives and senior leaders ready to sharpen their strategic mindset. By combining core functional expertise with a deep network of like-minded peers, our STEM-designated EMBA program prepares you with the agility to steer world-class organizations of the future.
Duration: 22 months to complete (54 credits)
Format: On campus every other Friday and Saturday in Houston
Class Profile: 15+ years average work experience, and five-plus years management experience preferred
Admissions: No test scores required, rolling admissions
Applications are open. Round 2 deadline is January 6. We encourage you to attend an admissions event to learn more about our Executive MBA program.
Top-Ranked Executive MBA
#1
Graduate Entrepreneurship Program
Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine, 2020-2026
#7
Best MBA for Finance
Princeton Review, 2027 (Top 10 Nine Years in a Row)
#17
Best Executive MBA
Fortune, 2024
#19
Best Executive MBA
U.S. News & World Report, 2026
#1
Best MBA in Texas
(based on global rankings) Financial Times, 2023-2026
#9
Best Campus Experience
Princeton Review, 2027
#8
Best MBA for Consulting
Princeton Review, 2027
Curriculum and Structure
The Executive MBA curriculum transitions seasoned professionals into enterprise-level leaders and strategists with a structure that fits into your busy life. Classes are held every other Friday and Saturday in person on campus in Houston. Then, a culminating overseas residency offers essential perspectives for leading in today’s economy.
During your first year of the STEM-designated program, you’ll master quantitative foundations of business and grasp the mechanics of a global firm through coursework in business analytics, managerial accounting, strategic marketing and more. The second year shifts focus to advanced leadership, tasking you with navigating organizational complexities and enterprise-wide strategy. With AI transforming how companies collaborate with AI agents, process and manage data, and lead organizational change, the curriculum helps prepare EMBAs to navigate AI and emerging technologies critically, creatively and responsibly.
In the EMBA program, the person sitting next to you is as vital as the expert professor in the front of the room. Your cohort consists of around 60 accomplished professionals and executives, each with over a decade of experience. You will join a group representing diverse industries — mirroring Houston’s own economic landscape of energy, healthcare, technology, finance, etc. — and create lasting, high-level professional connections.
Standardized test scores are not required, but GMAT, GRE or EA scores are accepted. A minimum of 10 years of work experience and five or more years of management experience is preferred. We aim to build cohorts of leaders with a proven track record of impact. We encourage you to schedule a consultation today to determine if our EMBA program is the right fit for you. Requirements include:
Bachelor’s degree
Professional work experience
At least one professional letter of recommendation
Not required, but accepting standardized test scores
Resume or CV Transcripts from previously attended institutions
Our Executive MBA curriculum focuses on experiential, integrated learning. We open and close each academic year with five-day intensives that target development of an executive mindset. In your first year, you’ll follow a set core curriculum. In the second year, you’ll select electives from a wide range of over 100 options (depending on your schedule availability), including several specialized sections scheduled exclusively for the Executive MBA.
Evolve your leadership with a built-in Global Field Experience required for all EMBA students. You’ll also regularly engage with industry titans through our Leadership and Strategy Executive Forums, where your cohort tackles real-world challenges alongside other senior leaders.
Throughout the program, you will work with an experienced executive coach to fill identified gaps in your leadership portfolio. Each executive coach provides support in formalizing and executing a personal strategic development plan. The coaching program complements the leadership development curriculum, providing a safe environment for challenging assumptions and promoting new thinking. It’s one of the reasons why we’re the best Executive MBA program in Houston.
Being part of the EMBA program means becoming part of Rice University and its campus. The business school now spans two buildings: McNair Hall, our home since 2002, and the newly completed Virani Hall next door. The new building adds 112,000 square feet — doubling the space available for MBA students to collaborate, connect, and learn. With additional classrooms, breakout rooms and expanded event spaces, you'll have even more opportunities to engage with peers, faculty and Houston's broader business community.
Rice Business also offers an optional travel subsidy for students commuting to Houston for our Executive MBA program. This subsidy includes the hotel portion of a student’s stay for class weekends. Hotel accommodations are provided by Westin Houston Medical Center, located one mile from campus.
Whether you’re seeking to transition to the C-suite or launch a new business, we offer a proactive and adaptable approach to career management. Our dedicated team provides personalized coaching and lifelong support to help you achieve your goals and excel in your next leadership role.
Your education doesn’t stop once you graduate. We offer several ways you can continue lifelong learning and stay part of the Rice Business community. Whether you return to the classroom to audit a class you didn’t have time for or you come back for an Executive Education course to advance your career even further — at a special alumni rate — we’re here for you.
Ranked as the second-most affordable MBA among the top 25, Rice Business offers a high-impact ROI supported by employer sponsorship and federal aid. To support our regional and national leaders, we also provide Weekend Residency funding to help cover hotel accommodations during your bimonthly sessions in Houston.
Extend your cohort’s culture of connection beyond graduation with 10,000+ alumni across 55 countries. Your relationship with Rice Business continues after graduation with lifetime executive career management coaching and special tuition rates for ongoing executive education opportunities.
When the fire chief asked for a three-year fleet study, I was able to apply concepts from my analytics class and give him everything he needed. He said, 'I can see your MBA is paying off already.'
The Rice Business EMBA is a 54-credit program that can be completed in approximately 22 months. The schedule is intentionally designed to support the demands of working professionals, allowing you to balance academics with your career and personal commitments, like family.
Classes meet on campus in Houston every other Friday and Saturday, allowing you to maintain your executive responsibilities while pursuing your degree. The program culminates in a Global Field Experience.
