Executive decision
Avtar Kooner postponed getting his master's degree for five years while he juggled a heavy workload and family demands.
Kooner — a manager at Sunrise Medical, a Fresno wheelchair maker — was eager to expand his knowledge about the business world. What he needed was a program that fit his work schedule, pocket book and family life.
He found what he was looking for with California State University, Fresno's executive master of business administration program.
In its third year, the EMBA program has enrolled 77 executives, many coming from central San Joaquin Valley companies.
Busy executives such as Kooner like the short time frame and the cost of the program. Students can earn their MBA in about 17 months and tuition is $29,500.
"You can only take time away from your wife and kids for so long and preparing them for a year and a half of study was easier than telling it would take more than two years," Kooner said.
Fresno State's executive program is limited to businesspeople with a minimum of 10 years of work experience and a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher. The Graduate Management Admissions Test is waived but students must take an intensive 32 hours of study in 2 1/2 weeks at the start of the program.
The academic boot camp is designed to bring students up to speed on the academic skills they will need in the program.
"It was intense," said Amy Chubb, director of the University Business Center at the Craig School of Business and an EMBA student. "I would go to work, go to school, go home, do homework and go to bed. There wasn't much time for anything else."
The program includes a 10-day trip to Paris to study international commerce.
"In today's world, it is important to understand globalization and the need to be prepared for it," said Tom Burns, coordinator of the EMBA program. "That's hard to do unless you immerse students in it, even if just for a short time."
This year's EMBA class includes midlevel managers, two doctors, a lawyer, a farmer and several engineers.
Although the classroom environment can be intimidating for some, Burns said students rise to the occasion. He recalls asking one young executive how the program was going and the student replied: "I just don't think at that level."
"I told him, 'You will now,'" Burns said.
Students enroll in the EMBA program for many reasons, including job advancement and the need for additional business skills.
"We have people in our program who are good at what they do, but they may not necessarily know how to run an entire company," Burns said. "We also have people who are changing their careers."
Kooner, an engineer by trade, wants to sharpens his skills in finance, marketing and organizational management.
"This is the kind of training that will give you the ultimate qualifications for many different things," Kooner said.
Sunrise Medical pays about 60% of Kooner's tuition, an employee benefit also provided by other local companies.
At Ruiz Food Products in Dinuba, two executives are enrolled in Fresno State's EMBA program. The company pays up to $10,000 per year for employees who qualify.
"We think it makes good business sense," said Kim Beck, vice chair of Ruiz Food Products. "We see people building their confidence and getting excited about their jobs. We also find that people will take on more projects and bigger challenges. And that makes a better employee."
The reporter can be reached at brodriguez@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6327.