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Data At A Glance: On average, 69% of accepted business school students will enroll. Upper-Level Textbooks Are As Important To Us As They Are To Our Authors Because That's All We Publish. Visit wohlpublishing.com to learn how we uniquely value and support the authors of upper-level textbooks. Like Having Your Own Research Team. Online. www.aacsb.edu/datadirect UPCOMING & ONGOING n THE VALUE OF AN EMBA Studies examining the return on investment of a full-time MBA degree have found that MBAs are better able to attain promotions, enjoy expanded career responsibilities, and earn higher salaries. But what about those who earn executive MBAs? Two profes- sors at the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business in Iowa City are conducting research to determine how much—and whether—an EMBA pays off for graduates and employers. In a longitudinal study, Amy Colbert, assistant professor of man- agement, and Greg Stewart, profes- sor of management and organiza- tions, have begun collecting career data from current Tippie EMBA students. In two years, they will fol- low up with students at graduation; several years later, they'll measure the long-term impact of the EMBA on these students' careers. Measuring the ROI of an EMBA might be a bit tricky, the researchers note. Full-time MBA students put their careers on hold for two years, making it easy to compare their status and salaries before and after their programs. But EMBA students continue to hold their full-time jobs during their programs, so the effects of the degree might not be as clear-cut. It's difficult to determine whether a raise or promotion they receive after graduation happens because of the degree or because of normal career progression. Amy Colbert Gr eg Stewart So far, Colbert and Stewart are working only with Tippie EMBA stu- dents, but they hope to expand their study to students from other schools. Salary and career data in the study include students' self-assessments and reports from their supervisors and co-workers. Companies have been particularly forthcoming with information because they often cover the cost of an employee's EMBA program, says Stewart. "They want to know if they're getting a return on their investment." n z BizEd JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010 57