Executive MBA in Shanghai

Increase your understanding of and appreciation for global markets.

Established in 2002, the Executive MBA program in Shanghai, a partnership with Fudan University, prepares senior-level professionals in China—and other parts of Asia—for global leadership.  

The Financial Times has ranked WashU Olin's Shanghai EMBA as the third-best program in the world for fall 2024, marking a substantial improvement from its previous ranking of ninth in 2022. The Financial Times has named the program one of mainland China's best for over a decade.  

A proven model for working professionals

Here is how the 18-month Executive MBA Shanghai program works:

• You attend courses once per month, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday through Monday at Fudan University’s School of Management in Shanghai.
• Courses are taught jointly by Olin and Fudan faculty, primarily in English. 
• The program features a one-week midterm residency focusing on innovation out of China and ends with a two-week US residency at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education and Conference Center at Washington University in St. Louis.

Curriculum

Foundational Core

• Opening Residency - Strategic Management
• Teams & Collaboration
• Financial Accounting
• Managerial Economics: Incentives, Markets and Competition
• Data Science
• Marketing
• Managing Operations
• Corporate Finance

Leadership module

• Managing Power and Influence in Organizations
• Leadership

Advanced Core

• Midterm Residency - Opportunities and Challenges of Global Markets, Entrepreneurship
• Strategic Management of Innovation
• Strategic Cost Analysis
• “The Cutting Edge”: Fudan Thought Leaders

Driving Profitable Growth module

• Valuation, Mergers and Acquisitions
• Market Analytics

Competing in a Global Environment module

• Residency in the United States: Innovation Projects, Market Analytics

Study business at one of the world’s major financial centers

Classes are held at Fudan University’s School of Management in Shanghai, one of the world’s fastest-growing, fastest-moving cities. The commercial, financial, technological, and cultural heart of China, Shanghai offers singular opportunities to study the world economy, capital formation in emerging markets, and both Western and Asian business practices.

Fudan’s School of Management is located in the Yangpu District of the city — on Guoshun Road and Handan Road. The school’s technologically advanced facilities reflect its role as a leading provider of management education.

Earn Your EMBA from two leading universities

EMBA alumni will tell you the Washington University–Fudan University Executive MBA program exceeded their expectations, preparing them to guide stakeholder relationships, make decisions, and exert power confidently and effectively.

Taught mainly in English, the program closely matches the content and structure of Olin Business School’s Executive MBA program. In fact, courses are taught by many of the same faculty members. If you graduate from the program in Shanghai, however, you earn an MBA degree or certificate from two of the world’s leading universities — and you become a member of both institutions’ alumni communities.

Learning for a lifetime of achievement

Like its US counterpart, the program promotes what program founders called “learning for a lifetime of achievement.” You learn business fundamentals and how these disciplines interact to enhance operational performance. Equally important, you learn how to lead people, programs, and change.

Program accreditation

Both WashU Olin Business School and Fudan University are highly regarded and recognized. WashU Olin and Fundan University have accreditation from the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (EFMD Quality Improvement System), two of just over 800 institutions with this distinction.

EMBA Shanghai program costs

The Washington University–Fudan University Executive MBA program cost for the class entering in 2024 is RMD 768,000 (approx. $106,286 USD) and is nonrefundable. Fees include costs for textbooks, study materials, and lodging and meals for all residencies — including final-residency lodging at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education & Conference Center at Washington University in St. Louis.

You’re responsible for transportation for the mid-term residency and for transportation costs to St. Louis for the final residency. These expenses are also nonrefundable.

To hold a place in the class, you must submit a nonrefundable deposit after you’re accepted into the program. The deposit is applied toward your total program cost.

Residencies

Opening residency brings your class together

You begin the Washington University–Fudan University Executive MBA program with the Opening Residency in Suzhou, China. During the residency, you examine management strategy, form study groups and get to know members of your class—senior-level professionals from a wide range of organizations in Asia and other regions. Together, you begin to establish a unique class culture.

Mid-term residency focuses on innovation

A one-week mid-term residency is scheduled to enhance your learning experience in innovation and entrepreneurship. Halfway through the program, students travel out of China, where you the courses Strategic Management of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In addition, you spend time visiting the world’s leading innovation companies and local startups. Local industry leaders and entrepreneurs are invited to give a series of keynote speeches.

An enriching residency in Washington, DC and St. Louis

You spend two weeks studying in the United States, including a few days in Washington, DC, hosted by WashU at Brookings. Olin Business School long ago forged a relationship with the Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan think tank, to provide classes in the heart of Dupount Circle. While there, you learn about how the realms of business and public policy intersect with and influence each other. And you explore today’s worldwide issues involving trade, utilization of power, human rights, economic inequality, and globalization.

The second week of the residency takes place at Olin Business School on WashU’s campus in St. Louis. The program includes courses in market analytics and final reports on innovation projects. The week concludes with a special graduation ceremony.

Admissions

The first step in the admissions process is filling out an online pre-admission form. If you match the EMBA profile, you’ll be asked to complete a full application form.

Do you have questions about the EMBA Shanghai program? Email emba-shanghai@olin.wustl.edu or call the Executive MBA office at +86 21 5566-4788.