Optimal Class Size

The University of Calgary Executive MBA program has just had a new intake for the graduating class of 2010. The class is 51 students strong. The class two years before (that just graduated) was 52 students strong.

Our class has just 35 students. Is that an advantage or a disadvantage?

I think both. Smaller class size allows students to get to know each other better, but also means that you have a smaller network with which to draw upon.

I imagine that the break even point for the course must be close to 35 students. Given the success in Calgary over the past couple of years, we were all surprised at the small size of the group. One would expect the demand for executive education to be quite a bit higher, but we seem to have been a "gap" year.

Does that mean that we will get less to spend on our International Trip? Time will tell.

International Trip

Where to go? Where to go?

As part of our course at the University of Calgary EMBA program (just to increase my Google hits!), we go on a 10 day international trip. The class has established a steering committee and each group (6) has to make a presentation on a trip to two different cities in the world where international business can be examined.

I'm pretty sure that most of the class doesn't want to do Western Europe or the US, so likely it will end up being Asia. Last year's class went to London and Paris. Asia has a large emerging market and there are plenty of opportunities.