Freeman launches non-degree custom executive education programming

A group of 16 public health professionals recently spent an afternoon learning practical strategies to improve their decision making in the field as part of a new educational initiative of the A. B. Freeman School of Business.

The health professionals were the first participants in the Freeman School’s new Executive and Professional Educational Program, which was launched this year to design and deliver custom non-degree programming for businesses and organizations.

The participants were ExxonMobil Global Health Scholars, who were in New Orleans to attend the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Conference. Since 2011, the ExxonMobil Foundation has supported scholarships for outstanding students from developing and emerging markets to pursue master’s degrees in global health fields at the University of Oxford.

By adding a business education component to their global health training, the ExxonMobil Scholars were able to enhance their understanding of decision-making processes, including recognizing common cognitive biases affecting managerial decisions, an essential skill to helping them tackle critical health issues more effectively and efficiently.

The Freeman School has long offered degree programs for professional and executive students, but Lara White, executive director of Executive and Professional Education, says there’s a growing market for non-degree offerings like the ExxonMobil Scholars course.

“Practical business education is more valuable than ever before, but not everyone has the desire or time to devote to a nine- or 12-month master’s program,” White says. “With this new initiative, we can design custom short-term programs that meet the specific educational goals of the company and deliver the exact skills that company needs to strengthen internal teams and compete more effectively.”

For more information about custom executive and professional education opportunities, contact White at 504-314-2445 or lwhite14@tulane.edu.