Last Saturday was the 1st day in the USC EMBA program. I was very excited to meet my new classmates and get the program going. There are 59 of us in the San Diego class.
I met a lot of new people and USC got us off to a great start. We were issued books and binders for our 1st two Themes. The USC EMBA program does not have traditional classes. They are organized into Themes, which are a collection of classes under a business theme. There were a lot of books and materials. This is going to be a tough year.
We were also introduced to the USC online system and were issued Office 2007 for our laptops. We spent most of the day configuring our laptops and getting acquainted with the features and functionality of the USC website.
During lunch, I met a few of my classmates and began to look around to see who I could form a study group with.
It was a short day and I was on the tail end of a business trip to Hawaii, so I was exhausted. I was glad to get back to my hotel room for a nap. We’ll see what next week has in store.
Peter's Perspective 
Hi Peter,
Best wishes for your success in this program!
I was wondering if you could describe the choices you considered for an EMBA in the San Diego area before selecting the USC program.
Thanks,
Danny
Hi Danny. Thanks for the well wishes. Sure, I will elaborate a bit on my choice for EMBA program.
When I decided that I wanted to return to school, the following were the main factors:
– School Ranking – At the time, the USC EMBA program was ranked #3 in the country.
– Networking Opportunities – On the West Coast and California, the USC network is strong. It has a strong international presence as well.
– Program schedule – 2 days every 2 weeks isn’t so bad.
– Program curriculum – the EMBA program at USC is designed with Themes instead of traditional classes. It seemed more logical given the work experience that each student was entering with.
– Location – Would I rather attend school in Los Angeles or San Diego? Commuting from Las Vegas, it was a no brainer to pick San Diego. The area hotels are nicer than the ones in the neighborhood of the LA Campus and the flight in/out was easier.
Hope that helps.
Peter
Hi Peter,
Thanks so much for your detailed answer! Mych appreciated.
Best wishes,
Danny