{"id":15184,"date":"2026-01-30T10:20:05","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T15:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/?p=15184"},"modified":"2026-03-30T10:05:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T14:05:40","slug":"part-of-a-family-business-an-mba-could-be-right-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/part-of-a-family-business-an-mba-could-be-right-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Get an MBA for a Family Business? Programs to Consider"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

An estimated 80% of all businesses are considered family businesses to some degree. Therefore, it\u2019s not surprising that the vast majority of business schools offer one or more courses focused on the unique challenges of running a business that means a whole lot more to you than just making money.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you are already working in a family business, the desire to attend business school can be multifaceted. Your motivations could include learning new skills to take back to the business (like data analytics) or learning the basics of business (like accounting, marketing, and operations) as you transition into the company from somewhere else. Other considerations may include building out a new network of contacts that could help drive the business forward. Or maybe you just need to take a sabbatical from an organization that you will likely be working in for decades to come.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Spending two years in a traditional MBA program may give you the greatest opportunity to learn, build, and play\u2014but perhaps two years away from the business is not a luxury you can afford. After all, how long can you really be away from a business in which you are already playing a pivotal role? Other options could include a one-year MBA program, which would allow you to return to the business sooner, or even a part-time MBA program, which would enable you to never even leave. To help you think through many of these factors, this blog post offers more details on each option.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Full-Time MBA Programs<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Here are some of the best full-time MBA programs that have made it a priority to prepare their graduates to run a family enterprise:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Northwestern Kellogg School of Management<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The John L. Ward Center for Family Enterprises<\/b><\/a> at Kellogg offers courses, conferences, and research focused on family business strategy, governance, succession planning, family business culture, and more. The center aims to build a community for family business operators to share and learn from each other.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Columbia Business School<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Through its Global Family Enterprise Program<\/b><\/a>, Columbia offers its students and alumni courses, events, and other educational programs that explore the unique dynamics of an enterprise that is often more than just a business.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Founded in 2014, Johnson\u2019s Smith Family Business Initiative<\/a> is all about giving students the network, curriculum, and cutting-edge knowledge to strengthen family businesses and help them to thrive for generations to come. Components of the program include the Family Business Club, courses, speakers\u2019 series, and family business\u2013focused study trips.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Wharton has taken a different approach to the world of family businesses by creating the Wharton Global Family Alliance<\/a>, which brings together family businesses from across the world to share their own unique issues and struggles. It manifests in a robust community along with research and conferences\u2014feeding the MBA curriculum with a wide range of courses that address the unique challenges of a family business.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

University of North Carolina (UNC) Kenan-Flagler Business School<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

UNC\u2019s Family Enterprise Center<\/a> provides support for students who have chosen to focus their learning on running a family enterprise. Resources include specific courses, the Family Business Club, roundtables, workshops, mentoring, and advising.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other Types of MBA Programs to Consider<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Although you may have the desire\u2014and even the funds\u2014to go to business school, you may be lacking one important thing: the time. The idea of taking a couple of years off to learn business in a different way may be especially appealing, but your commitment to your family enterprise simply may not allow for it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If this is your situation, here are a few MBA programs to consider as you look to develop the skills, knowledge, and relationships to take your business to the next level:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

One-Year Programs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If two years is too long of a commitment for you, a one-year program might be more appealing. Some of the top business schools offer an accelerated curriculum that will still allow you to focus on your family enterprise. For example, Kellogg has a one-year MBA program<\/b><\/a>, while Columbia\u2019s January-entry MBA program<\/b><\/a>lasts just 16 months.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

International Programs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Compared to the United States, Europe and Asia generally have an even higher concentration of family businesses. For this reason, many international programs have a specific focus on running a family enterprise. IE<\/a>, INSEAD<\/b><\/a>, London Business School<\/b><\/a>, and other universities across these regions are known for their outstanding curricula in family business operation. And most are one-year programs, giving you an opportunity for a real adventure that takes you away from your business for half the time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Executive MBA Programs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Like one-year programs, many of the top two-year MBA programs also have executive MBA degrees that let you study family businesses in a more flexible way. Another alternative might be programs such as Duke Fuqua\u2019s Global Executive MBA<\/a>, which encompasses several residencies around the world with work in between, or the IE Brown Executive MBA<\/a>, a joint degree from IE and Brown University that follows a similar format. These programs are uniquely suited to family business folks, who likely have the flexibility to take time away but won\u2019t have to give up vacations or family commitments to enroll.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Certificate Programs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If even an executive MBA program is too much of a commitment, then check out a certificate program. These programs may only have a few sessions but are highly focused on the issues facing family enterprises. Harvard Business School, for example, offers two programs of differing lengths that tackle these issues: the Owner\/President Management<\/a> program and the shorter Families in Business<\/b><\/a>program.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Regional Programs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some of the strongest programs with a focus on family business are small local programs that were created specifically to cater to the needs of area businesspeople. Although these programs offer all sorts of courses focused on family businesses, they are also looking to build a community of local businesspeople who face the same unique difficulties in running their own enterprises. In fact, these very people frequently become your future clients, customers, suppliers, and business partners. These programs are generally part time, though some may have a full-time option. Your own city most likely has such programs, but here are two interesting examples:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n