Oxford Said Business School Executive MBA (EMBA) Recommendation Questions & Analysis 2024 - 2025

The Oxford Executive MBA (EMBA) program is a part-time, two-year course designed for experienced professionals looking to advance their leadership skills and global business acumen. The program blends academic rigor with practical business insights, including a focus on personal development, a Global Opportunities & Threats (GOT) project, and access to Oxford’s extensive global network of alumni and business leaders.

Oxford’s Saïd Business School looks for candidates who have a minimum of 8-10 years of professional experience, with at least 5 years in managerial roles. Ideal applicants are high-achieving, forward-thinking leaders who show potential for significant impact in their industries. The school seeks individuals with strong leadership, teamwork, and communication skills, strategic thinking abilities, and a track record of making an impact. If you’re applying to the Oxford SBS EMBA program, ensure that you highlight these qualities in your application and recommendations. 

How Many Letters of Recommendation Does Oxford SBS EMBA Require?

Oxford requires two professional or academic letters of recommendation for the EMBA program.

Your ideal recommender is your current or previous direct supervisor. Your recommender should attest to your teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills – skills you will need to apply in the EMBA program. They should also be willing to collaborate with you effectively. 

You will need to submit the referee’s professional or institutional email address. Recommendations from personal email addresses will not be accepted (@gmail, @yahoo, @hotmail etc.)

Oxford asks applicants to upload a long letter of recommendation instead of individual recommendation questions.

Oxford SBS EMBA Recommendation Questions

Applicant Information

Rate the applicant on the following five traits using the scale: Needs Improvement, Developing, Competent, Exceeds Expectation, Unknown/Not observed.

• Intellectual Curiosity

• Leadership Skills

• Ability to Work in a Team

• Energy and Drive

• English Language Ability

Recommendation Questions 

Please upload a letter below, to elaborate on your ratings you have given the candidate above. Please also indicate, for how long you have known the candidate and in what capacity, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and how you think the candidate would benefit from the programme.

Analysis

Applicant Information

Here’s what Oxford SBS's EMBA rating scale looks like:

The Oxford Letter of Recommendation form provides your recommender with a grid of 5 broad skills that evaluate the candidate's ability to thrive in the EMBA classroom.

Guide your recommender to think deeply about these ratings. They should not choose the highest ratings for all skills, as this looks contrived and inauthentic. Choose the highest rating "Exceeds Expectations" for 3-4 skills, and the second highest "Competent" for 1-2 skills.

Recommendation Questions

Please upload a letter to elaborate on your ratings you have given the candidate above. Please also indicate, for how long you have known the candidate and in what capacity, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and how you think the candidate would benefit from the programme.

When guiding your EMBA recommender on structuring their letter, here’s what they should include: 

First, they’ll need to establish their relationship with you. This means briefly explaining how they know you, how often they interact with you, and what role you play in the organization. This sets the context for the rest of the letter.

Next, they should go into detail about the ratings they’ve given you. They should highlight your strengths with 2-3 real-life examples that help explain the ratings. The focus should be on key skills like leadership, teamwork, and intellectual abilities. To make these examples even stronger, guide them to use the SCAR method: explain the Situation, the Challenge or task you faced, the Actions you took, and the Results you achieved. This helps provide a clear picture of your capabilities.

It’s also important for your recommender to discuss areas where you can improve. This might be harder for EMBA applicants who have extensive experience, but it demonstrates humility and a learning mindset – strong leadership qualities. Ask your recommender to share a specific example where a weakness had an impact on your work or team, the feedback they gave you, and how you used it to grow. Again, they can use the SCAR format here, focusing on what you learned from the experience.

Finally, your recommender should conclude by discussing your readiness for the Oxford EMBA program. They can briefly explain why they think you’d be a great fit for Oxford Saïd Business School and how the EMBA will help you develop both personally and professionally.

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Applying to the Oxford SBS EMBA program? Get in touch for a free consultation.