Custom Programs

Innovative Solutions for New Challenges

Tepper Executive Education’s primary emphasis is on the development and delivery of custom programs.  Because we invest our resources in the customization process instead of your budget the potential for higher impact and value through custom programs can be achieved at costs that are similar to non-customized open enrollment programs.

At the heart of a successful custom program is identification of and responsiveness to client needs and objectives. Given this key understanding the premium task is to develop and integrate three fundamental program design elements: Cohort, Content and Context.  

Decisions regarding target participants (Cohort) are not trivial and should be integrated into discussions regarding the Content and Content at custom program designs. A wide variety of custom program designs are possible - ultimately the task is to define an integrated solution that combines these elements in light of your needs, budget and objectives.

Tepper Executive Education has developed an extreme variety of custom programs for clients around the world. Program designs might range from applied to integrated learning contexts and a core or specialized content strategy. The diagram below to the right shows 4 basic combinations of these elements but in practice no two custom programs are truly identical.

Custom Program Elements

Cohort – Leveraging Social and Intellectual Capital
The identification and composition of program participants is extremely important when considering custom program design. Choices between homogenous, heterogeneous (cross functional, multi-level, cross division, et al) and cohesive (team enrollment) enrollment must be made relative to program objectives and in concert with content and context elements of the program.

Often overlooked in program design is the value that participants represent as ‘instructors’. That is to say the exchange of knowledge and the network effect of attending the program enable additional transfer of knowledge in the post-program environment.

In the end, participants are at the center of all other design decisions. Consideration of the additive role they can play by interacting, connecting and working together is an important opportunity to leverage the impact of the program’s design.

Content – Promoting ‘Integrated’ Thinking and Insights

Here the challenge is to select and generate content driven by the need to develop core business knowledge, specialized insights and skills, or both. An associated discussion should explore content choices that are needed to drive participant performance in their current roles, or topics and skills that prepare them for greater, future responsibilities, or a blended approach.

Tepper Executive Education custom program content draws from a variety of centers of excellence from across the University. Content developed on groundbreaking research is incorporated from the Schools of Computer Science, Engineering, Public Policy and even the School of Drama. Anchored by our highly skilled and diverse School of Business faculty. Custom Tepper Executive Education programs reach a level of unique challenge, impact and value for our clients.

Context – Learning environments that inspire new thought and action
An important consideration in custom program design is to devise learning environments for professionals that ensure uptake of new knowledge, ideas and ways of thinking. For custom program design, the minimum requirement is that pedagogical approaches ensure that the content is applied.

Tepper Executive Education uses a broad variety of approaches to achieve this objective including case studies, management science analytics, role-plays, labs, and computer simulations.

Beyond this fundamental level of customization are integrated approaches that bring company specific imperatives, challenges and projects into the classroom. We have designed and delivered a variety of learning environments that incorporate real-time company projects and teams creating an explicit bridge from learning to application.