Three-day weekends, once a month
Spring 2021 classes start in May with learning modules to prep for your first residency, a 1-week immersion on Fuqua’s campus in Durham, North Carolina, where you meet classmates to learn about Duke and each other. Over the next 22 months you’ll typically have one 3-day residency a month—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—with hybrid distance learning periods in between. In your final term, you’ll return for two one-week intensive session of electives and complete those courses remotely.
How you learn is also what you learn
Your classmates come from all over the country—and the world. Fuqua’s unique learning model ensures your exchanges with peers become as important as your curriculum. You’ll be teamed with four or five professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, and you’ll work closely together throughout your program. The structure means you’ll need to learn to trust and rely on each other’s strengths, gaining practice in the skills that help you move any team forward.
Our Faculty
All Fuqua degree programs are taught by the same world-renowned faculty, scholars recognized for their excellence in both teaching and research. They include New York Times best-selling authors, journal editors, policy advisors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders in every business discipline. Your professors will challenge you with concepts you can apply immediately in your role, and perhaps continue discussions over coffee or lunch.
Classroom Dynamics
While extensive reading assignments get you ready, debate and analysis is how you’ll learn. Faculty expect you’ll play an active part as classmates from different industries and functions offer real-time insight on the material. Our case-based curriculum is academically rigorous and tackles problems from multiple perspectives, giving you practice in analyzing business decisions with incomplete data. Be prepared to weigh in and to move through topics quickly.
Experiential Learning
Outside the classroom, speaker events and workshops give you an insider view across a range of industries. Whether it’s a four-star general sharing his experience leading the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, an alumni panel discussing trends in the health care industry, or the head of a sports marketing agency describing her career pivot—you’ll gain insights that expand your understanding of the academic material.
Over six terms you’ll cover 18 courses: ten in the core curriculum, four focused on leadership and personal skill development, and four electives. Although timing may vary by calendar year, the typical Weekend Executive structure looks like this:
Term 1
- Distance Period (3 weeks)
- Orientation Residency (7 days)
- Five weekends alternating with 2 weeks of distance: two sessions are 3-day residencies on campus, and three are 1-day (Saturday) hybrid classes
- Finals by distance (10 days)
- Break (6 days)
Terms 2–4
- Distance Period (2 weeks)
- Six weekends alternating with 2 weeks of distance: three sessions are 3-day residencies on campus, and three are 1-day (Saturday) hybrid classes
- Finals by distance (10 days)
- Break (9 days)
TermS 5 - 6 Electives
- Distance Period (2 weeks)
- Residency (2 - 1 week sessions)
- Distance Period (6 weeks following each 1 week residency)
Residencies in Durham
From Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, each month's residency is an intensive learning experience. You’ll also have two longer residencies during your program: 1 week for orientation, and 2 one-week residencies for the elective term. During residency you’ll go to class, work with your team, participate in career resource sessions, meet with your leadership coach, attend guest speaker events and engage with alumni panels.
Learning—and living—with a cohort of experienced professionals helps you forge connections that will last a lifetime. The program provides your accommodations starting Thursday night to make sure you’re ready for Friday morning classes, and you’ll find even local residents live on campus for residencies.
You’ll stay at the four-star JB Duke Hotel and your meals are included, beginning with Friday breakfast and ending with Sunday lunch. On Friday evenings you might join faculty, staff, and students in other programs for “Fuqua Friday,” a catered social event for the community. Sunday classes end at 1:00pm, when you'll travel home.
Hybrid Saturdays
During each term your in-person residencies alternate with distance weekends, where you’ll join your class either in person or remotely for sessions that start Saturday at 11:00am EST and end by 5:00pm. Faculty lead these course discussions from classrooms using technology that integrates in-person and virtual participation. While the program will not provide lodging for Hybrid Saturdays, each term you’ll have the option to decide whether you want to attend hybrid classes remotely or in person.
Distance Learning
Distance learning periods follow each residency, offering flexibility in scheduling and managing coursework, team projects, and other deliverables. Most distance periods range from 2-4 weeks in length, while each of the one week residencies in Term 5 will be followed by 6 weeks of distance learning in a format that includes weekly online classes.
* Arrival day, lodging covered by program — no programming scheduled.
** Departure day from residency — no programming scheduled.
Classes for standard residency weekends begin on Friday at 8:00am and end on Sunday at 1:00pm.
Distance Weekend Saturday: Option to attend virtually or in person; students decide which option on a term basis, not week-to-week. Classes on Distance Weekends will begin at 11:00 am ET and end by 5:00 pm.
*** Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) - Optional course; additional fees apply.
TERM 1 (2019) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | April 30 - May 18 |
Residency | May 19* - 23 |
Weekend 1 Residency | May 24 - 26 |
Weekend 2 Distance | June 8 |
Weekend 3 Residency | June 20* - 23 |
Weekend 4 Distance | July 6 |
Weekend 5 Residency | July 18* - 21 |
Weekend 6 Distance | August 3 |
Finals (Distance) | August 9 - 18 |
Break | August 19 - 22 |
TERM 2 (2019-2020) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | August 23 - September 4 |
Weekend 1 Residency | September 5* - 8 |
Weekend 2 Distance | September 21 |
Weekend 3 Residency | October 3* - 6 |
Weekend 4 Distance | October 26 |
Weekend 5 Residency | November 7* - 10 |
Weekend 6 Distance | November 23 |
Finals (Distance) | November 29 - December 8 |
Break | December 9 - January 9 |
TERM 3 (2020) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | January 10 - 21 |
Weekend 1 (Team Changeover) Residency | January 22* - 26 |
Weekend 2 Distance | February 8 |
Weekend 3 Residency | February 20* - 23 |
Weekend 4 Distance | March 7 |
Weekend 5 Residency | March 19* - 22 |
Weekend 6 Distance | April 4 |
Finals (Distance) | April 10 - 19 |
Break/GATE*** | April 20 - May 14 |
TERM 4 (2020) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | May 15 - 27 |
Weekend 1 Residency | May 28* - 31 |
Weekend 2 Distance | June 13 |
Weekend 3 Residency | June 25* - 28 |
Weekend 4 Distance | July 11 |
Weekend 5 Residency | July 23* - 26 |
Weekend 6 Distance | August 8 |
Finals (Distance) | August 14 - 23 |
Break | August 24 - 27 |
ELECTIVE TERM (2020) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | August 28 - September 10 |
Residency | September 11* - 26** |
Break | September 27 - 28 |
Distance | September 29 - December 7 |
Optional Concentration | January - April 1, 2021 |
GRADUATION | |
Degree Conferral | December 30, 2020 |
Graduation Ceremony | May 29, 2021 |
* Arrival day, lodging covered by program — no programming scheduled.
** Departure day from residency — no programming scheduled.
Classes for standard residency weekends begin on Friday at 8:00am and end on Sunday at 1:00pm.
Pre-Residency Session: Students attend virtually from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
Hybrid Weekend Saturday: Students have the option to attend virtually or in person. No lodging provided. Students decide on a term-by-term basis, not week-to-week, whether they will attend in person. Classes will begin on Hybrid Weekends at 11:00 am ET and end by 5:00 pm.
*** Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) - This is an optional course that is a blend of in-class and in-country experiences. The in-country experience will occur between Terms 3 and 4, with required class sessions prior to departure. Additional fees apply.
**** May 2022 Graduation dates have not yet been announced by the University; dates provided are anticipated based on historical experience
TERM 1 (2020) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | July 23 - August 29 |
Pre-Residency Session | August 22 |
Residency | August 30* - September 3 |
Weekend 1 Residency | September 4 - 6 |
Weekend 2 - Hybrid | September 19 |
Weekend 3 Residency | October 1* - 4 |
Weekend 4 - Hybrid | October 24 |
Weekend 5 Residency | November 5* - 8 |
Weekend 6 - Hybrid | November 21 |
Finals (Distance) | December 4 - 13 |
Break | December 14 - 29 |
TERM 2 (2020-2021) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | December 30 - January 13 |
Pre-Residency Session | January 9 |
Weekend 1 Residency | January 14* - 17 |
Weekend 2 - Hybrid | January 30 |
Weekend 3 Residency | February 11* - 14 |
Weekend 4 - Hybrid | March 6 |
Weekend 5 Residency | March 18* - 21 |
Weekend 6 - Hybrid | April 3 |
Finals (Distance) | April 9 - 18 |
Break/GATE*** | April 19 - May 5 |
TERM 3 (2021) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | May 6 - 17 |
Pre-Residency Session | May 15 |
Weekend 1 (Team Changeover) Residency | May 18* - 23 |
Weekend 2 - Hybrid | June 12 |
Weekend 3 Residency | June 24* - 27 |
Weekend 4 - Hybrid | July 10 |
Weekend 5 Residency | July 22* - 25 |
Weekend 6 - Hybrid | August 7 |
Finals (Distance) | August 13 - 22 |
Break | August 23 - 25 |
TERM 4 (2021) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | August 26 - September 8 |
Pre-Residency Session | September 4 |
Weekend 1 Residency | September 9* - 12 |
Weekend 2 - Hybrid | September 25 |
Weekend 3 Residency | October 7* - 10 |
Weekend 4 - Hybrid | October 23 |
Weekend 5 Residency | November 4* - 7 |
Weekend 6 - Hybrid | November 20 |
Finals (Distance) | December 3 - 12 |
Break | December 13 - 16 |
ELECTIVE TERM (2021 - 2022) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | December 17 - January 6 |
Pre-Residency Session | December 26 |
Pre-Residency Session | January 2 |
Residency | January 7* - 22** |
Break | January 23 - January 24 |
Distance | January 25 - April 4 |
Finals (Distance) | March 22 - April 4 |
Term 6 Optional Concentration (2022) | |
Optional Concentration | April 18 - July 17 |
GRADUATION | |
Degree Conferral | May 8, 2022 |
Graduation Ceremony**** | May 7 - 8, 2022 (tentative date) |
* Arrival day, lodging covered by program — no programming scheduled.
** Departure day from residency — no programming scheduled.
Classes for standard residency weekends begin on Friday at 8:00am and end on Sunday at 1:00pm.
Pre-Residency Session: Students attend virtually from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
Hybrid Weekend Saturday: Students have the option to attend virtually or in person. No lodging provided. Students decide on a term-by-term basis, not week-to-week, whether they will attend in person. Classes will begin on Hybrid Weekends at 11:00 am ET and end by 5:00 pm.
*** Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) - This is an optional course that is a blend of in-class and in-country experiences. The in-country experience will occur between Terms 3 and 4, with required class sessions prior to departure. Additional fees apply.
**** May 2023 Graduation dates have not yet been announced by the University; dates provided are anticipated based on historical experience
TERM 1 (2021) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | April 20 - May 9 |
Pre-Residency Session | May 1 |
Residency | May 10* - May 14 |
Weekend 1 Residency | May 15 - 17 |
Weekend 2 - Hybrid | June 5 |
Weekend 3 Residency | June 17* - 20 |
Weekend 4 - Hybrid | July 3 |
Weekend 5 Residency | July 15* - 18 |
Weekend 6 - Hybrid | July 31 |
Finals (Distance) | August 6 - 15 |
Break | August 16 - September 2 |
TERM 2 (2021-2022) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | September 3 - 15 |
Pre-Residency Session | September 11 |
Weekend 1 Residency | September 16* - 19 |
Weekend 2 - Hybrid | October 2 |
Weekend 3 Residency | October 14* - 17 |
Weekend 4 - Hybrid | October 30 |
Weekend 5 Residency | November 11* - 14 |
Weekend 6 - Hybrid | December 4 |
Finals (Distance) | December 10 - 19 |
Break | December 20 - January 11 |
TERM 3 (2022) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | January 12 - 25 |
Pre-Residency Session | January 22 |
Weekend 1 (Team Changeover) Residency | January 26* - 30 |
Weekend 2 - Hybrid | February 12 |
Weekend 3 Residency | February 24* - 27 |
Weekend 4 - Hybrid | March 12 |
Weekend 5 Residency | March 24* - 27 |
Weekend 6 - Hybrid | April 9 |
Finals (Distance) | April 15 - 24 |
Break/GATE*** | April 25 - May 12 |
TERM 4 (2022) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | May 13 - 25 |
Pre-Residency Session | May 21 |
Weekend 1 Residency | May 26* - 29 |
Weekend 2 - Hybrid | June 11 |
Weekend 3 Residency | June 23* - 26 |
Weekend 4 - Hybrid | July 9 |
Weekend 5 Residency | July 21* - 24 |
Weekend 6 - Hybrid | August 6 |
Finals (Distance) | August 12 - 21 |
Break | August 22 - September 15 |
ELECTIVE TERM 1 (2022-2023) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | September 16 - 29 |
Pre-Residency Session | September 24 |
Residency | September 30* - October 8** |
Break | October 9 - 10 |
Distance | October 11 - November 21 |
Break | November 22 - January 1 |
ELECTIVE TERM 2 (2023) | |
Reading Period/Classes Begin | January 2 - 13 |
Pre-Residency Session | January 7 |
Residency | January 14* - 21** |
Break | January 22 - 23 |
Distance | January 24 - March 6 |
Optional Concentration (2023) | |
Optional Concentration | December 1, 2022 - April 1, 2023 |
GRADUATION | |
Degree Conferral | May 14, 2023 |
Graduation Ceremony**** | May 13 - 14, 2023 |