The format for delivering the EMPA program is designed to minimize time away from work and family while maximizing interaction with fellow students and faculty.

Faculty members utilize a mix of in-classroom and distance learning instruction that demonstrate the flexibility needed to accommodate experienced working graduates. The four-day on-site (in-classroom) instruction for each course is normally conducted every six and one-half weeks on a Saturday and Sunday and the following Friday and Saturday in full day sessions. Additional off-site lectures are provided on CDs. Blackboard customized courseware, with e-mail and course management features, is used to deliver the offsite computer-based portion of the curriculum. Portions of some courses involve videoconferencing. Students and faculty interact frequently to exchange e-mail, transfer files, submit papers, and access course materials in the form of PowerPoint slides during courses.