Ownership is a leadership move
In the MBA in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) program at Weatherhead School of Management, we prepare professionals to acquire, operate and grow established businesses through applied learning, practitioner mentorship and real-world operational leadership.
The future of business leadership will not belong to people who can simply analyze organizations. It will belong to people who can own outcomes.
Our Program At a Glance
Weatherhead’s ETA Advantage
In the MBA in ETA program at Weatherhead, you’ll become a leader who can combine financial judgment, operational capability and entrepreneurial leadership to guide organizations through acquisition and long-term stewardship.
You’ll be exposed to the full spectrum of ETA acquisition models, with a focus on self‑funded acquisitions and single-sponsored Entrepreneur-in-Residence approaches. The Weatherhead ETA concentration emphasizes acquisition pathways that are realistically accessible and grounded in capability, readiness and judgment.
Core areas of study include:
- Credible Buyer Assessment & Acquisition Career Planning
- Deal Sourcing & Acquisition
- Valuation, Financing & Deal Structuring
- Contracting and Negotiations
- Small Business Operations, Financial Management & Leadership
- Exit Strategy & Wealth Creation
A Proven Ecosystem of Success
Weatherhead has supported acquisition entrepreneurs through multiple pathways for nearly four decades. The ETA MBA concentration provides a single, intentional ownership pathway that prepares you to both pursue acquisition and step into the responsibilities of running and leading a business over the long term.
As a Weatherhead MBA student, you’ll gain access to:
- ETA-practioner faculty expertise and practitioner mentorship
- Industry-leading events and programming
- Regional and national ETA networks with leadership opportunities
- Exposure to real acquisition journeys and operational leadership challenges
Evidence-Based Learning
This concentration combines evidence-based management education with applied ownership experience. Designed to help you build the judgment, adaptability and execution capability required for business ownership, real world opportunities are embedded throughout the learning journey.
Experiential opportunities include:
- Live deal analysis, simulations and ETA-focused practicums centered on the acquisition process and decisions
- Hands-on collaboration with aspiring entrepreneurs, owner/operators, investors and merger and acquisition advisors solving real problems on live deals
- Industry events and leadership opportunities that allow students to graduate with a career-building network sourced from Weatherhead’s broader ETA ecosystem
This is management education designed around demonstrated capability, not just classroom knowledge.
Predictable Pathways
Our program offers a mixed format of both online and on-campus opportunities as well as an in-person residency for a real-world learning experience. The program includes a total of six courses and is generally completed within 2-3 years. Graduates receive a master’s degree and Certificate in Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition.