As the marketplace becomes more competitive, there is a growing demand for business educators to prepare graduates to adapt to the challenges of the marketplace. However, concerns regarding the pedagogical challenges of balancing conceptual knowledge and practical skills are accumulating in the academic literature. In this article, we make the case for an online project-based competency education model by describing the pedagogical framework and strategies that our institution has adopted and successfully implemented. We highlight some key takeaways addressing specific features of our program that create added value for students and ultimately help them become more competitive in the workplace. We conclude with implications, challenges, and directions for future research.

Executive education (EE) has been an important part of business school offerings for nearly as long as there have been business schools. Similarly, business schools were among the first in higher education to adopt online approaches as a means for course delivery. Despite this experience, few business schools have been able to successfully integrate EE with online delivery approaches. This study suggests that a project-based approach can achieve EE/online delivery integration. The case is first made for a projectbased approach by telling the story of our institution's journey toward a project-based EE model. Challenges, successes, and plans for the future are then discussed. Subject Areas: Executive Education, Online Education, Project-based Education, and Competency-based Education. † Corresponding Author.Jacobson et al. 43project-based EE story. It begins with an overview of EE in business schools and the growing importance of online education. This is followed, by telling the story of our journey to an integrated EE and online program, by a discussion of the project-based approach to EE. Key issues we continue to grapple with are then examined, followed by words of encouragement and caution for others considering a similar journey.