International MBA
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TRANSFORM YOUR CAREER BY TRANSFORMING YOURSELF
The International MBA is for business professionals who understand that the most meaningful challenges are the ones we set for ourselves.
Defining the right career path is just such a challenge – but the wealth of options, the pace of change and a shifting business landscape can make it seem like an intractable one. And even settling on a path can lead to more questions: are you sure it’s the right one for you? How can you progress and futureproof it? Will it fulfill you beyond just a paycheck?
The answer lies in transforming your career by transforming yourself. A curated learning experience like no other, the International MBA is a full-time program tailored to your needs. The first MBA with a holistic focus on you, the program is designed around a unique framework that emphasizes the strengths, needs and aims of each individual.
At IE Business School, we understand that the skills and experiences you’ve accrued have brought you this far; we’ll work with you to identify and refine those skills, and align them with your goals and aspirations. We’ll help you clarify and hone your sense of purpose, to bring enrichment to your career path. And we’ll collaborate to define any gaps in your expertise, and advise the best ways to address them.
WE’LL GUIDE YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY
Acting as your trusted guide every step of the way, we’ll work with you to draw up a detailed picture of who you are and what success looks like to you, before embarking on a curated academic journey that helps to define the right direction for you, and equips you with the exact tools you’ll need to succeed. In a business world that’s complex, ever-changing and hard to navigate, no two career paths are the same. The International MBA you live will be unique to the person you are, empowering you to forge the path that’s right for you.
THE NEXT BEST YOU
Education at IE goes beyond externalities. It creates game-changing moments that transform who you are personally and professionally. You are unique. Understanding and building on your particular aspirations, strengths and blind spots is the best preparation to lead in a rapidly changing world. That’s why we tailor the International MBA to elevate you, as an individual, above all else. The journey won’t be easy. Change demands challenge, honesty and leaving your comfort zone. Who is the next best you? Identify your career path, boost your impact and hone your purpose to find out.
YOUR CAREER
When choosing something as important as a career, there are so many options and so much information. We help you cut through the noise. Let us help you get to know yourself better, explore your options and get on the career path that’s right for you. Using the insight gleaned from our connections to the business community and analysis of the labor market, we help you curate your future-proof career path and sharpen the set of skills that recruiters are after. Find what’s best for you and pursue it.
YOUR IMPACT
What does it take to change the world? Your impact depends on your ideas, behavior and digital skills. No matter the context, top companies, startups and social enterprises strive to find people who can make big things happen, professionals who can harness available resources to forge solutions to real-world challenges. From creative thinking to alliance building and data-driven decision-making, this program will give you what you need to become a high-impact business professional.
YOUR PURPOSE
On massive societal challenges ranging from climate change to inequality, there’s no question that the business community will play a pivotal role. What that role will look like depends on you, on the individuals driving forward companies and sectors. That’s why we are passionate about guiding you to find your deeper purpose, refine it, align it with your career and make the world a genuinely better place. It’s not a platitude; it’s our commitment.
- International MBA Program Specialists
NEED HELP FIGURING OUT WHAT’S NEXT?
“I’m good with words, obsessed with green tech and currently working in finance. I desperately need a change, but I don’t know what I should do with my life. Help!” If this sounds even vaguely like you, get in touch. We’d be happy to help you begin exploring career options. We know what jobs are out there and the skills recruiters want. Reach out, no strings attached.
WHO IS THE INTERNATIONAL MBA RIGHT FOR?
Open-minded adventurers seeking a unique MBA program that brings opportunities for personal and professional transformation, inside the classroom and out.
Disrupters and founders who want to explore new paths and develop the tools, connections and mindset necessary to launch a business.
Changemakers looking to enhance their existing career path by better aligning it to their sense of purpose, or those considering a new direction in order to create a legacy of social, economic or professional impact.
Forward-thinkers aiming to upskill or reskill in order to future-proof their career.
Future leaders seeking the knowledge and skills to reach the pinnacle of their company or profession, maximizing their career potential.
Connection builders seeking to engage with peers, industry experts and international companies.
Class profile
The International MBA attracts professionals from a wide range of industries, backgrounds and disciplines, reflecting the wealth of pathways the program offers.
- 92%International Students
- +48Nationalities
- 29Average age
- gENDERMaleFemale
- Academic BackgroundsBusinessEngineeringEconomicsLegalScienceSocial Sciences & HumanitiesHumanitiesTechnology
- Sectors represented in classConsultingConsumer products & RetalilBanking, Insurance, Financial ServicesTechnology, TelecommunicationsMarketing / Advertisement / CommunicationTransport / Logistics / AutomotiveReal estate / ConstructionHealthcare, Pharma, BiotechnologyOther
RANKINGS
- 8Global MBAIn EuropeFINANCIAL TIMES
- 4Top MBA Programs for EntrepreneurshipIn the worldPoets & quants
- 10European Business School In EuropeFinancial Times
- 4MBA European RankingIn EuropePitchbook
Program Structure
CHOOSE THE DURATION THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU
CHOOSE THE DURATION THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU
The International MBA offers an unparalleled opportunity to design a personalized academic journey that aligns with your unique career goals, experience and time horizon. Whether it’s accelerating your career, taking the time to explore new possibilities or multiplying your opportunities by obtaining a dual degree, you’ll be able to choose the duration that best fits your path.
Breaking down your options
11 months
Advance your career growth and gain the necessary skills and knowledge quickly to move ahead in your field of expertise. Choose from a variety of pathways, including consulting, entrepreneurship, tech, or marketing, to tailor your journey and get on track to landing the best job for you.
15 months
Provides ample time for career exploration and more in-depth specialization. It’s beneficial to pivot career paths, explore new career options, or develop skills and gain the experience needed to enter today’s competitive job market or start up your company with confidence.
19 months - Dual Degree
Obtain a Dual Degree in less than two years to sharpen your leadership skills and business acumen in the International MBA and gain deep expertise in a specific field with a specialized Masters Degree.
*Please note that our program content is continually updated to remain in sync with market demands. Therefore, we advise you that the content is subject to change and it can be dependent on student demand.
YOUR OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORLD OF WORK
Where will our International MBA take you? Gain exclusive, up-to-date insights and explore the career paths our alumni are taking after graduation to help you plan your next career move.
ACADEMIC PARTNERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL MBA
These are some of the Academic Partners in the International MBA:
OFFICIAL DEGREE
The International MBA is an official degree that awards a total of 60 ECTS credits. Students must meet the following conditions and requirements to be officially enrolled and entitled to request the official university degree upon completion of the master program. If educational prerequisites are not provided and/or if the requirements are not met on time, the student will not be able to request the official university degree as issued by the Spanish government. In this case, the studies will not be official under Spanish educational regulations.
Upcoming events
Upcoming events
Stay ahead in your career journey by joining our upcoming International MBA events. Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding of the program, connect with our global community, or explore networking opportunities, these events are tailored to give you valuable insights and firsthand experiences.
OUR FACULTY ARE HERE TO GUIDE YOU
Meet the International MBA Vice-Dean David Suarez
Meet the International MBA Vice-Dean David Suarez
As Vice Dean of the International MBA, David brings over 25 years of experience in strategy and management consulting to guide students on their journeys to becoming the next best versions of themselves. For the last 10 years, David was a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, leading all human capital consulting activities in the Middle East. Before that, he was Vice President (Partner) at the Organization, Change and Leadership Practice at Booz & Company and served clients across Europe and the Americas at Deloitte Consulting.
Throughout his career, David has focused on how people, organizational behavior, and effectiveness can enable large-scale business transformation. His areas of expertise include human capital strategy, talent and leadership development, organizational culture, change management, board/corporate governance, organization and operating model design, business transformation program management and performance improvement. In recent years, David has studied the impact of megatrends like technology-driven disruption and demographic changes, examining how they will affect the future of work and how ready organizations are to handle these challenges. Today, he generously shares his expertise with IE students, empowering the next generation of leaders to forge the career paths that are right for them and make a meaningful impact on the world.
DISCOVER OUR FACULTY
At IE Business School, our faculty’s commitment to you goes far beyond teaching. Their mission is to help you understand the person you are now and guide you on the path to the person you want to become. From working with you to reveal your strengths and surface your career goals to helping you refine how to make the impact your sense of purpose demands – or even discovering what that purpose is – they’re on hand to challenge you to think about yourself in new ways, learn the skills you need for your future career and become the next best you. Drawn from all over the globe, our faculty brings expertise from a vast range of industries, roles and functions, meaning they’re equipped with the real-world experience to help you succeed.
Accounting & Management Control
Economics
Entrepreneurship
Finance
Human resources and Organisational behaviour
Information Systems & Technology
Law
Marketing
Operations & Technology
Strategy
LIVING YOUR MBA
Experience outside the classroom
Personal and professional transformation go hand in hand on the journey to the next best you. Studying in the heart of Madrid, you’ll find yourself surrounded by opportunities for both. Spain’s capital combines the dynamism of a global city with the inspiration of a cultural hotspot. Famed for its student-friendly environment, Madrid’s vibrant nightlife, affordable public transport and thriving alternative scene make it the ideal city in which to immerse yourself. And as home to global companies including Google, Microsoft and Apple, the scope for professional growth is governed only by your ambition. The International MBA is your journey; study in a city that helps you live every minute of it to the fullest.
EXTRACURRICULARS
Transformation begins with discovery. Embrace your passions and unearth new ones with more than 120 clubs to choose from at IE Business School. The most popular include IE Sports & Wellbeing, IE Net Impact Club and IE Women in Business. But wherever your interests lie, you’ll find a place to connect with like-minded people, enhance your wellbeing and power your personal development outside the classroom.
NURTURING YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
The journey to the next best you centers around equipping you with the skills and abilities you need to achieve tangible, real-world success. Nowhere illustrates that ethos better than IE’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, where you’ll gain access to investors, mentors and a worldwide network of successful entrepreneurs with the knowledge and expertise to help you turn your ideas into reality. IE’s in-house incubator, Area 31, is a dedicated workspace for startups created by IE alumni. A home to businesses at every stage of development, it provides an ecosystem where you can explore every aspect of entrepreneurship and innovation, benefitting from the skills and experience of real-world visionaries and disruptors.
GET TO KNOW OUR COMMUNITY
Learn more about our regulations and educational quality in Madrid and Segovia.
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS ‘THE NEXT BEST YOU’?
The Next Best You is a fundamental concept at IE Business School. It means we focus on helping you analyze the current you, determine your desired impact as a leader and give you the skills, mindset and tools you need to reach your full potential. Our approach is personalized and tailored to each individual student, rather than using a one-size-fits-all method. We offer a range of guidance, options, and support throughout the program to help you identify and refine your strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations. We provide a wide variety of workshops, mentorships, career advisors, industry connections and extracurricular activities to help you develop the insight, skills and abilities you need to succeed. This personalized approach sets IE apart from other leading universities. Not only does it set you up for greater success, but our approach is valued by recruiters seeking graduates who have undergone this transformative process and have received a highly personalized education.
What is the International MBA student profile?
The International MBA is a business program aimed at professionals with an average of six years of work experience. The average age in the classroom is 30, and the program is open to students of any academic and/or professional background, which enriches the learning experience and promotes diversity.
What is the length and format of the International MBA?
The International MBA is a full-time program taught in Madrid and you can chose to complete it in 11, 15 or 19 months. We offer two different intakes: one in January and one in September.
What is the structure of the International MBA?
The International MBA is a highly customizable program where you can choose 50% of the content, thus tailoring the program to your professional goals. It is divided into four periods. The first two are the “Core” periods of the program, which cover all the business fundamentals. In the third and fourth periods, you will choose a practical “Lab” period, followed by your choice of electives or a concentration to add to your knowledge.
What is the difference between the Master in Management and the International MBA?
The Master in Management is designed for recent graduates with two years or less of work experience, the average age between 21-25 years old. The International MBA, on the other hand, is for more experienced professionals with a minimum of three years of work experience after graduation from university, the average age being 30 years. If you are unsure which program is right for you, please reach out to the Global Recruitment team.