Simulation training on the Master in Management & Strategy

5 min read

Are you looking for a program that seamlessly combines theory and practice to prepare you for a career in consulting, finance or technology? The Master in Management & Strategy gives you the chance to get hands on with practical simulation training, ensuring you’re ready to hit the ground running. 

What makes the Master in Management & Strategy unique? 

The Master in Management & Strategy at IE Business School is more than your traditional classroom-based postgraduate program. While you’ll gain extensive academic knowledge thanks to our expert faculty, this program is designed to immerse you in the real world of business: 

In-depth insights into the operations of leading companies, with firsthand experience of their organizational dynamics;  

Collaborative teamwork to hone your leadership skills and strategic expertise, enabling you to unlock the next best you;  

Our unique Career Discovery Accelerator, which gives personalized guidance for your personal and professional growth.  

It’s a 15-month, full-time program, taught in-person in the heart of Madrid—a major European hub for tech and business.

Who is the Master in Management & Strategy for?

The Master in Management & Strategy is for aspiring leaders who want to excel in any global company. You’ll have:  

1. A solid academic background in business, finance, economics or STEM

2. Experienced professionals who demonstrate relevant experiencein related areas

3. A clear career aspiration to pursue opportunities in strategy & management consulting, financial services or technology 

4. Readiness to be challenged, to lead and to grow both personally and professionally

Welcome to real-world learning!

Forget everything you know about business school. You’re not here to just sit in a classroom, take notes and pass exams. When you join the Master in Management & Strategy you join a company, which happens to be a thriving biotech innovator at the forefront of wearable health technology. Our simulated company isn’t just another corporate player—it’s a game-changer. 

As a new recruit in RF2 (“Ready for the Future”), our elite Graduate Development Program, you won’t be just a student. You’ll be an insider—a real participant in the company’s next phase of growth. And with unprecedented opportunity comes serious challenges. Are you ready? 

How It Works 

You don’t study business here. You do business here. 

Onboarding and Bridge-to-Business: You will get onboarded in the first few weeks of the program. If you have no prior background in business, you will be put through our Bridge-to-Business accelerator to bridge essential gaps prior to starting with the company. 

Rotational Structure: You will move across simulated core departments—including Strategy, Marketing, Operations, Finance, Control, Technology & Innovation, among others. Each rotation is designed to push you out of your comfort zone and throw you into the deep end of the pool, developing your skillset through real-life roles and accountabilities. 

Real Business, Real Stakes: Every department has objectives to meet, and you’re expected to contribute—individually and as part of a team. Case studies? Call them external benchmarks, because it´s wise to learn from both mistakes and brilliant moves in other sectors, and learn how to apply them to ours. But this won´t be a theoretical thing: it´s about working on live projects and challenges impacting your simulated company’s growth. 

Growth vs. Grades: How do we develop our people? You will start by conducting a self-assessment, identifying your strengths and development areas. With your assigned business mentor, you’ll craft an Individual Development Plan (IDP), targeting key competencies, which will include both technical (business) , as well as leadership, behavioral, cognitive and digital competencies which you need to develop yourself into the “Next Best You”. As you move through different departments you will be given performance ratings, with strong emphasis on personal development.   

Specialization: After completing your rotations, you’ll select a functional specialization that aligns with your interests and career goals. Every specialization integrates elements of finance or strategy, together with technology. 

The RF2 experience: What you get 

Leadership from Day One: You’re not a passive observer; you’re a decision-maker. 

Global Exposure: Work on projects that span international markets, with the opportunity to engage with our global partners. 

Access to Top Executives: Learn directly from the simulated company’s leadership as they mentor and challenge you to think like an industry disruptor.

A project-based approach for the real world of business

The Master in Management & Strategy employs a project-based approach, using a role-play structure to capture real-world team dynamics. You’ll also work together with our Master in Management students for labs and electives, broadening your perspective and allowing you to forge professional connections. 

Here are some of the features that make this program ideal for those seeking to upgrade their careers: 

Department challenges

We divide students into groups, or “mini departments,” in which each of them plays a specific role. You can think of these as business sprints carried out in the classroom!

Role-play structure for simulation training

Role plays occur throughout the core terms of the program, with department rotations in the first and second terms. We allocate students to various “departments,” each representing different core classes. Within these departments, you’ll sharpen and refine your foundational skills across functional areas including strategy, finance, marketing, operations, tech and HR.

The Lab

One of IE Business School’s most successful learning experiences and a key part of the program’s business simulation. In teams, you’ll tackle a real-world business challenge, receive firsthand briefings from company executives, and engage with them throughout the five-week module. You can choose from the following Lab options: the Business Impact Lab, Startup Lab, Tech Lab or Social Impact Lab. 

A mandatory internship

You’ll work with your Talent and Careers Advisor to find the best company for your goals from our extensive network of partners. This is an opportunity for networking and also helps you apply everything you’ve learned in the program in a real-life setting.

The immersive Competitive Strategy Simulation Challenge 

The last three months of the program, you will join a company operating in a different sector from anything you have seen up until now. Each of these companies will be led by a CEO with 20-30 years of experience, who will act both as your boss, as well as your mentor. You will take on the role of a CxO (CFO, COO, CHRO, CRO or possibly a different role). You will compete against other similarily-sized companies for a simulated period of 3 years over a real time period of three months. Every week you will need to decide and make strategic moves to help your company grow in profitability, market share and overall impact, given the resources you have at the beginning of this three-year period. You will live with your mistakes and consequences of the decisions that you make as a company. At the end, you will defend your track record in front of the Board of Directors of the company. 

Global Immersion Month

You’ll gain crucial international experience as you explore two different cities. You’ll have a week of immersive classes with our academic partners in each city, followed by a week of company visits to get up-to-date insights into the local business landscape. This therefore gives you in-depth knowledge of foreign industry.

Study with us at IE Business School for advanced simulation training

Ready to uncover the next best you and upgrade your career in consulting, finance or tech? Visit our website and get in touch with us to begin your application!