For global managers with a European flair

The MBA programme at the IESE Business School – the graduate business school of Spain’s University of Navarra – is focused on general management at the apex of business organisations.

IESE MBA admissions director Itziar de Ros says students are challenged to analyse business issues rigorously to find solutions and make crucial decisions.

“The end result is that our students graduate as culturally sensitive global leaders who possess critical thinking and effective decision-making capabilities,” she says.

IESE’s campus for the full-time MBA is in Barcelona. Students in their second year can opt for elective modules in Shanghai, Nigeria, Singapore, Sao Paulo or New York. They may also join the international exchange programme and spend a semester in one of 24 top-ranked schools in the US, Europe, Asia, or Latin America. A corporate internship also allows MBA students to spend the summer between the first and second years doing practical training in a part of the world of their choice.

The full-time MBA lasts for around 19 months, with the first year focusing on general management knowledge.

“Students will build upon that foundation to go further in-depth into any management area in which they are interested in the second year,” de Ros says.