IESE Business School
IESE is the graduate business school of the University of Navarra and is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. The first European business school to extend a two-year MBA, IESE offers a 15- or 19-month, full-time MBA program as well as several Executive MBA options and a Global Executive MBA program. Defining characteristics of the school include its small and highly international student body, as well as its extensive use of the case method of instruction.
FAQ
What is the tuition for IESE's MBA program?
The tuition for IESE's MBA program is €110,000 for two years.
What is the average GMAT score for admission to IESE's MBA program?
IESE does not post an average GMAT score. Acceptable scores range from 580-750 for the GMAT (10th Edition) and 545-715 for the GMAT Focus edition. IESE recommends a score at or above the 50th percentile for each format.
Does the IESE MBA program accept the GRE?
Yes. The IESE MBA program has accepted the GRE for a few years now.
What are the GRE scores at IESE?
The median scores on the GRE for the incoming class at IESE land at 156 Verbal and 161 Quant.
What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to IESE's MBA program?
IESE does not state a minimum requirement for years of work experience. However, it is important for candidates to be aware that they are being considered against other candidates with an average of 5.4 years of experience.
What is the average number of years of work experience for admission to IESE's MBA program? (or, What is the average age of an IESE MBA student?)
The average number of years of work experience among students in IESE's MBA program is 5.4. On average, IESE students are 29 years old.
What is the average starting salary for graduates of the IESE MBA program?
The average starting salary for the Class of 2023 across function, region and industry was €99,500 with additional compensation averaging €63,900.
How long is IESE's full-time MBA program?
IESE offers 15- or 19-month MBA programs.
What are the application deadlines for IESE's MBA program?
The Round 1 application deadline is September 26, 2024. The Round 2 deadline is January 9, 2025. The Round 3 deadline is March 20, 2025. The Round 4 deadline is May 6, 2025.
Admissions
The Class Profile
IESE’s class is comprised of about 350 students. The students’ average age is 29 at the time of matriculation, and GMAT (10th edition) scores range from 580 to 750. More than 50 countries are represented by the class, and international students make up 85%, while women comprise 40% of the student body. The average student came to IESE with 5.4 years of full-time work experience.
Application Procedures
IESE offers four application deadlines that run from September to May, though the school encourages non-EU citizens to apply before May to allow ample time for visa processing.
To apply, applicants must submit a completed application form, essays, a video essay, a résumé, transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended, one letter of recommendation, and a 200 EUR application fee. Applicants must also submit notification of fulfillment of military or civil service obligations, GMAT/GRE scores, scores from a test of English language proficiency (if applicable), and a passport-sized digital photograph.
Interviews are conducted on an invitation-only basis and are required for admission. Select candidates are invited to participate in an Assessment Day, a day-long event during which applicants spend time interacting with each other and members of the IESE admissions team. Participating in an Assessment Day does not serve as a substitute for a personal interview and can take place before or after one is invited to interview; it is not a mandatory step in the admissions process. Application materials must be completed in English; interviews are conducted solely in English.
Application Checklist
- Data Forms
- Video Essay
- Résumé
- 200 EUR Application Fee
- Letter of Recommendation
- Academic Transcripts
- GMAT/GRE and Test of English Score(s) (if applicable)
- Essays
- Military or Civil Service Obligation
- Passport-sized Digital Photograph
Essay Topic Analysis
Recommendation Questions
IESE Q&A's
IESE LiveWire and DecisionWire
Academics
Faculty
With almost 130 full-time and over 100 part-time professors, IESE boasts a student-to-faculty ratio of 3:1. In addition to teaching courses across 10 academic departments, IESE’s faculty also help staff the school’s 12 research centers, which explore topics ranging from logistics to work and family.
Curriculum
Most professors at IESE teach using the case method, in which class discussions are based upon assigned readings about real-world business problems. The school reports that by the time students graduate from the MBA program, they will have examined more than 400 business cases. Upon entering the program, first-year students are divided into five sections of approximately 70 students each with whom they take all of their core courses.
While applicants do not need to know Spanish to gain admission to IESE, all students have the option of enrolling in the Business Spanish Program. The program begins in August and continues throughout the two years of the MBA, though the duration for individual students depends upon their particular level of fluency.
The first year of IESE’s MBA program is divided into three terms following a weeklong orientation period. Students take between five and eight core courses each term, not including the Business Spanish Program. IESE’s core curriculum is designed to give students a foundational knowledge of key business concepts, and features a variety of topics such as entrepreneurial management, global economics, and values and business ethics.
The second year of the MBA takes place over two terms that run from late August to mid-December and from early January to late April. Aside from the Business Spanish Program, the second-year curriculum is comprised entirely of elective courses; students have free rein to choose from any of the more than 130 electives offered by IESE. Elective courses may be taught in English or Spanish. Students who pass a Spanish language exam and complete level 12 of the Business Spanish Program are eligible to be awarded a Bilingual MBA Degree upon graduation rather than simply an MBA.
To provide students with additional international exposure, IESE has established exchange programs with over 25 business schools around the world. Each year, second-year IESE MBA students can spend their first semester studying abroad. IESE also offers a one-week International Module at the beginning of the second year during which students can study at another IESE campus or at an allied business schools in Mexico City, Nairobi, New York, or Shenzhen & Hong Kong.
Other MBA Degree Options
In addition to the full-time MBA program, IESE offers Executive MBA programs in Barcelona, Munich, Madrid and São Paulo. EMBA programs in Barcelona and Madrid are taught in English and Spanish, and students can choose a weekly, biweekly, or triweekly format for the EMBA, though these formats are not offered in each location. IESE has also established a Global Executive MBA program that includes modules in Barcelona, São Paulo, Asia, Silicon Valley and New York City. This program is taught exclusively in English and is offered partly at home and partly via residential sessions.
College students who aim to attend IESE in the near future can gain pre-admission to the MBA program by applying to the school’s Young Talent Path (YTP) during their senior year. Young professionals with less than two years of professional work experience may also apply. After gaining three to four years of work experience, YTP students matriculate into the full-time MBA program.
Core Courses at IESE
Term 1
- Analysis of Business Problems
- Communication
- Decision Analysis
- Financial Accounting
- Capital Markets
- Marketing Management
- Leadership
- Career General Preparation
Term 2
- Managerial Accounting
- Business Ethics
- Marketing Planning and Implementation
- Operational Finance
- Operations Management
- Business Analytics
- Digital Transformation of Organizations and Markets
Term 3
- Global Economics
- Competitive Strategy
- Operations Strategy
- Fundamentals of Entrepreneurial Management
- Corporate Finance
Degree Offerings at IESE
Full-time MBA Program
https://www.iese.edu/mba/
Full-time MiM (Master In Management) in Madrid
https://www.iese.edu/master-in-management/
Executive MBA Programs
Executive MBA offered in Barcelona, Madrid, Munich, and São Paulo
https://www.iese.edu/executive-mba/
Global Executive MBA, with modules in Barcelona, Madrid, Asia, Silicon Valley and New York City
https://www.iese.edu/global-executive-mba/
Campus Life
Clubs, Conferences & Competitions
Students at IESE have ample opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities. The school has several student-run clubs that focus on a range of professional, regional, athletic and social interests. On the professional side, the Consulting Club hosts workshops, mock interview sessions and presentations by consulting firms to help its members prepare for post-MBA careers in consulting. Meanwhile, the Asia Business Club provides support to students who aim to find work in Asia after business school and hosts cultural celebrations for holidays such as Diwali and Chinese New Year.
Students at IESE also enjoy a number of large annual events. For instance, each year the Responsible Business Club hosts the Doing Good & Doing Well Conference, a two-day event that examines key issues and responsible business practices. Another highly anticipated event is the Roland Berger International Case Competition, which attracts teams of students from Europe, North America and Asia and awards the winners with an internship at Roland Berger.
Campus Space
Along with its four campuses in Barcelona, Madrid, New York, and Munich, IESE has facilities in São Paulo as well. The school’s full-time MBA program is headquartered at the University of Navarra’s campus in Pedralbes, a residential neighborhood of Barcelona that sits just 20 minutes from the city’s downtown area. The IESE campus is divided into North and South sections and MBA classes are held in the South Campus. In addition to plentiful classrooms and meeting rooms, the school features a 597-seat auditorium, a large business library, dining and cafeteria areas and a library housing over 42,000 volumes.
MBA Careers
Career Services
IESE’s MBA Career Services department provides students with a variety of career development resources throughout the course of the MBA program. These include individual career planning sessions with Career Services staff, IESE faculty and alumni, as well as workshops on topics such as résumés and cover letters, salary negotiations and presentation skills. Career Services also organizes mock interviews throughout the first term of the MBA program in which representatives from invited companies come to campus to conduct mock interviews tailored to students’ requests.
To help students network with potential employers, Career Services coordinates a Career Forum each fall to which it invites leading companies to present their firms and conduct first-round interviews with second-year students. Students can also gain exposure to recruiting firms at company presentations that are held on campus throughout the academic year and career treks held by clubs with a focus on a certain region or industry.
Career Statistics
Ninety-four percent of IESE’s MBA Class of 2023 found employment within three months of graduation. The average base salary for the Class of 2023 across function, region and industry was €99,500 with additional compensation averaging €63,900. Consulting topped the industry of choice for the class at 47%. Another 24% joined finance while 9% went into the tech sector. The remaining 20% spanned other industries including healthcare, consumer goods and retail, energy and manufacturing, and others.
Upon graduating, 25% of members of the Class of 2023 remained in Spain while 24% relocated to other European countries. Latin America drew 20% of graduates and 12% headed to the Asia Pacific region.
Financing
Tuition for the program beginning in September 2025 is €110,000. The school expects that expenses such as housing and transportation will cost students living alone an additional €2,283 per month. Those who choose to share housing can expect expenses at €1,716 a month and those living with dependents can expect €2,702 a month. To help defray the cost of education, IESE offers several, largely merit-based scholarships that cover up to 50% of tuition. Applicants hoping to receive scholarships must submit completed scholarship application essays to the Admissions Department as part of their MBA application form. Applicants may also pursue scholarships from non-IESE organizations and companies. To further aid students in financing their education, IESE offers a list of multiple global lenders, including a partnership with the Bank Sabadell Group through which students may apply for loans without a co-signer.
Cost of Attendance
- Commitment Fee €5,000
- Tuition Installment €5,000
- Payment Year 1 €45,000
- Payment Year 2 €55,000
- Total €110,000
Recent News
Contact
Mailing Address:
MBA Admissions Department
Full-time MBA Program
Avda. Pearson, 21
08034 Barcelona
Spain
Phone: +34 93 253 4200
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://www.iese.edu/mba/
X (Twitter): @iesemba