Our MBA structure is based half on formal coursework, while a significant portion focuses on valuable experience outside the classroom. For information about the ESMT MBA course offerings, please read below. Be sure to check out the professional development, student life, and Careers pages for information about networking and personal growth in the ESMT MBA.
In addition to the core curriculum, students have a variety of options to enrich their MBA experience with further international exposure. Take a look at the options ESMT offers to those interested in launching an international career and expanding their worldwide professional and personal network.
Every year, ESMT MBA students begin their journey in January and finish in February of the following year. The ESMT faculty designed all courses, including their sequence, to focus on the conjunction of theory and practice for the current and future challenges faced by global leaders. The ESMT MBA is divided into four modules, or course groups. Each module builds on the previous courses to challenge students to think strategically, initiate creative solutions, and work in dynamic, international teams.
Read below to see the full course offering in the MBA program. Follow the links below to discover some examples of ESMT MBA experiences.
October - December (start dates vary)
Optional pre-MBA courses include:
Fees vary based on the chosen option.
January - May
Right from the first module at ESMT, you are immersed in the core functional areas of business. The courses in this module form the basis for managing organizations, assessing economic impact, and making decisions. During this module, you will be building core managerial skills. You will study different organizational functions rigorously, giving you exposure to all sides of an organization.
The Global Virtual Team constitutes an important part of this module with a project through the Global Network for Advanced Management designed to equip groups to solve organizational issues with the joint cooperation of team members dispersed on every continent.
Course highlights:
June-September
The second module introduces you to the core tracks of the program -- Managerial Analytics, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Leadership. All students must choose one of the three tracks. At ESMT, you'll build on your understanding of management fundamentals and grow beyond basic management theory to become a true integrative business leader. ESMT’s objective at this stage is for you to develop an ability to make a difference – through innovation, entrepreneurship, managing data, and strategic thinking and responsible leadership.
The courses in this module stress the areas where future leaders must excel, and where they must have specific awareness. Courses in each track include:
Each track concludes with one "in-practice" week to work on simulation projects or visit relevant companies and organizations.
This module is supplemented with various leadership seminars such as:
October
Through ESMT’s electives, you can further reinforce the content covered in your chosen track or vary your course selection to your preferences.
Electives highlights:
After finishing your on-campus electives, you have the option to attend a one-week elective course at one of the prestigious partner business schools of the GNAM network. Partner schools include Yale (USA), EGADE (Mexico), HEC Paris (France), Fudan (China) and many more.
November - January
After the elective courses, you apply your strategic learning to a team-based applied fieldwork, which is your chance to diversify your portfolio (with a project in a different industry or function) or strengthen your previous experience with a new strategic challenge. Projects are selected from ESMT’s corporate partners and contacts, and from submissions from the Entrepreneurship and Social Impact Clubs. ESMT selects only those projects that have a significant strategic component. You will use your team’s experience to write a final analytical paper based on the fieldwork.
ESMT MBA professional club members have an added task - to develop their own project in line with the club’s mission. The Entrepreneurship Club can work with local startups to find an innovation project. The Social Impact Club members work with NGOs and social entrepreneurs to create viable solutions to development problems.
Just a few examples of past applied fieldwork projects:
February - June
After completing all academic requirements of the MBA, students can choose to use their skills to give back.