3 Reasons To Pursue An MBA In Europe Right Now

If your shortlist of business schools doesn’t include any top European MBA programs, it should. There are several distinct advantages to pursuing an international MBA. Top programs deliver impressive ROI and a peerless global leadership experience to make your resume stand out. More aspiring MBAs are taking notice of opportunities to pursue an MBA in Europe and targeting these schools for an unforgettable international experience. 

With highly diverse classes drawn from all around the world, European schools have strong appeal to a growing number of candidates looking to enhance both their personal and professional development. They also may offer a more affordable study experience. 

As an alumna and former Admissions Director at INSEAD,  I’m unabashedly enthusiastic about encouraging candidates to explore the unique benefits of an international program. Here are a few reasons my Fortuna Admissions colleagues and I think that now is an ideal time to consider Europe for the MBA.

3 REASONS TO CONSIDER AN MBA IN EUROPE

1. Global leadership & springboard to an international career.

The international focus of INSEAD, London Business School (LBS), IESE, HEC Paris, and other top European schools is more relevant than ever. Business is becoming increasingly transnational, but at the same time, international division, social fragmentation, and trade conflict complicate operations. Top-tier business schools INSEAD (with campuses in Fontainebleau, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi and a San Francisco hub), IE, IESE, LBS and Bocconi School of Management consistently rank among the Financial Times’ top programs. 

These schools offer unparalleled international exposure by virtue of their truly diverse student communities: INSEAD lauds at least 70 distinct nationalities in each incoming MBA class, while the latest LBS class includes students from 63 nations. IMD and IESE put a premium on training business leaders who excel at working across cultures, with deeply engaged and far-flung alumni networks and relationships with top recruiters across the world.

As two of the world’s most prestigious programs, INSEAD and LBS have several points of distinction, including course length: INSEAD pioneered the one-year MBA, offering a highly efficient and cost-effective format for those who can manage the pace and intensity. The MBA at LBS can be completed in 15 to 21 months, depending on your preference. 

Elsewhere, HEC Paris has a 16-month program that enables you to include a range of in-depth learning projects and internships without keeping you out of the workplace for too long.

2. Return on Investment of a one-year program.

Speaking of course length, many European business schools favor the shorter, one-year course length over the traditional two-year program because it offers notable cost savings. The latest FT ranking shows that the one-year MBA can deliver the sort of salary increase and earnings power to compete with the very best two-year programs. With smaller foregone costs (and relinquishing only a year’s worth of salary), schools like Cambridge Judge – which boasts a salary increase of 96% – are attracting more candidates. 

A few years ago, Forbes affirmed this accelerated return on investment. The 12 European schools in its one-year MBA program ranking had a payback that ranged from 2.4 to 3.8 years, while graduates from HBS, Wharton, and Stanford GSB take just over four years to pay back their investment on average. While Chicago Booth topped the US ranking with a five-year gain of $94,400, six business schools from Europe emerged with a stronger ROI over the same span.

If you favor the one-year option, consider INSEAD, HEC Paris, IMD, Cambridge Judge, and Oxford Saïd, or even a January intake (see below).

3. Timing: Later application deadlines, fourth rounds, and a January intake.

Round two deadlines for most US schools for fall entry at a top US school cluster around the beginning of the calendar year. Most European schools accept applications later, into February and beyond. (See Fortuna’s handy round-up of application deadlines for each round.).

If you are looking for a two-year MBA in Europe, LBS and IESE are the places to start, and their admissions deadlines arrive soonest – Round Three closes mid- to late March at those schools. IESE also has a fourth-round deadline in early May.  INSEAD’s R4 deadline is in early March – although when applying in late rounds, it’s also shrewd to consider being an early applicant for a January intake.

Schools with January intakes generally have deadlines that come later in the spring and beyond. HEC Paris has deadlines in May, June, and August through November for its January intake, although it encourages non-EU nationals to apply sooner because of visa and housing requirements.

 Other top schools with a January enrollment include IE Business School, IMD, RSM, ESMT Berlin, and HEC Paris. IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, accepts applications on a rolling basis (meaning this fall is still a potential possibility).

If you’re feeling inspired to pursue a European MBA, know that the unique benefits come with unique considerations. You’ll also want to consider language requirements and timing-related factors, from visa considerations to financing the program and planning a cross-continental move. Language classes for programs like IE start more than a month before the program begins. 

All told, the key to a successful application to any international program is your due diligence and thoughtful research – most want evidence of your international exposure and cross-cultural competency. While the window is closing to apply to top US schools for fall entry, if you are looking to apply to business school now, your timing is still excellent to submit a great application.

For more advice on what top European programs are looking for and advice on positioning your application view my article, Insider Tips on The Top European MBA Programs: London Business School, INSEAD & IE. 

 

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Caroline Diarte Edwards is Director of Fortuna Admissions and former Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at INSEAD. For more free advice from Fortuna Admissions in partnership with Poets&Quants, check out these videos and articles. For a candid assessment of your chances of admission success at a top MBA program, sign up for a free consultation.