Frequently Asked Questions

Why take an Executive MBA at IEDC?

  1. EXCEPTIONAL LEARNING PROCESS 
    You realize that learning is much more than “cutting and pasting” information from one brain to another. We at IEDC bring together the best teachers in the world with the most promising managers of the region to create a learning process that stretches the mind, expands your leadership repertoire, and changes the quality of decision-making for better results. 
  2. INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM
    In 2012, Executive MBA Program of IEDC was awarded by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) as one of the four most innovative MBA programs in the world. Whether it is the Arts and Leadership, Business in Society, the Sustainability for Strategic Advantage course, or one-on-one mentorship with experienced business leaders, you are guaranteed a cutting-edge curriculum celebrated for its innovation and impact. 
  3.  VIEW FROM THE TOP 
    You know that life at the top of an organization is quite different from the rest of the business. Uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change define the reality of a typical executive. The Executive MBA at IEDC helps you connect the dots across core management disciplines, develop capacity to deal with emerging opportunities, increase your knowledge and respect for the context your business operates within, and prepare you to lead and inspire in an era of massive challenges and high speed. 
  4. A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE 
    Rarely in life do you get an opportunity to choose who you want to be. An Executive MBA is one of those rare chances to transform, re-direct, and grow. And here, at IEDC, every program element and component, from class sizes to personal coaching sessions, is designed to help you in this demanding journey of self-transformation. 
  5. TRANSLATING GLOBAL INTO REGIONAL 
    Excellence in management is universal. Yet, it takes a special kind of effort to adopt the best global knowledge to the unique realities of a particular region. Whether you are joining us from Croatia, Georgia, or Canada, IEDC makes sure that nothing gets “lost in translation” or loses relevance for your region and experience.
  6. A NETWORK FOR LIFE 
    You have seen that who you know is as important as what you know. And at IEDC, spending 17 intense weeks in the company of accomplished managers and leading scholars marks only the beginning of relationships that last a lifetime.
  7. FULL COMMITMENT TO YOU 
    We believe that executive development is a process of transformation, both professional and personal. To make this change happen, our full attention is focused on you. From approachable staff members to inviting buildings, from personal library support to small class sizes, our ideas, resources, and attention are there to make your transformation meaningful, dynamic, and real.

What topics does the Executive MBA cover?

The IEDC Executive MBA program, which is taught in English, covers the main functional areas of management and demonstrates how these interrelate. With its emphasis on strategic management, its balance between knowledge acquisition and skills development, and its environment of reflection and creativity, the program is well suited to those developing or aspiring to an international career, providing the capability to anticipate and react swiftly to the challenges set by an increasingly competitive business environment. Knowledge acquisition is balanced by the development of management skills. Corporate consulting projects aimed at producing tangible results offer participants an unrivalled learning experience.

How will an IEDC Executive MBA degree affect my career?

An IEDC Executive MBA degree provides you with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for success in your professional career. From our experience, participants opt for an IEDC Executive MBA program to structure and consolidate their understanding of business, to develop their analytical capabilities and strategic thinking, to strengthen their skills, and to become better managers. At the same time, the Executive MBA will allow participants to identify and further develop their leadership competences and gain additional self-confidence The IEDC Executive MBA program finally helps those seeking greater management responsibility and leadership challenges to move from functional management to general management.

What is in it for my company?

Joining one of the IEDC Executive MBA programs is not just an investment in you and your career. It is also an investment in your company and its competitive viability. How well a company does is largely determined by the effectiveness of its managers. Your company can gain a competitive advantage by having well-trained executives who have a structured approach to doing business, a broad horizon, the skills and knowledge necessary to manage and lead growth and change, and the capability to successfully face global competitive challenges.

Sending you to an IEDC Executive MBA program can give your company exactly that — a manager with a structured approach to doing business, a broader horizon, and the skills and knowledge necessary to manage and lead growth and change.

I'm planning to ask for company support, what arguments can I use?

Ensuring company support is one of the major issues Executive MBA candidates have to tackle. We've developed a special guidebook to help you in this process. There is no one single strategy, it is all up to you to know who you are talking to and hence cater the message in the best possible way.

Is the IEDC Executive MBA program my best choice?

Yes. Taking an integrated approach to management issues, the IEDC Executive MBA program does not only focus on the individual functional areas, such as marketing, finance, accounting, human resource management, and operations management, but also emphasizes how these areas interrelate and fit together. Problems and issues in all of these, even the functional ones, are not only analyzed according to a narrow functional approach but also from the broader view of general management. This will give you, as a mobile and internationally oriented executive, the capability to anticipate and react swiftly to the challenges set by an increasingly competitive business environment.

Is the IEDC Executive MBA pragmatic and result-oriented?

Yes. This is demonstrated, on the one hand, by its interactive, case-based teaching method and simulations and, on the other, by its hands-on consultancy project work. As a consultant to the top management of selected organizations, you will work on strategic issues; you will build on the concepts you have learned in class context and develop creative, applicable solutions of real value to the hosting organizations.

Paying equal attention to knowledge, skills and attitudes, the program goes beyond the management basics and strengthens your ability to provide effective leadership, work in teams, make powerful presentations, communicate with peers and clients, and manage your time — in recognition of the fact that not only expertise but also personal and interpersonal skills contribute to your success as a manager.

What are the IEDC professors like?

You will be working with international professors and with successful business leaders active in the international business community. Combining Western management expertise and hands-on experience in business administration with the specifics of emerging economies, IEDC offers an attractive package to any manager interested in competing in global markets.

What is the Executive MBA class profile?

IEDC brings together an international group of up to 50 managers from different cultures, who are talented and highly motivated professionals coming from a rich variety of industries and sectors. Participants are thus exposed to the experiences and views of executives from a vast array of backgrounds. In a fast-changing and increasingly global business environment, professional and corporate successes depend increasingly on managers’ ability to cross cultural barriers.

What are the main advantages of the modular system?

Modular system enables you to fully concentrate on your studies while being on module, and on your job in the period in between the modules. Moreover, the alternation of work and study allows you to immediately apply the recently acquired knowledge and skills to your job and enables your company to reap the benefits of their investment in you.

Are the IEDC Executive MBA programs truly international?

  • Since 1991, almost 1700 managers from more than 45 countries have been represented in IEDC’s Executive MBA programs.
  • The IEDC Executive MBA programs bring together an international group of up to 40 managers in each class intake from different cultures who are talented and highly motivated professionals from a rich variety of industries and sectors.
  • In a fast-changing and increasingly global business environment, professional and corporate successes depend increasingly on a manager’s ability to cross cultural barriers. IEDC will help you develop into a manager capable of assuming leadership roles in a multi-cultural corporate setting and international business environment.

Is there a language profieciency test I need to pass?

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is not required, as the required interview and the overall admission process offer ample possibilities for determining the candidate's English language capabilities.

Is there an admission with credit?

As the IEDC Executive MBA programs follow a lock-step system and are not credit based, the school does not accept transfer credit nor testing out of any courses.

What is the difference between the traditional MBA and the IEDC Executive MBA?

  • Like the traditional MBA, the IEDC Executive MBA program covers the functional areas of management, such as accounting, finance, marketing and strategic management. However, with participants having a greater work experience than is normally the case in the traditional MBA program, the exchanges of experiences amongst peers add an additional flavor to the Executive MBA courses.
  • The typical Two-Year Executive MBA student, ranging in age from 28 to 40 years, has 8-9 years of business experience on average, completed at least an undergraduate degree, and holds a management or executive position. The average age of the Three-Year MBA participant is 39 and on average has 13 years of working experience.
  • In contrast to a full-time MBA student, a participant in an IEDC Executive MBA program can continue working while studying, enabling the participant not only to relate the course work with past experiences and day-to-day work, but also to bring the newly acquired knowledge and skills immediately into practice.

Should I choose a Two-Year Executive MBA, or the Three-Year Executive MBA?

  • The Two-Year Executive MBA program has the same high level of instruction as the One-Year program, but is scheduled to be more feasible for managers unable to leave work for the more intensive One-year program. It is organized in 7 modules lasting 2-3 weeks each totalling 17 weeks of studies.
  • Three-Year Executive MBA is designed for participants, who value flexible scheduling to participate in an Executive MBA program. It uses the same rigorous academic approach, coverage and practical relevance as the one- and two-year programs, but flexibility in the completion of the modules accommodates the time constraints of top executives and makes it possible to complete the degree with minimal interruption to work and personal life. The schedule is individually defined.

How can I finance the IEDC Executive MBA program?

The majority of Executive MBA participants are sponsored fully, or in part, by their companies. . Participants who are not sponsored by their companies often qualify for loans or they pay the tuition fee by installments or apply to different scholarships, including IEDC Executive MBA Scholarship.

When should I apply for the IEDC Executive MBA program?

Due to a high interest for the IEDC one- and two-year Executive MBA program, it is important that you apply early. Please start the application process as soon as you and your company are determined about your participation in the program. 

Applying for the Three-Year Executive MBA program can be done at any point during the year.

What are accomodation and living expenses?

Accommodation and living expenses are estimated at minimum 6,000 euro when opting for hotel accommodation and minimum 3,500 euro when choosing accommodation in private boarding houses. Participants cover their own daily expenses, travel, accommodation and any residence/visa expenses.

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