IESE MBA Program – What to Know as an Applicant

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IESE offers a two-year MBA program that can place its graduates in any industry: finance, consulting, entrepreneurship, tech, and more. Because the school is located in Barcelona and has a student body that (mainly) intends to seek jobs in other locations after graduating, they are not beholden to any one industry or set of employers in the same way as schools that send their graduates mainly into a narrow set of employers in their home region.

The school’s approach to admissions is refreshingly honest, with the admissions team talking about “Career Risk”, and encouraging applicants to consider the MBA not as a journey of wish fulfillment, but as a practical career decision with certain benefits and drawbacks. It goes without saying that IESE prefers to admit students who have figured out how to achieve a high likelihood of career success by using the program’s resources. They also offer introductory chats with admissions officers to help you gauge whether the program is a good fit. (Talk to us first if you want to be well-prepared for these.)

Finally, who wouldn’t want to study in Barcelona? (Or, at one of IESE’s other campuses, including New York, São Paulo, Munich, or Madrid.)

IESE MBA Class Profile

Class SizeDoes not disclose
Acceptance RateDoes not disclose
GMAT MinimumDoes not disclose
GMAT MaximumDoes not disclose
GPA AverageDoes not disclose
Average AgeDoes not disclose
Avg. Years Work ExperienceDoes not disclose
Diversity WomenDoes not disclose
Diversity Intl.Does not disclose
Pre-MBA IndustriesDoes not disclose
Undergraduate MajorsDoes not disclose

The data above is from 2022 and represents the IESE MBA class of 2024.
See the full report: IESE MBA Class Profile

Student Experiences

IESE MBA Employment Report & Careers

Salary AverageDoes not disclose
Offers Upon GraduationDoes not disclose
Offers At 3 Mos.Does not disclose
Post-MBA IndustriesDoes not disclose
Post-MBA LocationsDoes not disclose
Post-MBA CompaniesDoes not disclose
Career Development ResourcesDoes not disclose

The above data is from 2021 and represents the career statistics for the IESE MBA class 2021.*
See the full report: IESE MBA Employment Report

IESE MBA Academic Programs 

MBA Curriculum

IESE’s MBA curriculum spans across two years, where year one is neatly organized into three terms, and the second term is entirely customizable. You can choose the duration of the program to be either 15 or 19 months long. IESE’s core curriculum consists of 24 classes. The first term focuses on core classes in Business Essentials, Term 2 takes you into a Strategy and Operations deep-dive, and Term 3 covers 10 core courses in a range of subjects, including International Management and Corporate Finance. There are over 130 different electives in the IESE MBA. The electives are spread out over a wide-variety of subjects such as Entrepreneurship, Economics, Financial Management, and Production, Technology, and Information Management. 

See the full offering of courses: IESE Course Catalog.

Majors

Although IESE does not offer official majors or concentrations, you can choose your elective coursework according to your personal and career interests. IESE’s large number of course offerings includes classes in topics like Venture Capital, Real Estate Investments and Management, Data Science for Business, and Personality, Self-Leadership, and Happiness.

Experiential Learning Programs

The program’s focus on the case method is illustrative of the strength of IESE’s experiential learning program. Moreover, they implement “actioning learning” in the classroom, which involves solving real-world problems. Their curriculum also includes simulations or business games, that simulate real-life business situations.

Research Centers

In the MBA program, you will have access to 12 of IESE’s research centers.

  • Center for Business in Society
  • Center for Corporate Governance
  • Center for Globalization and Strategy
  • Center for Research in Healthcare Innovation Management
  • Center for Innovation Marketing and Strategy
  • Center for International Finance
  • International Center for Logistics Research
  • Center for Public Leadership and Government
  • Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center
  • International Center for Work and Family
  • Institute for Media and Entertainment
  • Public-Private Sector Research Center

MBA International Study Programs

IESE has a network association of 15 business schools. In addition, they have exchange partnerships with over 25 business schools. For those of you interested in shorter exchange programs, IESE offers two-week long study electives abroad in New York, Sau Paulo, Shanghai, and Nairobi. 

IESE’s global focus can also be witnessed through their curriculum, which includes internationally oriented coursework such as Corporate Finance in Emerging Markets and Applied International Economics.

Video Resources on IESE Academics

IESE MBA Application

The latest application requirements set by the IESE MBA admissions office are described below.

Essays

Here are the prompts for IESE’s 2022-2023 application:

  • Your Impact

    Essay Question I: Tell us about a time that you created impact on an individual, company or community? What did you learn from it? (word limit 300 max)

  • Career Goals Essay Question II: What are your short-term and mid-term post-MBA goals? How will the IESE MBA program help you achieve them? (word limit 300 max)
  • Reapplicant Essay

    Tell us what has changed since the last time you applied (text box, 200 words max․)*

Letters of Recommendation 

The 2022-2023 IESE recommender questions were as follows:

  • Constructive Feedback

    Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.

    (Text box)
  • Compare to other well-qualified individuals

    How do the candidate’s performance, potential, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples.

    (Text box)

Video Resources on IESE Admissions

IESE MBA Admissions Interviews

Members of the IESE Admissions Committee conduct all admissions interviews. Though they may hold interviews in your region, many interviews occur at one of their three campuses: Barcelona, New York, or Sao Paolo. The interview format is conversational, and the interviewer tries to get to know you genuinely to see if you would be a good fit for the school.

Admissions Info MBA Program Home Page
Admissions Home Page
Admission Process
Key Dates & Deadlines
How to Apply Feedback On Your Profile
Start an Application
Meet IESE Business SchoolAdmissions Events – Upcoming
Connect with a Student
Do Your Research IESE Blog
The MBA Blog
IESE Mediaroom
IESE Stories
IESE insight – Business Knowledge
Faculty Directory

What Makes IESE Unique?

Barcelona Location. IESE’s founding campus is situated minutes from bustling downtown Barcelona. Along with its rich history and beautiful art and architecture, Barcelona is also one of the most active European business centers.

Rigorous Academics. The IESE MBA Program has a high workload, and is very academically focussed. There are three case discussions per day, even during the first year (HBS does two).

Entrepreneurship Support. IESE MBA students interested in starting their own business will have many opportunities to explore this career path. In our interview on entrepreneurship resources at IESE with former Admissions Director Pascal Michels, he highlights three great draws to IESE for prospective entrepreneurs:

  • A comprehensive entrepreneurship curriculum available with the MBA
  • An option to do a summer entrepreneurship project
  • A lively investor community circling campus, as well as a dedicated investment fund dedicated solely to entrepreneur ventures run by IESE students and graduates

*All data retrieved from the IESE MBA Program webpages and other sources.