WHAT Makes INSEAD MBA Popular?

A short ten-month MBA program that provide graduates a faster and higher ROI, three campuses in Europe, the Middle-east and Asia besides consistently figuring on the ranking lists of top rating agencies make INSEAD the preferred institution or many MBA aspirants across the world.

Besides the full time MBA, INSEAD offers Global Executive MBA, Executive Master in Consulting and Coaching for Change, Executive Master in Finance and Tsinghua-INSEAD Executive MBA.

The executive education programs include General Management, Corporate Governance, Top Management, Leadership, Strategy, Digital Transformation and Innovation, Finance, Marketing & Sales, R&D and Operations Management, and Entrepreneurship & Family Business besides a PhD in Management program.

INSEAD has two intakes—in September and January. The program is divided in five sections, each of eight weeks duration with an n assessment in the end. As many as 75 electives are on offer along with the 13 core courses with English being the medium of instruction. The students are expected to join one of the five or six-member study groups that maintain diversity in age, nationality and professional background.

Tailormade Programs

The programs are tailored towards meeting employers’ requirements. The faculty also has the freedom to use their own teaching styles and techniques including case studies, computer simulation, role play, projects, and study tours. The school also has partnerships with Wharton and Kellogg and with the CEIBS in China.

The school has distinguished professors from all over the world. Business case studies prepared by INSEAD faculty are the second-most widely used in the world, after those by Harvard Business School professors.

Well-located Campuses

The campuses are in Fontainebleau near Paris, Abu Dhabi, UAE and Singapore. The Paris campus is located in 20 acres, with 29 lecture halls, two restaurants, a bar, a bookshop and a gym. As far as accommodation is concerned, a variety of houses, studios, and flats are available for which rental agencies could be contacted. The Asia campus in Singapore’s Knowledge Hub district, 30 minutes from Changi airport, also has apartments and houses for rent. The Middle East campus in Abu Dhabi do not have on site accommodation. However, INSEAD has roped in some hotels nearby to offer special rates for students rooms.

INSEAD MBA has been ranked number 1 in FT rankings 2016. The Tsinghua-INSEAD Dual Degree Executive MBA and the Single School EMBA program also received the top ranking from FT in 2015.

Admission Requirements

Unlike several other schools, INSEAD does not have any minimum GPA/GMAT requirement. An undergraduate degree is also not mandatory for those with an excellent career record and high GMAT score. The school also does not insist on a minimum work experience. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to contribute, academic capacity, motivation and leadership potential.

The application process begins with the submission of online applications and supporting documents, followed by video interviews and interview/s in the candidate’s home country by INSEAD alumni, review by the admissions committee, and notification of the decision. The process usually takes up to ten weeks.

Candidates with English as their native language need to have practical knowledge of a second language referred to as “entry language”. Others have to submit a certificate of English proficiency. For graduation, students need to know a third language (exit language).

Fees & Scholarships

The tuition fee, to be paid in instalments, will be €73,500. Living expenses may come to €23,000 on average, depending on lifestyle, both in Fontainebleau and in Singapore, including €10,000 for accommodation, €5,400 for meals, €3,500 for local transport and €2,000 for travel for exchange and job search (optional).

INSEAD scholarships are the most popular option, However, being in limited numbers,the competition is tough. The student’s financial position and needs are taken into consideration along with merit, nationality, gender and professional background.

About one-quarter of students receive scholarships between €8,000 and €35,000. Admitted students can apply for loans from Prodigy Finance, which was started by three members of the INSEAD alumni in 2006 to ease students’ problem of funding.

Class Composition

The Class of 2016 comprised 93 nationalities, and 30 percent were women. The average age was 29 years, average work experience 5.5 years, and the average GMAT 703 (range 610-800).

About one-third of the students had a business administration background and an equal number had engineering profiles. Smaller groups had economics (13 %), sciences (9%), and humanities (6%), and law and political sciences (6 %) backgrounds.