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IE Business School

Image for IE Business School
Class Size ~400
Women 33%
Mean GMAT 680
International 96%

IE Business School was founded in 1973, and is centrally located in Madrid’s financial district. IE Business School takes advantage of its international appeal and urban environment to build strong student, faculty and alumni communities. In addition to the school’s full-time International MBA, IE offers online and executive MBA options.

FAQ

What is the tuition for IE's MBA program?

The tuition for IE’s MBA program is €82,30 per year.

What is the average GMAT score for admission to IE's MBA program?

The average GMAT score at IE is 680.

What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to IE's MBA program?

IE requires a minimum of 3 years of work experience.

What is the average starting salary for graduates of the IE MBA program?

The average starting salary for IE MBA graduates is €113,770.

How long is IE's full-time MBA program?

The International MBA at IE can be completed in 11, 15 or 19 months.

Admissions

Class Profile

Around 400 students attend IE Business School’s MBA program. Thirty-three percent are women. Ninety-six percent of the class hailed from outside Spain, representing 44+ nationalities. The average GMAT score is 680.

During their undergraduate years, 39% had studied business and 20% engineering. Nine percent had majored in economics and 4% in sciences.

Application Procedures

IE offers rolling applications, so there are no deadlines for submissions for semesters that begin in early September and early January, and admission is valid for two intakes. The application requirements for IE begin with three years of work experience, along with completing the school’s online application form and submitting a one-page résumé, an online assessment comprised of one written essay and two video responses, two letters of recommendation, $160 (€150) application fee, transcripts from each college attended, a bachelor degree diploma, photograph, and photocopy of current passport. Applicants also must report their GMAT, GRE or IE Global Admissions Test scores; and English-language results from either TOEFL (95 minimum), IELTS (7.0 minimum), Duolingo English Test (130 minimum) or Cambridge Advanced or Proficiency level. Interviews are required upon notification by the Admissions Office.

Application Checklist

  • Online Application Form
  • Essays
  • Short Video Responses
  • Minimum Three Years Work Experience
  • Two Letters of Recommendation
  • Résumé
  • Photocopy of passport
  • Passport size photo
  • Transcripts for College/Graduate Work
  • GMAT, GRE, or ieGAT
  • TOEFL/IELTS Score or Other Language Certificate
  • €150 Application Fee

Essay Topic Analysis

Need help with your essays? Get our experts' advice.

Interview Reports

IE Business School Q&A's

IE Business School LiveWire and DecisionWire

MBA LiveWire

January 26, 2024 8:57pm ET
Interview Invite to IE Business School
Round: Round 2
Received via email on January 22, 2024
GPA: 3.6
Program Type: One Year Program
Post MBA Career Name: Non Profit / Social Impact
November 25, 2022 8:22am ET
Interview Invite to IE Business School
Round: Rolling Admissions
Received via email on November 13, 2022
GPA: 3.67
Program Type: January Intake
Post MBA Career Name: Marketing
March 5, 2022 5:44am ET
Accepted to IE Business School
Round: Rolling Admissions
Received via email on March 06, 2022
GPA: 8.67
GRE: 315
Program Type: One Year Program
Post MBA Career Name: Consulting
Application Location: India
October 25, 2021 10:42pm ET
Accepted to IE Business School
Round: Round 1
Received via email
GMAT: 690
Program Type: One Year Program
Application Location: India
March 4, 2021 4:57am ET
Accepted to IE Business School
Round: Round 2
Received via email on February 02, 2021
GMAT: 630
Post MBA Career Name: Technology
Application Location: Brazil
Note:

40% of scholarship

September 17, 2020 6:03am ET
Accepted to IE Business School
Round: Rolling Admissions
Received via email September 17, 2020
GPA: 3.86
GMAT: 750
Post MBA Career Name: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: Chicago
Note:

App submitted on 7/30
Interview 9/4
Acceptance 9/17

Accepted into Bilingual cohort. My interviews went pretty well but not stellar. No initial scholarship offer, which I was a bit surprised considering my stats, current company (T2 consulting firm), and motivation (high-tech social impact start up). Perhaps only 2 YOE limited myself there. I am planning on doing the official scholarship essay in the next 2-4 weeks.

September 16, 2020 10:57am ET
Interview Invite to IE Business School
Round: Rolling Admissions
Received via email on August 19, 2020
GPA: 3.86
GMAT: 750
Post MBA Career Name: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: Chicago
March 4, 2020 1:48am ET
Accepted to IE Business School
Round: Rolling Admissions
Received via email
Post MBA Career Name: Entrepreneurship
Application Location: INDIA

MBA DecisionWire

Cor
August 20, 2024 9:28am ET
Enrolled: Cornell / Johnson
Admitted: Cornell / Johnson $
$40000
,
Washington U. / Olin $
$100000
Applied: Cornell / Johnson, Michigan / Ross, UVA / Darden, Vanderbilt / Owen, Washington U. / Olin
Entering Year: 2024
Post MBA Career: Undecided
GPA: 3.85
Location: Miami, FL
Notes:

This is for applicants who are applying directly from undergrad to an MBA program without "post-bachelor" work experience. It is tough but possible with perseverance.

Sta
July 31, 2024 12:10pm ET
Enrolled: Stanford GSB
Admitted: U. Chicago Booth , Columbia $
$180000
,
Harvard Business School $
$130000
,
Michigan / Ross , Stanford GSB $
$130000
Applied: U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, Stanford GSB, Michigan / Ross, Harvard Business School, Columbia
Entering Year: 2024
Post MBA Career: Undecided
GMAT: 750
Notes:

Selecting Stanford GSB for smaller class size and focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.

IES
July 23, 2024 3:58pm ET
Enrolled: IESE
Admitted: Cornell / Johnson , Duke / Fuqua , IESE , UPenn / Wharton , Yale SOM
Applied: Cornell / Johnson, Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, IESE, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM
Entering Year: 2024
Post MBA Career: Entrepreneurship
GMAT: 710
GPA: 3.6
HBS
July 23, 2024 9:21am ET
Enrolled: Harvard Business School
Admitted: Harvard Business School , Stanford GSB
Applied: Stanford GSB, Harvard Business School
Entering Year: 2024
GMAT: 760
Notes:

Opt'ed for HBS given stronger alumni network, larger class/network size, and better placement outside of Tech industry

Academics

Faculty

IE Business School students have access to more than 100 full-time faculty, who teach across 10 academic departments, such as accounting and management control, economic environment, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing and more. They also regularly publish research projects as well as present their work at global lectures and conferences.

Curriculum

The IE full-time International MBA (IMBA) can be completed in 11 months, 15 months or 19 months (for dual degrees). Classes are taught in both English and Spanish, though there is an English-only and a bilingual option.

Before the start of term, all students, particularly those without a business background, are invited to complete the pre-program Bridge to Business module, which covers basic business subjects from accounting to quant methods. Then, each MBA option begins the first week of September through late February for Term 1. During their first year, full-time MBA students take two modules of “Business Foundations” with coursework focused on foundational subjects, such as entrepreneurship, finance and statistics. Term II for the 11- and 15-month options is known as the Concentration period. Over 12 weeks, MBA students deep dive into the concentration area most aligned with their career path. A concentration consists of six courses, all of which are mandatory for any given concentration area.

IE follows the Concentration phase with a Lab or Internship period for the 11- and 15-month options. IMBA students can choose from two options: working in a team on a real-world business problem (Lab) or pursuing an internship. Working directly with a company, students can dedicate their Lab period to social impact, startup, business, or tech. The final phase of the IMBA program is an integrative exercise of a self-selected business problem and corresponding solution before a faculty jury.

Throughout the IE MBA program, students participate in the Impact Skills Accelerator (a series of skill-based workshops), Career Discovery Accelerator and job prep and search.

Other MBA Degree Options

Along with its one-year, full-time International MBA program, IE offers a part-time (17, 24, or 30-month) Global MBA program with classes held both online and with short in-person periods on campus. The 16- or 20-month Executive MBA offers either a fully in-person format, or a blend between online courses and Madrid class sessions. The part-time (20-month) Global Executive MBA program also uses a blend of both online and in-person class sessions in Madrid, Oxford, Singapore, and Los Angeles. There is also a 15-month MBA program in partnership with Brown University, which generally enrolls students with an average of 10 years full-time work experience.

Degree Offerings

Full-Time International MBA
http://www.ie.edu/business-school/degrees/mbas-and-executive-mbas/

Part-Time Global MBA
http://www.ie.edu/business-school/degrees/global-mba/

Executive MBA
http://www.ie.edu/business-school/degrees/executive-mba-english/

IE Brown Executive MBA
http://www.iebrown.com/

IE-SMU Executive MBA
https://www.ie-smu-mba.com/

Campus Life

Clubs, Conferences and Competitions

IE students can participate in more than 50 clubs and extracurricular activities from sports to hobbies to professional interests. The school has a Campus Life office to help facilitate student-led events and programs, with the goal of bringing together members of the diverse student body, connected by common interests. Clubs span Women in Business, International Relations, E-Commerce, Asia-Pacific Business and other professional groups; plus geographic clubs representing more than 20 countries; and sports, social and recreational groups with interests in everything from music and wine, to military veterans and yoga.

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center is one of the departments that extend classroom education to the “Area 31” incubator space. It hosts team events in a fun space where students and local entrepreneurs can share ideas and experiences.

Campus Spaces

For International MBA studies, the IE Business School campus is centrally located in Barrio de Salamanca, the financial district of Madrid. Its 17 buildings are located either along or near Calle Maria de Molina, near the Gregorio Marañón and Avenida de America metro stations. The campus offers library, classrooms, auditorium, student lounges and work spaces each just a few minutes walk from each other. The school’s Student Services office is available to help incoming MBA students with their arrival in Madrid, helping with everything from securing a Spanish visa and off-campus living accommodations, to setting up mobile-phone service and finding a doctor.

MBA Careers

Career Services

The Careers Management Center provides many ways for students to develop professionally during their time at IE. These services include print and digital resources like the IE CV Book containing full-time job listings and internship openings, workshops with experts in career design, and career advising with industry-specific advisors. The school brings more than 50 yearly company presentations and networking sessions to campus, including the annual International Career Fair — taking full advantage of the strategic partnerships and well-established recruiter relations between IE and its various professional alliances. Practice interviews, résumé preparation, and job-application reviews also are part of the online career tools available to MBA students. The Career Management Center also hosts alumni and recruiter networking events around the world, all year round.

Career Statistics

IE averages their IMBA Classes of 2020-2022 together for career employment stats. Their average overall compensation landed at €113,770. The most popular industry was technology, as 27% of graduates selected that path. Financial services followed, claiming 20%. Consumer/luxury/retail was pursued by 27% of graduates. Consulting took in 15%. Eight percent of students started their own business after graduation.

Thirty-five percent of the classes stayed in Spain and 27% moved to the rest of Europe. Latin America welcomed 14% of the 2020-2022 Classes and 9% headed to North America.

Financing

IE’s 2023-2024 tuition is €82,300. With additional fees such as living expenses, health insurance and transportation, however, the estimated cost of attendance for one year (two semesters) is over €100,000. The school offers more than 60 types of scholarships in addition to different IE Fellowship Awards. Both fellowships and scholarships are awarded for merit as well as economic need. Overall, about 40% of all IE master-degree candidates earn financial aid of some kind. In particular, IE offers scholarships for women thanks to a special fund endowed with approximately $6.4 million, and more than 60% of female IE students receive financial assistance.

Contact

Mailing Address
Calle María de Molina, 11-13-15
28006 Madrid SPAIN

Phone: +34915689600
Fax: +34915635231 (Student Office)
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ie.edu/business-school/
Blog: http://imba.blogs.ie.edu/
Twitter: @IEbusiness