IMD Business School Profile
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IMD, the Institute for Management Development, offers students an opportunity for a global MBA experience like no other.
Each year’s MBA program at IMD business school is limited to 90 students. The admitted students form a carefully curated group, one selected to draw exceptional students from a diverse range of nationalities, industries, and experience levels.
In addition to the small overall class size, IMD also aims to recruit a more mature, focused group of students. Unlike many MBA programs, IMD has a strict requirement for minimum age (25) and years of post-college working experience (3).
The result is a student body that skews a little older and more focused on their career goals than is perhaps typical. The close-knit IMD community makes for strong alumni networks and a true team mentality during the course of the year-long program.
Business schools in other locations, even those that strive to imbue their program with a global sensibility, are often still predominately focused on a single nationality or worldview.
IMD’s main campus location in Switzerland has helped to give the school a more neutral outlook, one that truly allows students to form their own international perspective.
Curriculum Overview
The IMD Business School full-time MBA is a one-year program, with the curriculum split into three modules.
The first module spans half the program, and gives all students a good grounding in business fundamentals. Concepts covered include organizational context, executive briefings, and entrepreneurship.
During the second module of the program, students learn to strategize about real-world business issues and hone their skills in a number of more specialized areas.
Analytics, team dynamics, and discovery expeditions are a primary focus during this module, and many students begin individual projects or take part in international consulting projects.
The final module runs from October to December, and is a highly individualized part of the program where students choose electives, continue individual projects, and work to deepen their understanding of their chosen field.
Running throughout the length of the year are personal development opportunities and career services modules designed to help all IMD graduates develop into strong, effective leaders.
Important Dates & Application Deadlines
Applications for IMD Business School are accepted in five rounds, and are due on the first day of February, April, June, August, and September for enrollment in January of the following year.
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Tuition Cost
The tuition for the IMD full-time MBA program is CHF 60,000 (approximately $63,450 as of July 2015), as well as fees of CHF 25,000 (approximately $26,450 as of July 2015). While this includes all schooling-related costs, it does not account for living expenses or personal costs.
Employment Info
While most business schools report employment statistics on an annual basis, as of the class of 2013 IMD is now releasing employment information as a three year average.
For their most recent report, the average salary reported was €99,400 ($131,800). Sign-on bonuses were received by 60% of graduates, with the average bonus reported as €19,500 ($25,600).
IMD business school graduates end up in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing (22%), consulting (20%), technology and media (11%) and the financial sector (5%). Most graduates accept a job offer in Europe (63%), although Asia is also a popular destination (22%).
Class Profile
The IMD MBA program has historically been limited to 90 participants. For the class of 2015, those participants represent:
30% women, 70% men
45 nationalities represented
Average age: 31
Average work experience: 7 years
48% of students have an educational background in a STEM field;
40% have an educational background in business, finance, or economics; and
12% have an educational background in the social sciences.
Date Founded
IMD was founded in 1946 as CEI (Centre d’Etudes Industrielles; Center for International Studies). The MBA program was launched in 1972, and after a 1990 merger with IMEDE, the institute was renamed as IMD.
Admissions Director
The outgoing admissions director is Lisa Pigulet; a new admissions director has not been announced as of this writing.
School Address & Contact Info
IMD
Ch. De Bellerive 23
P.O. Box 915
CH-1001 Lausanne, Switzerland
+41 (0)21 618 0111
Links to school websites:
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