Full-time MBA
Building Entrepreneurial Leaders for Tomorrow
#1
Executive MBA in Benelux
#31
FT European Business School Ranking
TRIPLE
accredited Business School (AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS)
Transform your career and learn the skills to become an agile leader in only 10 months, with our triple-accredited full-time MBA programme. Study in the heart of Europe and deep dive into a unique mix of cultures and business insights. Whether you are a local or international participant, you’ll gain hands-on experience, a solid network, and the tools to drive change. The programme prepares you to become a global entrepreneurial leader.
- Build a powerful, global network
- Develop the skills to become a proactive, international business leader
- Gain practical management experience with a two-month consulting project
- Benefit from a 12-month post-Graduation Visa to explore career opportunities in Belgium and Europe
Get inspired by our participants and their personal transformation journeys: Watch the video >
Detailed programme
Your learning journey at Vlerick will be intensive, interactive and practical. Over 10 intensive months, you’ll develop skills across all key areas of management. You’ll workshop ideas, get input from leading faculty and business leaders – and you’ll put what you learn into practice through projects, group work, business games and simulations.
Throughout this international MBA programme, you’ll have access to personalised coaching, expert tuition, world-class career and recruitment support and quality networking opportunities to help you prepare for your next career step.
Discover inspiring stories and testimonials from Vlerick faculty and Full-time MBA participants, and alumni by visiting our dedicated insights page.
Curriculum Overview
Core Curriculum
Build the broad business knowledge and strategic perspective you need to take the next step in your career. Across four core modules, you will strengthen your understanding of the key areas of management, learn to connect insights across disciplines and apply your learning to real business challenges.
Module 1: Finance and Decision Making
Gain the financial and analytical confidence to make sound business decisions. You will learn to assess an organisation’s financial health, understand how investment and financing decisions affect business performance, and use financial information to evaluate different courses of action. At the same time, you will strengthen your ability to work with data, apply analytical techniques and turn insights into informed decisions in complex business situations.
Courses include:
- Financial Management
- Financial Accounting
- Data-based Decision Making
Module 2: Designing Efficient Organisations
Discover how successful organisations create value by bringing together operations, customers and technology. You will explore how to design and improve processes, respond effectively to changing customer and market needs, and make informed marketing decisions. You will also examine how digital technologies, including AI and data analytics, can transform business models, improve customer experiences and create new opportunities for growth.
Courses include:
- Operations and Supply Chain Management
- Marketing Management
- Digital Transformation
Module 3: Strategy Formulation and Implementation
Learn how to shape strategy and turn it into sustainable business performance. You will strengthen your strategic judgment, explore how to navigate complexity and uncertainty, and discover how management accounting and performance insights can support better strategic decisions. Develop the ability to look beyond today’s challenges and ask the right questions about your organisation’s future.
Courses include:
- Strategic Management Accounting
- Strategy
Module 4: Leading with Purpose
Explore what it takes to lead an organisation with purpose and create sustainable impact. You will learn how to build strong teams and team cultures and turn sustainability ambitions into meaningful action.
In the Integrated Management Exercise (IMEx), you will bring your MBA knowledge together in an intensive business simulation, challenging you to make decisions under pressure, collaborate effectively and balance financial performance, employee satisfaction and environmental impact.
Courses include:
- People and Culture Management
- Sustainability Management
- Integrated Management Exercise (IMEx) Business Simulation
Electives & Specialisations
Make the Full-time MBA journey your own. With more than 25 electives offered each year, you can choose five courses that match your interests, career goals and ambitions. Build a broad general management profile by combining electives from different disciplines or focus your choices around one of three specialisations to deepen your expertise in a particular area.
The Vlerick Full-time MBA offers specialisations in:
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- Strategy & New Business Models
- Digital Business Transformation & AI
International Study Course
Immerse yourself in international business through a study course at Singapore Management University in Singapore or Stellenbosch Business School in South Africa. Experience a different business environment through in-person sessions at our partner institutions, company visits and networking opportunities with local business leaders and Vlerick alumni.
Beyond gaining new perspectives on how business is done in different markets and cultures, the international study course is also an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, reflect on your own strengths and development, and build the confidence to lead in an international environment.
In-Company Project
Bring everything you have learned throughout your MBA together in a two-month In-Company Consulting Project. Working in a small team, you will tackle a real business challenge for an organisation and translate your knowledge, skills and experience into practical recommendations with tangible business value.
Throughout the project, you will work closely with the organisation’s management and receive guidance from a Vlerick faculty member. It is an opportunity to apply your MBA learning in a real business environment, strengthen your consulting and teamwork skills, and demonstrate the impact you can make before taking your next career step.
Why this programme
Thrive in 3 areas: Leadership, Entrepreneurship and AI
Leadership & Personal Development
Pursuing an MBA is about more than expanding your business knowledge. It is also an opportunity to understand who you are as a leader, how others experience you and where you want to grow.
Throughout the Full-time MBA, your Leadership Development Track runs alongside your academic journey. Through personal reflection, feedback, coaching and practical workshops, you will become more aware of your strengths, identify areas for development and build the interpersonal skills you need to lead with confidence and impact.
Understand your leadership profile
Through the My Vlerick Development Portfolio (My VDP) and 360° feedback, you gain insight into your strengths and development opportunities. You use these insights to define clear goals and put them into practice through action plans, group coaching and workshops focused on competencies such as building effective teams, problem-solving and presenting with impact.
Towards the end of the MBA, you complete the 360° feedback assessment again to reflect on your progress and identify opportunities for continued growth. You leave Vlerick with a stronger understanding of how to lead in your own way and the confidence to keep developing it throughout your career.
Entrepreneurial Mindset
Whether you dream of launching your own venture or want to drive innovation within an existing organisation, an entrepreneurial mindset helps you spot opportunities, challenge assumptions and turn ideas into action.
The Entrepreneurial Mindset Track takes you through the different stages of developing a business idea. Explore business modelling, design thinking and entrepreneurial market research, before diving deeper into how to finance and scale a venture.
- Develop your own business plan
Put your learning into practice by developing a business plan together with your team throughout the programme. With dedicated coaching along the way, you will test and refine your ideas and bring together everything you have learned into a concrete business concept.
You will leave the track with more than just an understanding of entrepreneurship. You will develop the mindset and practical competencies to identify opportunities, experiment with new ideas and create value, wherever your career takes you.
Immersive AI Learning
Build the skills to navigate AI as a business leader. Through expert sessions, hands-on workshops and company visits, the Immersive AI Learning Track explores how AI is transforming business and learn to apply it strategically across functions.
Put your learning into practice in an AI Agent Hackathon, connect with the start-up ecosystem at Ghent’s Wintercircus and gain new perspectives through conferences and visits to European institutions. Along the way, you’ll deepen your understanding of the ethical and legal implications of AI.
>> Read more about the Immersive AI Learning Track here.
Career benefits
Personal support for your career journey
75%
employed in Europe
65%
found a job through Vlerick activities
76%
salary increase
85%
employed after 6 months
Career services:
Whatever your ambitions, our career services team is here to help you achieve them. They’ll be by your side throughout the programme – giving you advice and support and helping you identify opportunities to advance. They’ll also encourage you to take part in:
- Personalised career counselling: Get continuous coaching from the career services, helping you access your strengths, areas of improvement, ambitions and helping you define your career journey with hands-on tips and guidance
- Executive career coaching: Benefit from one-on-one coaching to refine your career strategy, navigate transitions, and position yourself for leadership roles.
- Alumni and networking opportunities: Build relationships with our alumni network, fellow professionals across MBA programmes and industry leaders
- Practical workshops and webinars: Expert-led sessions on strengthening your profile, improving your professional brand, leveraging AI in career development, and sharpening your negotiation skills.
- Company visits and presentations: Gain rare behind-the-scenes access to leading companies across various industries, broadening your perspective and helping you apply new ideas to your own career.
- Career events and job fairs: Connect with hiring managers from top employers across various industries. Explore career opportunities and build relationships
Watch this video or visit this page to learn more about our career services.
Connect with leading companies
Vlerick graduates build careers across industries, functions and borders. You will find them creating impact at global organisations, international consultancies, fast-growing start-ups and leading Belgian employers.
Vlerick MBA alumni: build a network of life-long connections
Want to grow your professional network? Broaden your career opportunities? Or want access to one of the brightest groups of talent in the world? Then you need to be a member of the Vlerick Alumni network. Bringing together a diverse network of 25,000 professionals from more than 100 countries, the Vlerick Alumni network is a way of making your MBA experience create even greater value for you throughout your career.
When you’re accepted onto our Full-time MBA programme, you automatically become a member, and when you graduate, you have the option to continue your membership and carry on enjoying the benefits of it.
Who should attend
Is this programme for you?
Our Full-time MBA brings together participants from diverse professional, social and cultural backgrounds. You will learn alongside people from around the world and across a wide range of industries, giving you the opportunity to exchange perspectives, discover different approaches to business, and expand your international network.
The Full-time MBA could be the right fit for you if you:
- Have at least 3 years of full-time, post-degree work experience
- Want to grow as a business leader, and make a positive impact
- Want to develop an entrepreneurial mindset
- Are considering a career change, whether that means a new role, industry, or country
- Are open to new perspectives, ready to challenge conventional thinking, and eager to make business a force for good
Curious about the people who chose Vlerick? Meet some of our current MBA candidates and alumni here
35
cohort size
88%
international
40%
female
32
average age
Practical info
Duration: 10 months (September - June)
Location: Brussels
Our Full-time MBA programme has one intake each year. We kick off in September and finish in late June the following year. It is an intensive learning experience, with around 40 hours each week dedicated to classroom sessions, individual study, coaching and project work.
Why do an MBA in Belgium? Read more.
Fees and financing
Tuition
The tuition fee for the Full-time MBA is €44,000.
This includes:
- Full tuition
- Electives and specialisation tracks
- Textbooks and course materials
- Career services and executive coaching sessions
- Use of campus facilities
- Alumni membership
- Digital subscription to the Financial Times
The cost of the international course is not included in the tuition fee. Additional expenses for flights, visas and accommodation are estimated at approximately €2,000 to €3,000.
Living expenses
Brussels offers a relatively affordable living environment compared with many other major European cities. As a Full-time MBA candidate, you can expect your monthly expenses to be around €1,200 to €1,700, although your actual budget will largely depend on your lifestyle and choice of accommodation.
Housing usually represents the largest expense, ranging from approximately €500 to €850 per month, depending on whether you opt for a student room, shared housing or a private apartment. On average, you can also account for around €150 for utilities, €250 for food and €150 for other personal expenses each month. In some cases, utilities are already included in the rent.
These estimates provide only a general indication. Your individual expenses may be higher or lower depending on your accommodation, lifestyle and personal preferences.
Financing your Full-time MBA
Joining a Vlerick MBA programme is an important investment in your future. A range of funding options is available, and we are here to help you explore the financial support you may be eligible for.
Scholarships
Full-time MBA scholarships range from 5% to 50% of the tuition fee. Scholarships are mostly merit-based. The scholarship committee considers candidates’ personal and professional achievements, international outlook and added value to the class – as well as admissions test and interview results.
Important note: scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you apply, the greater your chance of receiving a scholarship offer.
Find the full overview of Full-time MBA scholarship opportunities here.
Loans
A student loan can help you finance part of your Full-time MBA programme tuition and living expenses. We recommend exploring financing options available in your home country, as well as loans offered by specialist finance providers.
Lendwise loans: Lendwise offers financing to international students attending leading business schools. Depending on your circumstances, a Lendwise loan can cover up to 100% of your tuition fee and living expenses, excluding the commitment fee (course deposit) and any scholarship awarded.
Paying in instalments
It is possible to spread the payment of your tuition fee in four separate instalments, due in September, November, February and April. If you choose this option, you will be asked to sign an instalment agreement and pay an administration fee of €250.
Funding for Flanders-based SMEs
If you work at a Flemish SME, you may be eligible to partially fund your MBA through using the SME e-wallet (KMO-portefeuille).
Explore more available Full-time MBA funding options here.
Admissions
Applying for the Full-time MBA is a straightforward process. From checking your eligibility to receiving your final decision, our recruitment and admissions teams are there to guide you along the way.
1. Check your eligibility
You must meet the following Full-time MBA eligibility requirements:
• A degree from an accredited university
• At least three years of post-degree full-time work experience
Check your eligibility in as little as five minutes using our simple tool
2. Submit your online application
Complete your personal details and upload the required documents via our application tool. Application deadlines for a start on 1 September 2027:
• If you don’t need a student visa, the final date to apply is 31 July 2027
• If you do need a student visa to study in Belgium, the final date is 31 May 2027
3. Go through the admissions process
You can apply with our internal admissions test VBAT (Vlerick Business Admissions Test) or take either GMAT (minimum 600) or GRE (minimum 157 verbal, 158 quantitative).
If you are taking the VBAT, we will contact you to schedule a personal appointment for the MBA entrance exam. The MBA admissions interview takes place after you have passed the test.
The interview takes place online and lasts about 30 minutes. We want to make sure the programme is a good fit for you, so the interview is your opportunity to showcase your experience and personality and let us know why you and Vlerick are a great match.
Start preparing for your admissions test and interview now:
Preparation tips
How to nail your admissions test
4. Get your results
Within one week after your final interview, we will schedule a personal feedback moment.
If you are admitted, you will receive an offer to join the Full-time MBA and can secure your place by paying the required commitment fee.
If you are not admitted, we will give you individual feedback, and you can apply again for a future intake.
Already looking ahead? Discover what it is like to study in Belgium and find practical information to help you prepare for your move.
Success stories
Cristian Gonzales
Lyreco
The MBA programme has done a really great job in helping me pause for a moment and think to myself, what do I want to accomplish from professional standpoint, a personal standpoint, and even from a cultural standpoint. Brussels is a very worldly, culturally and internationally diverse city.
Huyen Le
Joylists
Vlerick helped me with my CV and prepared me for work after graduation, including coaching how to improve my interview skills and negotiate my salary. The career events helped me find great opportunities – and build a strong network. I received two incredible job offers before graduating from contacts I made at Vlerick events.
Jürgen Degrande
Edgard & Cooper
Without Vlerick, I wouldn’t have started my own company (Edgard & Cooper). It gave me the environment I needed to succeed. If you are thinking about taking an MBA or starting a business, remember you only have one life. Just do it. Vlerick will support you to take the leap.
Faculty
Esha Mendiratta
Professor of International Business
Esha Mendiratta’s research focuses on the intersection of corporate strategy, corporate governance and international business.
Veroniek Collewaert
Professor of Entrepreneurship
Veroniek Collewaert explores – and improves – relationship dynamics between investors and entrepreneurs.
Neveen Saied
Professor of Leadership and Organisational Behaviour
Neveen Saied researches identity, proactivity, diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
Martin Butler
Professor of Management Practice
Martin Butler lectures in digital transformation, digital resilience and technology futures.
Get in touch!
Aurelie Van de Meulebroucke
MBA Recruitment Manager
Frequently asked questions
Is Vlerick’s Full-time MBA a global MBA or an international MBA?
Different business schools describe full-time MBAs in different ways. Our Full-time MBA can be considered as both an International MBA and a Global MBA. This means it covers cutting-edge business and leadership approaches – and it does so with an international focus. This means our Full-time MBA – which you can think of as a global or international MBA programme – gives you the skills and knowledge you need to develop an international career.
How easy is it to apply for a student visa and, after graduation, for an orientation year or a work permit in Belgium?
Every year, many Vlerick students successfully secure their visas and relevant permits. We’ll guide you through the key steps at the right time and support you where possible. For detailed procedures, download the International Student Guide.
Do I need a student visa in Belgium?
If you’re from outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you’ll need a student visa to study in Belgium. We recommend applying by mid-May. Click here to find out more about the process.
Can I extend my student visa once I live in Belgium?
Yes. Once in Belgium, you must register at your local municipal authority to receive a residence permit based on studies. Before it expires, you can extend your stay in three ways:
- Applying for a residence permit extension based on studies (if you add an internship or need to retake a course),
- Getting an orientation year permit (to search for a job or start a business),
- Securing a single permit (when you have a job).
For more information, download the International Student Guide for more details.
What permit do I need to find a job after graduation?
Vlerick graduates from outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland can apply for a 12-month orientation year permit to seek employment or start a business in Belgium. This permit allows you to work full-time while securing a long-term single permit through an employer.
What level of English proficiency is needed to follow this global MBA programme?
To follow this programme, you’ll need to have the ability to speak and write English to a professional business level. You’ll need to be able to join in with class discussions, read and interpret course materials and write papers and reports.
What is the minimum GMAT or GRE score needed to apply for this Full-time MBA programme?
There are two routes to applying for the Full-time MBA at Vlerick. The first is via our own, holistic admissions test, the VBAT. The VBAT takes into account your achievements, experience, ambitions – and the difference you want to make. We make our final assessment by considering your CV, your VBAT test results and your interview with us. Alternatively, we will also consider robust GMAT scores.
If you would like to discuss admissions with us, please arrange a call. We’d love to hear about your plans and offer no-obligation advice.
What is the difference between a full-time MBA and an executive MBA programme? And can you study them in different formats?
At Vlerick, you can study for a full-time MBA or a part-time MBA. And we offer a variety of MBA programme formats.
Full-time MBAs are typically designed for people who are just a few years into their careers and can take time out to dedicate to their studies. This is because when you’re studying for an MBA full-time, you’re likely to spend at least five days a week on campus. In fact, our Brussels campus quickly becomes a home-from-home for our Full-time MBA participants, where they work, socialise and study. Our Full-time MBA takes place in Brussels, over an extremely intensive 10-month period.
On the other hand, we have designed our Executive MBA, Global Executive MBA and Online Executive MBA to be more flexible and to accommodate working professionals.
Our Executive MBA and Global Executive MBA are part-time and suitable for people who have a number of years of professional experience. These MBA programmes combine home study with regular, intensive in-person learning.
Participants in our Executive MBA meet on campus every three weeks on Fridays and Saturdays to take part in intensive learning activities. These sessions alternate between our Brussels and Ghent campuses over an 18-month period.
Professionals who take part in our Global Executive MBA combine at-home study, online learning and intense, immersive learning experiences that take place at important business hubs. From start to finish, this part-time MBA takes place over 18 months.
For ultimate flexibility, our Online Executive MBA happens entirely online over a period of 15 or 18 months. You get all the hallmark benefits of a Vlerick MBA – a deeply immerse experience, working alongside professionals from across the world, learning cutting-edge approaches and techniques, coaching, building networks and more – and you can do it from anywhere in the world.
Deciding which MBA programme is best for you will depend on what stage you’re at in your career, the level of flexibility you need, where you want to study – and the experience you are looking for.
Find out more about our:
Global Executive MBA
Executive MBA
Online Executive MBA
If you’d like to talk about your options, please set up a call.
How does a Full-time MBA compare to a part-time MBA?
In many ways, a Full-time MBA and part-time MBA at Vlerick are similar – in terms of the immersive experience, quality of teaching, the international experience and much more.
However, there are two paths to gaining your MBA. On one, you stop working and commit to full-time study on our Brussels campus. On the other, you continue to work and study during evenings and weekends. All of our part-time MBA programmes give you the opportunity to take international trips. And on our Online Executive MBA, you can choose to study 100% remotely.
To find the option that works best for you, book a call with us. We’d love to hear about your goals and ambitions – and help you take the next leap in your career.
How much time should I expect to spend in the classroom or working on projects each week on this global MBA?
For the Full-time MBA, you should expect to spend around 40 hours a week on your studies. You’ll be learning on-campus Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm. And you may need to spend some evenings and weekends on electives, additional study and exam preparation. There will also be trips and visits to factor into your scheduling.
Is it possible to do the Full-time MBA as a working professional?
No, it isn’t. The Full-time MBA is an intensive international MBA programme that involves on-campus study, five days a week during normal working hours – as well as events and social activities in the evenings and at weekends. Participants in our Full-time MBA programme find that our Brussels campus very quickly becomes a second home, where they take part in intense learning activities, study and socialise. For the 10-month duration of the programme, campus life is everything – it’s where you find support, coaching, inspiration, friends, great food and a truly family feel.
If a full-time MBA programme doesn’t feel right for you, check out our part-time MBA programmes. If you’d like to study on campus part-time, our Executive MBA or our Global Executive MBA could be perfect for you. Or you can opt for even more flexibility with our Online Executive MBA – which allows you to study remotely.
Can I get a Full-time MBA if I don’t have a Bachelors degree?
To apply for this programme, you must have a Bachelors or Masters degree from a recognised university, as well as three or more years of full-time, professional work experience.
You can check your eligibility here, in as little as five minutes.
Will I get a degree when I graduate from the Full-time MBA?
Yes – when you successfully complete this programme, you graduate with an internationally-recognised Masters in Business Administration.
Does Vlerick help Full-time MBA participants find work?
We provide multiple opportunities for Full-time MBA programme participants to meet prospective employers – and we help to guide you in your search for your next big leap.
Throughout your Full-time MBA, our Careers Services team works to help and support you, giving you access to:
- High quality coaching and advice – giving you opportunities to take mock interviews, perfect your CV and understand what truly motivates and inspires you
- Events – providing opportunities to grow your network, meet potential employers and connect with professionals in your chosen field
- Workshops – covering topics including personal branding, preparing for interviews, negotiating salary
- Vlerick’s Career Platform – empowering you to connect with top employers, find job opportunities and tap into a wealth of resources
If you’re moving to Belgium from another country, you may be entitled to remain in Belgium after you graduate to look for work.
Want to find out more? Set up a call – we’d love to help.
Will I get work experience as part of the Full-time MBA?
As part of your Full-time MBA at Vlerick, you’ll complete a two-month In-company Project or a Global Social Project – either for your own company, or for a business that’s eager for you to help them address a strategic challenge.
These experiences give you the opportunity to put everything you’ve learned into practice. It’s not unusual for our MBA participants to go on to work with the organisations they support in these projects.
These projects are part of a comprehensive and highly personalised career development approach that also sees you taking part in group coaching, career coaching, executive coaching, networking – and meeting companies and recruiters.
Check out our Career Development Services.
What career support will I get throughout the Full-time MBA?
Throughout the programme, you’ll have dedicated support from our careers team. And you’ll benefit from a comprehensive career development track, including:
- A personalised development platform
- Group coaching
- Networking opportunities with Vlerick alumni
- Access to companies and recruiters
- Leadership and personal development
- Career workshops and resources
- Mock interviews
- Career coaching
What is the grading system for the Full-time MBA programme?
Throughout your MBA journey, your work will be evaluated in a number of different ways, including:
- Exams
- Papers
- Case work
- Group work
- Presentations
And because you’ll be assessed module-to-module, you’ll always know how you’re performing – and understand any areas where you may need to improve.