Executive MBA

Over 18 intensive, hands-on months in your Executive MBA, you’ll explore the full management spectrum. You’ll gain cutting-edge skills, in-depth knowledge, practical experience and an international outlook you need to make your mark in today’s fast-paced business world.

Element 1: Core Curriculum
“The courses are very diverse, which enriches your experience, and gives you a wide horizon.” - Sarkis Kawoukjian, Executive MBA Participant. (Watch Sarkis' full testimonial here)

Lay the foundations

• Data-based Decision Making
• Financial Management
• Financial Accounting

Develop key management capabilities

• Operational Excellence
• Marketing Management
• Sustainability Management
• People and Culture

Transform your business

• Digital Transformation
• Strategy
• Strategic Management Accounting
• Business Simulation

Element 2: Electives & Specialisations
Our electives provide you with the choices to personalise your MBA experience. You can also specialise in the following fields:

• Strategy & New Business Models
• Digital Business Transformation
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Element 3: Develop your leadership potential
“You can immediately implement the leadership and team management tools, and that is super powerful.” - Yashfeen Saiyid, Executive MBA Participant. (Watch Yashfeen's full testimonial here)

As part of your international leadership development, you'll visit Singapore or South Africa on your first international trip. Regular seminars and coaching will encourage you to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, build your confidence, and help you become a better leader.

• Strategic Decision Making
• Impactful Communications
• Building Resilient Teams

Element 4: Your entrepreneurial mindset track
“Vlerick Business School plays a very important role in educating, inspiring and helping generations of entrepreneurs.” - Tim Van Hauwermeiren, Vlerick Executive MBA Alumni and CEO of argenx, Ghent.

Explore the fascinating world of Silicon Valley, a hotbed for new tech companies, during your second international trip. Study the approach entrepreneurs use to identify opportunities. Develop the mindset and skills to innovate within a business or to start and grow a new venture.

• Idea Development
• Value Proposition
• Business Model
• Investor Pitch
• Creating Impact

Element 5: Your Knowledge-in-Action Project (KIAP)
“My project involved creating a start-up community within my company and led to a new position for me as an innovation manager.” - María García Salmones, Vlerick Executive MBA Alumni.

Create an immediate return on your investment in your MBA. The KIAP is your opportunity to take everything you’ve learned and apply it to a real business situation. Choose to tackle a strategic challenge your company is facing – or create a business plan for a new venture.

Your Career Advancement
“The MBA helped me to break out of a technical specialist role. It allowed me to create the opportunities and network I needed to be able to take that next leap.” -  Sara Braet, Vlerick Executive MBA Alumni.

Every element of the Executive MBA is designed to get you closer to achieving your professional goals – from expanding your knowledge in classes and gaining international experience on trips to honing your skills in projects. You also have regular opportunities to take part in events to help accelerate your career, including:

• Career Events
• Coaching
• Dedicated Careers Team

An Executive MBA from Vlerick is a unique experience that allows you to take the next leap in your career. Once every four weeks, you spend Fridays and Saturdays on campus, gaining full hands-on experience. The rest of the programme is flexible and self-paced.

Learn about Nicolas' transformative journey. Watch the video >

• Transform how you lead, and how you look at the world in your leadership and entrepreneurship tracks
• Engage differently with the global world of business during your core management curriculum and international trips
• Pursue new interests and ambitions in your electives and specialisations  
• Transform into the role of a consultant or entrepreneur in your Knowledge-in-Action project who is focused on change, impact, and results
• Join a global community and make new connections along the way, whether in class, during events or trips, and with our alumni
• Get personalised career support, access guidance, coaching, and self-assessment tools that deepen your knowledge of yourself and empower you in your career journey

Discover why you should study at Vlerick and why you should do your MBA in Belgium.

Get support from our career services team

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:

• Executive career coaching - one-on-one coaching sessions to help you refine your career strategy, navigate transitions, and position yourself for leadership roles. 
• Networking opportunities – build relationships with fellow professionals across MBA programmes, industry leaders, and our global alumni network of more than 25,500 members.
• Content workshops – expert-led practical sessions on strengthening your profile, improving your professional brand, leveraging AI in career development, and sharpening your negotiation skills.
• Company visits – 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.  

Watch this video to learn more about our career services.

Build deep connections on your Executive MBA

"The power of the Vlerick network is beyond doubt. During my MBA, I made the contacts that later made it possible to raise capital." - Roeland Pelgrims, Vlerick Executive MBA Alumnus, Co-Founder & CEO, Antwerp.

While you’re studying for your Executive MBA, you become part of our global community of 25,000 alumni, which spans more than 100 countries. Through our diverse alumni network, you can build professional connections, open doors to new career opportunities and partnerships, as well as discover new talent.

And when you graduate you can continue to benefit from this lifelong network by staying connected through the Vlerick alumni membership.

“There is a sense of community and belonging to the pool of future leaders with similar objectives and values” - Katarína Gatialová, Vlerick Executive MBA Participant. (Watch Katarína's full testimonial here)

We hand-pick participants from diverse professional, social and cultural backgrounds. So when you join the Executive MBA at Vlerick, your experiences will contribute to the rich blend of specialisms and perspectives in each class group. You’ll expand your network, gain fresh insights from a wide range of industries and develop a truly international mindset. It’s the perfect way to expand your horizons – and it’s just one of the reasons this programme is the ideal MBA for working professionals.

Executive MBA average class profile

Professional backgrounds

Educational backgrounds

Nationalities

Start date: 17 October 2025
Duration: 18 months
Location: Ghent, Brussels 
Frequency: Every four weeks
When: Friday & Saturday
Class hours: 8 a.m. - 6.30 p.m.

There is only one start date for our Executive MBA programme each year – and it’s in mid-October.

The Executive MBA – how long does it take?

Over an 18-month period, you attend classes and learning activities on campus on Fridays and Saturdays, every four weeks. These in-person sessions alternate between Brussels and Ghent. In addition to this face-to-face learning, you’ll need to schedule approximately 10-12 hours a week to prepare for classes, complete projects, and study for exams. When you’re studying certain topics, however, you may need longer – particularly if you’re getting to grips with a subject for the first time. Taking an Executive MBA means making an intense time commitment to the programme.

The Executive MBA typically finishes in April, with graduation in July. To guarantee a high-quality, personalised experience, we have a strict limit on the number of participants we accept each year.

The tuition fee for the October 2025 intake is €51.750.

This includes: 

• Tuition (2 years)
• Textbooks and course materials 
• Two residential seminars
• Use of campus facilities
• Group and Individual Coaching (Career & Leadership)
• Programme during the Asia/Africa study courses and during the US study courses
• Alumni membership 
• Lunches on programme days
• Online subscription Financial Times

If you need financial help to do the Executive MBA, you can apply for a loan, scholarship or grant towards your tuition fees.

Cost of accommodation

From high-budget business hotels, through to cost-effective weekend rentals and hostels, there are plenty of accommodation options in Brussels and Ghent. The great news is that accommodation costs in both cities are generally lower than in many other European cities – like London or Paris.

Additional costs for the Executive MBA

In addition to your MBA course fees, you will also need to pay for flights and accommodation for your international trips.

Financing your MBA

Grants and scholarships 

For the Executive MBA, there are three scholarships:

• The Innovative Entrepreneurship Scholarship
• The Social Impact Scholarship
• The Female Empowerment Scholarship

Looking for ways to finance your Executive MBA? Email grants@vlerick.com – or set up a call with us.

Country-specific options 

There may be financing options available in your home country. You may be able to get a grant or scholarship to help towards your studies – and you may get a tax reduction on the cost of your Executive MBA programme. 

If you’re a German citizen, you can apply for a scholarship from Deutsche Bildung. 

Loans for Executive MBAs

You could also explore getting a loan to cover your programme fees. Please get in touch with your bank to find out more.

Funding for Flanders-based SMEs 

If you work at a Flemish SME, you could use the SME e-wallet (KMO-portefeuille) to partially fund your programme. You can apply for the subsidy before you pay for the programme. Find out more about funding your Executive MBA.

There are four steps to applying for your Executive MBA programme at Vlerick: 

1. Check your eligibility 

You must meet the following Executive MBA eligibility requirements:

• A degree from a recognised university
• At least four years’ full-time and relevant work experience

Check your eligibility in as little as five minutes using our simple tool.

2. Submit your application 

Use our application tool to create a profile and provide all relevant details. We process Executive MBA applications on a rolling basis – so it’s best to apply as soon as you can.

3. Go through the admissions process 

We’ll get in touch a few days after you submit your application.
 
If you meet our criteria and we feel the Executive MBA programme is a good fit for you, we’ll invite you to an MBA entrance exam and interview. Admissions tests take place online, via Zoom.

4. Get your results 

Within two days of your test, we’ll let you know our decision. If you’re successful, we’ll offer you a place on the programme. If not, we’ll give you individual feedback. You have two opportunities to take the admissions test in the same academic year.