Full-time MBA Programme

You want to make impact – when you graduate and throughout the rest of your professional life. The Full-time MBA programme at Vlerick gives you the mindset, knowledge, skills and network to go out into the world and make meaningful change. 

Your learning journey at Vlerick will be practical, hands-on and energising. You’ll workshop ideas, get input from leading faculty and business people – and you’ll put what you learn into practice through projects, group work, business games and simulations. 

Throughout this international MBA programme, you’ll get coaching, expert tuition, world-class careers support and quality networking to completely prepare you to advance your career. 

Integrated learning 

Your courses are grouped into four integrated modules. In each one, you dive deep into a topic – and you learn how it’s connected to other functions and disciplines at the same time. This approach helps you to understand how a company is structured – and how you’ll need to work with other teams to innovate and solve problems. All of this means that you learn frameworks and theory in the context of the way a business is structured and operates. 

Overview of the 4 integrated modules

Financial & Analytical Foundation

At the very beginning of our programme, we lay a strong Financial & Analytical Foundation. This foundation consists of two key components:

  1. Financial Foundation

A combination of three stand-alone courses designed to help you build a solid understanding of financial terms and concepts. These courses are critical for effective communication in the world of business:

• Financial accounting
• Corporate finance (incl. FAST)
• Managerial accounting

   2. Understanding & Using Data

Understanding & Using Data is a unique aspect of our programme integrated into each integrated module. Various concepts and techniques to aid the business decision-making process will be studied to illustrate the road to the valuable information that can be extracted from data. In today’s world of complex and interrelated systems, decision-making remains an essential but difficult part of business. This is where data comes into play.

Excel in two broad areas 

All your hands-on learning, workshops, lectures, networking, trips and projects will lead you to develop two core skill sets – entrepreneurship and leadership.

Entrepreneurship 

"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." Jurgen Degrande - Co-founder of Edgard & Cooper - Full-time MBA Alumnus. Discover more about Jurgen Degrande's story.

The business world needs flexible, creative thinkers who are capable of driving their organisations forward and making a lasting impact. Through coaching, listening to guest speakers, gaining an understanding of start-up life, learning to adopt design thinking, and understanding how to finance your own venture – and how large organisations invest in innovation – this international MBA programme will empower you to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. You’ll also develop your own business plan and gain agile, hands-on experience that will be invaluable – whether you want to start your own venture or drive success in a corporation. 

Leadership

At Vlerick, becoming a leader means mastering the soft skills, as well as the rigorous academic approaches that will help you to navigate decision-making. Throughout this global MBA programme, you’ll learn vital business skills including negotiation, presenting, and working with team dynamics. You’ll learn to problem-solve and motivate others. This is all supported with extensive leadership coaching and monthly group coaching sessions. Your Vlerick coach will push you to evolve and grow. So you’ll learn how to approach business, and importantly, you’ll learn about yourself. 

Electives during this international MBA

Explore your passions by choosing three electives in specialist business areas. From marketing through to finance and exploring innovation, there is a range of possibilities for you to choose from.

International study trip 

Immerse yourself in international business practice and networking during the study trip to Asia/Africa.

Knowledge-in-action project

Put everything you’ve learned into practice in a two-month project for a company or not-for-profit organisation. Address a strategic or managerial challenge – all with expert guidance and feedback from your professors and peers.

Integrated management exercise (IMEx)

During an intensive week, you’ll play the Integrated Management Exercise (IMEx) – a business game where your team competes to run the best company.

• Benefit from world-class, international MBA content that will empower you to challenge the status quo in your organisation and your sector

• Gain the skills to become a proactive leader who can have a real impact in business, society and the world

• Develop an international perspective, learning in a diverse setting in the heart of Europe

• Get real-world experience with a two-month, hands-on project in a company or not-for-profit 

• Benefit from extensive coaching, group sessions and reflection

• Learn from the perspectives of classmates and faculty from diverse professional, educational and cultural backgrounds 

• Build a powerful network that will support you throughout your career

• Get a tangible return on your investment – on average, graduates of this programme see a 30% salary increase, as well as many other career benefits

In businesses across all sectors, you’ll find Vlerick graduates in strategic roles, working across borders. They’re successful, sought-after and highly valued. Here are just some of the places they’re making an impact:

AB-Inbev, Accenture, Altran, Amazon, Bain & Company, Barco, Bekaert, BNP Paribas, Bopro, British American Tobacco, Brussels Airlines, Cargill, CG Holdings, Cisco, Citibank, Coca-Cola, Delhaize Group, Deloitte, Dow, Elia, Energetica Natura, Ernst & Young, Froomle, GE, GSK, HSBC, IKEA, Impaqtr, ING, Intertrust Group, Johnson & Johnson, KBC Bank, Mastercard, Materialise, McKinsey, Microsoft, ML6, Morgan Stanley, Nielsen, Novartis, Nxp Semiconductors, Odoo, Ontex, Philip Morris, Philips, Proximus, PWC, Roland Berger, Rydoo, Schindler, Signify, TeamViewer, Tomorrowlab, Tomtom, Toyota, UNIVERCELLS, UPS, and Vinçotte.

Our career services team is there to support you from day one. They get to know you. They push you and find opportunities for and with you, with activities including:

• Practical workshops 

• One-to-one career counselling 

• Executive coaching 

• Company visits 

• Alumni sessions and networking events

Watch this video to learn more about our career services.

Join our alumni community

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. 

Is this programme for you?

Hyper-international. Progressive. And located right in the beating heart of Europe. No wonder this global MBA programme attracts participants from a wide range of professional and cultural backgrounds. If you think you’d thrive in this diverse, international setting – and you meet these criteria – we’d love to hear from you…

• Do you have at least three years of full-time work experience? 

• Do you want to become a leader who makes a positive impact? 

• Do you want to develop your entrepreneurial mindset? 

• Are you looking to change career, change sector – or change the country you work in?

• Are you open to thinking differently, challenging the norm and making business a force for good in the world?

Want to see what our international MBA groups are like? Here’s an overview of our most recent cohort:

Start date: 2 September 2024
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. Each week is packed with 40 hours of individual study, classroom sessions, coaching and project work.

This unique programme is highly personalised, hands-on and involves a high level of one-to-one attention for each participant.

The tuition fee for the Full-time MBA is €41,500 (for the 2 September 2024 start).

This includes: 

• Full tuition 
• Electives 
• Textbooks and course materials 
• Transport and accommodation for the international trip 
• Executive coaching sessions 
• Use of campus facilities 
• Alumni membership during the programme 
• One year of full online access to the Financial Times 

Living expenses in Brussels – including rent – can range between €800 and €1,100 a month. Brussels is a very affordable place to live, with a lower cost of living than other European cities such as Paris, London and Barcelona. In fact, living costs can be between 25-50% lower than in these cities.

Financing your Full-time MBA

Joining a Vlerick programme can be a significant financial investment. But there are many options available – and we’re here to help you explore what types of support you might be eligible for.  

Scholarships

We award MBA scholarships mostly on a merit basis. We look at personal and professional achievements, international outlook and added value to the class – as well as admissions test and interview results. Our scholarships range from 10% to 50% of the tuition fee and they are awarded on a first come first served basis. So the earlier you apply, the greater your chance of getting a scholarship.

Here's a list of the MBA scholarships we offer…

• Female leadership: For women looking to become business leaders of the future.
• Diversity scholarship: For participants from diverse backgrounds, who have a global mindset and cultural awareness.
• Academic scholarship: For candidates with a strong academic record – and a GMAT score of 680+ or a GRE-scaled score of 160+ (verbal), and 162+ (quantitative).
• Future leader scholarship: For candidates who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential.
• Entrepreneurship scholarship: For candidates with a strong track record of entrepreneurship or the potential to launch their own business when they graduate.
• MBA event scholarship: For candidates who have met one of our representatives face-to-face at regional MBA events.
• Regional scholarship: We offer these to candidates who plan to continue to work in their region after graduation.
• Sector-specific scholarship: If you want to grow your career in one of our key research areas – healthcare, retail and consumer goods, financial services or energy – you can apply for a sector-specific scholarship.
• The Dirk Kuijper endowment fund: This fund promotes the international elements of our MBA programme.
• EU Indian scholarship: This is for permanent residents of India with a GMAT score of 650+ or with a GRE score of 157+ (verbal), and 159+ (quantitative).
• Vlerick spirit scholarship: This is for applicants who are open and willing to learn from peers with very different and diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.
• One Vlerick (Opportunity & Equality) scholarship: We value social diversity and we encourage individual commitment. For this partial scholarship of up to 50%, you either need to be a first-generation university student, belong to a minority group or an underprivileged community – or actively promote diversity and inclusion.

To apply, write an essay as part of your online application form. You don’t have to say which scholarship you’re applying for. 

Learn more about the Full-time MBA scholarship.

Loans 

You could also consider getting a loan to cover your programme fees.

• Regular loans: You can use a loan to pay for part or all of your tuition fees. Remember to explore any options available in your home country, as well as loans from specialist providers.

• Prodigy Finance loans: Prodigy Finance provides loans for international students at the world’s top business schools. These loans could cover your living expenses and 100% of your tuition fees, minus any scholarship you may be awarded. Learn more.

Paying in instalments  

You can also pay your tuition fees in four separate instalments due September, November, February and April. If you want to pay in instalments, we’ll ask you to sign a contract and pay an admin fee of €250.

It’s important to understand all the stages involved in MBA admissions. There are four key steps to applying for your Full-time MBA programme at Vlerick:

1. Check your eligibility 

You must meet the following MBA eligibility requirements:

• A degree from an accredited university 

• At least three years’ full-time work experience

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

2. Submit your application 

Complete your personal details and upload the necessary documents via our application tool.

Application deadlines for a start on 1 September 2024:

• If you don’t need a student visa, the final date to apply is 31 July 2024

• If you do need a student visa to study in Belgium, the final date is 30 June 2024

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 five days of your interview, we’ll let you know our decision. If your application is successful, you’ll be offered a place in this global MBA programme. To accept the offer and reserve your place, you must pay the required commitment fee towards your tuition. If your application is rejected, we’ll give you individual feedback – and you can apply again the following year.

Discover what it’s like to study in Belgium – as well as practical information on how to organise your stay.