Global Executive MBA

Core Curriculum: Online Courses

This part of the core curriculum is delivered through live, online learning sessions. The sessions take place once a month over one weekend, from 9 am-5 pm (Saturday and Sunday).

In these sessions, you’ll work with your peers and our faculty and take part in exercises, discussions, and case studies. This is complemented by self-paced online learning, which you complete on your own schedule, where you prepare for lessons, work on projects, and study for exams.

Lay the management foundations

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

Develop key management capabilities

• Operations and Supply Chain Management
• Marketing Management
• Sustainability Management

Transform your business

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

Core curriculum: International Study Courses (in-person)

This part of the core curriculum is delivered in the classroom, where you have the opportunity to connect with peers and faculty face-to-face, visit destinations across the globe, and participate in company visits, simulations, workshops, and valuable networking opportunities.

These insightful trips are designed to provide experiences with world-leading companies in some of the most important global business hubs. 

• Brussels: Business basecamp
• Copenhagen: Sustainable organisations
• Singapore or Cape Town: Leadership in an international business context
• Consortium: Choose an international study course from 10+ global partner universities
• San Francisco or Dublin: Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Electives & Specialisations (Online & in-person)

Our electives provide you with the choices to personalise your MBA experience. Depending on the elective courses you choose, you can participate online, hybrid or at our Brussels campus and alternate between the different modes for your convenience. You can also specialise in the following fields:

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

Develop your leadership potential (Online & in-person)

As part of your international leadership development, you'll complete online modules and 360-degree assessments, and participate in dedicated sessions and coaching throughout the programme, which will encourage you to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, build your confidence, and help you become a better leader. Topics covered in the Leadership Track include:

• Strategic Decision Making
• Impactful Communications
• Building Resilient Teams

Your Entrepreneurial mindset track (Online & in-person)

Whether you are an entrepreneur or you work for an organisation, this track is all about triggering your entrepreneurial mindset. You’ll study the approach entrepreneurs use to identify opportunities and develop the mindset and skills to innovate within a business or start and grow a new venture. This will help you become a successful professional. The topics covered in this track include:

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

Your Knowledge-in-Action Project (KIAP)

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.

The EMBA Consortium

Vlerick Business School is part of the EMBA Consortium, a global network of business schools. By participating in the Vlerick Global Executive MBA, you will join a global network together with other Executive MBA participants. Throughout one week, you get the unique opportunity to attend and study at another international school, together with other participants from all over the world and get access to a unique global network.

Your Career Advancement

We’ve built the Global Executive MBA around what matters most to you: your journey and your ambitions. From active discussions in the classroom and global immersion trips to real-world project work, everything has a clear, practical purpose.

Throughout the year, you'll also join events created to help you expand your network and open new doors, including:

Career Events

• Coaching
• Dedicated Careers Team

Achieve your international ambitions

Deepen your understanding of global business. The Global Executive MBA gives you sharp insight, a powerful network and real confidence on the world stage.

Learn from leading international faculty. Explore businesses in cities across the globe. It's your chance to understand international business first-hand and build a network that lasts well beyond the classroom.

Dive deep into global business ecosystems

Step outside the classroom and into big-name businesses in the world's most exciting business hubs. Live cases and simulations bring theory to life. You'll absorb the culture, the practices, the pace.

Blended online and in-person learning gives you flexibility and prepares you to get the most from immersive experiences across Europe, America, Asia and Africa.

Consult on high-impact projects with expert support

Put everything you've learned into practice. The Knowledge in Action Project lets you tackle a real challenge in your own company or on a new business case.

You'll get personalised coaching designed to develop you as a leader. We help you clarify your goals and the steps to reach them. Add career coaching, curated networking and the right introductions, and you're all set up to move forward.

Blended learning for ultimate flexibility

Busy working life, but you still want to connect with peers, faculty and business leaders? You can have both. The Global Executive MBA combines the freedom of online learning with hands-on international study trips.

Networking, career coaching, live cases, introductions and in-person interaction: this MBA format has it all.

Find out more about studying at Vlerick >

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.

We welcome participants from diverse professional, social, and cultural backgrounds. It’s an approach that contributes a rich blend of specialisms, experiences, and perspectives to our class groups. 

When you join the Global Executive MBA at Vlerick, you’ll join a select group of peers. With them, you’ll expand your network, gain fresh insights from a wide range of industries, and develop a truly international mindset and business perspective.

Average class profile

Locations: Brussels, Copenhagen, Singapore or Cape Town, San Francisco or Dublin, and one of 10+ global destinations wihtin the EMBA consortium
Format: A blend of immersive learning experiences in international business hubs, and highly interactive online learning
Duration: 20 months

Time investment for the Global Executive MBA 

Taking an MBA involves a considerable time investment. You can expect to spend an average of 12-15 hours a week taking part in classes, immersive experiences, team assignments, projects, and self-paced study.

Applying for our Global Executive MBA programme

Our Global Executive MBA has one intake per year, in September. We accept applications for the programme on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply sooner rather than later.  We limit the number of places to make sure you have a quality experience, with high levels of personal attention.

The tuition fee for the Global Executive MBA is €52.750.

This includes:

• Tuition (20 months)
• Textbooks and course materials
• Access to online learning platform
• Use of campus facilities
• Group and individual coaching for career and leadership
• Programme during the international study courses
• Alumni membership
• Lunches during international study courses
• Online subscription to Financial Times

Transport and accommodation across the international study courses are not included in the tuition fee.

Financing your Global Executive MBA

Grants and scholarships 

For the Global Executive MBA, there are five scholarships:

• The Innovative Entrepreneurship Scholarship
• The Social Impact Scholarship
• The Female Empowerment Scholarship
• The Diversity Scholarship
• The International Experience Scholarship

Looking for ways to finance your Global Executive MBA? Email grants@vlerick.com or set up a call with us or Find out more about available scholarships and grants >

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 Global Executive MBA programme. 

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

Loans for Global 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.

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

1. Check your eligibility 

What you need:

• A degree from a recognised university 
• At least four years’ full-time, relevant work experience 
  
  Check your eligibility >

2. Submit your application 

Use our application tool to create your profile and start completing your application. Remember, we review applications on a rolling basis.

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 Global Executive MBA programme is a good fit for you, we’ll invite you to your Vlerick Admission Test and an online interview

If you meet our criteria and we feel the Global Executive MBA programme is a good fit for you, we’ll invite you to your Vlerick Admission Test and an online interview

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 is conducted on the same day as the entrance exam and takes place immediately afterwards.

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:
How to nail your admissions test
Preparation tips

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 – and you can retake your admissions test once more in the same academic year.