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Online Executive MBA

Get ready to capture tomorrow’s opportunities and challenges

#1

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Executive Education in Benelux

#3

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Class Experience - 2023 QS Europe University Rankings® Online MBA

#8

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of Europe's best Online MBA providers in the QS Rankings 2024

Are you ready for your next professional challenge? Whether you want to accelerate your career, drive organisational change, or launch a new business venture, the Online Executive MBA programme from Vlerick will empower you to achieve your ambitions. 

In this highly interactive online learning experience, you’ll live and learn contemporary management challenges, develop your strategic thinking – and get the skills and tools to leap into today’s fast-changing business world with confidence.

Detailed programme

“There is a real benefit in studying and working at the same time and coming away with concrete actions to implement. A lot translates from class into actions to work on in your own business.” - Lauren Labbe, Vlerick Online Executive MBA Alumni, Vice President & CFO, Iron Mountain, USA.

We completely re-designed our Online Executive MBA to provide the same transformational experience and content as in our on-campus Executive MBA. Over 15-18 intensive, hands-on months, you’ll explore the full management spectrum. You’ll gain the skills, knowledge, practical experience, and international outlook you need to make an impact in the fast-paced business world. 

Element 1: Core Curriculum
“I knew an MBA would give me a holistic business overview. And I wanted a school with a strong reputation and good study package, that’s why Vlerick was a great fit.” - Ofir Raz, Vlerick Online Executive MBA Alumni, Corporate Governance Officer, Eurex, Germany.

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 
Tailor your programme to your specific objectives and career ambitions. Choose between electives to broaden and deepen your perspectives. You can also earn a specialise MBA degree in the following fields:

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

Element 3: Develop your leadership potential
“I’ve particularly enjoyed the Leadership module. Altogether, the MBA helped me to be a more effective leader.” - Heddy Bourghida, Vlerick Online Executive MBA Alumni, Transport Director, Vandemoortele, Belgium.

Regular seminars and coaching will encourage you to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, build your confidence and help you to become a better leader.

  • Strategic Decision Making
  • Impactful Communications
  • Building Resilient Teams

Element 4: Your entrepreneurial mindset track
"I was managing two start-ups while doing the Online Executive MBA. There was so much that I could draw on for my own business. For example, working with start-ups, the operations course has been so valuable.” - Lauren Labbe, Vlerick Online Executive MBA Alumni, Vice President & CFO, Iron Mountain, USA.

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)
"There is also a real focus on practicality – you hear from expert speakers and study real-life cases. It’s hands-on in a way that other programmes aren’t." - Ofir Raz, Vlerick Online Executive MBA Alumni, Corporate Governance Officer, Eurex, Germany.

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.

Optional Elements:
Join our on-campus Executive MBA for two trips to South Africa or Singapore (International Leadership) and San Francisco (Start-Up & Entrepreneurship focus).

Why this programme

Our Online Executive MBA programme is a highly flexible way to gain an outstanding executive education. It’s a highly immersive experience that allows you to develop the skills, confidence and perspective to take the next leap in your career. You’ll join study groups with people from across the world, you’ll have frequent, direct contact with faculty and coaches in small groups and one-to-one sessions. And you’ll have opportunities to take part in face-to-face events and learning trips. These are some key features of our Online Executive MBA programme:

  • Master the skills to succeed in business: Our highly interactive online learning spaces are the ideal environments to sharpen your thinking and develop your skill set
  • Experience collaborative, dynamic learning: Take part in real-time group work, co-create live sessions and assignments
  • Develop an international mindset: Share experiences and insights with classmates and faculty from diverse backgrounds – and join optional trips to Silicon Valley, Shanghai, or Cape Town for a first-hand experience of international business
  • Make connections across borders and industries: Meet and work with professionals from around the world and from different sectors and disciplines
  • Develop a high-quality network – connect with a network of peers who will support you throughout your MBA – and for your entire career
  • Get personal career advice and guidance: Benefit from individual coaching sessions and self-assessment tools that will help you shape your professional goals
  • Flex the pace to suit your schedule: Go at the speed that’s right for you.
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Career benefits

"I realised that an MBA would allow me to find exactly the kind of role I wanted to move into. I also appreciated the extensive alumni networking opportunities that Vlerick provides." - Heddy Bourghida, Vlerick Online Executive MBA Alumni, Transport Director, Vandemoortele, 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 go further. They’ll also encourage you to take part in:

  • Career coaching 
  • Networking opportunities – with organisations and our more than 25,500 alumni
  • Mentorship programmes to empower and inspire you

Watch this video to learn more about our career services.

Build deep connections on your Online Executive MBA

While you’re studying for your Online 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 up career opportunities and discover new talent.

When you graduate you can choose to continue your Vlerick alumni membership – and keep enjoying its benefits.

Who should attend

"My group was very diverse and international, and from many different sectors It’s been valuable to understand their perspectives and challenges as well as what they’re looking for when they’re seeking solutions." - Heddy Bourghida, Vlerick Online Executive MBA Alumni, Transport Director, Vandemoortele, Belgium.

We welcome participants from diverse professional, social and cultural backgrounds. The group you join will be made up of people from across the world and from many different sectors – giving you plenty of opportunities to learn how other countries do business, gain fresh insights from different industries and expand your international network.

This is what our typical Online Executive MBA class looks like:

20-30

participants per start

35-38

average age

32%

female

12-15

average working experience

Professional background

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Practical info

Our Online Executive MBA programme has been designed to give you the ultimate flexibility.
There are two start dates every year for the Online Executive MBA, in January and October. The January intake is a fast-track path, enabling participants to complete the programme in just 15 months. The October intake follows a regular path, requiring 18 months for completion.

The admissions test takes just an hour and a half, and you can schedule it at a time to suit you. 

We limit the number of applicants we accept on the Online Executive MBA programme, ensuring you'll find yourself in groups of 20-30 participants – where you get close support and a highly personal experience.

Fees and financing

The tuition fee for the October 2024 intake is €37.500.
The tuition fee for the January 2025 intake is €39.000.

This includes: 

  • Full tuition  
  • Textbooks and course materials 
  • Group and individual coaching  
  • Full personal development track including personal career guidance 
  • Use of campus facilities 
  • Alumni membership 
  • Online subscription Financial Times

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

Financing your MBA

Grants and scholarships 

For the Online Executive MBA, there are three scholarships:

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

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

Loans for Online Executive MBA

You could consider getting a loan to cover your MBA course 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 KMO-portefeuille to partially fund your Online Executive MBA cost. You can apply for the subsidy before you pay for the programme – so there’s no need to wait to apply. Get more information about this here.

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

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 1. Check your eligibility 

You will need to meet the following eligibility requirements:

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

Check your eligibility now >

2. Submit your application 

Use our application tool to create your profile and start completing your application. We process 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 Online Executive MBA programme is a good fit for you, we’ll invite you to an admissions test and interview. Your admission test will take place online via Zoom. 

 4. Get your results 

We’ll let you know your decision within two days of you taking the test. If you’re successful, we’ll enrol you onto the programme. If not, you’ll get individual feedback – and you can retake your admissions test once more in the same academic year. 

Success stories

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I realised that an MBA would allow me to find exactly the kind of role I wanted to move into. But having two kids and a challenging job already, I didn’t want to spend every weekend on campus – an Online Executive MBA was a good solution. The Vlerick Online Executive MBA offered the perfect combination of live sessions and self-study that best fit my lifestyle. In addition, I also appreciated the extensive alumni networking opportunities that Vlerick provides.

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While pursuing my MBA, I was managing two start-ups. And there’s a real benefit to studying and working at the same time. You can immediately apply what you learn in real life, and there is so much from the MBA that I can draw on in my work. The Online Executive MBA gave me the flexibility to work at my own pace and adapt if needed.

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I wanted to enhance my business knowledge – and improve my standing, both as a professional and as an individual. And I knew an MBA would give me the holistic business overview I wanted, and it would improve my prospects. I wanted a school with a strong reputation and a good study package, that’s why Vlerick was a great fit.  I also appreciated the flexibility Vlerick offers, because I wanted to be able to study alongside my family commitments and my full-time job.

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The format is completely flexible and accessible – and you can take part from wherever in the world you happen to be. I joined the MBA kick-off session from India and it was fantastic. Everything about the programme is so accessible. I’ve taken part in classes from places like Sri Lanka and Oman. Wherever I am, I can access the platform.

Faculty

Andreea Gorbatai

Andreea Gorbatai

Professor of Entrepreneurship

Andreea Gorbatai explores the role of social interaction and emotion in entrepreneurship research

Mathieu Luypaert

Mathieu Luypaert

Professor of Corporate Finance

Mathieu Luypaert explains how insights into financial figures and decisions can lead to value creation.

Fred Lemke

Fred Lemke

Professor of Marketing and Sustainability

Fred Lemke explores the impact of marketing on business and society.

Esha Mendiratta

Esha Mendiratta

Professor of International Business

Esha Mendiratta’s research focuses on the intersection of corporate strategy, corporate governance and international business.

Get in touch!

Aurelie Van de Meulebroucke

Aurelie Van de Meulebroucke

Customer Relationship Manager – Full-Time, European, Executive and Online MBA

Frequent asked questions

What is an Online Executive MBA? How is it different from other MBA programmes?

The Vlerick Online Executive MBA is a distance MBA. It allows you to have the complete Vlerick MBA experience, with the flexibility to study from wherever you are in the world. You can start the Online Executive MBA programme in January or October each year – all of which gives you additional flexibility.

With our Online Executive MBA, you also have the option to join events on our campuses – and take part in international business trips. However, these are not mandatory.

Is an Online Executive MBA worth it?

Taking part in Vlerick’s Online Executive MBA is a life-changing experience. Alumni of our Online Executive MBA have experienced a return on investment in areas like salary increases, finding fulfilling job opportunities – and making the next important leaps in their careers.

If you’d like to find out more about the impact our Online Executive MBA could have on your life and career, please reach out. We can put you in touch with alumni who will share their experiences and let you know why the Online Executive MBA was worth it for them.

Is this Online Executive MBA a distance MBA?

Yes, this is a distance MBA. You can study the Online Executive MBA from Vlerick from anywhere in the world. You can access this Online Executive MBA abroad, joining deeply immersive, interactive learning experiences entirely online. If you’re looking for a distance MBA, Vlerick’s Online Executive MBA could be perfect for you.

Book a call to find out more.

MBA distance education – is it for me?

A distance learning MBA is perfect for anyone who wants to further their career by studying in a highly flexible, online way, from anywhere in the world.

Our Online Executive MBA gives you flexibility in when you start. It allows you to complete your MBA while pursuing a full-time career, running your own business, and frequently relocating or changing jobs.

If you need flexibility – or you can’t or don’t want to travel to our campuses in Belgium – then our Online Executive MBA programme could be exactly what you’re looking for.

It’s also useful to remember that MBA distance education doesn’t mean that you don’t have opportunities to meet your faculty or fellow participants face-to-face. We’ll always welcome you to on-campus events if you’d like to attend. And if you want to join international study trips, you can do so at an additional cost.


Is there a difference between a distance MBA programme and a distance learning MBA course?

At Vlerick, a distance MBA “programme” refers to your whole learning journey. It’s made up of 12 distance MBA “courses”.

Is the Online Executive MBA programme a part-time Online Executive MBA?

Our Online Executive MBA programme offers flexibility, giving you the option to either join the fast-paced path of 15 months starting in January or the regular path of 18 months starting in October. This makes our Online Executive MBA a part-time programme.

If you’re considering whether an Online Executive MBA vs. a part-time MBA would suit you better, call us. There’s no pressure and we’d love to help you on the next step in your career.

Set up a call >

What level of English do I need to follow this programme?

The Online Executive MBA is delivered entirely in English – so you’ll need to be able to work and communicate easily in English to follow this programme.

What is the minimum GMAT or GRE score required for admission to this programme?

If you have a GMAT or GRE score, we will certainly consider it. However, at Vlerick we also have our own admissions test and criteria – called the VBAT. Why do we do this? It’s because we take a holistic view of our applicants, and the VBAT takes account of your abilities, but also your experience and motivations.

If you’d like to talk to us about applying, please reach out – we’d love to hear about your ambitions.

Can I get an Online Executive MBA without a Bachelors degree?

To apply for our Online Executive MBA degree, you will need a Bachelors or Masters degree from a recognised university. You’ll also need at least four years of relevant, full-time work experience.

Will I get a degree or diploma when I graduate from the Online Executive MBA programme?

When you graduate from our Online Executive MBA, you’ll be awarded a Master in Business Administration. This is the same degree that graduates of our on-campus Executive MBAs receive. In other words, an MBA online degree gives you exactly the same qualification as an on-campus programme.

How is this programme graded?

Participants are evaluated throughout our Online Executive MBA programme in a number of ways – including exams, papers, casework, group work and presentations. You’ll be graded course by course, so you’ll know how you’re performing as you work through the programme.

How much time will I need for studying each week?

You should set aside at least 10-12 hours for studying each week. This includes preparation time, group work and live sessions.

If you have any questions about how the programme and course schedule work, book a video call with us and we’ll be happy to talk you through everything.

Book a video call >

Is an Online Executive MBA for working professionals?

Yes – we’ve designed our Online Executive MBA for busy working professionals like you. The Vlerick Online Executive MBA lets you study without putting your career on hold.

How do I take exams as part of the Online Executive MBA programme?

Our exams are open book format, held on Zoom. You will also be evaluated based on group and individual work – including papers, cases and presentations throughout your Online Executive MBA programme.

How many start dates are there each year?

You can choose to start your Online Executive MBA in January or October every year.