ESADE MBA program is offered by the ESADE Business School located in Barcelona, Spain. It is a part of ESADE and associated with Ramon Llull University. The school is consistently ranked among the world’s top business schools and programs by the Financial Times, Economist, Forbes, & QS World University Ranking. In 2019, the Economist ranked the ESADE MBA Program #16 in the world.
The school has a rich alumni network and consists of leaders like Enrique Lores (CEO, HP Inc), Ramon Laguarta (CEO, PepsiCo), Albert Rivera (Spanish Politician), Josep Maria Bartomeu (President, FC Barcelona), & Joan Rigol (Former President, Parliament of Catalonia). Out of thousands of applications received, only 186 students made it into the ESADE MBA Program 2021. The class includes 95% of International students from more than 45 countries. The typical male-female ratio is 3:2, and the average age of the batch is 29 years. In this article, we shall learn more about the ESADE MBA Program.
At the ESADE MBA program, you will develop four critical competencies throughout the curriculum. They are:
Collaborative Leadership
Critical Thinking
Creativity
Communication Skills
Students can start their MBA on-campus in October or in January after completing some online courses. The curriculum provided by the school is very flexible. Students can tailor their program to 18, 15, or 12 months according to their goals. The core course program structure is divided into three main phases.
The first phase is awareness, where the students will understand themselves and their capabilities. It includes subjects like General management & strategy, Communication skills, Fundamentals of the market, financial accounting & reporting, Global market, etc. The second phase focuses on create & innovate, where you will learn to solve real-world problems. It consists of subjects like Business Analytics, Corporate finance, Entrepreneurship, & Operations management.
The third and final phase focuses on transformation. It helps you to transform yourself as a leader as well as a human being. It includes subjects like Managing & developing people, Managing ethics & social responsibility, Technology & digital business, & Leading change.
In the second term, you will deepen your knowledge and sharpen your focus through the electives and final masters’ project. The final master project is carried out during two weeks in June. It has the format of a consultancy project and is assigned by the project coordinator.
On the other hand, the electives will accelerate your understanding, deepen your knowledge, & help you to achieve your career goals. The school provides many elective subjects. Some of them include Geopolitics, Impact investing, Hedge fund, Brand strategy, corporate restructuring, E-commerce, Negotiations, & International business strategy. The students who opt for a 15 or 18-month program will have an opportunity to spend up to 4 months overseas in other world-class business schools and universities.
Some of the ESADE partner school includes China European International Business School (CEIBS), Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST), Indian School of Business (ISB), Kellogg School of Management, HEC Paris, Chicago Booth, Tuck school of business, Fuqua school of business, etc.
Eligibility
Academic Requirement:
A bachelor’s degree in any discipline is a mandatory requirement.
Professional Experience:
Applicants are required to hold a minimum of 2 years of full-time work experience to apply for the ESADE MBA Program. The average work experience of the current class of 2021 is 5.7 years.
Standardized Tests:
A valid GMAT or GRE score is a must requirement to apply for the program. While the school has no minimum score requirement, the current average scores are 660 for GMAT and 160/162 for GRE.
Students are also required to take English Proficiency Tests like TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. The minimum score required is 100, 7.0, & 68 for TOEFL, IELTS, & PTE, respectively. Native English speakers and candidates who have completed their bachelor’s degrees entirely in English are exempt from this requirement.
The tuition fee for the ESADE MBA Program is €72,000. It covers the tuition, course material, on-campus IT service, library service, and more. There is also an additional MBA student association fee of €100. Other than this, the estimated monthly living expenses of the students come at €1,100. It includes a housing (€400), utilities (€100), food (€250), transportation (€50), and personal & miscellaneous expenses of (€300).
The ESADE School provides several scholarships & grants to the admitted students every year. The evaluation criteria are based on talents & needs and are decided by the scholarship committee.
Some of the scholarship options for ESADE MBA Program include:
Leadership Scholarships:
This scholarship supports young professionals with excellent management & innovation skills and proven leadership. Special preference is given to candidates with managerial experience.
Entrepreneurship Scholarship:
It is awarded to candidates with an entrepreneurial spirit. Candidates with previous experience in start-ups or entrepreneur projects are preferred.
Women of the world scholarship:
It is offered to exceptional women candidates who can contribute to the ESADE community. Special consideration is given to candidates with proven financial needs.
Other than these, there are various industry-specific scholarships like Global marketing scholarship, financial service scholarship, Social Impact scholarship, & MBA consulting scholarship. The school also provides private loan options. The school recommends financial institutions like Banc Sabadell & Prodigy Finance. Through these, a student can finance up to 100% of tuition fees.
The ESADE Business School focuses immensely on the post MBA career of the admitted students. The career management cell of the school provides several career-oriented activities to make students ready for the placements. Reportedly, 91% of students accepted the job offer within 3-months of graduation in 2019. 97% of the students changed either industry, function, or location, while 29% changed all three of them.
Moreover, 78% of the students found a job outside Spain. Students placed in consulting received the highest average annual salary of €74,978, followed by financial services with €72,934. The top three industries who recruited the class of 2019 were
Technology 34%
Manufacturing 32%
Consulting 22%
The top three functions chosen by the students were
Consulting 25%
Marketing/Sales 23%
General Management 17%
Top recruiting companies of 2018-19 include
The Boston Consulting Group
McKinsey & Company
EY
Infosys
Amazon
Citi
AB InBev
Adidas
Admission Process
Online Application will include the following:
Academic Transcript
4-5 Essays
2 Letter of Recommendation
Resume
GMAT/ GRE Score
English Language Test (If Required)
Scan of Identity card or Passport
Application fee of €135
Once submitted, your documents will be shown as “received” after being validated by the admissions team.
Interview:
After document submission, you may be shortlisted for an interview. All selected applicants are interviewed by an associate director of admissions. The interview can be conducted either in Barcelona or at ESADE international off-campus admissions events. If you cannot attend both the above options, then you will have a choice to interview via Skype. However, the school encourages an in-person interview.
The interview lasts for 40 to 50 minutes and consists of situational and behavioral questions. The interviewer focuses highly on the applicants’ goals, backgrounds, and motivations. After the official interview, all the shortlisted applications will again be evaluated by the admissions committee. The decision made by the committee will be final and will be notified to students via email.
Essay Details & Tips
To apply for the ESADE MBA program, you will have to answer four mandatory essay questions and one optional essay question. They are as follows:
Essay 1
Which aspects have you improved on during your academic and professional career so far? Which tools or values have helped you achieve this?
Essay 2
How will your background, values, and non-work-related activities enhance the experience of other ESADE MBA students and add to the diverse culture we strive for at ESADE? (Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have accomplished).
Essay 3
What are your motivations in pursuing a full-time MBA at this point in your life? Describe your mid-term and long-term visions for your post-MBA career path. What is it about ESADE you think will help you reach your goals?
Essay 4
Complete two of the following four questions or statements (1000 characters per response)
- a) I am most proud of…
- b) People may be surprised to learn that I…
- c) What has your biggest challenge been, and what did it help you learn about yourself?
- d) Which historical figure do you most identify with and why?
Essay 5
Please, provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. It may include gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, and plans to retake the GMAT or any other relevant information. (Max 3,000 characters)
Through these essays, the admission committee looks forward to knowing you deeply. They want to see your growth, self-development, knowledge, perspective, interests, goals, and how all these will make an impact on the ESADE culture & community. So make sure your essay reflects it all.
ESADE MBA Program is among the top choices of business enthusiasts and a dream institution for thousands of students around the world. If you feel that this school is a match for you, go for it.
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