Where can a master’s in management get you?

Sponsored by IE Business School

Explore the cornerstones of business management, specialise in the areas you’re most interested in and graduate with your own customised programme that’s as unique as you are.

TopUniversities.com takes a deep dive into the Master in Management at Spain’s IE Business School and why it stands out.

Designed for junior professionals and recent undergraduates, the programme includes over 50 elective modules, seven specialisations and allows you to create a personal road map to the business career you desire.

A customisable programme for your own business journey

Broken into four semesters, students begin their programme learning foundational business knowledge that will underpin the rest of your learning.

With the support of expert professors, students can then choose to specialise in one of seven tracks:

•       Digital business
•       Entrepreneurship and innovation
•       Finance
•       International business
•       Sales and marketing
•        Strategic management
•         Business analytics

     Half of IE’s programme is customisable, allowing you to choose the pathway that will enable the best version of yourself, however you see your future developing.

If you have a quantitative background, a competitive GMAT score and you’re fluent in three languages, there’s an additional Strategic Management Track you can apply for in your fourth term. This track is tailored for the most dedicated professionals who can engage in an intense internship, social impact project or international exchange.

Alternatively, students can opt for the European Management Track, learning more about the corporate world in Europe and its politics.

Choosing between exchanges at Copenhagen Business School (Denmark), ESSEC Business School (France), and the University of Mannheim Business School (Germany), students can expand their cultural awareness and gain new perspectives on current commercial and political issues across the continent.

Versatile career options once you graduate

Due to its customisable nature, the Master in Management at IE Business School provides you with skills applicable to a wide variety of professions and sectors.

There are many routes a MiM can take you: 28 percent of graduates choose management positions within the technology sector, 21 percent go on to work as consultants, 18 percent in consumer goods, 13 percent choose careers in financial services.

You could also work in manufacturing, healthcare, media and entertainment, hospitality, energy, real estate, government, or transport and logistic services, for example.

With the help of the IE Talent and Careers team, students can make valuable connections alongside the knowledge they learn in the classroom.

With careers education and career advising, the team provide impactful learning resources and development tools to allow students to plan, manage and achieve their professional goals. The recruiter relations department boost the professional visibility of IE students with recruiters, positioning you as the best talent in the corporate community.

Fabricio Rüegg took the knowledge he gained studying the Master in Management at IE and immediately applied it to launching his own enterprises. He is now Managing Director at SwissCo, a delivery and ecommerce site. 

He said: “IE Business School has taught me to adapt, to create, and to believe in myself. It has also taught me to analyse to make decisions. It has made me a more analytical person with a tireless desire for self-improvement. It has given me the tools to become a successful person and create something different.”

Challenging your language skills

Located in Spain’s hub of global commerce, Madrid, the one-year programme is offered in both English and bilingual (English and Spanish) and led by world-class professionals from across the globe.

Spain’s capital is also home to major international companies like Google, Microsoft and Apple, creating many opportunities for students.

Regardless of your native language, taking on the challenge of the bilingual programme can add huge value to your experience, both personally and professionally. IE offer English and Spanish classes throughout the program, so if you’re stronger in one language you can sharpen your skills with the other.

Plus, students have access to the most comprehensive language-learning network in the world, Busuu.

The world's leading multinationals like Google and BBVA are increasingly recruiting bilingual employees to drive business forward. According to a report by the New American Economy, the demand for bilingual professionals more than doubled between 2010 and 2015.

Skills beyond the classroom

Taking your management experience beyond the lecture theatre, IE Management offers additional opportunities to make the most of your training.

Schemes like the Global Immersion Week and the IE Certificate on Foundations of Sustainability can give students even more of an edge when you enter the job market.

Global Immersion Week allows students to explore international centres of innovation, where you’ll understand what it’s like to run a business on a global scale. Through lectures and workshops led by industry experts, and visits to top companies, you’ll put your skills to the test.

Recent destinations include San Francisco (US), Shanghai (China), Tel Aviv (Israel) and Berlin (Germany).

With the IE Certificate on Foundations of Sustainability, you’ll integrate sustainable practices across all business activities and consider the social, economic and environmental issues faced across the world. Showing potential recruiters that you’re committed to sustainable business can help you to stand out against the competition.

Soraya Nour, alum and Senior Business Development Representative and Team Lead at Salesforce, said of her experience: “The Master in Management enabled me to expand my professional horizons and begin new journeys that I never thought possible.

“The programme opened my eyes to the privileges and countless possibilities we have access to as IE Business School students, such as learning from the most successful business leaders, while also building a close network of classmates.” 

Push your specialisation even further

Adding the business extension module to the end of your master’s degree can give you even more time to develop your skills and explore your areas of interest before you start your career search.

You can take the extension for up to six months, continuing on as an IE student and gaining an extra specialisation of your choice, an exchange or internship.

Unique to IE University, Master in Management students are able to pair the degree with a list of courses across the institution. You could choose a dual degree in finance, trade and economics, marketing, communications and media, law and public policy, or even strategic interior design.

With IE’s Compare Programmes tool, you can find a combination of courses to suit your career goals.