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Studies & Degrees in International Teachers Programme

The International Teachers Programme (ITP) is a faculty-development programme for people who teach business and management. It is not a degree and it does not train school teachers. It is a short, intensive course in which lecturers from business schools around the world work on how they teach and on how their own students learn. The programme is organised by the International Schools of Business Management (ISBM), a consortium of business schools that works together with EFMD Global.

According to the ITP, the programme was founded by Harvard Business School in 1958, and the first class had 18 participants from 12 countries. It extended into Europe in 1969, more European schools joined in 1971, and the consortium became a non-profit organisation in 1977. The ITP states that the programme has run every year since 1971 and has served over 1,300 educators.

How the programme works

The ITP rotates among the member schools: one ISBM school manages it for a period of two years. The members named by the ITP include SDA Bocconi (Italy), London Business School (UK), HEC Paris (France), INSEAD, IMD (Switzerland), Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden), Vlerick Business School (Belgium), Aix-Marseille Graduate School of Management (France), Kellogg School of Management and MIT Sloan School of Management (USA), the Indian School of Business and China Europe International Business School.

The 2026-27 edition is hosted by IMD in Lausanne and has two one-week modules: 4–8 January 2027 and 5–9 July 2027. To apply, the ITP asks candidates to:

  • be a faculty member at a business or management school, or a professional in business education with at least two years of experience
  • be proficient in English, because all classes are in English
  • be available to take part in all modules

The ITP states that a limited number of scholarships are available. The fee changes with each edition, so check the current brochure on the ITP website before applying.

Qualifications and levels

The ITP is continuing professional education and does not award ECTS credits or an academic degree. Participants normally already hold the degree they need for their teaching post. In the United States, for example, teachers at universities typically need a PhD or other doctoral degree in their field, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Under the same heading, SpainExchange also lists other programmes for teachers who want training abroad:

  • Courses for teachers of Spanish. Cursos Internacionales de la Universidad de Salamanca offers training courses for teachers of Spanish as a foreign language. Its summer course for these teachers consists of two independent weekly modules, and the centre also lists online training and master's programmes such as MINELE, a máster de formación permanente in teaching Spanish as a foreign language.
  • Certificates for teaching English (TEFL). Private providers such as Tefl trainer in Barcelona prepare people to teach English as a foreign language. Ask the provider which body accredits the certificate and where it is accepted.
  • Non-formal programmes. International People's College in Helsingør, Denmark, is a folk high school with no fixed curriculums and no grades. It offers long courses in global studies of four to six months and short courses of one to three weeks.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists five active schools for this subject: two in Spain and one each in Italy, Denmark and the United States. Bocconi University in Milan is the one directly linked to the ITP: its business school, SDA Bocconi School of Management, founded in 1971, is a member of the ISBM. The ITP itself takes place wherever the managing school holds it, so the location changes over time.

The ITP is taught in English. The teacher courses in Salamanca are taught in Spanish and are aimed at people who already teach the language or are training to do so.

Careers

The ITP is for people who already have an academic career. Participants use it to improve their teaching, to prepare for programme leadership and to build contacts with colleagues in other countries. It does not replace a doctorate or a teaching qualification. For the wider profession, the BLS projects that overall employment of postsecondary teachers in the United States will grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for the International Teachers Programme?

Faculty members of business or management schools and professionals in business education with at least two years of experience. Applicants must be proficient in English and able to attend all modules.

Is the ITP a degree?

No. It is a faculty-development programme made up of short modules. It does not award an academic degree.

Where does the ITP take place?

The location rotates among the ISBM member schools. The 2026-27 edition is held at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Are there programmes abroad for teachers of other subjects?

Yes. Examples on this page are the courses for teachers of Spanish as a foreign language at Cursos Internacionales de la Universidad de Salamanca and TEFL certificates for teaching English.