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Studies & Degrees in International Executive MBA

An International Executive MBA, often called a Global Executive MBA, is a Master of Business Administration for people who already manage teams, budgets or a company of their own and who keep working while they study. It covers the same ground as any MBA (strategy, finance, marketing, operations, leadership), but the class is made up of experienced managers and the content looks at companies that operate in several countries.

Two things set it apart from a full-time MBA. The first is the timetable: classes are grouped into weekends, block weeks or live online sessions. The second is the international part: a residential week abroad, a module at a partner school or a class with many nationalities.

What students learn

The subjects are those of general management, taught from the point of view of someone who takes the decisions. ENAE Business School in Murcia describes its Global Executive MBA as a programme for business owners and professionals who want to lead in any market in the world; it includes international strategy, global supply chains, corporate and international finance, and international and digital marketing.

Much of the learning comes from the group. In the Global MBA of EAE Business School, participants have eight years of work experience on average, 79% are international and there are 16 nationalities.

Qualifications and levels

An executive MBA is a postgraduate programme. Applicants need a university degree and several years of work experience.

  • Experience: EAE requires at least three years of professional experience after university for its Global MBA, and says its Executive MBA is aimed at people with 5 to 10 years of experience. Frankfurt School of Finance & Management looks for candidates with several years of managerial or entrepreneurial experience.
  • Length: between 12 and 18 months is usual. The EAE Global MBA in Madrid takes 12 months in hybrid format and the EAE Executive MBA in Barcelona 15 months. The Executive MBA at ESEUNE lasts 16 months, and the one at Frankfurt School 18 months, part-time.
  • Credits: the programmes at EAE and ENAE have 60 ECTS credits. The Swiss School of Management describes its EMBA as a one-year, 60 ECTS programme with an emphasis on applied research.
  • Format: Frankfurt School combines three block weeks, twelve extended weekends in Frankfurt and an international module. ESEUNE has 25 teaching units, one every three weeks, with 6 to 8 hours of work a week, Zoom sessions and optional periods on campus. ENAE teaches live online. EAE's Madrid option combines remote study with a two-week residential period in Madrid.
  • Type of qualification in Spain: an official master's degree (máster universitario) has 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, and a university's own Máster de Formación Permanente must always use that name. EAE states that its Global MBA in Barcelona leads to an EAE qualification of its own and to an official Máster Universitario en Administración y Dirección de Empresas from the Universitat de Lleida, while its Executive MBA in Barcelona leads to a Máster de Formación Permanente, which EAE lists as its own qualification with the same university. Ask each school which diploma its programme gives and what recognition it has in your country.

Where to study an International Executive MBA

SpainExchange lists 8 schools for this subject: 5 in Spain and one each in Italy, Brazil and Germany. In Spain they are ENAE Business School in Murcia, EAE Business School and UIBS / Barcelona Business School in Barcelona, EFEM in Madrid and the Universidad de Salamanca. Abroad, the list has Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, the Rome campus of the Swiss School of Management and FAAP in São Paulo.

The language depends on the school. The Frankfurt School programme is taught in English and the EAE Global MBA in Spanish. Students from outside the European Union should check the immigration rules before enrolling: Frankfurt School states that its part-time Executive MBA does not qualify for a student visa.

Prices vary and are best checked with each school. As a reference, Frankfurt School charges €49,500 for the intake starting on 17 September 2027, without travel and accommodation.

Careers

Most participants stay with their employer during the programme and use it to move into general management or to prepare a company for international growth. EAE lists positions such as chief executive officer, chief marketing officer, chief financial officer and chief operating officer as career paths for its Global MBA.

The degree supports that step but does not replace experience. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, chief executives typically need extensive managerial experience, and top executives of large corporations may have an MBA. In the United States, employment of top executives is projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 304,100 openings a year.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an MBA and an Executive MBA?

The subjects are similar. An Executive MBA is for people with more work experience and is scheduled so that they can keep their job, with weekend, block-week or online classes.

How much work experience do I need?

It depends on the school. EAE requires at least three years after university for its Global MBA and aims its Executive MBA at people with 5 to 10 years of experience.

Can I study an International Executive MBA without moving abroad?

Often, yes. ENAE teaches its Global Executive MBA live online, and ESEUNE uses Zoom sessions with optional periods on campus, including an optional week in Washington DC and New York.