Studies & Degrees in Global Executive MBA
Global Executive MBA Study Programs
A Global Executive MBA (often shortened to GEMBA) is an Executive MBA with an international design. Like any Executive MBA, it is a part-time master's programme in general management for experienced managers who keep working. The global version adds two things: the class comes from many countries, and the teaching takes place in several cities or continents, in short intensive modules with online work in between.
The subjects are those of an MBA, such as strategy, finance, marketing, operations and leadership, studied from the point of view of a company that works across borders. Students compare how business is done in different markets and meet local companies during each module.
Qualifications and levels
This is a postgraduate programme for senior profiles. There is no single official definition of a "global" Executive MBA, so the label covers different models. The examples below show what to compare.
- Experience and admission. Global programmes usually ask for more experience than a standard Executive MBA. IESE Business School designs its Executive MBA for professionals with at least 5 years of work experience. For its Global Executive MBA it asks for a minimum of 10 years, at least 4 of them in managerial roles, a bachelor's degree or equivalent, international experience and fluency in English. The Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA Program requires at least eight years of full-time work experience after a first degree.
- Duration and format. The IESE Global Executive MBA is a 16-month, part-time, modular and blended programme that can be extended up to 28 months. It combines distance learning with in-person modules at the IESE campuses in Barcelona, Madrid, Munich and New York, and in hubs such as Singapore and Silicon Valley. The Kellogg-WHU programme lasts 2 years and lists Düsseldorf/Vallendar, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Hong Kong and Beijing as locations.
- International content inside an Executive MBA. Some schools do not use the word "global" but work in a similar way. The Executive MBA of ESCP Business School includes 5 location-specific seminars and is taught in English across campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris and Turin. SDA Bocconi offers a modular format of its 18-month Executive MBA, taught entirely in English in intensive weeks. ESEUNE Business School runs a 16-month hybrid Executive MBA with sessions by Zoom and an optional period at Georgetown University in Washington.
- Language. English is the working language of the IESE, ESCP and Kellogg-WHU programmes.
- Recognition. In Spain an official master's degree (máster universitario) has 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, and universities must clearly distinguish their own lifelong-learning qualifications from official degrees. Ask each school what recognition its Global Executive MBA has, in Spain and in your own country.
Travel makes these programmes expensive. IESE gives a total fee of approximately €138,000 (October 2026), which includes tuition, course materials and some meals during modules. Ask the school whether flights and accommodation are included and what the full budget is.
Where to study it
This directory lists 13 active schools for the Global Executive MBA. Nine are in Spain, and there is one each in Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.
The Spanish schools include IESE Business School, with campuses in Barcelona and Madrid, ESADE and EAE Business School in Barcelona, ESEUNE Business School in Zamudio, near Bilbao, and the Escuela Internacional de Gerencia (EIG) in Granada. EAE Business School lists a Global Executive MBA among its MBA programmes. Outside Spain the list includes Bocconi University in Milan, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, London School of Business and Finance and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
The city of the school matters less than in other degrees, because much of the programme takes place elsewhere. Check where the modules are held, how many weeks of travel they require and which parts are online.
Careers
Participants are already senior managers. They take a Global Executive MBA to prepare for regional or worldwide responsibility, to move into general management, or to lead the international expansion of their own company. The class is part of the value: IESE reports over 30 nationalities in its programme and ESCP an average of 35 in its Executive MBA.
For context, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 3,890,600 jobs for top executives in 2025 and projects employment to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an Executive MBA and a Global Executive MBA?
Both are part-time MBAs for working managers. The global version is taught in modules in several countries, has a more international class and usually asks for more experience: at IESE, 10 years instead of 5.
How long does a Global Executive MBA take?
Between about 16 months and 2 years. The IESE programme takes 16 months and can be extended up to 28; the Kellogg-WHU programme lasts 2 years.
Do I have to move abroad?
No. Students keep their job and travel to intensive modules. Between modules the work is done online.
Which language is used?
English in most cases. Schools ask for proof of fluency if it is not your first language.