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Global Executive MBA

Designed for experienced professionals who wish to develop their leadership skills while they continue to advance their current careers. Now available in a new flexible option of both in-person and online modules.

At a Glance
Modular
14 to 20 Months
Four Intakes
In Person:
France
Singapore
Abu Dhabi

Blended: Flex

Are You Ready for the Challenge?

The GEMBA is not simply an intensive business programme. It is an intense all-round experience: a major commitment that must be sustained over many months. Before starting the EMBA Admissions process, please consider that you must attend – and prepare for – all modules without exception, as well as completing a substantial volume of work between modules.

Explore the programme's requirements and admissions eligibility criteria below.

INSEAD Global Executive MBA participants gathering around a circular table, observing programme requirements, eligibility, and admission criteria on a laptop

Admissions Criteria

people
Proven Leadership

INSEAD is looking for applicants who can demonstrate their potential as leaders. We will consider your professional experience and past performance when assessing your application.

school cap
Academic Capacity

The INSEAD GEMBA is intensive, rigorous and challenging. You must have a sound academic foundation: an undergraduate degree or equivalent from a recognised college or university (although in exceptional circumstances, we may waive this requirement) and th...

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global
International Outlook

We attract applicants with cross-cultural sensitivity and an international outlook. We consider applicants who have lived, worked, or studied abroad or who are working for international companies or on an international level with clients, suppliers or oth...

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Ability to Contribute

We seek candidates who demonstrate a clear desire for intellectual growth, both in the classroom and through working on group projects. Participants are expected to contribute proactively and share the insights they have gained throughout their profession...

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Work Experience Requirement

The programme is designed to best serve professionals who have already built a strong foundation in their careers. Participants in a typical Executive MBA class have an average of 14 years work experience, and at least three years in a management role in charge of teams and/or projects.

INSEAD programme participants walking around campus

Application Process: Your Journey Starts Here

All elements of your application will be thoroughly reviewed by the Admissions Team. The selection process will take up to ten weeks from the date of completed application submission.

Application Deadlines

While we operate a staged admissions process, with four rounds for each of the three sections, applications are reviewed on a rolling admissions process within each round. The Scholarship Committee will prioritise early applicants when allocating scholarship awards.

2025 Intake (Class of GEMBA'27 )Asia SectionMiddle East SectionEurope Section
ROUND 117 December 202411 February 202511 March 2025
ROUND 218 February 202529 April 202506 May 2025
ROUND 322 April 202517 June 202508 July 2025
FINAL ROUND10 June 202505 August 202509 September 2025

 

Programme Start Dates

Intake 2024 (Class of GEMBA'26)

GEMBA Asia section: Wednesday, 21 August 2024
GEMBA Middle East section: Friday, 11 October 2024
GEMBA Europe section: Thursday, 31 October 2024

INSEAD Assessment Day Dates

If you decide to take the INSEAD Assessment, you must have submitted a complete application at least 2 weeks before the test date. Successful applicants will then be invited to sit for the test online.

The INSEAD Assessment takes place approximately once a month. Please be prepared to spend five hours. 

More information on the INSEAD Assessment

GEMBA 20th Anniversary Signature

GEMBA Assessment Requirements

To help ensure we have the right people in the classroom, EMBA applicants must fulfil a mandatory testing requirement. Applicants can choose between participating in the INSEAD EMBA Assessment, taking the GMAC® Executive Assessment (EA) or the GMAT® Exam. 

Watch the video to find out what are your assessment options. You can also read more for guidance on the assessment options.

Executive MBA Admission Prerequisites

Completion of the following prerequisite is required for program consideration, ensuring applicants are eligible for the rigorous EMBA curriculum.

Online Application Form

To apply to the INSEAD GEMBA programme, you must submit an online application form and the necessary supporting documentation. After submission, you will be emailed a confirmation of receipt and notification of any missing elements. Once your application is completed, we aim to notify you of the next steps within 5 business days. 

INSEAD has one Admissions team responsible for processing all EMBA applications. Please recognise delays may happen due to time zone differences and public holidays.

The online application comprises of:

Select INSEAD EMBA Assessment, EA or GMAT

To help ensure we have the right people in the classroom, EMBA applicants must fulfil a mandatory testing requirement. Applicants can choose between participating in the INSEAD EMBA Assessment, taking the GMAC® Executive Assessment (EA) or the GMAT® Exam. See here for guidance on the assessment options.

Please note, requests for a testing waiver cannot be granted. 

If you choose to participate in the INSEAD EMBA Assessment, please indicate your intention to do so on the application form. Once your application has been submitted and confirmed complete, the Pre-selection Committee will review it and if successful, you will be invited to join the assessment. 

Alternatively, you can take GMAC® Executive Assessment (EA) or the GMAT® Exam. Please upload the EA or GMAT unofficial report upon completion of the test as a supporting document with your application. Scores are valid for five years. Please request that your official score be sent directly to INSEAD. For EA, use the INSEAD EMBA Programme upon registration, or for GMAT the following code: INSEAD, DL3-S8-14 Business Programmes, Executive MBA Programmes at the time of testing. You will receive your official result at the test center and our admissions team will be able to access the same within 24 hours.  

If you are preparing for the GMAT test, try our online practice test. 

Profile Information

The profile information is hard facts about you and your history, similar to what you will have in a detailed resume. While not all fields are mandatory, the more information we have, the better understanding we will have of your history and potential. 

Job Description and Motivational Essays

This section is a critical part of our evaluation process. As such, we advise you to spend a significant amount of time on your application essays. Your responses to the essay questions provide us the best opportunity to understand your career path, your accomplishments and your rationale for pursuing an EMBA.  This is a chance to get to know you and to find out what motivates you. The essays are not meant to be academic articles or business memos, but rather your personal stories. 

Letters of Recommendation

Two professional recommendation letters are required, providing insights about your demonstrated leadership and management potential. As such, at least one recommendation should come from your workplace; your current supervisor or manager is usually a good choice. The other recommendation may be from someone who has had the opportunity to evaluate you in a professional setting (ie. a client, a former supervisor, or a colleague from a non-work activity).  Should you wish, you will also be able to upload an optional third letter of recommendation as part of the supporting documents.

Your recommenders can submit their letters prior to submission of the application, but please note that your application will not be evaluated until all letters of recommendation are submitted.

Official Academic Transcripts

Please submit both diplomas awarded and transcripts of grades from each college or university that you have attended. We will accept documents in English or French. All others must be accompanied by a certified English translation. Each document must bear the official seal and signature of the institution.  Notarised copies will also be acceptable.

English Language Certification

Non-native English speakers who have not worked, trained or schooled in English for an extended period of time may be asked to provide an English language certification. We accept the PTE/TOEFL/IELTS exams. 

CV

Please provide your latest curriculum vitae, limited to two pages maximum.

Photograph

Please upload a headshot of yourself in business professional attire. The photo should be in JPEG or GIF format and measure 99 pixels wide by 128 pixels high.

Application Fees

A fee of €250 must be paid online by credit card once you have submitted your application form. Please note that this application fee is non-refundable and your application will not be evaluated until the fee has been received.

Admissions Video Interview

Shortly after completing your INSEAD EMBA online application, you will receive an e-mail notification from Kira Talent with a unique link to complete 2 video interviews. 
The video interviews are a unique opportunity for you to share your personal reflections and cultural experiences. The EMBA Admissions Committee is interested in obtaining an authentic view of you as a person, to see how you think on your feet and how you convey your ideas.
The video interviews do not replace the face-to-face interviews/INSEAD Assessment with Alumni.
Your application will be considered as complete and ready to be reviewed only once we have received your answers to the video interviews. Please complete your video interviews at your earliest convenience.

General instructions on video interviews

  • You will need an internet connection, a desktop or laptop, a camera and a microphone. To avoid having to refresh your browser, consider using a cable for internet connectivity. 
  • For optimal user experience, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari or Chrome to record your Kira videos (Internet Explorer is not supported). Please note that mobile devices, smartphones and tablets are not supported at this time.
  • You may want to prepare a notebook next to you to write down your key ideas; you will have 5 minutes to prepare each answer and 2 minutes to record your response. 
  • Test your camera, your microphone, then forget the technology and look at the camera as if you were talking to the Admissions Committee
  • On the Kira platform, you will have access to practice questions to help you get familiar with the interface. Note that the practice questions are different from the actual interview questions. In the practice session, you will have 45 seconds to prepare and 1 minute to respond. This section is solely to help you get comfortable with the platform. Please note that practice responses are not recorded and shared with the Admissions Committee.
  • Although we ask you to wear business or business casual attire, the Admissions Committee will not judge your look or your background.

Useful tips for video interviews

Prepare, but don’t over prepare

  • While practising helps to minimise nervousness, avoid over-scripting your responses. Original answers with real-life examples drawn from your own experience will allow us to understand your motivation and interests.
  • Given that this is an opportunity for you to present your authentic self, relying on canned responses or AI-generated text is highly discouraged. We have found that such responses diminish a candidate’s ability to impress us with their energy and passion.
  • Structure your responses to help you better manage the interview questions (e.g. consider leading into your answers with a main point/statement, before contextualising or providing examples).

Connect and Be Yourself

  • Maintain eye contact with the camera (as you would in an actual interview) and avoid referring to your prepared notes too frequently.
  • The INSEAD community is global and embraces diverse perspectives. Do not be afraid to inject some personality into your responses.
     

FAQ on video interviews

How many times can I try the practice questions?

You can practise an unlimited number of times. The practice session has several questions available and you can do as many practice sessions as you need to feel comfortable with the video interviewing. You do not need to complete everything in one go. You can create an account and come back later.

Are the practice questions recorded?

No, the practice questions are available for you to prepare, learn and improve. You can replay them and see how you performed and/or check if the sound and image are satisfactory.

What is the address for the technical support?

If you experience technological issues with the video (practice questions, device set up, etc.), please check the following technical support webpage https://www.kiratalent.com/support/. You can either e-mail, phone or chat with the Kira technicians.

Attend an Event

21 Jan '25

Master Programmes, Master Programmes

Breakfast with Executive MBA Alumni | Munich

Join us over a delicious breakfast to learn more about the INSEAD Global Executive MBA. Meet Alumni who will share about their fascinating and transformative GEMBA journeys, offering insights and inspiration. Amandine Cornut, Assistant Director, EMBA, Marketing & Recruitment, will be present to answer your questions about the curriculum, the format and the admissions process. You will also have the opportunity to meet other like-minded professionals looking to further their career. 

Seats are limited so register now!


Alumni:

  • Anton Kathrein, GEMBA'23 | Chairman of the Executive Board, KATHREIN SE

Venue Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, Maximilianstr. 17 - 80539 München

Agenda :

  • 8:30 am - 9:15 am : Alumni Panel
  • 9:15 am - 9:45 am : Live Q&A & Networking

Event for: prospective candidates

GEMBA, TIEMBA
München Germany
21 January 2025, 8:30 am - 9:45 am
Open to Public
GEMBA, TIEMBA
München Germany
21 January 2025, 8:30 am - 9:45 am
Open to Public
068bE00000F1efh.jpg
21 Jan '25

Master Programmes, Master Programmes

Executive MBA In-Person Consultation | Abu Dhabi

GEMBA, TIEMBA
Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
21 January 2024, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Open to Public
GEMBA, TIEMBA
Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
21 January 2024, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Open to Public
default external events
21 Jan '25

Master Programmes, Master Programmes

Executive MBA In-Person Consultation | Munich

GEMBA, TIEMBA
Munich Germany
21 January 2025
Open to Public
GEMBA, TIEMBA
Munich Germany
21 January 2025
Open to Public
default external events