Master in Business Administration

Yes, however, we will review your application only when all elements of the application package have been received, including your GMAT / GRE score. You can take the GMAT / GRE up until the day of the Admissions deadline but:
- For the GRE test, you would need to provide us with a copy of your 'Unofficial Score Report' (to be uploaded as part of the supporting documents).
- For GMAT Focus, you can submit your application form without uploading your GMAT score report. Please ensure your score is submitted directly to INSEAD after completing the test.

Please arrange to have your GMAT or GRE test scores submitted directly to INSEAD. Please use INSEAD’s full name “Institut Europeen d’Administration des Affaires” when reporting your scores.

GMAT code: DL3-S8-89 MBA, Full Time (regardless of campus choice)

GRE code: 0970

You can take the tests up until the day of the application deadline, in this case you can submit your application form without uploading your GMAT score report. Please ensure your score is shared with INSEAD after completing the test.
Please note that GMAT Focus no longer provides an unofficial score report that can be printed out at the test centre or screen-captured at home.

We accept both the GMAT and GRE, including the original and shorter versions. There is no preference and you don't need to worry that any of these tests would be unrecognised or devalued compared to another.

We recommend that you choose the test that is most suited to your personal strengths and circumstances. For more information, please visit our GMAT/GRE resource kit.

INSEAD does not have a minimum required GMAT score. Rather than focusing on your overall score, we assess your individual results in all of the test sections.

Recommended score ranges

GMAT

In order to be competitive, you should aim to achieve a score at or above the 70th percentile in both the quantitative and verbal sections. For the Integrated Reasoning section, we recommend achieving a score of 6 or above.

GMAT Focus Edition (GFE)

For the GFE, INSEAD recommends a 60th percentile on the Verbal component (80), and a 66th percentile on the Quantitative (80) and Data Insights components (77).

Note: Due to differences in score scales and score distribution between the GMAT and GFE, a direct comparison of total or section scores would lack meaningful insight into performance. Please refer to our GMAT/GRE resource toolkit for more information.

Regardless of whether you're opting for the GMAT or GFE, please keep in mind that the test is just one of several admission criteria. A high score does not guarantee admission, and a below average score does not eliminate a candidate.

For the GRE, both in the original and shortened version, we recommend 80% or above in the verbal and quantitative sections. 

The comparisons between the original GRE test and the shorter version can be found here.

The GMAT/GRE is a mandatory application requirement and cannot be waived. It must be completed before you submit your application online and the test should be valid until the application deadline. You will be assigned to an Admissions Officer once you have submitted your application and they will contact you within two days to confirm the receipt of your application and shortly thereafter if anything is missing. If your current score is older than 5 years, you must retake it before applying for the MBA Programme. 

Your GMAT / GRE score is valid for five years prior to the application deadline.

If you have reported more than one score to INSEAD, the Admissions Committee will still consider the full history of your GMAT / GRE attempts, but will place the greatest weight on the highest score you achieved. Also, if you have obtained a satisfactory percentile in one section of the test but a lower percentile in the other, and vice versa in a second test, the Admissions Committee may consider that you have reached a sufficient level overall, provided the second test does not show too significant a drop in the lower element. 

Yes, INSEAD will accept online GMAT or GRE scores provided that the test results are still valid (five years from the date of the test to application deadline).

Instalment schedule for MBA July 25 Class (August 24 Intake):

Self-funded students:
€12,000 - Approximately 4 weeks after having received the admissions offer, you will be required to pay a non-refundable first tuition instalment
€58,000 - Second instalment due by 25 July 2024
€29,500 - Last instalment due by 15 January 2025

Company-sponsored students:
€12,000 - Approximately 4 weeks after having received the admissions offer, you will be required to pay a non-refundable first tuition instalment
€87,500 - Second instalment due by 25 July 2024

Instalment schedule for MBA December 25 Class (January 25 Intake):

Self-funded students:
€12,000 - Approximately 4 weeks after having received the admissions offer, you will be required to pay a non-refundable first tuition instalment
€61,000 - Second instalment due by 25 November 2024
€30,500 - Last instalment due by 15 April 2025

Company-sponsored students:
€12,000 - Approximately 4 weeks after having received the admissions offer, you will be required to pay a non-refundable first tuition instalment
€91,500 - Second instalment due by 25 November 2024

The estimated living expenses budget for INSEAD MBAs is as follows:
Singapore -  €33,050
Fontainebleau - €29,980 with car lease
                           - €26,080 without car lease

Tuition fees for the August 2024 intake are €99,500. The fees for the January 2025 intake are €103,500. The fees are payable by instalments.

Tuition fees cover all printed course materials, access to the INSEAD library, access to on-campus information technology services, language tuition and testing*, student council fees, gym access, business cards, printing and health insurance.

We encourage you to limit your applications to a maximum of five (5) scholarships. Be strategic and apply for those where you feel you can make a difference and where you fit best.

Awards are generally not cumulated.

In general, the funding doesn't come from only one source. You can use INSEAD Global loans, savings, personal loans, family gifts, INSEAD or external scholarships and company sponsorship.

Three categories of scholarships are available to you: need-based, non-need based (awarded based on nationality, professional background, leadership abilities, or any combination of these criteria), and spot scholarships which are awarded immediately without the need for applications based on exceptional admissions profiles. 

Students use global INSEAD global loans and national bank loans.

30% of the MBA Class receives a scholarship. The average award is 19 900€.

The Scholarship Committee will communicate the decision by e-mail shortly after your admission to the programme. You can find the timeline here.

Final course grades for most classes will be determined by a mix of class participation, projects and exams. For exams, INSEAD grades on a Standard Normal Curve, also called a Z-Curve, with a mean of 3.0. There are no forced fails. To graduate, participants must maintain a mean grade of 2.1 in core courses and electives.

The curriculum, course structure, class size and composition, and campus exchange opportunities are identical for the August and January intakes. The primary difference is that if you choose to begin in August, you will complete the MBA in ten consecutive months. If you choose to begin in January you will have a two-month summer break during which you can pursue an internship or other endeavours.

No. INSEAD adheres to a strict non-disclosure policy. Your grades will never be shared with recruiters, classmates, or anyone outside of the INSEAD community. During on-campus interviews, recruiters are not permitted to ask about your grades, and you are not permitted to volunteer them. This policy allows you the freedom to challenge yourself and enhance the breadth of your knowledge by taking electives in unfamiliar subject areas without worrying that your grades will influence your job prospects

There is no typical day as the schedule will change every day throughout the year. During the first two periods when students take their core courses, they often have 2 to 3 classes a day of 90 minutes each, Monday to Friday, starting at the earliest at 8.30am and finishing at the latest by 7.00pm. Students also have assignments and group projects, career counselling sessions and extra-curriculum activities. For the last three periods, each student has their own academic schedule depending on the electives he or she has chosen, with the same amount of assignments and group work, and typically increasing time spent on career related activities.

The INSEAD MBA curriculum is designed to quickly and thoroughly prepare you for a career in international business. Taking on the challenge of our accelerated programme, you will see a considerably faster and greater return on your MBA investment. Our recruiters tell us that the one-year format helps students to manage their time efficiently and effectively. Setting priorities and making choices about learning, socialising and personal time from the very beginning of the programme, you will become an expert at decision making which is one of the most valued qualities in a business leader.

No, we do not accept transfer credits from other schools.

CFA Institute partners with a limited number of globally diverse, select institutions that are recognized leaders and serve as role models for other institutions. These universities cover a significant portion of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge, including its ethical and professional standards, in their degree programmes. The INSEAD MBA programme is recognized as CFA partner, because of the large number of finance core and electives in its program. As part of the partnership, INSEAD students are entitled to apply for scholarships, have access to CFA Institute curricula, journals, webcasts, and other educational resources. Each student will have access to a specially prepared online Level I sample exam.

INSEAD offers more than 75 electives across both campuses, giving you the chance to construct a tailor-made MBA programme that fits your personal and career goals. We do not have specialisations or majors. You are free to pursue a generalist path towards management or specialise in a particular area such as finance or entrepreneurship. However, regardless of the path you decide to take during your elective period, everybody graduates with the same general MBA degree diploma

Each round is equally competitive as the ratio of acceptance is the same for all rounds. We allocate more places in round 1, 2 and 3 than in round 4, but we also receive more applications in round 1, 2 and 3 than in round 4. When choosing a round in which to apply, the most important consideration is to dedicate enough time and thought to your application so that it accurately represents your strengths and talents. However, we encourage you to apply to round 1 or 2 if scholarships are a priority or if you need more time to relocate to your starting campus.

We will strive to accommodate your campus choice. However, if your preferred home campus is full, you will be offered the choice of either a place on the other campus or a place on the wait-list for your preferred campus. In such cases, we encourage you to start your MBA programme on the campus that was not your initial preference, and then participate in the campus exchange to experience the other campus.

Unsuccessful applicants may reapply for a later intake. Please exercise your own judgement in deciding if you have any significant changes in your new profile since your first application that will make a difference with the Admissions Committee. All re-applicants are requested to submit a new online application, unless otherwise indicated.

There is no typical profile at INSEAD. We have an extremely diverse student body in terms of age, professional experience, education and culture. Check the latest class profile.

Participants in our current class have an average of 6 years work experience, with the range being between two and ten years of post-graduate work experience. However, applicants with less experience who demonstrate exceptional maturity and outstanding leadership through their professional and personal experiences will also be considered.

The August and January intakes are equal in size and composition and are equally competitive

There is no age limit for entry. However, the MBA is aimed at those who are at an early stage in their career. INSEAD participants in the current class have a range of between two and ten years of post-graduate work experience. If you have more than ten years of work experience, we encourage you to consider one of INSEAD's Executive MBA Programmes, where you will have the opportunity to learn with a more experienced and mature peer group.

In the large majority of cases, no. You should apply for the intake in which you intend to enrol. In truly exceptional circumstances, the Admissions Committee may grant a deferral. All requests should be made in writing and will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

To be included in a specific round, applications must be complete and submitted by midnight French Time on the day of deadline. A complete application includes the online form, GMAT test scores, English test scores (if applicable), all supporting documents, two letters of reference, payment of the application fees and video interviews*. For more details please visit Supporting Documentation, under Application Requirements. 

* Please complete your video interviews at your earliest convenience and no later than 48 hours after the deadline to which you are applying.

Your campus selection has no impact on the admissions decision. In fact, the Admissions Committee, which makes all final admission decisions, does not have access to information about candidates' campus preferences.

INSEAD does not have a minimum GPA requirement as the GPA system is not a globally used grading methodology. We primarily look at the courses taken and the grades received in each course, in addition to the overall academic performance.

At INSEAD, we value diversity at every level. We welcome applications from people with a variety of professional and academic backgrounds, including the arts, law, medicine, military, non-profit, etc. As with all candidates, we will be looking for you to demonstrate your potential as a leader, and we will consider your professional experience and past performance when assessing your application

Yes. While the vast majority of our participants have undergraduate and/or advanced degrees, this is not compulsory for admission. Candidates who do not hold an undergraduate degree, but who have an excellent career record and GMAT score are also welcome to apply.

You can find out whether the online components of your application have been received by visiting the Dashboard of the online application centre. This page will indicate the status of your application. An email notification will also be sent to you within one week of submitting your application. We will inform you if any components of your application are missing. It is therefore important that you check your e-mail account regularly after submitting your application. Due to European Data Protection laws and our own confidentiality policy, our Admissions Office is regrettably unable to give out any information over the phone about applications.

If you encounter technical difficulties when completing your application form, please contact the IT Support Team.

If you choose to delay submission of your application until the following round of the same intake, your application form details will be saved automatically. Note that access to your form will be temporarily disabled from Midnight French Time on the day of the deadline, as the system will shut down for about four days. Access to your form will resume once the temporary shutdown period ends, so you can continue editing it.

We only accept applications submitted electronically, as our entire admissions evaluation process is online. It also allows you to stay informed of the status of your application throughout the process by checking it online.

Due to the large number of applications we receive for each intake and the confidentiality of the deliberations of the Admissions Committee, we are unable to provide individual detailed feedback on rejected applications.

'Fluent' knowledge is defined as the ability to communicate precisely and effectively in complex situations.

'Practical' knowledge is defined as the ability to communicate about familiar matters regularly encountered at work, school, and in leisure activities.

'Basic' knowledge is defined as the ability to communicate in a direct exchange of information in the simple present, future and past tenses.

Yes. Living and working in an English-speaking environment is not accepted as proof of fluency in English. If you possess a full university degree (undergraduate or postgraduate) where all courses were taught exclusively in English, we will accept your degree as proof of your fluency in English.  Your transcripts should clearly indicate that the curriculum was entirely taught in English.  Otherwise, you may take one of the following English language tests (the recommended minimum score is in brackets): TOEFL (iTOEFL: 105, Computer-Based: 260, Paper-Based: 620); IELTS (7.5); PTE Academic (72). For IELTS, you need to submit score results for all 4 parts: Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing. 

English is the language of instruction at INSEAD. You need to be fluent in English to apply to the MBA programme. Acceptable valid English proof must be sent with your application for it to be considered as complete before your admissions evaluation starts. 

None

At INSEAD, we believe strongly in the importance of an international outlook. The ability to communicate in more than one language will give you a competitive advantage in the global marketplace and enable you to work effectively across multiple cultures. 

In addition to the two entry languages, all students will need to demonstrate at least basic knowledge of a third language (referred to as 'exit language') in order to graduate. If you already possess basic knowledge of a third language, we recommend you certify your exit language as early as possible during your MBA. If you need to learn a third language, you can do so during the programme and pass the language test before graduation. Language instruction is available on both campuses.

No. English is the language of instruction on both campuses.

Yes. Both entry and exit languages must be officially recognised by the government of a country. Entry and exit languages must also be sufficiently different from each other. 

When: The Admissions Office requires valid English proof to consider an application as complete to start the selection process. 

How: You can demonstrate English fluency:

• Either with a university degree (a minimum of one full-time academic year with a diploma received from that host university) where all courses were taught exclusively in English. (An exchange programme does not qualify and an English major at university does not qualify.) If your university degree was exclusively taught in English but in a non-English speaking country, please make sure that your transcripts clearly mention the language of instruction is English to complete your application
• Or by taking one of the following English tests and aiming for the recommended scores in brackets hereafter: TOEFL (internet-based test: 105, computer-based test: 260, paper-based test: 620); IELTS Academic (7.5); PTE Academic (72). These tests have a validity period of 2 years prior to the application deadline to which you are applying. 

You will be advised by e-mail of your final admissions decision.

Yes. All applications go through a process of first selection, whereby a short-list of interviewees is compiled. At this stage, only those selected for interview continue with the application process. In most cases, two separate interviews are conducted.

You will be informed if you have been selected for interview within approximately six weeks of receiving your acknowledgement of your completed application. For a full overview of our interview and decision deadlines please visit Dates and Deadlines.

You will be informed of your final decision approximately six weeks after you were informed that you were selected for interview. For a full overview of our interview and decision deadlines please visit Dates and Deadlines.

Our career opportunities are identical across both intakes. Whether you join in August or January, you will begin working with the Career Development team early on to prepare for the next step in your career. Those interested in a career in investment banking are strongly encouraged to consider the January intake, as investment banks hire full-time positions primarily through their summer associate programmes.

Companies recruiting at INSEAD prefer that you wait and go through the process when on-campus. By that time, you will have more information through company presentations, speaking with alumni who work at these companies or in the industry, and through your classmates who may be able to give you additional insights. 

You will find detailed insight into our graduates’ career, function and location changes in our latest Employment Statistics. Naturally, some career changes can be made more easily than others and are influenced by previous professional experiences, knowledge of the market, languages, etc. For those who are interested in making a career switch to banking specifically, it is recommended that you secure a summer internship with a financial institution or investment bank.  For other sector or functional moves, graduates need to identify these career goals early on and work in conjunction with Career Development staff to prepare for these transitions.

Some recruiters see an intrinsic value in hiring international graduates and are used to securing work permits for employees. For other recruiters, it depends on whether the skills you have are in demand in that specific geography (language abilities, experience in certain markets, etc.) to justify the extra burden of obtaining working papers. The delay in obtaining a work visa can vary considerably, and is impacted by both the applicant’s own nationality and the country in which the applicant wishes to work. There are some countries for which working papers may be more easily obtained for INSEAD graduates. 

Your chances of finding a job have more to do with your skills, experience and potential than your campus location. The Career Development team is well integrated across all locations and provides the same tools, advising, and resources, irrespective of whether you are studying in Fontainebleau, Singapore or Abu Dhabi. Career Development strongly recommends that you start networking in your target region early on and choose your campus for the peak recruiting season accordingly. On-campus recruiting is not generally impacted by location, as all companies recruiting from INSEAD must include students from both campuses in their recruitment campaign. Of course there may be exceptions where recruiters in the different regions have separate processes but they can also use the videoconference facilities or Skype, to conduct interviews with students, regardless of location. Being based in the region where you ultimately want to work does obviously increase opportunities for networking, which can translate into a higher likelihood of securing the job you want.

You can find a list of companies recruiting at INSEAD in the latest Employment Statistics, which is also available online. The majority of these companies are regular recruiters on campus or companies with which INSEAD Career Development Centre have established relationships.

You will only have student status once you have started the MBA Programme. CDC does occasionally receive pre-internships from recruiters and these are posted on MBA Connect.

Salary and benefits packages vary widely across industries, companies and regions. Please refer to our latest Employment Statistics for detailed salary information of the last two graduating classes.

The INSEAD Alumni network currently consists of more than 60,000 INSEAD Alumni - including MBA and Executive degree Alumni, living and working in over 176 countries. For more information, visit our MBA Alumni pages.

Attending one of our events is a good way to meet and network with MBA Alumni. In addition, we suggest tapping into your own networks (LinkedIn, Facebook etc.). You can also contact our National Alumni Association network.