MBA

International MBA

Boost your career with emlyon's International MBA, offering hands-on global experience and a robust international network, available in full-time and in flexible part-time formats.

Campus
Lyon
Online
Duration
11 to 24 months
Experience required
3 years
Tuition fees
43 500€
Language
English

Presentation

The International MBA at emlyon business school is a leading program designed to accelerate your career, develop your own business, switch industries, or expand your international exposure. With flexible options including Full-Time and Part-Time formats, this program is tailored for professionals seeking global business expertise. 
 
The Full-Time track provides an immersive, intensive experience over one year. It’s ideal for professionals aiming for rapid career advancement. Engage with a diverse, global cohort, participate in specialized international seminars, and complete a 7-month consultancy project aligned with your career objectives.
 
The Part-Time track offers a flexible blend of online and on-campus classes, allowing you to balance work with advanced studies. Over two years, apply your learning directly to your workplace while connecting with a global network through enriching study trips. This format is perfect for professionals seeking to enhance their global perspective and career opportunities while maintaining their current roles.
 
The "International MBA" program enables the validation of the "DipViGrM - Diploma in Advanced Management of International Business" professional certification, level 7, awarded by emlyon business school and registered with the RNCP under number 38348, on 09/01/2023.
Nikita KIRILLOV
Your contacts
Nikita KIRILLOV
Nikita KIRILLOV
Recruitment Manager
Ali Elyassari
Ali Elyassari
Ali ELYASSARI
Recruitment Manager
Diksha TIWARI
Diksha TIWARI
Diksha TIWARI
Recruitment Manager (India only)
10th
Business School in Europe
Financial Times 2024
14th
MBA in Europe
Financial Times 2023
51st
MBA in the world
QS Global MBA 2025

Goals

Advance your leadership and management skills in a global context

  • Leadership Development: Equip yourself with advanced leadership and management skills.
  • Strategic Management: Gain expertise in strategic decision-making and innovation.
  • Global Perspective: Prepare for leadership roles in international business environments.

Program

Our International MBA is your gateway to a life-changing experience! Whether you choose the Full-time or Part-time format, you'll benefit from rigorous academic content, real-world projects, and a strong international network. 

Each format is designed to suit your professional needs and career ambitions, providing the flexibility and depth required to excel in today’s global business landscape. 

Which International MBA track best matches your goals? 

International MBA Full-time

Young professionals with a minimum of 3 years' professional work experience who desire to participate in an intense international full-time learning experience

100% on-campus

11-month or 16-month option

Lyon, France

International MBA Part-time

Young professionals with a minimum of 3 years' professional work experience searching for a flexible International MBA while continuing their full-time job

Online and on-campus residencies

2-year blended program

Online and Lyon, France

Courses details

Core courses cover essential areas like strategy, finance, marketing, operations management, human resources and leadership

  • Thinking Differently
  • Mastering Business Fundamentals
  • Driving Business Performance
  • Developing Yourseld & Others
  • Integrating Perspectives
  • Reaching Beyond Business

Through these courses, participants gain a deep understanding of fundamental management concepts to become a successful manager or entrepreneur in any sector around the world.  

In addition, participants will be involved in challenging learning group projects such as: 

  • Strategy Simulation 
  • Design Thinking project
  • Strategy project
  • New Venture Project
  • Business 360 integrative project

Participants choose specializations and elective courses based on their professional interests. These specializations include areas like : 

  • Business Development 
  • Consulting 
  • Finance 
  • Marketing
  • Sales
  • Supply Chain
  • Product Management 
  • Innovation 
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Project Management

Develop leadership skills and competencies through action

To move into a new industry or to be promoted to a different role within an industry, MBAs need a tangible way to acquire new competencies that complement their existing skills. 

That's why we offer the opportunity to complete an Entrepreneurial Consulting Project (ECP) in a real business environment. Working on this project allows participants to immediately put academic concepts and knowledge into practice, transforming them into demonstrable skills. Participants can choose to undertake a consultancy project with one of our many business partners, or continue with their new business idea and bring it to fruition.

emlyon business school offers the opportunity for participants to discover the management styles of other European countries and explore different business ecosystems and country cultures.

Previous Learning Trips have been to Brussels, Istanbul, Milano, Berlin or Helsinki. Each destination has its own unique ways of doing business and all of our trips are carefully customized to maximize your overall experience.

Preview image for the gge video "Discover our International MBA!".
Rhoda Davidson

An MBA is a strategic investment that opens up new international opportunities and management positions and paves the way to a rewarding career. 

With us, you will have the time to network with your peers, access a vast network of alumni professionals, and meet a cadre of faculty who care about your success. Our MBA is truly a life-changing experience. 

RHODA DAVIDSON
Academic Director - International MBA

Useful informations

Next Intake : September 2025

  • The degree delivered by International MBA program is a Master in Business Administration, approved by the French State
  • This program is totally taught in English 
  • Tuition fees : 43,500€ (tuition fees for September 2025 intake only)

Performance Indicators 

  • Satisfaction rate : 92%
  • Success rate : 97%
  • Net Promoter Score : 42

Assessment methods

The program’s evaluation methods may take the form of case studies, simulations, presentations, examinations, etc. The personnel involved in the program are qualified in accordance with the regulations. This diploma can be validated by blocks of competencies and the program is eligible to VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience), find all the information on https://em-lyon.com/vae-emlyon/. This content is only available in French at this time.

Career

emlyon make your career our concern, both before and after you graduate from your MBA, and begin working with you on reaching your career objectives from day one!
 
emlyon's Careers Services Department is here to help you succeed and offers them the benefit of their expertise and experience, as well as a wealth of useful services and tools to guide you on the journey to finding your perfect dream job.
 
 

The emlyon Career Center is composed of dedicated career consultants and a wide range of specialized & professional coaches, specially adapted to the various programs of the school. The whole team offers a strong experience across numerous sectors, both in France and internationally.

Our aim is to provide you with a methodology that will help you throughout your work life.
We will guide you through:
 
  • Defining and clarifying your professional goals and your priorities
  • Developing the skills and tools you need to achieve them
  • Identifying career opportunities that match your aspirations
 
We believe in adapting your career path to your specificities by offering a wide range of services you can activate according to your needs.

The Career Development Track offered by the Career Center is key at emlyon business school.
Each one of you is unique, with strong and expanding professional expertise. You have various needs, wishes and visions for your professional future. Success does not mean the same thing to everyone: we help you making sure your career plan reflects your values and what you define as being successful. Most of all we want you to be in a job position in which you are happy, where you believe you belong.
 
Our overall mission is to prepare and help you to achieve a successful and sustainable employability by building a career plan that matches your personal goals, in line with your potential, while taking into accounts the most recent trends, challenges and changes of the job market.

Individual Career Support

You will have a dedicated Career Consultant to answer your questions on an individual basis. You can contact your Career Consultant directly to schedule a 1-on-1 session according to your availability by phone, email, or face to face.

During these sessions, you can:

  • Review your tools (CV, LinkedIn profile)
  • Prepare for an interview or simulate your presentation pitch
  • Take stock of your internship / job search strategy
  • Adapt your network strategy
  • Work on your career plan
  • Practice your salary negotiation

Online Tools

You will have access to several tools to support you in creating your job search strategy and improving your CV so that your profile is more attractive to employers.

Networking

Career development, like any other area of life, is as much about what you know as who you know. Access to a professional network is a powerful and building one should start as early as possible. The skill of networking is not about short-term gain as much as long-term connections. It is an approach that you should undertake and maintain throughout your career.

emlyon is a great place for you to improve your access to a global network of professionals. You will have excellent opportunities to meet with different companies and alumni who will share their experiences with you through events and conferences. 

Job Search Strategy Workshops*

In small groups you will acquire a step-by-step methodology to land your post-MBA job. Finding a job is all about proving you meet the requirements of the recruiter and showing that there is a match between these criteria and your strengths and experiences.
Through a series of dedicated workshops, you will:

  • Create a strategy to reach your career goals
  • Define transferrable competencies & skills
  • Optimize your CV & LinkedIn profile
  • Get prepared for job interviews
  • Become adept at Pitching & Story Telling

*Specific to the international full-time MBA

Job sector post MBA

Job sector graph - IMBA

Positions held 

  • Sales: 23% 
  • Consulting and Expertise: 15% 
  • Project ownership: 15% 
  • Supply cahin and purchase management: 8% 
  • Sustainable development: 8% 
  • Information systems development: 8% 
  • Marketing: 8% 
  • Production: 8% 
  • Research & Development: 7%

Job placement statistics 

94.7%
accepted a job offer within 3 months of graduation
88.9%
satisfied in their career after graduation

Survey carried out in 2023. Concerns class of 2022

Admission

1 - Start your online application
Start your application through our Online Application Portal which you will find on our website.
 
Here you will complete information on your academic and professional background as well as motivations behind joining the MBA.
 
You will also be asked to attach your supporting documents.
 
2 - Continue with a digital test
This is a series of tests that includes professional scenario cases related to the program for which you are applying and emlyon business school's early makers spirit. You’ll equally have to pass cognitive tests and a video exercise that will allow us to know more about yourself and your project.
The digital tests will require a computer and a stable wifi connection.
 
3 - Admission board
After filling your online application and finalising your digital test, the Admission Board will review your application.
 
From then on, there are four possible outcomes:
  • Admitted directly
  • Admitted under condition meeting any outstanding requirements
  • You are invited to a face-to-face or online interview
  • Not admitted

  • University Degree (minimum Bachelor's Degree or equivalent Bac +4)
  • Minimum 3 years' work experience
  • GMAT, GRE or TAGE MAGE Score (You can send your scores directly to us using our codes: GMAT/MBW-FX-70 and GRE/0761)
  • English proficiency score (TOEIC or TOEFL or IELTS or Cambridge CPE or PTE)
  • 2 professional recommendation letters that you can provide after your application
     
Please note:
 
You may apply even if you have not taken the GMAT/GRE/TAGE MAGE test yet
An exemption from a GMAT/GRE/TAGE MAGE test is possible but only under specific conditions

This program leads to the certification "Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures en Management Avancé des Affaires Internationales” (Diploma of Higher Studies in Advanced Management of International Affairs), registered at RNCP level 7, code RNCP 38348, diploma conferring the grade Master, visa bac +5 by the French Ministry of Higher Education.
This certification is accessible through the V.A.E. (validation of prior experience).

For who? 

The law on VAE (validation of prior experience) introduced by law in 2002 enables any candidate to apply for certification with regard to their experience (employee, self-employed, or volunteer).
Your experiences have enabled you to develop skills in line with the certification reference system, then see the RNCP sheet here. 


How? 

Information

A first contact with a program advisor or a VAE expert from emlyon business school will allow you to assess the feasibility of this VAE project and will provide you with the answers to the questions you have about the whole process.

Admissibility phase

  • You submit a first application form so that a more in-depth analysis of your background and its link with the certification can be conducted. This consists of the following documents: detailed CV, letter of motivation with explanation of the VAE project, self-assessment on the reference system and an interview with our VAE advisor.
  • An admissibility committee analyzes your documents and ensures that there are no significant discrepancies between your experiences and the targeted competencies framework
  • You are informed of the decision on a non-admissibility or an admissibility at the latest within one month following the submission of your application

Admissibility in no way prejudges the final decision of the jury, which will be based on your ability to demonstrate that the skills have actually been acquired and to provide proof of this.

Writing your VAE report

Following the admissibility agreement and after contractualization, you enter the heart of the VAE process, and prepare the writing of what is called “livret 2,” the deliverable in which you produce the story of your experiences by providing proof of mastery of expected skills.

This phase takes place over a period of 12 to 18 months maximum.
This phase is accompanied by a coach who guides you in identifying the situations to be chosen, in the verbalization of the skills mobilized, in the structuring of your outcome and the preparation of the jury. He accompanies you in this reflective process at the heart of the VAE approach.

Collective workshops, aimed at sharing experience and methodological contributions, are accessible throughout the process.

You also have access to pedagogical and documentary resources available online at the library.

6 hours are dedicated to individual coaching sessions (online or face-to-face), with an equivalent amount of time for the coach to give you feedback on your intermediate writings. 

A one-and-a-half-hour group workshop is offered remotely during the course.

Presentation before the VAE assessment panel

The last step of the VAE is based on an oral presentation before an assessment panel made up of professionals and professors. The members of your jury have, prior to the audition, worked on the submitted deliverable and prepared the points to be clarified or deepened orally

Jury decisions

This assessment panel can make three types of decision:

  • Granting of certification in its entirety
  • Partial grant, the jury then makes recommendations to help you develop the missing skills
  • Refusal

Due to a very low rate of VAE applications for this professional certification, it is not yet possible for us to communicate on success and drop-out rates.

To obtain additional information as well as the fees for this course, a simple email to vae@eml-executive.com; you will be contacted within 48 hours by an emlyon business school advisor.

Financing

Tuition fees

Tuition fees: 43,500€ 

Application fees: 120€

Pricing for the academic year of 2025/2026 may be subject to change. Indicated tuition fees include administration fees and lifelong membership of emlyon alumni network. Extension of studies beyond the official length of the programme is subject to payment of 500 € administration fees per year. 

Scholarship

As a socially responsible organisation, emlyon business school helps students finance their full-time MBA by offering guaranteed scholarships to qualifying applicants. If you are eligible for one of these scholarships, you will not be required to make a specific financial aid request – you will simply need to download the qualification certificate and attach it to your application.


Please note that the scholarships are not accumulable

  • The excellence scholarship of 30% rewards exceptional students who have achieved a GMAT Focus score of +595
  • The early bird scholarship of 20% is offered to each student who enrolls before the January 20, 2025 for the next intake

Applicants can also apply to an individual scholarship under multiple criterias matching the program’s mission and values (social diversity, background, academic excellence…). Individual scholarship can amount up to 30% of the tuition fees.

We strongly advise that you also do your research to find local scholarships that you could be eligible for. Each country offers a number of scholarships which can be found on the Campus France website, an organisation dedicated to helping foreign students study in France.

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program was established by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Please visit the website for more information.

Prodigy Finance, is an innovative platform that offers loans to international postgraduate students attending top universities. Through their community platform, alumni, impact investors, and other private qualified entities invest in tomorrow's leaders whilst earning a financial and social return.

*Please note that this scholarship is not available for the 2025 intake

Local French Bank Loans

emlyon business school has partnerships with local banks in Lyon for French citizens or students who have a French guarantor. For more information please contact your Recruitment Manager.

Testimonies

Cristian Giraldo - IMBA alumni

I don't regret deciding to come and do my MBA in Lyon. The city is incredible, the cohort is diverse, interesting, and challenging, having 18 nationalities with different perspectives has taught me to improve every day. The level of the professors and my fellow students is unmatched. I am eager to learn more and be challenged in ways that help develop new competencies and strengthen existing ones.
 

Cristian Giraldo
2022-2023 International MBA cohort - from Colombia
Sarah Yaping Xu - IMBA alumni

This experience has enriched my perspective, enabling me to think outside the box and become the best version of myself. The Emlyon IMBA program has been truly transformative, equipping me with the tools and confidence to excel in my future life.

 

Sarah Yaping Xu
2022-2023 International MBA cohort - from China
Rose Béyenne Hérode - IMBA alumni

Joining this IMBA at emlyon is a strategic move to enhance my management and leadership skills. My ultimate ambition is to lead international projects or organizations. 

 

 

Rose Béyenne Hérode
2023-2024 International MBA cohort - from Haiti

Disability device

You will find the welcome guide and all the information on how we welcome and support our students and participants with disabilities here (link: https://em-lyon.com/en/about-emlyon-business-school/student-experience/…