Why IE Business School’s Online MBA is the Best in the World

Released today, the QS Online MBA Rankings 2022 assess the online MBA offerings of 72 business schools worldwide. Find out more about the methodology used to produce the rankings. 

But what sets the number one programme apart from other online MBA programmes? TopMBA spoke with IE Business School to find out. 

Growth of the global online MBA 

IE Business School ranked first in the Faculty and Teaching indicator and scored highly in the Employability indicator too. According to the school’s Dean, Lee Newman, it’s a wonderful recognition of the early commitment that IE’s founders and former deans have made to education in the digital world. 

“The pandemic accelerated pre-existing trends towards a more liquid type of learning experience that puts the unique needs and evolving context of the student front and centre,” Newman said.  

“Our student population is incredibly global and diverse these days and it’s difficult for a student to predict what personal, local, or global challenge might arise now. So the demand for adaptable online MBAs is growing.” 

Designed to help students progress in both their professional and personal life, the Global Online MBA at IE Business School takes a specialised approach to sharpening students’ business mindset, providing the skills managers need to perform in today’s professional context.  

For Norman Kurtis, Dean of Programs at IE Business School, that’s about conscious leadership. 

He said: “We want to help our students design and develop the next best version of themselves via introspection, self-awareness, goal setting and taking advantage of conflict to improve behavioural skills.”  

“The skills that employers are looking for in today’s business world are manifold, but I would highlight self-awareness, critical thinking, adaptability, resilience and conscious leadership.”  

Developing the ‘next best you’ 

Newman feels that the MBA is fundamentally about self-transformation and taking advantage of the programme as a time to define and pursue the ‘next best you.’   

He said: “What’s required to get to this ‘next best you’, to forge new mindsets and hone your behavioural skills, is turbulence and friction. This happens when you work on hands-on projects, in highly diverse teams, and with short deadlines, as a few examples, which then creates fertile ground for growth.  

“It’s important to choose an MBA that is extremely diverse in student population and practice focused too. It can be difficult for aspiring and ascending business professionals to navigate the new world of work due to the many new types of roles that have arisen and the skills these require. So it’s critical to choose a school that plays a role as a ‘curator’ of individual students’ career plans and experiences.”  

Throughout the programme, students are encouraged to maximise their personal brand and avenues of opportunity to add to their industry-specific skill set. Students have access to career advancement resources like one-on-one career coaching, guidance from the Talent & Careers Team and networking opportunities with companies around the world. 

Plus, the format of the Global Online MBA is flexible and customisable for students to advance their careers without having to put their lives on hold, and the programme can be completed over a period of 17, 24 or 30 months, depending on students' desired level of intensity.  

“These days, the word personalise is big in MBA marketing materials, but we feel that it can be risky for students to do an MBA that allows them to dabble and piece together a curriculum based on a potpourri of interests,” Newman added.  

“Companies want specific sets of skills for specific jobs and prospective students should choose a school that works with them to clarify career goals and craft a highly curated program that gives them what they need to succeed.” 

What does the future look like for IE’s online MBA? 

Online education continues to develop and grow – and IE Business School’s approach to online education is one model to look out for.  

“Although online education is well-accepted now, it’s critical to keep innovating as the online MBA demanded by the market in the near future will likely be very different than what we see in the market today,” Newman said.  

“With more than 20 years of expertise in designing online education, we’re working to keep providing a rigorous, high-quality online programme via our liquid learning model,” Kurtis added. “Liquid learning is our unique and evidence-based educational model that transcends conventional learning methodologies and platforms by fusing physical and digital learning spaces so that you can access first-rate education, no matter where you are.”  

Furthermore, IE Business School has become one of the most diverse institutions in the world, with 92 percent of masters students’ from outside of Spain and all seven continents represented in the classroom. 

"From our experience, this leads to higher quality discussions, broader perspectives and accelerated self-transformation. Through the many scholarships available, we strive to enrol high-potential students in our programme, regardless of their financial situation.” 

A little more about IE 

IE Business School’s Global Online MBA achieved the highest score in the rankings for faculty and teaching and ranked second for employability. 

IE is proud of its unique approach to the online MBA programme with both online and offline methodologies combined to ensure a hybrid learning experience. 

The Global Online MBA programme is available in both a blended format, which combines the best of in-person and online learning, and an online format. It is made up of core online classes with three face-to-face residential weeks in Madrid.  

Teaching includes working in interactive small groups on real-world, industry-based case studies and working on personal and professional transformation. The programme can be taken across 17, 24 or 30 months, depending on chosen intensity.