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Executive MBA / European MBA

What is a European Master of Business Administration (MBA) and what are the differences with a classic American MBA ? What is an Executive MBA ? The European Quality Link (EQUAL) of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) defines, in its European MBA Guidelines:

• "The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is the first widely accepted international degree, but there are variable interpretations of the nature of this degree. The members of EQUAL have therefore agreed on a European MBA framework. The following guidelines are intended to assist business schools, inform participants and employers, and also contribute to the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) process."

• "The MBA is a postgraduate degree at the Master's level and must correspond to minimum intellectual and academic standards for such degrees. Admission to an MBA programme will normally require a first degree or equivalent. This requirement can only be lowered exceptionally in the case of candidates with substantial and proven professional experience."

• "The MBA is a postexperience degree seen as a career accelerator or a means to make a career shift after a minimum of 2 or 3 years' professional experience. Programmes designed to help young graduates prepare for their entry into professional life should normally carry an alternative title."

• "The MBA is a generalist degree in business administration. In line with the previous guideline it is a broadening programme. As a result a specialized Master's degree should not be called an MBA."

Consequently, there are several differences between a European MBA and an American-type MBA:

• An American Master of Business Administration is basically a first education program (even if some young professionals can be admitted), while a European MBA is necessarily a post-experience program (even if some programs are full-time), although not necessarily called an Executive MBA.

• An American Master of Business Administration is a graduate program (the regular step after the Bachelor of Business Administration), while a European MBA is a postgraduate program.

• An American Master of Business Administration, except for a few Executive MBA programs, is a specialization program for students who have already studied Business Administration through their recent BBA and want to go deeper (in marketing, human resources, finance etc.), while a European MBA (or an American Executive MBA) is a general management program for executives coming from various fields of expertise, who generally feel the need for some broad knowledge of business administration and management techniques after a few years on the field.

In short, these guidelines recommend that no European program should be called MBA if it is not an Executive MBA program.

The Université Multiculturelle Internationale accepts both definitions, and admits in its Immediate MBA program both young professionals holding a BBA, and junior executives holding other degrees but with some management experience.