MBA PROGRAMME FAQ

The IMBA programme is an exciting and challenging programme for aspiring leaders with a global mindset.  It is specifically designed for young managers and professionals working or planning to work in an international setting who wish to build an early career in management and then progress to senior management positions, which require broader and more advanced managerial knowledge and  enhanced interpersonal and leadership skills. The programme is also addressed to young entrepreneurs.

Completing the IMBA programme helps graduates cope with challenges of management in a global business environment. Participants receive up-to-date knowledge, gain international perspective and experience, and develop their managerial skills, which provide them with the basis for achieving higher and higher management positions and better results in business in the future. IMBA graduates are well prepared to work in multicultural teams.  They keep abreast of the most current management practices, including the application of the newest digital business models. They possess well-developed critical and strategic thinking skills and the tools necessary to solve complex problems in an increasingly interconnected world economy. They are capable of facilitating positive change in organisations.

The programme meets UK higher education quality standards and leads to an original British MBA award, granted by Buckinghamshire New University. It provides deep international experience through programme content, culturally-diverse student body, study abroad, and consultancy projects. IBD Business School has a long-standing and unique experience and expertise in developing managers’ competences, based on which the programme develops students’ personal and managerial skills through systemic coaching and mentoring. The IMBA studies are organised using an innovative format that combines monthly intensive residential sessions with advanced e-learning methods. The programme is delivered entirely in English.

Applicants to the award of the International MBA programme should normally have obtained an undergraduate degree from a reputable higher-education institution and have at least 2 years of experience in a post carrying professional or managerial responsibility. Applicants for whom English is not the first language should also hold IELTS test’s score of 6 or equivalent. As equivalent tests, we accept: TOEFL IBT (score of 100+, Cambridge English Language Assessment (level C1) or Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic Test (minimum score of 60). Additionally, applicants who meet the above entry criteria are invited to an interview conducted in English.

The minimum duration of the programme, including a Dissertation or Consultancy Project development and defence, is 24 months. Students who experience periods of exceptionally intensive work or increased family obligations can take a break and re-join the programme later. The only requirement is that they must complete all the eight modules and defend the Dissertation/Project within 4 years from the start of their IMBA studies. We expect most students to complete the programme within two years.

Students have a choice. They can either pursue a classic Dissertation (Master’s thesis) or a Consultancy Project. The Dissertation is a major piece of self-managed work, where the student must identify his/her own research question, set research objectives, gather and analyse appropriate literature, and conduct secondary and primary research to meet those objectives. The Consultancy Project, on the other hand, puts the student into a consultant’s shoes in a real-world organisation and requires him/her to identify a management problem and work with the organisation to research the problem, complete primary research and write a complete business report on the solution and implementation of the solution.

IBD IMBA students will be simultaneously registered at IBD Business School and Buckinghamshire New University during their study and, if they successfully complete all parts of the Programme, they will receive a Buckinghamshire New University’s MBA award. Bucks awards its degrees on its taught degree awarding powers status in U.K. higher education. These awards are at Level 7 (Masters) in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Alongside the MBA diploma, Buckinghamshire will issue a Transcript of Academic Performance. Graduates will also receive an IBD Business School diploma for completing this IMBA. The IBD IMBA diploma, particularly awarded in conjunction with a prestigious and accredited UK-based university, has its own quality mark and business value; it is recognised and highly valued by Polish employers.

Yes, the programme is conducted exclusively in the English language.

IMBA students will have an opportunity to participate in an international study tour, whereby they will be able to learn firsthand about a foreign-country’s business environment and management practices, also through meetings with local managers. An optional trip will be organised by IBD to an attractive destination in Asia or South America, provided a sufficient number of students opt for the trip.

The Programme fee is 30 000 PLN and 2 000 GBP. It includes: All tuition, coaching and mentoring; essential teaching materials (required textbooks, cases, articles, simulations, etc.); transportation from Warsaw to Serock; Buckinghamshire New University and IBD diplomas and transcripts. This fee does not include the application fee of 250 PLN. If an international trip is chosen, students will be required to cover their own travel cost.

Yes, the IBD Business School offers a flexible payment system. The tuition fee can be paid in three instalments. The sum of the three instalment payments amounts to 31 000 PLN and 2 000 GBP.

Faculty teaching on this programme are international experts in their respective fields. They come from both Poland and the U.K. Most of the Polish faculty possess vast international experience. Our lecturers adhere to the teaching philosophy, according to which solid theoretical foundations of a subject area are integrated with the world’s best management practices in that area. An emphasis is put on case studies and a real-world decision problem solving in an international context.

Normally the residential classes are conducted once in a month, on Fridays and Saturdays. Sometimes on campus activities are also held on Sundays, until noon. All classes are held at the IBD Serock Campus (called Green Park) on the shores of Zegrzyńskie Lake. Serock is located some 35 km north-east of Warsaw. It is also conveniently located vis-à-vis Warsaw’s second airport at Modlin.

A state-of-the art e-learning platform (based on Moodle) is used in this programme, providing a rich and versatile teaching and learning environment for class work between residential sessions. This study mode minimises the number of working days spent on campus, while e-learning and students own work play a greater role than in most other MBA programmes.