INSEAD’s New MBA Curriculum for a Digital Tech Future

INSEAD is rolling out a new MBA curriculum in September 2017 incorporating the latest changes in the global marketplace towards a more digital technology driven future.

The curriculum was approved by the faculty following an extensive two-year-long review. It is designed to maintain rigour and relevance with improvement in the learning quality as well as personal leadership and career development aspects, the business school said in a statement.

The MBA Curriculum Review Committee comprising Deans and senior faculty members, had incorporated many of the views and suggestions from major stakeholders including faculty, students, alumni, staff, and recruiters, among others in framing the new curriculum.

“In recent years, we have seen a drastic transformation in the global market place. It is important for us to constantly innovate and to provide our MBA students an academic education of the highest standards,” Ilian Mihov, Dean and Professor of Economics, says.

“While our ultimate goal remains the same, we trust the new curriculum integrated with timely content will better prepare them to build, grow and lead businesses that are a force for good,” he adds.

Urs Peyer, Dean of Degree Programmes and Associate Professor of Finance says the enhanced MBA curriculum will offer students a more personalised learning journey with professional coaching and career advisers.

Participants will have more elective choice in particular to specialize around digital transformation, an innovative ‘big picture’ course about Business and Society, as well as a leading-edge digital start to their MBA program.

“While our ultimate goal remains the same, we trust the new curriculum integrated with timely content will better prepare them to build, grow and lead businesses that are a force for good,” he adds.

The Personal Leadership Development Program is designed to guide students towards new heights of self-awareness, interpersonal skills and communication effectiveness through professional and peer coaching.

It would enable them to develop lifelong skills that continually fuel their talents as they become world-class leaders, managers and entrepreneurs.

In content innovations, core courses include a new “super course” to prepare students to better address pressing global issues.

This new cluster of courses, titled “Business and Society,” will cover three main topics: Ethics, Political Environment and Public Policy, with the underlying theme of “Business as a Force for Good”. It will enable students to appreciate the complexity of interactions between business and society.

The new electives are on digital initiatives and ethics such as Digital Transformation, Digital Disruption Strategies, FinTech, Social Media Analytics and Big Data. Refocus courses are based on the Technology Venturing Practicum, Media and Internet.

In addition, personal career advisers will be assigned to each student to guide them throughout the MBA journey. Furthermore, a new culminating capstone course that simulates a business crisis will be launched.

To succeed, students will have to draw upon strong analytical skills, apply the quintessence of their learning, as well as tap on insights from their Personal Leadership Development Programme.

A new Digital Start offers an early start to MBA journey by leveraging new technologies with online content, “integrated” digital cases, and industry-specific orientation videos for participants to be well-prepared in advance for the accelerated 10-month MBA. This would also help reduce pre-knowledge gaps between participants.

The MBA Program will maintain key innovations that the school is known for – its 10-month schedule and multi-campus learning structure.

INSEAD offers participants a truly global educational experience. With campuses in Europe (France), Asia (Singapore) and Middle East (Abu Dhabi), INSEAD’s 145 faculty members from 40 countries inspire more than 1,400 students in the degree and PhD programs.

In addition, more than 11,000 executives participate in the school’s executive education programmes each year. INSEAD’s MBA programme is ranked #1 by the Financial Times in 2016 and 2017.(Image Source: Google.com)