Master in International Management (MSc)

Esade Business School placed 24th worldwide in the Financial Times Masters in Management 2025, with a weighted three-year salary of about US $117,000 and a 91% employment rate at three months — and 12th in the QS Business Masters Rankings (Management) 2026, among the very top European programmes on the QS measure.⁴ ⁵ Its Master in International Management is a 15-month, English-taught degree from one of Spain’s two leading business schools, built around an unusually international cohort.

Overview

Esade, founded in Barcelona in 1958, is — alongside IESE — one of Spain’s two globally recognised business schools, and a member of the CEMS alliance.¹ Its Master in International Management is the school’s flagship pre-experience MiM: 15 months long, taught entirely in English, and including around 10 weeks abroad.¹

No professional experience is required to apply, and the programme can be taken on its own or extended into a two-year structure with a second-year option such as the CEMS Master in International Management or a double degree.³

Curriculum & Structure

The programme is designed to teach students to “manage the paradoxes of international business,” pairing a management core with electives, an international module and the option of an internship.¹ Esade’s pedagogy leans heavily on diverse teamwork — students work in international teams across courses — which is a natural fit given the breadth of nationalities in each cohort.

Class Profile

Esade’s Master in International Management draws one of the most internationally diverse cohorts in Europe: students come from 42 nationalities across five continents, with academic backgrounds spanning economics and management, engineering, the humanities and the social sciences.⁵ The teaching language is English throughout, and the programme treats that diversity as a core part of the learning model rather than a backdrop.

Application & Deadlines

Admission is rolling: Esade’s committee assigns places from around October through to June, so candidates who wait until the final months risk finding seats full.³ No work experience is required. The CEMS double-degree route carried a June 2026 deadline for the current cycle; specific dates for the September 2027 intake had not been published at the time of writing.

Tuition & Funding

Tuition for the one-year MSc in International Management is €37,500 for the 2026–2027 cycle, plus a €150 application fee.³ Students who extend into a two-year option add a second-year fee — for example €15,500 for the CEMS MIM, or €20,500–€24,500 for a double degree or Global Master’s. Esade offers scholarships and study-loan arrangements; applying early helps with funding.

Career Outcomes

The Financial Times 2025 ranking reports a weighted three-year salary of about US $117,000 and a 91% employment rate at three months.⁴ Esade’s own Class of 2024 data puts the average salary at approximately US $80,308 (PPP-adjusted), with 92% of graduates employed within three months and 31% working abroad.⁶ These school-reported figures are on a different basis from the FT’s weighted three-year number and are worth reading alongside each other. The school’s five named top recruiters are McKinsey, BCG, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.⁶ Placement spans consulting, financial services, technology and consumer goods, supported by Esade’s Barcelona base, its CEMS network, and a careers operation geared towards international roles.

Reputation

Esade’s standing — a top-12 QS placement and a long-established CEMS membership — puts it firmly among Europe’s leading management schools, and Barcelona’s appeal as a place to live is a genuine part of the draw. For the broader case for the degree, see our pieces on whether a MiM is worth it in 2026 and MiM versus MBA.