Editor's Note: BusinessWeek collected graduate comments in 2000 during its ranking of full-time MBA programs. The next ranking is scheduled for fall, 2002.
The IMD program is groundbreaking insofar as it deliberately targets and, is structured around, experienced business managers. It is not a regular MBA sliced into manageable chunks. It re-writes MBA thinking.
The mix of theory, group work, and discussions/presentations on our trips to three important economic regions was a true eye-opener.
The instructors came from the finest schools in the U.S. and from around the world. They are excellent at teaching to experienced business professionals across cultures. IMD has no tenure and each instructor has a yearly contract. If they can't teach they are not asked back. I found no weaknesses.
When selecting the program, we judged on international scope, aspects of self-development as part of the program, and mix of participants. A program that makes three international visits to growth economies and studies them in depth, is fairly unique.
Beside faculty, the main thing of an EMBA [program] is the network you can build. IMD Alumni Clubs are well organized and greatly help to facilitate networking after the events.
(Improvements?) The size of the class should not exceed too much above 40-50 [students], otherwise interactive learning is too difficult. We had a long summer break with only distance learning. I would prefer an additional module of three to four weeks at the school.
The block system on campus and travel to globally important business centers were fundamental parts of the process.
(Improvements?) The day to day experience was excellent. A few sports activities would have fostered a good team spirit and released tensions.
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Copyright 2001 , by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
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