INSEAD Revamps MBA Curriculum to Strengthen Big Data, FinTech
After two years of extensive review, INSEAD faculty has approved a new MBA curriculum that will launch in September 2017. The focus will now include a more personalized approach with professional coaching and career advisers, more electives covering digital transformation, and an innovative “big picture” course about business and society.
In a statement announcing the changes, Urs Peyer, INSEAD Dean of Degree Programs and Associate Professor of Finance, says, “With this, we look forward to creating an exceptional MBA learning experience for our participants, cultivating all facets of their personal and professional growth to be a well-rounded, world-class business leader and entrepreneur. ”
Core enhancements to INSEAD’s MBA Curriculum
Personalized Learning Journey: A Personal Leadership Development Program will guide MBA students towards new heights of self-awareness, interpersonal skills and communication effectiveness through professional and peer coaching. It will also enable them to develop lifelong skills that continually fuel their talents as they become world-class leaders, managers and entrepreneurs.
Content Innovations: Core courses have been adjusted to 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”, for students to appreciate the complexity of interactions between business and society.
New Electives, Personal Career Advisers and a Culminating Capstone: The curriculum now includes new electives on digital initiatives and ethics such as Digital Transformation, Digital Disruption Strategies, FinTech, Social Media Analytics and Big Data. It will refocus courses 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 Program.
A New Digital Start: The program will offer an early start to the 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 also aids in reducing pre-knowledge gaps between participants.
The INSEAD MBA Program will maintain key innovations that the school is known for – its 10-month schedule and multi-campus learning structure. The innovative curriculum will create an even stronger INSEAD MBA experience by providing an extraordinary learning experience, opening doors to exciting career opportunities and building an unrivaled global alumni network.
“In recent years, we have seen a drastic transformation in the global market place,” says Ilian Mihov, INSEAD dean and professor of economics. “It is important for us to constantly innovate and to provide our MBA students an academic education of the highest standards. 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.”
