degree programme 2011 vlerick full-time mba the master of business administration (mba) is an ......

Vlerick Full-time MBA 2011

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Dean’s Greeting 4

History 6

What is an MBA? 8

Why take an MBA? 10

Why the Vlerick MBA? 11

Who takes the Vlerick MBA? 12

Curriculum 16

International Business in Context - China Study Trip 18

Projects 19

In-Company Project Sponsors 20

Giving Something Back Project 22

Admission & Application Requirements 24

Scholarships & Funding 26

MBA Career Services 30

The Mentorship Programme 32

Living in Leuven 34

Corporate Partnerships 36

Contact us 39

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Content

Leuven Town Centre: Oude Markt

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A word of welcome

Originating in Western Europe in the 1950’s the Vlerick MBA is now delivered in programmes in Leuven and Ghent in Western Europe, St Petersburg, Russia and at Peking University in Beijing, China.

At the heart of our design philosophy is the objective to deliver an academic-based, entrepreneurial MBA in a context of multicultural and multidisciplinary understanding and fl uency.

We take a strong personal interest in the development of each of our participants. Our MBA class is small and structured to provide the maximum diversity in terms of work, academic and cultural backgrounds and experience. Career services work throughout the study year and afterwards to guide, help and advise on career options and processes.

Over the years we have developed close links with a broad range of organisations in the business community. Today these partners fund our scholarships and activities, provide projects for our participants and research experiences for our faculty, and recruit our graduates.

Dean’s Greeting

Academic excellence is derived from our relationships with our parent universities: the Catholic University of Leuven (1425) and Gent University (1817). Our faculty conducts both academic and business issue focused research, which is transferred into teaching and learning experiences in the classroom.

Finally, the Vlerick MBA is hosted in our purpose-built, postgraduate campus in Leuven – a beautiful centre of learning since the Middle Ages. Services and activities are geared to the student population and the quality of life is excellent for both MBA participants and their dependents.

I am sure our MBA team will be happy to tell you more about us and our programme to help you decide if it is appropriate for you. Please feel free to contact them.

Prof Dr Philippe Haspeslagh Dean, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School

Prof Dr Philippe Haspeslagh • MBA (1977) and DBA (1983) from Harvard Business School

• Faculty member and Director of the Strategic Issues in M&A

programme at INSEAD Business School (1980 - 2008)

• Entrepreneur and Chairman & Board Member of several listed

and unlisted companies

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Prof Dr André Baron Vlerick

The School’s rather unusual name is the result of a partnership between the former De Vlerick School voor Management, the K.U.Leuven, and Gent University. Professor André Vlerick (1919-1990) was a successful banker and an inspired scientist, who laid the foundations of the School in 1953. He was Minister of the Economy, and is widely credited with managing the development of the Belgian economy to its current position as one of the most dynamic in the world.

The merger

History

The late Baron Vlerick and King Baudouin, 1967

1425 Established

1968 MBA programme

1817 Established

1953

originated as a department

1959 MBA programme

1999 MBA programmes merged to

become the MBA programme of

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The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is an internationally recognised degree that focuses on preparing future managers to discover and further develop their skills with the view to pursuing an advanced career in business and management.

The Vlerick MBA is a general MBA which provides education in a wide range of business of subjects though the emphasis remains fi rmly on how to apply these in an international environment.

The value of this degree is, however, not limited to the ‘business’ world, but is equally benefi cial for those choosing careers in the public sector or non- governmental organisations (NGO’s). No matter the sector where participants may elect to operate upon completion of their MBA, they will be better prepared and skilled to excel at senior managerial and leadership positions.

What is the Vlerick MBA?

The Vlerick MBA is a one-year postgraduate qualifi cation, accessible to persons who have at least three years of work experience and also have a recognised University degree.

The programme comprises a series of well integrated courses that are grounded in reputable research theories and fi ndings relating to management and business leadership. Courses are designed to prepare participants to creatively engage in the increasingly challenging business environment, optimally actualising their potential.

The programme consequently not only focuses on academic excellence, but also seeks to ensure that students experience their Vlerick years as a life changing experience.

Why is a recognised University Degree required to enrol for the Vlerick MBA?

Requiring a university degree ensures that all participants have a basic understanding and mastery of the most important building blocks that are essential to progress to the higher level of learning an MBA requires. Our Admissions Team can provide specifi c guidance on what degrees are recognised by Vlerick.

What is an MBA?

This ensures that all participants are able to optimally benefi t from the highly practical nature of the Vlerick MBA, in which course materials are continuously related to the business environment.

Having had at least three years of business experience, participants are able to relate newfound knowledge, insights and classroom experiences to their previous business experiences with their fellow

classmates. In the absence of such experience of the world of business, participants would not optimally benefi t from the programme.

We do though welcome business experience from a diverse range of backgrounds and sectors and we are always happy to have in depth discussions candidates to establish whether their experience provides the basis for a successful MBA.

Why is a minimum work experience of three years required?

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Why take an MBA? Why the Vlerick MBA?

The reasons for taking a Vlerick MBA are varied and are often very personal choices but some key reasons are:

• To realise a specifi c career objective, e.g. to move from a specialist management to a general management role.

• To acquire specifi c managerial and professional competencies needed to improve your overall performance or accelerate your career progression.

• To improve your CV or resumé in preparation for a international business career.

• To enhance and refocus your skills-set or to reassess the way forward in your career.

• To be part of an exciting and demanding intellectual and personal challenge that will lead to greater personal satisfaction.

• To improve your long-term career and fi nancial security.

• To gain the range of business skills required to develop as a successful entrepreneur.

All students have their own reasons for considering an MBA and at Vlerick, we are happy to discuss your future with you in complete confi dence and to assist you and provide expert advice in determining whether an MBA is the best choice for you.

We are also always happy to put you in touch with current students or our network of alumni where you can discuss their experiences of the program.

> The Vlerick MBA is ranked by the Economist, as the N°1 MBA programme with regard to the number of MBAs employed within 3 months of graduation.

> Research conducted by the Financial Times indicated that many Vlerick MBAs received job offers from the companies where they did their internships.

> The average annual salary of Vlerick MBAs after graduation was € 71,000, an increase of 65% on the pre-MBA income.

> The Vlerick MBA is the most international MBA with 95% of the students from countries outside Belgium, whilst the number of students from each nationality is limited to ensure a rich diversity of cultures. The incoming class represents at least 40 nationalities.

> The Vlerick MBA has an academic-based entrepreneurship focus. Backed by its two parent universities, the Catholic University of Leuven and Gent University, Vlerick ensures the academic credibility of its programme. In order to ensure that participants are able to apply their knowledge in the real world, the programme is presented in an applied context.

> Given the importance of conducting business across cultures, an important part of the programme involves courses delivered during the compulsory study trip to China. This reinforces the international nature of the programme.

> Vlerick has an increasingly large global network of alumni numbering 14,000 members in over 100 countries. Vlerick graduates are eligible to become members of the Vlerick Alumni Organisation, which introduces them to a wide network