International MBA

What it takes

Our International MBA gives you the global edge you need to take your leadership career to the top. Built for working executives, the program offers all the academic rigour of a traditional MBA, but with a sharper focus on the diverse cultures and practices that drive modern business.

As well as being acclaimed academics, our professors are successful business leaders in their own right. They personify the blend of current theory and relevant practice that makes our IMBA such a valuable qualification. And because our classes are small and intimate, you benefit from close access to their expertise and the chance to shape the debate in the classroom.

Global exposure is at the core of our IMBA, and nothing reflects this better than our student body. ISM’s students and alumni represent more than 130 nationalities and bring a world of perspectives to the program. Not only do they enrich your learning with their diversity of ideas and experiences, but they also become your worldwide network of professional support and career opportunities.

The International School of Management (ISM) is a specialized, accredited business school based in Paris, France, with programs on five different continents.

We give students the global perspective they need to thrive as modern business leaders. We do this by keeping our classes small, select and culturally diverse, and by offering programs in major commercial hubs around the world.

Our IMBA develops the global business leaders of tomorrow, while our DBA is made for experienced executives seeking to tackle the challenges of senior leadership on an international level. For proven senior practitioners, our PhD hones the teaching and research skills needed to give back to the business community and shape the next generation of leaders.

Built on global values

Our founder Jack Forget opened ISM to challenge the traditional business school model.

His vision was for an outward-looking school that champions innovation and new ways of teaching. It would be a truly global institution, with partnerships in emerging markets around the world. Students from all continents would learn from professors of the highest grade, and build a valuable professional network while they study.

The ISM of today retains the strength and agility of this founding philosophy. Still headquartered in Paris, we now have partner institutions in New York, Shanghai, New Delhi, São Paulo and Cape Town. We continue to give students the niche skills, global perspective and lifetime contacts they need to flourish as leaders.

Grounded in real-world practice

Our students are ambitious. They’re driven to reach the top. So while a solid base of theoretical knowledge is important, actionable insight and experience are essential.

We select our professors for both their teaching excellence and their on-the-ground business acumen. When they’re not at ISM, they can be found leading companies, teaching at top business schools around the world, and influencing the direction of international business practice.

Our small, interactive classes enable close-up access to our professors’ expertise. And because our students are experienced professionals in their own right, they have the chance to share original insight and inform what happens in the classroom.

Made for working executives

ISM students are high-level executives with demanding schedules. Their time is a precious resource, and they need their studies to fit around their career and lifestyle.

This need for flexibility inspires everything we offer. Students can combine face-to-face courses in Paris with e-learning, and attend overseas programs at one of our five partner institutions around the world.

We also let students customize their studies and focus on what matters most to their careers. Depending on which degree they choose, they can follow a generalist pathway in international business management, or specialize in finance, entrepreneurship and innovation, or higher education.

A lasting professional network

For our students, the benefits of studying at ISM continue far beyond graduation day.

The classmates and professors they meet during their time at the school form a lifetime professional network, with ideas, support and opportunities that transcend business sectors and geographical boundaries.