According to the DHL Global Connectedness Report 2024, international trade recovered quickly after plunging at the pandemic’s start. The volume of goods traded worldwide reached 10% above pre-pandemic levels in mid-2022 and cross-border mergers and acquisitions are up 4% from last year as well.
As businesses seek to retain market leadership and profits in this new landscape, the demand for managers who can work across multiple countries and cultures is rising fast. The top three industries in need of such talent are consumer products (37%), industrial products (20%), and energy and resources (15%).
Those who can navigate the increasingly complex cultural, political, economic, and legal environments are set to be an in-demand candidate at some of the most exciting companies today. So, if you seek to join or advance in this field, getting an MBA in International Management will get you far – as graduates from the listed universities below prove:
ESCP Business School
Founded in 1819 by three French entrepreneurs, ESCP’s focus on innovation and international openness makes it a top choice if you want to challenge yourself and shape the future. Today, over 10,000 students from 135 nationalities apply to ESCP’s six campuses (Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin, and Warsaw) for career-transforming degrees.
At this multi-accredited school (AACSB, EQUIS, EFMD MBA, etc.), courses are taught by over 800 practitioners and experts. If you’re interested in international management, you can trust you’re in good hands here. The school’s MBA in International Management ranks #8 in Europe and #25 globally in the 2024 Financial Times MBA ranking. It is #2 and #3 worldwide for Value for Money and International Course Experience, respectively.
Tailored for those in the middle of their careers, the MBA lets you study in three European campuses of your choice or opt for hybrid teaching. You can complete the programme in 10 or 22 months, allowing you to balance your studies with your professional and personal lives.
The MBA looks into all the functional areas of international management and encourages you to reinvent and imagine new ways of doing business. Curriculum is structured around core modules, a specialisation, two Company Consultancy Projects (CCP) and international career events throughout the year. The specialisation lasts five weeks and students can choose a course they are interested in: Consulting, Entrepreneurship, Luxury, or Fintech and Innovation.
Meanwhile, in the CCP, MBA students will use their classroom knowledge to consult companies in banking, tourism, HR and more. This hands-on experience leads to student success. ESCP’s 85,000 graduates in 170 countries are part of an influential global community and are always happy to open doors for those from their alma mater.
Drexel University LeBow College of Business
Drexel University’s Bennett S. LeBow College of Business has over 100 years of expertise in fostering professional development. A tier one Global MBA business school (CEO Magazine Global MBA Rankings), the college is among the elite 20% of business schools with AACSB accreditation.
The LeBow College of Business is known for delivering the top MBA degree programmes in Philadelphia. Through its MBA concentrations and graduate minors, you can explore a range of disciplines, including finance, marketing and business analytics.
One example is the Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree programme, which offers accelerated full-time, part-time, and online delivery options. The programme looks into industry-relevant business concepts, from international residencies to industry consulting and business simulations. Courses are taught by experienced faculty members who use innovative coursework and experiential learning methods to prepare students to solve complex business problems across industries today.
Plus, you can create a completely unique interdisciplinary study plan tailored to your career goals. For example, students can complete the MBA programme in 12, 15, or 18 months; or, if you are a working professional, you can take 24 to 36 months and opt for either on-campus or online classes.
Meanwhile, the college’s Graduate Career Services offer personalised career support and career management tools. With them, students and graduates gain the skills to navigate the job market and anticipate business needs. Many of LeBow College’s alumni have gone on to achieve success in their careers, with 92% of graduate students securing employment 12 months after graduation.
National University of Singapore
Gain first-hand insights into business in Asia with the National University of Singapore (NUS). Founded in 1965, the university’s AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) accredited business school has grown into one of the world’s leading business schools. Ranked first in Asia by QS World University Rankings 2025 and QS Global MBA Rankings 2024, the school fuses in-depth global business knowledge with Asian insights, preparing students to lead businesses to international success.
The school offers a broad portfolio of academic programmes taught by over 170 international faculty members from over 20 regions, including BBA, MBA, Executive MBA, and PhD programmes. For example, with the NUS MBA (available full-time and part-time), working professionals can boost their professional and personal growth through the school’s holistic learning experience. You will learn about corporate strategy, financial management, managerial economics, and more and use your knowledge to solve a real-world business problem.
However, your learning doesn’t stop there. According to the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE), businesses prefer graduates who have studied overseas, as they tend to be more culturally aware and can work in multicultural teams. Therefore, for NUS students to succeed in today’s global community, the university offers international study trips, case competitions, internships, and double degree programmes in partnership with the Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, and the Yale School of Management.
*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International