# INSEAD: What It Means, History, Programs

## What Is INSEAD?

One of the world's top graduate [business schools](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/b-school.asp), INSEAD, has campuses in France, Singapore, San Francisco, and the Middle East (Abu Dhabi). Founded in 1957, INSEAD is an acronym for _Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires_.

Today, INSEAD is recognized around the world as one of the [top business schools](https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0911/which-mbas-offer-a-good-return-on-investment.aspx) on the planet. The school has 165 faculty members from 42 countries, with more than 1,500 students in its various degree programs each year. The school also has more than 11,000 executives that participate in its executive education programs each year.

### Key Takeaways

*   INSEAD is one of the world's leading and largest graduate business schools with five campuses and centers around the globe.
*   The school offers a variety of graduate programs, including MBAs, a doctorate in management, and a certificate program.
*   The school has 165 faculty members and more than 1,500 students enrolled in its graduate degree-granting programs each year.

## History of INSEAD

INSEAD was established in 1955 when the Paris Chamber of Commerce decided to start a European business school. Four years later, it took in its first [MBA](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mba.asp) students. In 1960, 52 students from 14 different countries graduated from the school's MBA program. In 1968, INSEAD began offering its executive program for the first time. The school's Ph.D. program was launched in 1989.

The school opened its Asian campus in Singapore in 2000 and its Middle East campus in Abu Dhabi in 2010. In 2020, INSEAD announced a new hub located in San Francisco, CA to establish a North American presence.

## INSEAD Campuses

The school's main campus in France is located in Fontainebleau near Paris. The second campus, located in Asia, is in Singapore in the Buona Vista district, 15 minutes from the financial district. The third campus, in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, was inaugurated in 2010.

## Programs Offered at INSEAD

INSEAD offers a variety of graduate and doctoral programs. In addition to the standard curricula offered below, the school also offers customized programs in collaboration with corporations seeking to grant executive education to their managers.

### MBA

INSEAD offers a 10-month, fully-accelerated term of study for an MBA with intake in January and August. Students are required to take core subjects including finance, economics, accounting, [business ethics](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/business-ethics.asp), and marketing, as well as electives from a pool of 75 different course offerings. Roughly 94% of graduates were employed in their field three months after graduation.

### Global Executive MBA (GEMBA)

This program is offered at the school's France, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore campuses for experienced executives. An intensive 14- to 17-month modular program, it includes group coaching, team activities, and 360-degree assessments. A typical GEMBA class has 222 students, each with an average of 14 years of work experience.

### Executive Master in Change

This program spans 18 months with eight modules that last three to four days each. Students focus on human behavior and organizational dynamics. The objectives of the program include learning how to increase self-awareness, becoming an effective agent for organizational change, learning new coaching methodologies, and getting a better understanding of organizational behavior. A typical EMC class has 30 participants across the France and Singapore campuses.

### Executive Master in Finance

This program is for [working professionals](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/010915/parttime-versus-fulltime-mba.asp) and lasts 18 months. Intake is on the Asia campus. The program consists of six modules that last two weeks each, taking place three to four months apart. A typical EMFin has 35 participants with an average of 9.5 years of work experience.

### Tsinghua-INSEAD Executive MBA (TIEMBA)

This program comes as a result of a partnership between INSEAD and Tsinghua, a university based in Beijing. Students can pursue this degree at the France, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi INSEAD campuses or at Tsinghua.

### Ph.D. in Management

The most rigorous degree offered is a five-year program that prepares students who wish to work in academia in business. The first two years are dedicated to course study, while the remaining three are intended for research and dissertation work. Intake happens in Europe or Asia, with an exchange through the [Wharton School](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/wharton.asp) in the United States.

The program has a maximum of 18 open places each year. Collaboration is encouraged between different academic areas to offer more depth for research. Students are given lucrative financial support which includes scholarships and living allowances.

INSEAD also offers a certificate in business foundations. The INSEAD-Sorbonne Unviersité Certificate Programme is aimed at recent master's and doctoral graduates.

## Is INSEAD Better Than Harvard?

Depending on the publication, INSEAD can be considered a better MBA degree than Harvard. According to the Financial Times, in 2023, INSEAD ranked number two for best MBA programs while Harvard ranked number four.

## How Much Does INSEAD Cost?

The cost for INSEAD for starting the program in Aug. 2023 is €97,000. For starting the program in Jan. 2024, it is €98,500. This does not include living expenses. Living expenses in France add another €25,000.

## Is INSEAD an Ivy League School?

No, INSEAD is not an Ivy League school. Ivy League schools are a certain grouping of specific schools in the U.S. Schools outside of the U.S., such as INSEAD, are not part of the Ivy League.

## The Bottom Line

INSEAD is a top business graduate school with its central campus in France, along with locations in Singapore, North America, and the Middle East. The school offers a variety of business graduate degrees and is considered to be one of the world's leading business schools.

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