Master of International Business

Russia’s only program in the Top 100 Master programs in Management by the QS World University Rankings for 2021, the Master of International Business (MIB) offers cutting-edge practical business education enabling students to achieve breakthroughs in self-capitalization. The two-year program features a unique blend of business administration and international affairs for those aspiring to master a diverse set of competencies necessary to launch a fast-track career in a Fortune 500 company or a successful global start-up.

The MIB is taught entirely in English at HSE University’s Moscow campus. The faculty includes active business executives and specialists from top international companies. The program awards a state-accredited Master’s degree in Management with a specified track in International Business. An international double degree is available in partnership with the University of South Carolina (USA) and LUISS University (Italy).

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Program Overview

Ranked among the Top 100 Master programs in Management by the QS World University Rankings for 2021 and the first of its kind in Russia, the Master of International Business program is geared at students with or without previous work experience who are looking for a successful management career in an international company, or consider starting their own business aspiring to be global.

The program's mission is to ensure that students develop a strong competency in international business practices and a deep understanding of the global business environment.

The world is changing rapidly and the dynamic global economy mandates a new generation of business leaders with global thinking and a proactive mind. More and more local companies today become dependent on global markets. To succeed in this complex environment, traditional business education is incomplete. Today's successful business leaders must possess a long-term vision of tomorrow's risks and opportunities in the world marketplace, essential not only for global companies but also for those aspiring to be. The MIB program recruits the best teaching faculty and business professionals to deliver the most competitive curriculum and enable students to make the most out of their learning experience.

The Master of International Business program is a unique hybrid of a business degree and an international affairs degree. The MIB aims to equip students with both traditional business skills and knowledge in the political, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of the global marketplace. Unlike the standard MBA which is insufficiently international or globalizes functionally oriented curricula, this program ensures that graduates not only understand how companies operate, but also the complex context in which they operate.

This unique innovative program is the first of its kind in Russia. The curriculum and the core aspects of the program meet the requirements of the world's most advanced MIB programs.

Program benefits:

• The program is practice-oriented;
• Some courses are taught by senior executives of global and multinational companies, including PricewaterhouseCoopers; Baker & McKenzie; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; SC Johnson; Roche & Duffy; Mondelēz International; METRO Cash and Carry; Michelin;
• Students are offered a wide variety of elective courses to customize their education;
• Students may choose to study at a partner university abroad for one semester;
• Students do a real-life consulting project for a client – one of the program’s business partners;
• Students stay constantly exposed to the real business world through regular workshops, projects, and masterclasses presented by company executives at all levels;
• Evening and Saturday classes enable students to work and study at the same time;
• Students build extensive networks for a future career.

Diverse and energetic, MIB program students represent a variety of professional and educational backgrounds. The diversity of student body gives an excellent opprotunity to meet current and future professionals from a wide scope of business activities: marketing, banking, advertising, and many others.

The program is also actively expanding its international outreach, attracting students from all over the world. Currently the geographic scope includes, but does not end with, such countries as the USA, Italy, Germany, China, the Great Britain, France, Switzerland, India, Taiwan, Colombia, Mexico, and Turkey. This has created a unique atmosphere of an international student community sharing a deep interest in the spheres of business studies, international relations and world economy.

Programm duration: 2 years full-time (120 ECTS credits), on-campus only.

Language of instruction: English

Classes meet in the evenings and on Saturdays (usually 4 times per week: 3 weeknights and a Saturday).

In the third semester, students may choose to study abroad at a partner university.

Program structure

Our students take advantage of a wide variety of core and elective courses to customize their education.

The Master of International Business Programm consists of the following elements:

Core courses: 40 ECTS credits total

Core courses form the foundation of skills and knowledge in the key areas of international business and international affairs. Core courses are obligatory and students take the core courses in their first year of study.

Elective courses: 20 ECTS credits total

Elective courses allow students to customize their education to suit their own interests and career goals. Students take a total of five elective courses: one in the second semester and four in the third semester. Through elective courses, students build unique expertise and marketable skills in the areas of their choice.

Adaptational courses (Additional Program component): 6 ECTS credits total

For students who do not have a substantial background in the global economy, international affairs, finance, and management the Program offers adaptational courses aimed at building a solid base for further more in-depth knowledge of specific subjects.

Optional courses (Additional Program component): 4 ECTS credits

Students may choose to take an optional course as an additional component to their curriculum.

'International Business Consulting' project (2nd semester, core course) 3 ECTS credits

'International Business Consulting' is the program's key consulting project. In this course, students do real-life consulting projects for participating international companies.

Research Seminar: 15 ECTS credits (4 semesters)

The Research seminar is dedicated to the Term paper and Master Thesis preparation. Throughout two-year comprehensive course students gradually learn how to search for, process, and analyze data; conduct research for and write academic papers, and present research outcomes. The seminar includes two short courses: "Information and Library Culture" and "Introduction to Quantitative Methods". The course also features weekly topic-specific guest lectures and masterclasses presented by the top management of the program partner companies.

Term paper (year 1): 6 ECTS credits

Internship (8 weeks in the 4th semester): 12 ECTS credits

Master Thesis: 24 ECTS credits

Our graduates will be able to:

• Analyze foreign and domestic markets;
• Assess regional political and economic risks and opportunities;
• Make financial and investment decisions;
• Hone negotiation and dispute resolution skills;
• Understand the social and cultural influences on doing business globally;
• Create a business plan for a new venture;
• Effectively use various marketing and advertising tools;
• Manage consulting projects;
• Conduct strategic company planning;
• Select the best business format and strategy of foreign market entry;
• Collect, process, and present data necessary for project completion and planning.

The interdisciplinary Master of International Business program is developed for students who have a strong commitment to a career in international business.

MIB graduates are prepared to become managers, consultants, and executives in international companies, their foreign affiliates, branches, and representative offices.

Our graduates have a strong competitive advantage at the start of their career as they possess managerial skills as well as knowledge in economics, politics, foreign policy, international law, and regional specializations.

Employers of MIB graduates and current students

• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• KPMG
• Ernst&Young
• L’Oreal
• Korean Embassy in Russia
• Michelin
• Henkel
• Unilever
• Mondelez International
• Sakhalin Energy Investment Company
• Vogue
• Heineken
• Burger King
• Standard Chartered Bank Dubai
• Danone
• Accenture