CEIBS

FAQ

What is the tuition for CEIBS’ MBA program?

The tuition fee for the 16-month MBA 2025 programme is RMB 468,000, or approximately $65,600. Living expenses for on-campus dormitories are RMB 3,000 per month.

What is the average GMAT score for admission to CEIBS’ MBA program?

The average GMAT score for the last three years of incoming classes at CEIBS is 678.

Does the CEIBS MBA program accept the GRE?

Yes. The CEIBS MBA program accepts the GRE. They also offer the CEIBS Admission Test, which is similar to the GMAT, but does not include the AWA or IR section.

What is the average GRE score for admission to CEIBS’ MBA program?

The average GRE score for the incoming class from the last three years is 325. 

What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to CEIBS’ MBA program?

CEIBS’ minimum number of years of work experience is 2 years.

What is the median starting salary for graduates of the CEIBS MBA program?

The median starting salary for CEIBS MBA graduates is RMB 480,000. The salary will vary by industry, with healthcare and manufacturing jobs seeing the higher salaries.

How long is CEIBS’ full-time MBA program?

CEIBS’ full-time MBA spans 18 months and is broken into six terms of approximately three months each. The program begins in August.

What are the application deadlines for CEIBS’ MBA program?

The Round 1 MBA application deadline is November 16, 2022. The Round 2 application deadline is January 11, 2023. The Round 3 deadline is March 22, 2023. The Round 4 deadline is May 17, 2023.

What percent of CEIBS MBA students are women?

The percentage of the class at CEIBS that are women is 50%.

What type of interview does CEIBS use for MBA admissions?

Interviews are by invitation only and required for admission. Chinese residents must travel to campus for a face-to-face interview, and applicants outside of China may be able to interview via telephone or video conferencing. Interviews are conducted by CEIBS faculty, department directors, alumni, and admissions managers. In most cases, applicants will be interviewed by two interviewers. Each interview is approximately 30 minutes in English.

VIDEOS

Admissions

Class Profile

CEIBS’s full-time MBA class of 2023 is comprised of 120 students. Nearly 43% of students studied Business & Management in their undergraduate careers, while 30% hailed from Science & Engineering backgrounds. Nearly 16% majored in Language & Arts, and 12% in other fields.

The average GMAT of the incoming student is 684, with the 80% range falling at 630-760. Fifty percent of the class is made up of women, and 38.3% of the class originates outside of China.

Application Procedures

CEIBS offer four rounds of admissions each year, typically in October, January, March and May. Prospective students are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

A completed application consists of an online application form, a bachelor’s degree or above, two years of full-time work experience, GMAT/GRE score, university transcripts, copy of passport, English language proficiency, mandatory essays, two letters of recommendations, and an application fee. Application requirements and admissions criteria are identical for Chinese and international students, though international applicants must hold a valid VISA to enter China, as well as a Student Resident Permit for the duration of their time at CEIBS.

Interviews are by invitation only and required for admission. After reviewing applications, the admissions office will create a short-list of applicants to interview. Chinese residents must travel to campus for a face-to-face interview. Applicants outside of mainland China may be able to interview via telephone or video conferencing.

Interview Reports

Ceibs Q&As

Admissions Director Q&A: Steven Ji of CEIBS

Steven Ji, the assistant director of the MBA Marketing, Admissions & Financial Aid Department at CEIBS, joins us to talk about the leading MBA program in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series. Ji joined the CEIBS MBA Admissions Department as his first job after graduating from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 1999. He […]

Admissions Director Q&A: Lihao Ji of CEIBS

MBA admissions directors from around the world will be discussing their programs, the admissions process, essays, interviews and more in our annual Admissions Director Q&As.  We are excited to kick off the 2020-2021 series with insights from Lihao (Steven) Ji, the assistant director of the MBA Marketing, Admissions & Financial Aid Department at CEIBS. CEIBS, which […]

CEIBS LiveWire and DecisionWire

Academics

Faculty

CEIBS employs 81 faculty members across five academic departments: Economics/Decision Sciences, Finance/Accounting, Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, and Marketing.  Approximately a third each of the faculty originates from Europe, the U.S., and China, allowing the professors to teach with unique international approaches.

The school also houses nearly 20 research centers, a seminar series, and numerous professional faculty publications.

Curriculum

The full-time MBA spans 16 months and is broken into five terms of approximately three months each.

Term begins with a Foundation kick-off in August, then is followed immediately by Term 1, which lasts from October to December. Term 2 takes students through to the winter holidays, and the next four terms last from January to December. During Term 4, which runs June to August, students may pursue an internship or take more elective courses.

A total of 64 credits are required to graduate, comprised of 33 core credits in five main foundation areas: Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Economics and Decision Sciences, Finance and Accounting, Marketing, and Organisational Behavior and Human Resources Management. Core courses are mandatory and cannot be waived. The remaining 31 credits are made up of a wide variety of electives, including five overseas electives aimed to expand a student’s global understanding. Students can choose to study these electives in Israel, Germany, Malaysia, Japan, or the U.S. A majority of students opt to specialize their degree by either pursuing a general management focus, or one of four concentrations: Finance, Marketing, Digital Business, or Entrepreneurship. To successfully complete a concentration, a student must take at least 10 credits in that area.

An international experience is also required, and students can choose between an exchange program, one of five overseas electives, or one of two U.S.-based coordinated degree programs: The Fletcher School at Tufts, or Johns Hopkins University. Another hallmark of the program is the second-year Integrated China Strategy Project, in which students work together in groups to act as consultants for CEIBS-sponsored firms.

Other MBA Degree Options

In addition to the full-time MBA, CEIBS offers a one-year MBA option, Finance MBA, a Global EMBA, a Hospitality EMBA, and a Chinese Language EMBA.

The one-year MBA option is designed for company-sponsored students, entrepreneurs, family business members, students with secured post-MBA job opportunities, or international students.  One-year program members take core courses with the full-time MBA class members, then complete electives at an accelerated rate.  The Part-Time Finance MBA is designed to train rising stars in the industry to prepare them to enter the Shanghai finance hub. The FEMBA lasts nearly two years, meeting two weekends a month, and is taught exclusively in Chinese. The Global EMBA focuses on high-level executives who aim to expand their global business perspective. The program lasts 20 months and starts in November of each year, and students are required to have at least 10 years of work experience, 7 of them in a high-level managerial position. The 18-month Hospitality EMBA combines business education with service management and is offered in various locations throughout Asia and Europe. Lastly, the two-year Chinese Language EMBA meets four days a month and classes are conducted exclusively in Mandarin.

Degree Offerings at CEIBS

Full-Time MBA: http://www.ceibs.edu/mba

One-Year MBA Option: https://www.ceibs.edu/mba/one-year-option

Global EMBA: http://www.ceibs.edu/gemba

Hospitality EMBA: http://www.ceibs.edu/hemba

Chinese Language EMBA: http://www.ceibs.edu/emba-introduction

Campus Life

Clubs, Conferences and Competitions

The full-time MBA term begins with an Intensive Leadership Journey right at Orientation, helping students hone their managerial and leadership qualities from the beginning of term.

Additionally, CEIBS is currently home to over 15 clubs that vary between social, academic, and professional interests. For example, the CEIBS MBA Social Impact & Responsibility Club organizes activities, competitions, and workshops aimed to help students learn about social impact directly from professionals in the industry.  Paired with program-wise sustainability challenges and English language tutoring for underprivileged children of migrant working parents, the club’s three-pronged approach allows for maximum value-adding. To unwind from the academic rigor of the program, the CEIBS Leisure Club organizes a plethora of social activities for students, including a mountain hiking trip, cocktail and wine tastings, and movie nights.

CEIBS hosts a number of conferences throughout the year, including a Department of Strategy & Entrepreneurship Academic Symposium. The Department of Economics and Decision Science holds an annual academic symposium as well, with an alternating focus on economics and decision science each year. Marketing, financing and accounting also partake in running symposiums, respectively.

In addition to annual conferences, students also take part in a number of business competitions each year, including the annual Mergers & Acquisitions Business Case Competition. In 2018, four CEIBS MBA students won first place and received a cash prize and access to a strategy workshop on digital transformation.

Campus Spaces

Though situated in a quiet residential neighborhood outside of Shanghai’s city centre, the CEIBS campus is a thriving academic and social gathering space. The central academic hub is called Academic Centre IV and houses eight lecture theatres, five discussion rooms, and the administrative offices of the Executive Education Program. Additionally, the Commons Building provides a large gathering space for students to relax and dine between classes. Featuring three dining halls, two spacious lounges, and a waterside terrace, the building acts as a tranquil home base for all students. Along with a 8,000 sq. meter Conference Centre, a Central Pavilion, a faculty building, and student dormitories; the Academic Centre and Commons Building make up Phase III of the Shanghai Campus expansion, officially opened in 2013.

Students choose to either live in one of three on campus dormitories, or off campus in the surrounding residential neighborhoods. While rent in the Jinqiao neighborhood is reasonable at approximately $500/month for a one-bedroom, some students opt to live closer to the city centre and commute daily, at a higher cost.

MBA Careers

Career Services

CEIBS’ Career Development Center (CDC) is focused on finding students the right career for their interests and talents, as opposed to simply securing a job. The CDC provides a self-assessment test, career counseling, workshops, mock interviews, and role-playing practice.

The CDC hosts recruitment fairs outside of Shanghai, on-campus corporate presentations, and hands-on practicum projects to allow students to gain real experience in their fields of interest and ideally improve their chances at desirable opportunities.

Career Statistics

Nearly 94% of the CEIBS MBA Class of 2022 accepted job offers. The most popular industry for CEIBS MBA grads was technology, as 24.5% joined the industry. Financial services was the second choice, as 22.6% of 2022 graduates selected the field. Healthcare and consulting took in 19.8% and 11.3% of the graduates, respectively. Around eight percent chose manufacturing for their post-MBA industry. The rest of the class spread out across real estate, CPG and more.

In regards to region, 84% of the Class of 2022 settled in Mainland China. Nearly 10 percent moved to the Asia Pacific region. Roughly 6% headed to Europe or America.

Financing

Financing

For the 16-month program beginning in August 2022, tuition is RMB 468,000, or approximately $65,600. Living expenses for on-campus dormitories are RMB 3,000 per month, includes water, electricity, AC, and WiFi.

CEIBS offers a variety of funding options for students looking to finance their MBA, including merit-based scholarships, diversity-based fellowships, loans, needs-based education funds, and company sponsored scholarships. Most popular are the variety of scholarships offered: in the class of 2022, over one-third of students received a CEIBS scholarships. No separate application is necessary, though applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible to ensure availability. Merit scholarships are awarded for both professional and academic achievements, interview results, and an applicant’s potential for contributions to the MBA program. For international students, CEIBS partners with Prodigy Finance to offer loans. Other loan opportunities differ depending on the student’s country of origin.

Cost of Attendance

In-state tuition and fees: RMB 468,000 for all students, approximately$65,600
On-Campus Room and Board: RMB 3,000 per month for a single room
Off-Campus Room and Board: Varies, approximately 5,000 RMB per month for a single room

Recent CEIBS News

Admissions Director Q&A: Steven Ji of CEIBS

Steven Ji, the assistant director of the MBA Marketing, Admissions & Financial Aid Department at CEIBS, joins us to talk about the leading MBA program in this edition of our Admissions Director Q&

The Financial Times 2022 Global MBA Ranking: Wharton Returns on Top

The Financial Times (FT) released its rankings of the 100 best MBA programs for 2022. While COVID kept several schools on the bench last year, a total of 151 schools participated in the 2022 edition.

Real Humans of the CEIBS MBA Class of 2023

This edition of Real Humans: MBA Students takes us to Shanghai, China, to meet the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) MBA Class of 2023. 120 students matriculated in the CEIBS MBA Clas

Weekly Refresh: Latest MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Rec Forms

Welcome to Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site. In this edition, we’re catching up with essay tips, recommendation forms and deadlines released the

The Week Ahead: MBA Admissions Decisions, May 17-21, 2021

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round 3 decisions continue to roll out. Round 3 decisions are now bein

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Interview Invitations, April 12-16, 2021

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round 3 & 4 Deadlines Continue Many of the leading MBA programs ha

The Week Ahead: MBA Decisions & Deadlines, March 8-12, 2021

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round 2 Decisions & Later Round Deadlines Some of the leading MBA

The Financial Times 2021 MBA Ranking Reveals a Year in Disruption

You can find the Financial Times 2022 MBA Ranking here. The COVID-19 pandemic uniquely impacted The Financial Times 2021 Global MBA Ranking, released this week. Many of the top 10 U.S. schools opted o

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines, January 4-8, 2021

Welcome to the first edition of the Week Ahead in the New Year! Given the number of deadlines this week, we’re posting a little earlier than usual. Round 2 is Underway The majority of leading MBA pr

Real Humans of the CEIBS MBA Class of 2022

In this edition of Real Humans: MBA Students, we head to Shanghai, China, home of the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). The 18-month CEIBS MBA is well known for its China Focus, call