Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School is the biggest business school in Belgium and a university in its own right. The school, which is organised like a professional services firm with a board of directors made up of academic staff and alumni, has two Belgian campuses, in Ghent and Leuven, as well as a Russian campus in St Petersburg. It is known for its good connections to industry and its emphasis on balancing theory and practice.

Vital stastics. Students can undertake a full-time MBA, which is a year-long programme taught in English, at either Leuven or St Petersburg. Candidates need at least three years’ management experience and either a GMAT score of at least 550 (the average is 640) or a successful on-campus assessment (this combines written and analytical tests with two interviews). The course is taught in three parts: an introductory module, which covers topics such as case learning and leadership skills; a main module, which includes European business law, negotiation skills and financial accounting; and a final phase, which incorporates an international exchange and a business consultancy.

Rankings. Vlerick Leuven Gent is ranked 22nd in the Economist Information Unit’s Which MBA? guide 2007.

Work experience. All students undertake a consultancy project, which requires them to analyse and respond to a real, current business problem or strategic question.

International experience. Students can choose to participate in a one-week international exchange at one of Vlerick Leuven Gent’s partner schools. These include Fordham University in New York; Politecnico di Milano in Italy; the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing; and the International School of Management in Russia.

Application deadline: June 30, 2008, for EU nationals applying with a GMAT score rather than via on-campus assessment. See website for deadlines for other applicants.

Sources: www.vlerick.be; mba.eiu.com

Next week: Birmingham Business School

Times Recommends

• Inspirational leadership
• How to get a new job
• The reluctant CEO