You likely want more than a one-size-fits-all master’s degree. Structure, yes – but you also want room to explore, specialize, and adapt your studies to your future career. That’s why electives matter.
In our Master in Management and Master in Management & Strategy, electives are the moment where the program becomes yours. They let you deepen specific skills, test new directions, and shape a profile that makes sense for your career goals—not just for graduation day, but for what comes next.
What are electives and why do they matter?
Electives are complementary courses you choose toward the end of your program to personalize your learning journey. They sit on top of the core curriculum and concentrations, giving you flexibility without compromising academic depth.
They matter because they let you:
– Adapt your studies to concrete career goals
– Explore new fields without abandoning your core foundation
– Build a differentiated profile for the job market
Master in Management electives
In the Master in Management, electives are a central part of how you tailor your experience.
You can choose from a wide range of electives across business disciplines, allowing you to strengthen your “business toolkit” based on your interests. Whether you want to go deeper into finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, analytics, or management, electives let you focus your time where it counts most for you.
The Master in Management also offers flexibility in how you structure this final stage of the program. Electives are one of three possible paths during this period, alongside the International Exchange or an internship. That choice alone is a differentiator: you can prioritize academic depth, international exposure, or hands-on professional experience depending on your goals and timing.
International Exchange: a global alternative
If you choose the exchange route, you’ll study at one of IE Business School’s partner universities worldwide. For many students, this is a way to gain regional insight, experience a different academic culture, or position themselves for an international career.
Students typically choose their destination based on academic strengths, geographic interest, and long-term career plans. Whether your focus is Europe, the Americas, or Asia, the exchange adds a global layer to your profile that goes well beyond the classroom.
Master in Management & Strategy electives
In the Master in Management & Strategy, electives play a slightly different role.
Because the program includes the Global Immersion Month earlier in the year, the electives period is shorter and more focused. Rather than breadth for its own sake, the emphasis is on applying strategic thinking across functions and industries.
While electives in the Master in Management & Strategy are shared with the Master in Management, the surrounding academic context is different. During the core courses and concentrations, Master in Management & Strategy students work closely with senior faculty who lead IE’s academic departments. This exposure shapes how students think about decisions – strategic, analytical, and grounded in real organizational dynamics.
The Strategy Execution Simulation
The Master in Management & Strategy program culminates in a strategy execution simulation that runs alongside the electives period. This is not a case study and not a real company – but it closely mirrors how real markets behave.
You and your peers act as competing players in a simulated industry. You make decisions, respond to market shifts, and deal with the consequences of both your own moves and those of others. The goal is to integrate everything you’ve learned – from strategy and management to analytics and execution – into a coherent approach under pressure.
It’s a controlled environment, but the thinking required is very real.
Capstone projects: applying what you’ve learned
In both programs, the electives period runs in parallel with a final academic exercise.
In the Master in Management, your final capstone is linked to your concentration. If you specialized in Finance & Investments, you’ll complete a finance-focused capstone, such as a company valuation or financial analysis. If your concentration was Marketing, Branding & Sales, your final project may involve building a full marketing plan.
In the Master in Management & Strategy, the strategy simulation serves as the integrative exercise, bringing together your strategic and managerial training in one final challenge. Either way, the final stage of the program is designed to move you from learning concepts to applying them with intent.
How to choose your electives: practical advice
Electives work best when you approach them with intent. Start by clarifying your professional direction and the roles you’re aiming for after graduation. This helps you identify which skills and perspectives will be most useful as you move into the job market.
Think about electives in terms of functions and industries. Some courses help strengthen analytical or strategic capabilities, while others deepen understanding of specific sectors.
Reviewing current market trends can also guide your choices, especially as roles and required skills continue to evolve.
Finally, use the support around you. Career advisors, professors, and alumni can help you validate your selections and spot gaps or overlaps. A thoughtful mix of focus and exploration often leads to the most coherent and competitive profile by the end of the program.
Study with us at IE Business School
Choosing IE Business School means taking an active role in shaping your master’s experience. The Master in Management and the Master in Management & Strategy combine a strong academic core with flexible electives and applied projects, giving you the tools to align your studies with clear professional goals. The programs are designed to support exploration while maintaining focus and rigor.
We base learning at IE Business School around application. International exchange opportunities, global immersions and strategy-focused simulations place you in situations where you truly see the impact of your choices. This approach helps you develop judgment, adaptability and confidence in environments that mirror real organizations.
Do you want a master’s program that supports a purposeful career?Explore the programs, review the elective pathways, and start shaping an academic experience that reflects where you want your career to go next.
Benjamin is the editor of Uncover IE. His writing is featured in the LAMDA Verse and Prose Anthology Vol. 19, The Primer and Moonflake Press. Benjamin provided translation for “FalseStuff: La Muerte de las Musas”, winner of Best Theatre Show at the Max Awards 2024.
Benjamin was shortlisted for the Bristol Old Vic Open Sessions 2016 and the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize 2023.
