The GEMBA Experience - The Opening Module
The opening week of the 2021-23 edition of our #GEMBA in partnership with Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, included 50 participants from 18 countries, revealing the program’s global reach. Part of the learning experience involves visiting big corporations and meeting their top executives. In the first weeks, these “learning safaris” saw the students visit Arese, at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo, to discuss marketing and rebranding, and then Maserati Plant in Modena, to discover the MC20 production line and details about operations management and luxury industry. The Director Ferdinando Pennarola explained the landmarks of this learning journey: an approach that helps students to “be skilled, professional, open-minded and networking-savy”.
Expand your global understanding, and personal horizons as a future leader, in this unique 18-month program spanning eight cities on four continents.
The new Rotman-SDA Bocconi GEMBA will change the way you think, network and do business in some of the world’s biggest markets.
The curriculum, which includes twenty-four courses plus electives, will deepen your grasp of business fundamentals such as finance and accounting, while building your knowledge and skills for the new global economy. You will benefit from our schools’ leadership in areas such as design thinking and analytics. You will gain insights into industries and sectors where our schools have special expertise: for example, luxury brands at SDA Bocconi and fintech at Rotman. And you will build a network of international contacts, while learning invaluable tools to advance your career.
The program is built around ten residential modules. These take place at the Rotman School, at both SDA Bocconi Campuses in Milan and Rome, and on the campuses of our international affiliate academic partners, providing in-depth local perspectives on global management. Each module consists of several courses, and includes lectures, team discussions, and other dynamic, real-time learning opportunities.
Classroom sessions are interspersed with real-world experiences - company visits, exchanges with local executives, and dynamic networking events - that we call 'learning safaris': an impactful formula blending standout site visits with direct interaction with top executives. It's the essence of experiential learning, where participants witness and engage firsthand.
Evenings are filled with group projects, individual assignments and time to explore the local culture and cities.
Online learning predominates in the periods between modules: preparation begins for the next set of courses, with study materials delivered a month or two before class begins. This is also the time to complete assignments and team deliverables, participate in review sessions and write exams.
9-Day Modules
From Friday to Saturday (noon) = 8.5 days (6 working days)
Total learning days (classroom + company visits) = 25.5
Total work days (participants' out of office) = 18
1-Week Modules = 5.5 days (5 working days)
Total learning days (classroom + company visits) = 33
Total work days (participants' out of office) = 30
Elective Module
Either in Milano, Toronto or to exchange partner schools
1 Week: from Monday to Saturday (noon) = 5.5 (5 working days)
The Global EMBA is delivered through a variety of learning formats. The learning platform of the Global EMBA aims to make full use of your time by combining lectures, case studies, group projects, and business simulations with distance-learning sessions.
SDA Bocconi organizes events and meetings throughout the year, both online and offline, where you can interact with the Director and other members of the GEMBA Community.
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