SDA Bocconi MBA - Class Profile, Curriculum, Funding and Salary

SDA Bocconi School of Management takes advantage of the intersection of Industry, Finance, Arts, Media, and Fashion in Milan to offer a one-year full-time International MBA program.

In this in-depth analysis of the SDA Bocconi full-time MBA program, we cover:

• SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA - Class Profile
• SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA – Pre-MBA Education and Industry
• SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA - Cost
• SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA Scholarships and Financial Aid
• SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA Curriculum
• SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA – 4 Concentrations
• Specialization in Luxury Business Management (LBM)
• Path to Entrepreneurship
• International exchange programs
• SDA Bocconi Full Time MBA Application Process
• Bocconi Test
• SDA Bocconi Post-MBA Placement Trends and Salary (2021 Graduating Class)

SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA - Class Profile

The yearly intake at SDA Bocconi is 100 students, with women candidates accounting for nearly 35 percent of the class. Over 70% of international students consist of diverse profiles from 30 countries, with the admissions team clearly hinting that they take the extra effort to limit the influence of one industry. Like peer MBA programs in Europe, the average age and work experience are on the higher side, with the 2021 class registering an average age of 29. Close to 50% are in the 28-30 age range, with a minimum work experience of 3-years required to be competitive for the admission process at Bocconi. The work experience is closing in on the 6-year range.

The average GMAT score was 665 – 60-70 points below the median GMAT score seen in top US schools and 20-30 points below top European and UK schools. The experience of the class makes up for the GMAT as 29 is 2 years above the average age of US schools but is in the typical range of a European school.

SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA – Pre-MBA Education and Industry

The class of 2021 had graduates mostly from Economics and Engineering backgrounds. The 48% from Economics, followed by 35% from Engineering and the rest from Humanities, Sciences and Law, balanced the diverse post-MBA industry interests of the class.

As for work experience, the percentage of candidates from industry (including manufacturing and Technology) was the highest (30%), closely beating consulting and professional services (25%). Candidates from the Fashion and Luxury industry was at 13%.

SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA - Cost

The total fee for the SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA is €62,000, which needs to be paid in four installments. The fee covers teaching materials and access to the services offered by the school. An additional €1500 should be budgeted for living expenses taking the total cost of the 1-year MBA to €77,000.

SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA Scholarships and Financial Aid

SDA Bocconi leverages the support offered by the alumni network to fund most of the scholarships. The recipients of these awards are expected to give back to the school with time, expertise, and financial assistance in the conception, planning, and implementation of new projects and programs.

Scholarship Amount: The number of awards and amounts vary from entire or partial tuition waivers as determined by a special committee. The award of any scholarship or tuition waiver has no bearing on admission to the program.

Evaluation Factors for Tuition Waiver

● Examination of academic and professional credentials
● Examination of the standards specified in the specific notice of the award
● The outcome of the MBA application process

To be considered for the scholarships/tuition waivers, you must meet the following requirements:

● Submitted the application for the MBA program
● Examined the requirements for each grant or tuition waiver
● Applied for a scholarship or tuition waiver by the deadlines listed on the online application portal (more than one application is acceptable).

Prodigy Finance – Loan Program: Funding international students from 150 nationalities, the Prodigy Finance Loan program offers customized interest rates based on the individual’s credit history and potential. The loan does not demand any sort of collateral from the individuals.

Athletes: The school also offers funding to student athletes. Financial and organizational aid is offered to students who have participated in sports competitions - regionally or internationally.

Options of private loans also exist for applicants based on their country of origin, both international (non-European) and domestic (Italian and European) students.

Here is an overview of the criteria for Tuition Waivers and Scholarships.

Other country-wise scholarships awarded for SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA students are:

SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA Curriculum

The core course and concentrations are covered in 9 months between September and May. From June onwards, students are given the option of an individual internship, an entrepreneurial project, or a group business lab. The exchange program usually falls during the fall term.

The core courses for the 2022 entering SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA program are spread across terms from September to March cover traditional foundational courses in Microeconomics, Accounting, Managerial Economics, Marketing, Communication and Operations, while also touching Corporate Governance, Predictive Analytics, Emerging Markets, and Decision Making.

The full-time MBA course also features four concentrations, a specialization in Luxury Business Management, the Path to Entrepreneurship program, and exchange programs as part of the curriculum.

SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA – 4 Concentrations

The program offers four concentrations in Finance and Financial Institutions, Customer Marketing, Innovation, Product Development and Execution, and Private Equity and Entrepreneurship. The specialization is clearly geared toward candidates who want to develop in a corporate environment. For each specialization, the courses cover diverse sub-functions to ensure that the attendees get a broader perspective of the function.

For instance, Innovation, Product Development, and Execution takes the candidates through the lifecycle of a product from ideation to structuring the idea to a feasible product, design and engineering choices, and finally, execution. The global scope of innovation presents students with larger use-cases and contexts for product and service innovation.

 
Specialization in Luxury Business Management (LBM)
 
Exclusive partnerships with LVMH, Gucci, and Valentino, and interactions with managers and industry insiders through one on one meetings, retail immersion, capstone project, and study tour, offers LBM candidates exposure to industry practices, insider strategies, and current challenges.

The collaboration between Bain & Company (Italy) has given students a chance to join a course module on the Bain Altagamma Monitor. The school has been a part of the monitor that sends out a luxury report every year. In return, Altagamma holds events that help participants network and get visibility among potential employers, including Bulgari, Ducati, BCG Italia, and McKinskey & Company.

Path to Entrepreneurship

The Path to Entrepreneurship program is a blended learning experience that allows students to work in groups and ideate business pitches in a formal setting.
The path orients students for
•    Opportunity Identification and Idea Conceptualization
●    Venture Team Building  
●    Idea Validation & Experimentation  
●    Business Planning  
●    Partner / Investor Presentation

The program starts in January and concludes by May, offering students real-world experience in start-up management and materializing their vision post ideation.

International exchange programs

The students enrolled in the MBA program at SDA Bocconi also get the opportunity to apply for an exchange program at top Business Schools, including Wharton, London Business School, and CEIBS. The program is usually scheduled between the months of August and November. Students with a drive and passion for accelerating their career development can dip into the partner school’s alumni network.

Schools that have partnered with SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA program are:

SDA Bocconi Full Time MBA Application Process

The application for the academic year begins in September and continues till mid-April on a rolling basis. Interested applicants can fill out the online application and upload the required documents. Once the application is reviewed, selected candidates will be intimated via mail. Applicants are advised to send in the applications as early as possible to increase their chances of acceptance.

The application requires completing essays, which could include questions that ask about the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses, goals and aspirations, and incidents in their lives that were significant, a pre-interview video where the students are required to give a brief introduction and their motivation to apply for the SDA Bocconi full-time MBA program, a CV, GMAT or GRE test score, English proficiency proof, and two references.

On successful evaluation and confirming the fit for the program, candidates are called for an interview. The interview questions are based on the application essays and tailored to gauge the applicant’s proficiency.

Bocconi Test

For those who do not have a GMAT or GRE test score may be allowed to take the Bocconi test – a 50-question multiple-choice exam that tests the candidate’s numerical ability, logical reasoning, mathematics, and reading comprehension. The duration of the test will be 75 minutes. Each right answer carries 1 point, and each wrong answer costs 0.2 points. Applicants are expected to score at least 17 points to clear the test.

The application also needs to be accompanied by a photograph of the candidate, a copy of the passport, and a 120-euro application fee.

SDA Bocconi Post-MBA Placement Trends and Salary (2021 Graduating Class)

The SDA Bocconi MBA program demands a significant investment in interpersonal interactions, collaboration, and teamwork. Candidates with a genuinely global perspective and exceptional diversity management abilities thrive in this setting. In the academic year 2020-2021, 90% of the graduates found employment within three months of graduation, and 93% of them changed either sector, function, or country. The compensation received on an average over the years has also substantially increased from a total of €104,566 in 2018 to €118,874 in 2020. Some of the recruiters were Airbnb, Campari, Deloitte, Emerson, Ernst & Young, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Novartis, Microsoft, Samsung, Siemens, Valentino, and Versace.

SDA Bocconi has a similar recruitment pattern seen in top Business Schools – with Consulting and Technology the top two choices and Finance – the third. Luxury Business Management is a strength of the Bocconi MBA program, but the 13% pre-MBA experience from Luxury to 6% entering the industry indicates that the sector is facing disruption. Candidates are expanding their reach by choosing Consulting as a specialization, allowing them to serve a wider clientele.
The 9% pre-MBA in Finance to 13% post-MBA in Finance suggests that Bocconi also attracts career switchers entering Private Equity and Investment Banking. As seen in other top schools, the pandemic has evoked a strong interest, with close to 10% of the Bocconi Full-time MBA class accepting offers in the Healthcare industry.

Is the SDA Bocconi MBA program right for me?

You can reach out to me, Atul Jose (Founding Consultant, F1GMAT), by connecting through LinkedIn or directly subscribe to our career planning service to explore if SDA Bocconi is the right school for you.

References
1. SDA Bocconi Full-time MBA

2. The MBA Tour - SDA Bocconi

3. SDA Bocconi MBA - Funding