Business School Lausanne review
Business School Lausanne (BSL) is a private business school located within reach of the picturesque city of Lausanne, Switzerland, facing Lake Geneva. Lausanne is known for being home to the International Olympic Committee headquarters, as well as the Olympic Museum and lakeshore Olympic Park.The school is a part of the Lemania Swiss Group of Schools and was founded in 1987 by John Hobbs. Its current President and Managing Director is Philippe Du Pasquier and the acting Dean Dr. David Claivaz.
BSL is often described as a boutique Higher Education Institute due to the scale of the institution, narrow specializations offered and the personalized approach to their program curriculum and student and career support. Indeed, BSL counts 50 academic staff and +160 students. The school counts 1880 alumni from over 50 nationalities among whom a fair portion have become entrepreneurs and successfully launched their own businesses, while others have chosen corporate careers in multinationals such as UBS, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, Bulgari, IBM, Nestlé, Accenture, Caterpillar and many more (these companies are also recruiting BSL’s graduates).
Among notable alumni, there are Pablo De Gottardi (Co-founder and CEO at Slow Farm SA), Hedvig Wessel (Professional skier and Olympic Athlete - Freeride World Tour), Modesto (Nelson) Peña y Gorrin (Founder / Chairman/ CEO at IMCI+ Group International GmbH), Adriaan Trampe (Founder Ezra Watches), Gina Fiore (Global Project Manager at Nestlé).
Among graduation guest speakers and/or Doctor Honoris Causa recipients there are Paul Polman (Former CEO of Unilever), Marco Piermartiri (COO of Geneva Chamber of Commerce), Jean-Claude Biver (Chairman of Hublot), Peter Bakker (President of WBCSD), Dr. Luc Hoffmann (Co-founder of WWF), Mary Robinson (Former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights), Joseph Deiss (Former Member of the Swiss Federal Council, Former President of the United Nations General Assembly).
BSL’s motto is: Personalized Education for Global Impact. What it means is that its main focus concentrates on training exceptional, visionary business leaders promoting innovation, and combining the finest results of academic research with the effectiveness of entrepreneurship in a fast-changing world. BSL students believe that learners are doers and doers are learners. Their active involvement and participation contribute to the development of an education ecosystem at BSL.
This level of students’ focus, motivation and involvement can only be achieved thanks to the exceptional care taken for designing each of the programs offered and pursuing an innovative teaching method. BSL specializes in the delivery of business administration studies including Bachelor, Master and Doctorate level programs, as well as executive and continuing education.
Business School Lausanne requirements and application process.
Due to the prestige of the school and the limited number of seats in the program, Business School Lausanne follows an individualized application process including a personal interview, during which the applicant’s motivation, extracurricular activities, interpersonal skills and maturity are assessed. In order to be offered a place in the program, prospective students need to demonstrate their commitment to excellence, growth and entrepreneurial mindset and an affinity to BSL’s values and vision.
Prior to the interview stage, an applicant needs to provide documents confirming their current highest academic qualification or equivalent and English proficiency. Accepted minimum English language proficiency tests include: TOEFL IBT 90 (taken no longer than 2 years prior to the current application process), TOEFL CBT 575 (taken no longer than 2 years prior to the current application process), IELTS 6.50 (taken no longer than 2 years prior to the current application process), TOEIC 800, DuoLingo 110, Language Cert – Low C1 (Expert Level).
On top of the above, prospective students need to provide a set of supporting documents including a CV, motivational letter, two recommendation letters, and complete an online application form. Applicants will be individually guided throughout the process and informed about the outcomes of each stage. As a result of a thorough admission process, only the best applicants are selected and offered a seat in the programme. This also contributes to the school’s reputation, as there is no place for quality compromise.
Business School Lausanne reputation and ranking
Business School Lausanne is a well-established Higher Education Institution and was the first private school in Switzerland to have their MBA program accredited by the ACBSP in 1996 joining some of the top worldwide institutions including Oxford University, Stockholm School of Economics, Dublin Business School, Columbia University, University of Colorado Boulder, Washington State University or London School of Economics and Political Science.
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs is an organization for business education officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This ensures that BSL degrees are recognized and valued worldwide.
ACBSP’s accreditation focuses on recognizing teaching excellence, determining student learning outcomes, and a continuous improvement model, ensuring that students gain the right skills from their educational investment, which boosts their employability.
Programs offered by BSL, mark high in Swiss and global rankings:
#2 for its Master in International and Sustainable Finance
#2 for its Master in International Business in the QS Business Masters Rankings 2019
#4 for its MBA program in the QS Global MBA Rankings 2019.
The school also owes its reputation to the quality of delivered programs and attention to career outcomes given by the administration and faculty.
Program delivery process - learning model
BSL pays a lot of attention to the quality of its programs and delivery method. Classes are small, counting a maximum of 25 students so that each and every individual receives enough care and attention so they can grow independently. This personalized education starts at the earliest stage with the creation of individual study plans. This is to optimize the learning experience and program accessibility, for the students.
This unique learning model based on individual student’s needs allows a program delivery in multiple formats. A good example here is the Bachelor’s degree program that can be delivered according to the following formats:
- as a 3-year degree with an internship option,
- as a Double Degree (studied in either Dublin or Paris),
- as an accelerated 2-year degree
- as the Entrepreneurial Learning format.
Experiential Learning at BSL
What BSL is especially proud of is the concept of EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. This unique concept is based on the belief that it is experience that contributes to the understanding of the big picture, the stakes, the challenges, and the potential solutions. Therefore, complex knowledge is easier to grasp through experience than explanation or its theoretical explanation.
In order to encourage students to collaborate and provoke discussions, the school offers various co-working spaces, supporting at the same time active learning. Another contribution to deepening learning environment is inviting subject experts as guest speakers. This prompts discussions and allows students to understand taught concepts in real-life scenarios.
Sustainability for Doers
Business School Lausanne offers a Master’s degree with a concentration in sustainability. The sustainability concentration incorporates all the topics you need to become a dynamic international business leader with the added benefits of understanding the latest sustainable business frameworks and practices.
Sustainability studies can also be found on an E/MBA level with an E/MBA in Sustainable Business but also can be taken as a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Sustainable Business (DAS).
What is unique about these programs is the fact that sustainability touches on almost all aspects of our lives integrating diverse disciplines that include finance, people, circular product design, and economy. As a student of business and sustainability, you will have the opportunity to go beyond ‘business as usual’ and study a range of topics to develop the skills you need to become a social entrepreneur and business transformation leader.
Also, a group of BSL students introduced the Sustainability Club which promotes networking among students and alumni. Joining this collective offers a unique opportunity to connect with individuals, share intelligence and discussions, participate in official events involving guest speaker events, panel discussions, and workshops to encourage open conversations, and analyse and demystify information surrounding sustainability.