Exchange Program

IESE Business School, Universidad de Navarra, Barcelona, Spain

IESE’s MBA has been recognized as one of the best in the World by the Financial Times. The MBA is a rigorous full-time program with a general management perspective and emphasis on entrepreneurship and human and ethical values. The MBA class is around 85% international with almost 50 countries represented. IESE follows the Harvard case method and offers courses in English and a few courses in Spanish. If you want to take classes in Spanish, you must either be a native speaker or pass oral and written exams before the start of classes. The school is located in an attractive suburb of Barcelona and students live off-campus. The fall term is from late August to mid-December.

IESE Factsheet for Fall 2025 (Fall 2026 version coming soon)

London Business School (LBS), London, England

LBS has one of the best MBA programs in the United Kingdom. Its students, nearly 75 percent of whom are international, represent 30 countries. Courses are designed to provide a general management education. The teaching style emphasizes case studies, group work, and interaction between students and faculty. LBS is known for its courses in strategy, finance, and marketing. Located near London’s financial center, LBS benefits from the quiet beauty of nearby Regent’s Park. Classes are in English and run from early October to mid-December.

LBS Factsheet for Fall 2026

* Important Academic Note for LBS: Students who wish to enroll in Finance electives at LBS are strongly recommended to have a strong finance background and/or take both core and corporate finance as the LBS finance courses can be very intensive for those without a finance background or who have not taken some finance courses. 

Columbia Business School (CBS), New York, NY
Established in 1999, the Haas-Columbia exchange is the first exchange program between two top US business schools. The program is aimed at Haas students who want to take coursework in finance and media in New York City, and for Columbia students who want to study technology and entrepreneurship while living in close proximity to Silicon Valley. The program also makes post-graduation employment searches more convenient.

CBS Factsheet for Fall 2025 (Fall 2026 version coming soon)

Sample of past Fall 2024 electives can be found here: Course Catalog | Courses

• Good academic standing (minimum 3.0 GPA): You must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher at the time you apply and maintain it through the spring term. Your GPA will be reviewed again at the end of spring to confirm eligibility for the fall program. You can check your cumulative GPA in CalCentral.
• Core classes: You must complete and pass all MBA core classes by the end of the spring semester or your second term in the program.
• Semester standing: You must be in your 3rd semester (MBA, MBA/MEng) or 5th semester (MBA/MPH) during the fall semester abroad. MBA/JD and MBA/MCS students should check in with the FTMBA Academics Team to confirm they’re eligible for the exchange program and to review their academic progress.
• Conduct expectations: We will review applicants to ensure there are no conduct issues that would require them to remain on campus. As exchange participants, students are expected to represent themselves and Haas positively by being both responsible students and thoughtful community members while abroad. Exchange students serve as Haas ambassadors, and the success of our exchange relationships depends on students’ professionalism and good citizenship. Haas reserves the right to deny applications from students whose behavior at Haas suggests they could jeopardize these partnerships or limit future opportunities for other students.

• Complete all required fields in the application (marked with an *).
• Rank your preferred schools (1st and 2nd). If your first-choice school is unavailable, you may be offered your second choice, provided you meet eligibility requirements, score highly on your application, and space is available. A second choice is optional, but recommended if you are flexible.
• For the essay questions, there is no minimum word count, but do not exceed the maximum limit. You may choose to reflect on how the exchange program will support your academic, professional, or personal growth, or focus on how your selected school(s) align with your degree and career goals. There are no right or wrong answers—what matters is providing relevant, thoughtful details and examples, as outlined in the rubric.
• Submit your application by the deadline. Once submitted, you will receive a copy of your responses by email. If you don’t see it in your inbox, please resubmit before the deadline. If you submitted but did not receive a decision by the posted notification date, contact us right away so we can help troubleshoot.

Review the application rubric here to understand how your responses to the brief essay questions will be evaluated.

There are lots of reasons: academic, professional, and personal. Our partners are among the top business schools in the world; taking classes at these institutions will give you a different perspective. Studying abroad allows you to polish your language skills, delve into a new culture, and make friends. Many Haas students use their exchange semester to contact local firms to secure employment beyond the Bay Area or outside the U.S.

On average, we may send between one and ten students to each school each Fall. The number of available spots at each partner school will vary from year to year. The number is a function of the size of the partner school’s exchange program and the “balance of trade” between Haas and the partner school over time.

Exchange applications for Full-Time MBA students typically open in February. Students will receive email notifications with important dates and deadlines for the application process.

The application includes questions about personal information and brief essay prompts. Your responses will be evaluated and assigned a numerical score based on relevance and quality. Participants are selected based on their total application scores.

To be offered a space at your chosen school, the following conditions must be met: there is space available at the school, you are in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0 at the time of application and during the spring semester, you have completed all MBA core courses, you receive a high application score, and you have no conduct issues or concerns about your ability to represent Haas.

All offers are contingent upon continuing to meet the requirements listed above, and the Haas FTMBA program reserves the right to retract an offer if any of these conditions are not met at any time.

Because the focus of the international exchange is to gain exposure to a new country and culture, students are generally not sent to their home countries.

After you accept your offer, we will nominate your name to the exchange school. It is important to complete all relevant sections on our participation confirmation form so that the exchange school will have the necessary information to process your enrollment at their school. The exchange school will contact you directly with more information about their enrollment process. Check your Berkeley email frequently to avoid missing any important deadlines from the FTMBA Program Office and the exchange schools.

We will reach out with instructions for completing the required exchange tasks and attending mandatory meetings. These action items are an important part of your exchange program commitment, so be sure to complete them promptly.

Some partner schools provide lists of previously offered courses on their websites. You can also contact the exchange school directly to share the types of courses you’re interested in, and they can guide you on how to access this information.

Participants are expected to take the equivalent of 12 MBA elective units at the exchange school. Non-MBA courses, including language courses, do not count toward this 12-unit requirement. You may take more than 12 units if the exchange school allows, but only 12 units of MBA electives are transferable back to Haas.

MBA/MPH dual-degree students may petition to take 9 instead of 12 units equivalent (except for CBS participants) if they need fewer than 9 MBA units to complete their last semester.

Keep in mind that Haas MBA electives can only be taken during the Spring semesters of your first and second years. If there is a Haas MBA elective you feel is essential, check whether it is likely to be offered during those semesters. Course schedules are subject to change, and offerings cannot be guaranteed.

You can also review whether the partner school offers an equivalent course during the Fall. However, availability may be limited if a class is already full.

You will be enrolled in the Haas MBA Exchange class, MBA298X (12-unit block), for the fall semester you are studying abroad, which will be graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis. To earn a Satisfactory grade for all 12 units, you must achieve the equivalent of a B- grade or higher in each of your exchange courses. Be sure to check the grading system at your exchange school so you can plan accordingly.

You will receive an official transcript from your exchange institution, which will show the courses you completed and the grades you earned. Be sure to submit a copy of your classes and grades to the Academics Team as soon as all grades are posted, so we can confirm you’re on track for graduation. Haas will assign a grade for your units once your host school sends the official transcripts to us.

You will pay your usual tuition and fees to the University of California, Berkeley, as if you were spending the semester at Haas. No additional tuition or fees are paid to the exchange school, except secondary fees such as club fees or other services offered at the host schools.

Here are a few common costs you can think about when thinking about your plans for studying abroad:

• Travel (visa application, passport-new/renewal, flights, etc.)
• Housing
• Living expenses
• Insurance & health

You should check with the Haas Financial Aid Office if you will need financial aid while on exchange. Make sure all required paperwork is completed before your departure.

If you anticipate additional expenses related to studying abroad, you may submit a budget appeal to request an adjustment to your standard financial aid budget.

Haas does not manage residency compliance for tuition purposes, so we cannot guarantee that a semester abroad will not impact your residency status. However, former Haas students who were long-time California residents before going on exchange have generally reported no issues. Students who are still in the process of establishing California residency should be aware that participating in an exchange program could potentially impact their residency status. Check with the campus Residence Affairs Unit before you apply.

We usually receive transcripts from host schools between mid-January and late February. Once the official transcripts arrive, we review them alongside your degree progress report to confirm that all graduation requirements have been met. After this review, your degree can be conferred. Since this process takes some time, please keep this in mind if you are job recruiting and need to show proof of your degree. If your employer requests a letter confirming our intent to award your degree, please send an email to us at [email protected] and let us know.

The level of fluency in the local language varies by school. Most partner schools offer many electives in English, but it’s important to check the language policy for the school you’re interested in by visiting its website.

While English is widely spoken in some countries, it is less common in others. In all cases, having some familiarity with the local language will help you get the most out of your exchange experience.

Due to our confidentiality policy, we will not be announcing the names of students who have been accepted. We will create an optional communication channel and invite incoming and outgoing exchange students to connect.

You’ll need to arrange your travel and cover the costs, so be sure to plan ahead to make your journey smooth and stress-free.

Check out this article for some tips and a fun checklist to help you prepare.

Our exchange partners ask that you arrange your own local housing, but you can connect with the exchange program coordinator at the host school for tips and resources. One option we will suggest is to swap housing with visiting exchange students coming to Haas. We’ll create a housing document to share with you and incoming students to make this process easier.

Berkeley’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) will be valid while you are abroad, provided you are properly registered and pay all your current Berkeley fees before you leave. The plan will be used as a reimbursement plan. For more information about using SHIP outside of the Berkeley area, review the “When you need health care outside of the area” question on the SHIP website.

If you need to submit a SHIP waiver, you can find more information here.

The host school will provide the documents you need to apply for a student visa, but it’s your responsibility to submit them to the appropriate government agencies promptly to ensure you can arrive and start your program on time.

• Check in with CMG on how you can continue your job search while you are studying abroad at another school.
• Here are a few suggestions:
  • You may submit resumes and cover letters to any jobs you see in CMG BEARS. In your cover letter, you may indicate that you are away on the exchange program in the fall but can do virtual interviews.
  • If you are invited to an in-person interview, please work directly with the recruiter to suggest a virtual option. Keep in mind that the recruiter may decide not to interview you at all—it is their call.
• You will also have access to the career services of the school you are visiting, so be sure to take advantage of that.

The start date of your Fall semester at the exchange school can be found on the factsheet. Make sure all travel and arrival preparations are completed ahead of time so you can arrive on time to start your classes.

Studying abroad can be a wonderful chance to experience another culture and meet students from other parts of the world. It can also be very challenging to find housing and navigate a foreign city while keeping up with the academic demands of another top MBA program. Keep in mind that you will have support systems from both the exchange schools and Haas. If you need to discuss questions or concerns, you can get in touch with Thao Valdez at [email protected] and the exchange coordinator at your host school.

The FTMBA exchange program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to explore international classes for a qualifying Fall semester in the FTMBA program. It is not intended for students to complete the remaining part of the Haas MBA degree abroad. Students cannot extend their participation for another semester.