Pre-MBA Programs: What Can You Expect?

You’ve heard of a taster menu, and perhaps even a taster exercise class, but what about a taster MBA?

There’s no denying that an MBA is a significant investment in time and money. So, imagine if you could find out what it’s like to study for an MBA in just one week—for a fraction of the cost—and you could do this with the kind of people you would meet during your MBA?

You might be surprised to learn that this ‘try before you buy’ experience is possible.

BusinessBecause senior writer, Shannon Cook, recently traveled to Shanghai to attend a six-day, pre-MBA ‘boot camp’ at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) to discover what it’s like to experience the sights and sounds of an MBA.

Pre-MBA programs: What will you experience?

Who pre-MBA programs are for

The CEIBS pre-MBA boot camp is open to new graduates, and those with limited (or no) work experience, who want to explore their interest in pursuing an MBA. After attending, students who firm up a plan to study for an MBA at CEIBS need to secure at least two years of work experience ahead of joining the program. 

Students can opt to apply for deferred entry for the CEIBS MBA while they acquire this.

Where you’ll stay during a pre-MBA program 

Unless you’re attending a business school pre-MBA event in your hometown, you’ll likely need somewhere to stay.

The CEIBS boot camp takes place on the school’s Shanghai campus, located in Pudong district, around 20 minutes from the city center. Fortunately for attendees, CEIBS has its own residence for visitors. The rooms are clean, spacious, and comfortable, and each floor offers a group working zone complete with a free mini bar stocked with water, Coca-Cola, and Sprite—perfect for those late-night group study (or informal networking) sessions.

The CEIBS campus is easy to navigate, taking 10 minutes to walk from residence to class. Staying on site allows you to experience campus life and CEIBS boasts an abundance of cafes and canteens, a library, laundry room, and plenty of study spaces.

Studying for the CEIBS MBA means being located just 20-minutes from Shanghai's city center

MBA taster classes

When browsing the websites of your target business schools, you’ll notice that faculty often come from an array of top institutions. It's reassuring to know that you’ll be taught by top professors, but will you enjoy their classes and teaching style?

The pre-MBA boot camp at CEIBS offers students more than just a glimpse into MBA classroom learning. 

During the 2024 boot camp there was a wide range of learning on offer. From a self-discovery workshop with an industry expert, guiding students to consider their strengths and weaknesses based on a personality questionnaire, to a purpose-driven branding class, where students quickly discovered that learning about business isn’t just a narrow path.

Stand-out lectures included Howei Wu’s lecture on navigating the Chinese economy through data and policies. A Stanford University graduate and professor of economics at CEIBS, Howei Wu provided invaluable insights on the Chinese market and GDP growth. 

Students also learned the art of negotiation through the eyes of CEIBS MBA alumni Jeff Pi, an entrepreneur who has previously held roles as a film producer and regional chief administration officer at Bayer.

Across all classes, students were invited to contribute and play an active role in discussions, just as they would in the MBA.

This was especially true for the case method introductory class. Created by Harvard Business School, the case method of learning invites students to solve real-world cases. For the boot camp class taught by Lydia Price—professor of marketing at CEIBS—students analyzed Robert Bennett’s MicroFridge concept, considering its needs, values, and how to price and distribute the product. 

While each lecture was three hours long, break times were factored in. Plus, being in China, enjoying food and chatting with your peers is an essential part of the day, so the classes were catered with plenty of fresh local cuisine and Western food options, soft drinks, and tea and coffee.

The CEIBS MBA boot camp runs in the summer

Immersive field trips

You’ll likely know that MBA programs aren’t about sitting in classrooms all day. The pre-MBA boot camp at CEIBS this year made sure this was also the case, inviting students to attend two immersive field trips.

The first trip took the cohort of 36 students to Zotter Chocolate Theater—an Austrian chocolate factory in Shanghai’s fashion district. The company has strong links to CEIBS: Amy Fang, a Chinese representative of the company, studied for her Executive MBA at CEIBS. 

Each field trip began with a discussion from a CEIBS professor to look at the case study in more depth, building on from the preparatory reading provided to students. 

Shameen Prashantham, professor in International Business and Strategy at CEIBS, discussed Zotter Chocolate as an example of blue ocean strategy, a term coined to describe businesses entering a market where there is little competition.

Zotter is a great example of this concept, having made its mark in Shanghai by marketing its luxurious chocolate to locals with a penchant for spending that little bit more on a high-quality sweet treat. The tour around the factory consisted of sampling Zotter’s various chocolate lines, including creations such as chocolate-infused whisky.

Meanwhile, a field trip to ecommerce company Buy Quickly gave students an insight into the booming e-commerce market in China. The trip began with students working in groups to create a TikTok (or ‘Douyin’ in China) to promote a product, with students creating dances and slogans for their make-believe invention.

One of the most interesting parts about the company visit was experiencing a tour of the dedicated livestreaming house. There is a rapidly growing appetite for livestream shopping in China, which is mainly hosted on Chinese platforms such as Douyin, Taobao, and Kuaishou.

BuyQuickly partners with global brands such as Adidas, Nike, MaxMara, and Under Armour to offer outsourced livestreaming services. The products are hosted by influencers, or Key Opinion Leaders (KOPs) as they are referred to in China. 

The experience gave a real insight into the future of ecommerce and marketing, and the power of livestreaming in brand marketing. Each sale and broadcast is meticulously analyzed, with one to two other presenters working in each room to guide the stream and maximize sales. 

Dylan Da, an attendee of the CEIBS pre-MBA program and summer intern at TikTok, praised the company visits: “Visiting companies like Zotter and Buy Quickly offered invaluable insights into global business expansion and innovative practices.” 

The pre-MBA program at CEIBS took students on field trips

Time to finesse the art of public speaking

The pre-MBA boot camp was structured in a way that helps students build up their skills in preparation for the final group presentation. 

A pitch workshop session on day three helped students learn what it takes to craft a winning proposition. Guided by industry expert and entrepreneur Yoann Delwarde, half of the session involved learning about the components of a strong pitch, as well as a brief history of public speaking according to Aristotle. 

Aristotle said that a good speaker must have three things in control: the argument, the presentation, and the audience. It’s these three components that lay the foundation for a strong pitch.

Even if you weren’t the most extroverted person, the class equipped students with the skills and knowledge needed to craft a memorable pitch.

Boot camp attendee Maynawan Suthisamphat—a Vogue Thailand cover star and finance graduate from Thailand—used her pitch to talk about her experience in the modeling industry and how it’s guiding her ambitions to access a leadership role within the fashion industry. 

Throughout the week, students dedicated some of their downtime to prepare for the end-of-week presentation. In teams, students were invited to create a marketing campaign in China for luxury outdoor clothing brand Canada Goose, based on the theme of HumaNature, with the pitch being limited to 13 minutes-max. 

An abundance of soirées

An MBA taster week is perfect for social butterflies. But even if that’s not quite you, just yet, the week will have a huge impact on your confidence and communication skills.

Throughout the week, students spent most of their breakfast, lunches, and dinners eating at one of CEIBS’ many canteens. Some of the dinners at CEIBS’ restaurants offered a fusion between Eastern and Western foods, including freshly carved Peking duck and Xiaolongbao (steamed bun dumplings), alongside Italian offerings. 

There were also networking events, where CEIBS alumni were invited to mingle with the pre-MBA students. One of the events included an alum who had worked in Paris as a stylist for celebrities, while another grad had swapped their career in Canada for a healthcare company in Shanghai.

Old meets new in Shanghai City

Dipping your toes into city life during pre-MBA programs

The city you choose to study in can be just as important as the business school itself when selecting an MBA. When you're not immersed in your studies, you need a place where you can relax and enjoy some well-earned downtime.

The MBA taster week at CEIBS included two ‘free time’ trips to downtown Shanghai. The first included a trip to an American-style sports bar, complete with burgers, fries, and pizza alongside arcade games and baseball.

Meanwhile, the second trip took students to downtown Shanghai’s shopping district—an activity that’s a huge part of the city’s culture.

With its fashion stores or sampling ice cream alongside a bustling crowd till late at night, Shanghai truly feels like China’s answer to New York—a cosmopolitan melting pot that never sleeps, yet with a much calmer and collected ambiance.

No trip to Shanghai would be complete without visiting the famous Bund—a stretch of river overlooking the city’s skyscrapers. In the evening, the buildings of multinational financial companies, such as Citi and Mirae Asset, are adorned with neon signs and sparkling lights. 

Shanghai is truly a city where old meets new: The ancient Yu Garden can be found just a stone's throw away from these modern sights.

How much do pre-MBA programs cost?

Let’s get down to the costs of attending pre-MBA programs. Although costs vary between different business schools and locations, it will give you a rough guide. 

The CEIBS week costs 13,000 RMB (roughly $1,790), which covers a five-night stay, meals, activities, and insurance. The cost excludes transport to/from Shanghai and airport transfers.

There is also a 10% discount for attendees who hold  GMAT scores of 600+, and attendees also qualify for a waiver on the CEIBS MBA application fee.

An MBA taster week is an ideal choice if you’re interested in an MBA degree but uncertain about whether to commit. The week is like a fast-track MBA, where you’ll study many of the same topics as on a full program. 

The beauty of the ‘try-before-you-buy’ pre-MBA boot camp is that even if you decide after the week that an MBA isn’t the right route for you, the skills you’ll pick up—such as public speaking, communication, data analysis, and negotiation—will be invaluable to your career.

And if nothing else, you’re likely to make connections and friendships that could positively impact your career and personal life. One student, Andyela (Yuwei Song), said at the end of the week that she had made “friends for life”, and this certainly seemed to be the case for many of the students on the pre-MBA program.