Admissions

All the requirements to join the Executive Master in Business of Events

To guarantee the best quality of learning we need the participants to have a good educational background and a significant professional experience.

Participants are required to have:

A University degree (in any discipline)
Minimum 5 years of professional experience (not necessarily in the business of events)
Proficiency in English

What we need from you

Degree Certificate and Transcript

Applicants are required to submit an official transcript or certified copy of their grades (in English or Italian) and a certified copy of their degree certificate from the college or university attended. This must include grades for individual subjects with the grading scale, the type of degree, the date of graduation and the dates of enrollment.

Applicants who obtained a university degree in Italy must provide a self-declaration of the Degree Certificate and Transcript (form provided by University). This self-declaration is only for students who graduated from Italian universities.

Proficiency in English

EMBE is held entirely in English, thus all applicants must be highly proficient in written and spoken English. If English is not their mother tongue, applicants must submit a result of the TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic or CPE tests.

At the testing site, applicants can specify that results will be sent directly to SDA Bocconi (TOEFL School Code: 0698, PTE School Code: R7G-6R-23). If one of these tests has already been taken, the original results must be sent directly to the school. Test results prior to January 2023 are no longer valid.

A test result may be waived for mother-tongue English speakers and for applicants who did their degree in English, or can document significant professional experience in an English-speaking country.

One reference

Reference must be from a person who knows the applicant well, and can comment knowledgeably on his/her professional and/or academic background, providing a detailed evaluation of his/her qualifications for EMBE.

The contact details of the referee (name, surname and company email address) will need to be uploaded on the automatic tool of the online application form. The referee will then receive a form to be filled out and submitted.

Interview

Applicants will be required to have an interview with the Program Director. In exceptional cases where the applicant cannot easily travel to Milan, the interview can take place online.

SDA Test

The SDA Test is an online test that assesses quantitative, logical and verbal skills. It is organized directly by the Admissions Service after the submission of the application for admission.

The application must also be accompanied by:

A photo to be uploaded to the online application
A copy of Passport or ID
The payment of €120.00 admissions fee (using the dedicated form)

How to Apply

The application form is available exclusively online and must be completed with accurate and precise information regarding personal and professional experiences. Applicants also need to articulate their reasons for applying to EMBE and attending the program. Please, submit the filled application together with all required documents to the “Documents” section of the online application.

Application Review Start Date: January 2025.

Official transcripts and/or certified copies of university degrees should be both uploaded and sent by conventional mail services to:

SDA Bocconi, Masters Division

Recruiting and Admissions Service - EMBE

Via Sarfatti, 10

20136 Milano, Italy

Applicants may use our application website to verify the arrival of their documents and to upload the digital documentation. Documents can be uploaded after your online application has been submitted.

Kindly notice the application portal is an independent system, therefore your SDA Bocconi website (www.sdabocconi.it) credentials are not to be used. Please proceed with a new registration.

For further clarification on individual applications, please contact the Admissions Service.

SDA Bocconi, Masters Division

Recruiting and Admissions Service - EMBE

Tel +39 02 5836 3176

admissions.embe@sdabocconi.it

Admission Process

EMBE provides a rigorous selection process based on specific criteria defined by SDA Bocconi. This criteria are necessary to guarantee participants and companies a high quality educational experience. The selection process aims to assess both academic and professional experience, as well as individual motivations and abilities. However, the selection is not only to determine applicants’ suitability for EMBE. It will also allow them to evaluate whether the program will be a compatible choice for meeting their expectations and career goals.

We Look for Highly Motivated Candidates

We encourage to initiate the process by submitting application for admission to Admissions Service, and submit the required documents as soon as possible.

Once the selection process is completed, applicants will receive a formal letter from Admissions Service. This letter will inform them of the decision regarding their application. The results are never communicated by telephone.

The selection process will yield one of the following results:

Admission: If you are accepted, alongside the official admission notice, you will receive a participation contract. If all available places are occupied, the school may decide to put you on a waiting list or offer you admission for the following year. Admission to the program is valid for the year the application is submitted. You can request deferment for the following year. However, approval of deferment is on a case-by-case decision made by the Admissions Service.
Non-Admission: Admission to the program is highly selective. The selection process evaluates the profile of the individual candidate while taking into account the composition of EMBE’s class, which must be consistent with the quality and diversity the School requires. While we are aware of the deep commitment all candidates must make to go through the selection process, the School does not provide further clarifications to non-admitted candidates.

Tuition Fee

THE TOTAL FEE FOR THE EMBE 2025 PROGRAM IS € 32,000* TO BE PAID IN FOUR INSTALLMENTS

1st installment

€8,000
on acceptance of your admission to the Master Program

2nd installment

€8,000
by December 22nd, 2025

3rd installment

€8,000
by April 30th, 2026

4th installment

€ 8,000
by September 30th, 2026

(*If the “Event Project” is provided by the participant, validated and approved by the Academic Team.
€ 6,500 + VAT, on top of the €32,000 fee, is the value of an «Event Project» designed and provided by SDA Bocconi.)

SDA Bocconi supports the Olympic Movement and offers contributions for Athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International and National Federations, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), and Local Organization Committees (LOC) of Major Events, whose purpose is to create value and innovation while developing their own projects in the field of events (as part of the “In-Company Event Project” Module).

For more information about the Fees, please contact the Admission & Recruiting Services.

The tuition fee includes:

Enrollment in the Program
All teaching materials
Use of the infrastructure and services of SDA Bocconi
Catering (coffee breaks) during face-to-face modules

The tuition does not include:

Travel and accommodation expenses

Payment Methods:

Bank check made payable to “Università Bocconi”
Bank transfer

Scholarships & Tuition Waivers

SDA Bocconi has made available sixteen partial merit-based tuition waivers to 2024-25 EMBE candidates with an outstanding profile.

The list of tuition waivers available for the 2025-2026 edition will be available by the end of March 2025.

Admission to the program is independent of the awarding of any tuition waivers.

TUITION WAIVERS 2024-25 EDITION (EXPIRED)

Thanks to the contribution of
ELETTRONICA S.P.A.

2 Partial Tuition Waiver 10k (EXPIRED)

Thanks to the contribution of
ICAL 2 S.P.A.

2 Partial Tuition Waiver 10k (EXPIRED)

Thanks to the contribution of
Deloitte Italy S.p.A

2 Partial Tuition Waivers 10k (EXPIRED)
1 Partial Tuition Waivers 20k (EXPIRED)

Thanks to the contribution of ENEL Foundation

2 Partial Tuition Waivers 20k (EXPIRED)

Thanks to the contribution of
ESSELUNGA S.P.A.

2 Partial Tuition Waivers 20k (EXPIRED)

Thanks to the contribution of
FONDAZIONE DOMPÉ ETS.

2 Partial Tuition Waivers 20k (EXPIRED)
For female candidates.
In memory of Dr. Franco Dompé

Thanks to the contribution of
INTESA SANPAOLO.

2 Partial Tuition Waivers 20k (EXPIRED)

Thanks to the collaboration agreement signed with Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026

1 Partial Tuition Waiver 20k (EXPIRED)

Loans and Funding

The School assists candidates with their search for funding by supplying the necessary documentation and encouraging them to explore all scholarship and loan possibilities. SDA Bocconi provides opportunities for low-interest loans to admitted participants (International participants, Italian participants), thanks to agreements with partner banks. Loan applications must be submitted by the end of month that follows your Master starting date.

Furthermore, the University provides international participants with information about possible sources for financing in several countries. For further information, please visit the Bocconi University website.

Funding for International Students

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia

Oceania

Recruiting & Admissions Service

A whole team of experts is here to assist you during your decision process: our recruiting people will be meeting you during our events in Italy and abroad; a team of professionals will then assess and select your profile and also guide you throughout your admissions process.

Rossana Camera

Head of Recruiting & Admissions Service

Recruiting

Giorgia Bava

Recruiting Coordinator

Diana Mendonça Ajuz

Fabrice Charlot

Priscilla Gatto

Tyler Henderson

Valentina Mardegan

Tommaso Panzavolta

Marta Tettamanti

Summer Wu

Admissions

Mario Adamo

Tamara Kolundzija

Gaia Laudicina Rossi

Giusy Marchesano

Viviana Puricelli

Vlad Serban

Lorenzo Starita

International Student Care

Francesca Roveda

If you want to learn more about our International Student Care service, click here.

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