efmdglobal.org

EFMD Global (efmdglobal.org) is a non-profit organisation that works to advance excellence in management education. It connects business schools, companies, and management development professionals worldwide through accreditation systems, peer learning, and research. Its membership base is substantial: 980 institutional members across 95 countries, representing roughly 30,000 management development professionals.

If you are a business school, a corporate learning function, or a professional in management education looking for international quality benchmarks, accreditation, or a peer network, EFMD Global is the kind of body you would engage with. If you are simply looking for individual courses to study, EFMD itself is not a course provider — it is an accrediting and membership organisation.

What EFMD Global actually does

EFMD's work falls into three broad areas, as described on its own site: accreditations, peer learning, and research. In practice, these translate into a portfolio of assessment, certification, and development services.

Accreditation and certification systems

These are the flagship services, each aimed at a different part of the management education landscape:

The pattern is consistent: each system provides external quality assessment, a framework for improvement, and — where applicable — formal certification or accreditation.

Peer learning and professional development

Beyond formal accreditation, EFMD runs development experiences for people working in the sector. The Executive Academy is described as a development experience for Teaching & Learning executives. Events and trainings form another channel through which members exchange practice.

Research and shared services

EFMD also provides shared career services through Highered, aimed at connecting students and employers.

Who it is for

• Business schools seeking institutional or programme accreditation, impact assessment, or mentoring support (EQUIS, EFMD Accredited, BSIS, EDAF).
• Companies and corporate learning functions wanting external quality assessment or impact certification for their learning operations (CLIP, LIFT, RDHY).
• Teaching and learning executives looking for professional development (Executive Academy).
• Providers of online courses seeking an international quality benchmark (EOCCS).

How to engage

The site's primary calls to action are to consult the list of EFMD members and to subscribe to its newsletters. Membership is the underlying mechanism: the 980 institutional members across 95 countries are the schools, companies, and organisations that participate in these systems. If you want to explore accreditation for your institution or join the network, the member list is the practical starting point for understanding who already participates.

One caveat worth noting: the site signals a newsletter subscription option, but the available information does not specify membership fees, accreditation costs, or whether any services are open without membership. Those details would need to be confirmed directly with EFMD.

Online master's courses in Europe are generally structured the same way as on-campus degrees: you complete a set number of credits (usually 60–120 ECTS), pass assessments, and receive the same degree title as campus students at that institution. What changes is the delivery mode. Programs range from fully online and asynchronous to hybrid formats that require short residencies, and recognition depends far more on the institution's accreditation than on whether you studied from home or on campus.

The main formats you'll encounter

Fully online, asynchronous

All coursework, lectures, and materials are delivered through a learning platform. You study on your own schedule within weekly or module deadlines. This is the most flexible option and the most common for working professionals.

Fully online, synchronous

You attend live seminars and lectures at fixed times, often via video conferencing. This mimics a campus timetable and works well for discussion-heavy subjects, but it requires you to be available in the institution's time zone.

Hybrid or blended

Most study is online, but you attend one or more short on-campus periods — typically a kick-off week, a lab-intensive block, or a final thesis defense. Some programs in fields like engineering, health, or business use this to cover practical components.

Online with optional campus tracks

A smaller number of programs let you switch between online and on-campus modules, or complete the degree online but attend electives in person.

Credits, ECTS, and what the degree is worth

European master's programs use the ECTS system:

One ECTS credit represents roughly 25–30 hours of total student workload, including self-study. A 90-ECTS online master's therefore carries the same academic weight as a 90-ECTS on-campus master's at the same institution.

The key question is not "online or not" but who accredits the program. In most European countries, the national quality assurance agency or the state recognizes degrees from accredited institutions regardless of delivery mode. If you need the degree for a regulated profession, a visa, or a public-sector job, verify recognition with the relevant authority in your own country before enrolling — this is a general rule, not legal advice for your situation.

Admission requirements for international applicants

Requirements vary by country and institution, but online master's programs commonly ask for:

• A completed bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field.
• A minimum grade or GPA, sometimes expressed as a class of degree.
• English proficiency — IELTS, TOEFL, or an equivalent, unless your previous degree was taught in English. Some programs accept a waiver or an internal test.
• A motivation letter or statement of purpose.
• A CV, especially for MBA and executive programs.
• Letters of recommendation (often 1–2).
• Work experience for MBA and some professional master's degrees.
• Specific prerequisites such as statistics, programming, or a portfolio for design and technical fields.

Typical application steps

1. Shortlist 3–5 programs and check each one's accreditation and recognition in your country.
2. Confirm the language of instruction and whether your proficiency test meets the threshold.
3. Prepare documents early — transcripts, translations, and credential evaluations can take weeks.
4. Check application deadlines; many European programs have rolling admissions, but some have fixed intakes.
5. Submit the application and any application fee.
6. If admitted, complete enrollment, pay any deposit, and set up your student account and platform access.

How exams, thesis work, and support are handled remotely

• Assessment: written assignments, online proctored or open-book exams, group projects, presentations, and participation. Some programs use timed take-home exams instead of invigilated ones.
• Thesis or capstone: usually supervised remotely via video calls and email, with milestones and a final written submission. Some institutions require an oral defense by video; a few require it on campus.
• Support: academic advisors, library access (often digital), technical helpdesk, and career services. Quality varies widely, so ask current students or check program pages for what is actually provided.
• Interaction: discussion forums, cohort groups, and live sessions. Asynchronous programs can feel isolating if you don't build in regular contact.

Practical considerations before you commit

• Time zones: synchronous programs may schedule classes in the institution's local time. Check whether live sessions fall at workable hours for you.
• Language of instruction: many European master's programs are taught in English, but not all. Confirm the language for lectures, exams, and thesis supervision.
• Tuition structure: online programs are often priced per credit or per year, and may differ from on-campus rates. Public universities in some countries charge modest fees; private and executive programs cost more. Ask for a full breakdown of tuition, platform fees, and any residency costs.
• Recognition and mobility: if you plan to work in a regulated profession or apply for a visa, confirm in advance that the specific degree is accepted where you intend to use it.
• Time commitment: expect 15–20 hours per week for a full-time online master's, or roughly half that for part-time study.

Online vs. on-campus: a quick comparison

A simple decision checklist

1. Is the program accredited and recognized in the country where you plan to use the degree?
2. Does the format (async, sync, hybrid) fit your schedule and time zone?
3. Are the language requirements realistic for you?
4. Can you meet the prerequisites and admission documents?
5. Does the total cost — tuition plus any residency travel — fit your budget?
6. Does the program offer the support you'll need to finish a thesis remotely?

If you can answer yes to all six, an online master's from a European institution is a credible route to the same degree title as campus study. If any answer is uncertain, resolve that point before you apply rather than after you enroll.

EFMD Global provides a portfolio of assessment, improvement, and certification systems for business schools, programmes, online courses, and corporate learning functions. The right tool depends on what you are assessing: institutional impact (BSIS), school-wide quality and accreditation (EQUIS), programme-level accreditation (EFMD Accredited), online course quality (EOCCS), corporate learning (CLIP), learning impact (LIFT), or organisational transformation (RDHY). Each is a distinct system with its own scope, so most institutions engage one or two rather than all of them.

The tools at a glance

How the tools differ in purpose

Impact assessment: BSIS

BSIS is described as the first comprehensive impact assessment tool for business schools. It looks at how a school affects its surrounding environment rather than only at internal quality. Use it when the question is "what difference does our school make locally or regionally?" rather than "do we meet accreditation standards?"

Mentoring and development: EDAF

EDAF (EFMD GN Deans Across Frontiers) is an assessment and mentoring system for business schools. It pairs evaluation with guidance, which makes it suited to schools building capacity rather than seeking a pass/fail accreditation outcome.

Accreditation: EQUIS and EFMD Accredited

These are the two accreditation systems. EQUIS operates at the institutional level; EFMD Accredited operates at the programme level. Both are framed as systems of quality assessment, improvement, and accreditation, so they serve schools that want external validation alongside a structured improvement process.

Online and corporate learning: EOCCS, CLIP, LIFT

• EOCCS is the first international quality benchmark for online courses.
• CLIP is the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement, and certification of corporate learning functions.
• LIFT certifies learning impact for corporate learning functions.

Transformation: RDHY

RDHY is an international certification system for organisational transformation, aimed at organisations rather than individual schools or programmes.

How to choose

• If you want to demonstrate societal or regional impact, look at BSIS.
• If you need institution-wide accreditation, look at EQUIS.
• If you need programme-level accreditation, look at EFMD Accredited.
• If you want mentoring alongside assessment, look at EDAF.
• If you deliver online courses, look at EOCCS.
• If you run a corporate learning function, compare CLIP and LIFT — CLIP covers quality and improvement of the function, while LIFT focuses on learning impact.
• If you are driving organisational transformation, look at RDHY.

Context: who uses these tools

EFMD Global reports 980 institutional members across 95 countries, with 30,000 management development professionals in its network. The assessment and certification systems sit within a broader set of services that also includes events and trainings and shared career services (Highered). Membership and the member list are separate from the assessment tools; you can consult the list of EFMD members on the site if you want to see which institutions participate.

Practical next step

Each tool has its own "Find out more" entry on the EFMD Global services pages. Start there to confirm eligibility, scope, and process for the specific system that matches your assessment goal, since requirements differ between institutional accreditation, programme accreditation, and corporate learning certification.

EFMD Global is a non-profit membership organisation for management education, and its services fall into four broad groups: accreditation systems, assessment and mentoring, professional development, and shared career services. It is relevant to you if you are a business school, a corporate learning function, or a teaching and learning professional looking for external quality benchmarks, peer review, or certification. The organisation reports 980 institutional members across 95 countries and 30,000 management development professionals, and it publishes a member list you can consult before deciding whether to join.

Accreditation systems

These are the services most people mean when they search for EFMD. Each one targets a different unit of assessment.

The practical distinction: if you want to signal the quality of an entire institution, EQUIS is the relevant route. If you want to benchmark a single degree or a single online course, EFMD Accredited or EOCCS is the narrower fit. Corporate learning teams sit outside the school-facing systems and use CLIP or LIFT instead.

Assessment and mentoring

Two services are framed as assessment and improvement rather than accreditation:

• BSIS (Business School Impact System) — described as the first comprehensive impact assessment tool for business schools. Use it when you need to demonstrate and understand your school's impact rather than obtain a quality label.
• EDAF (EFMD GN Deans Across Frontiers) — an assessment and mentoring system for business schools, aimed at schools working through development with guidance from experienced deans.

These suit institutions that want a diagnostic or developmental relationship rather than a pass/fail accreditation outcome.

Professional development and events

EFMD runs an Executive Academy, described as a development experience for teaching and learning executives, alongside a broader programme of events and trainings. This is the individual-facing side of the organisation: relevant if you are a faculty member, programme director, or learning executive looking for peer learning rather than institutional certification.

Shared career services

Highered is listed as EFMD Global shared career services — a careers platform connected to the member network. It is relevant to schools and students who want access to employers within the EFMD community, rather than to institutions seeking accreditation.

How to decide which applies to you

• You are a business school seeking institutional recognition → EQUIS, with BSIS or EDAF if you want impact assessment or mentoring first.
• You want to benchmark a specific programme or online course → EFMD Accredited or EOCCS.
• You run a corporate learning function → CLIP for accreditation, LIFT for impact certification.
• You are an individual academic or learning executive → Executive Academy and the events and trainings programme.
• You want careers access for students or employers → Highered.

If you are still narrowing down options, the member list on the EFMD site is the most direct way to check whether schools or organisations like yours already participate. EFMD also offers newsletter subscription if you want to follow announcements without committing to a membership decision.

EFMD Global runs several distinct quality assessment and certification systems, each aimed at a different object: the whole business school, an individual programme, an online course, a corporate learning function, or the impact of learning. If you are trying to work out which one applies to you, the deciding question is what is being accredited — an institution, a programme, a course, a corporate learning function, or a learning impact claim. The sections below map each system to its target and purpose, based on EFMD Global's own descriptions.

The accreditation systems at a glance

The first five are the systems most often grouped together as EFMD's accreditation and certification portfolio. The last three are adjacent services — impact assessment, mentoring, and innovation certification — rather than classic accreditation.

Institutional accreditation: EQUIS

EQUIS is EFMD's Institutional Accreditation System. It assesses and accredits the business school as a whole, rather than a single degree. This is the system to look at if the unit being reviewed is the school itself — its strategy, governance, faculty, programmes, students, and corporate connections taken together.

Programme accreditation: EFMD Accredited

The Programme Accreditation System, branded EFMD Accredited, is the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of business programmes. Choose this route when the object of review is a specific programme rather than the institution offering it.

Online course certification: EOCCS

EOCCS, the Online Course Certification System, is described as the first international quality benchmark for online courses. It applies to online courses specifically, which makes it the relevant system when the deliverable is a digital course rather than a full programme or an institution.

Corporate learning: CLIP and LIFT

Two systems address the corporate side rather than the academic side:

• CLIP (Corporate Learning Improvement Process) — the leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and certification of corporate learning functions. Use this when the unit under review is a company's learning and development function.
• LIFT (Impact Certification for Learning Functions) — EFMD's assessment of learning impact for today and tomorrow. This focuses on whether learning is making a measurable difference, rather than on the function's structure and process.

A corporate learning function could therefore be assessed through CLIP for its overall quality and through LIFT for its impact — they answer different questions.

Related assessment and certification services

Three further services sit alongside the accreditation systems:

• BSIS (Business School Impact System) — described as the first comprehensive impact assessment tool for business schools. It measures impact rather than granting accreditation.
• EDAF (EFMD GN Deans Across Frontiers) — an assessment and mentoring system for business schools, aimed at development rather than accreditation status.
• RDHY (Management Innovation Certification) — an international certification system for organisational transformation.

How to choose

Match the system to the object of review:

• Reviewing the whole school → EQUIS
• Reviewing a degree or programme → EFMD Accredited
• Reviewing an online course → EOCCS
• Reviewing a company's learning function → CLIP
• Assessing the impact of learning → LIFT
• Assessing a school's impact → BSIS
• Seeking mentoring and development for a school → EDAF
• Certifying organisational transformation → RDHY

Where to go next

EFMD Global lists these systems under "Our Services" on its site, each with a "Find out more" link for the specific criteria and process. The organisation also publishes a list of its members — 980 institutional members across 95 countries, representing 30,000 management development professionals — which is useful for checking whether a given school or company already participates. EFMD also offers newsletters you can subscribe to for updates on these systems.