EIPM – European Institute of Purchasing Management

Age: 21

History: The European Institute of Purchasing Management (EIPM) was a pioneer of strategic sourcing and purchasing education in Europe, created in 1990 by a group of companies in association with the EU, offering part-time courses aimed at different levels, from newcomers right up to purchasing directors and senior management. Today the EIPM trains more than 4,000 purchasing professionals worldwide every year, different languages, in in-company trainings, Certification Programmes and executive part-time MBA.

Address: On the French Geneva campus in Archamps, France, 15 minutes from Geneva international airport.

Ambience: The school shares its campus with several other postgraduate institutions, including the European Scientific School. There are more than 200 students from all over the world studying on campus, and Geneva itself is an extremely international city – this is where the UN and numerous multinational companies have their headquarters. The EIPM Campus is located 5 km away from the lake, the train station or Geneva Airport.

Vital statistics: EIPM runs a part-time MBA specialised in strategic purchasing and supply management, with small groups of students (over 20 students a year). The programme is made up of 15 one-week residential modules spread over 18 months, but can also be done over 36 months if required.

Added value: The school works in partnership with Grenoble Ecole de Management, and professors frequently swap sides. Training is based around three learning concepts: pre-learning, post learning and web-based training.

Easy to get into? You'll need a university degree or eight years of professional experience with a managerial position, as well as a good GMAT score and a TOEFL qualification.

Glittering alumni: Dominique Rousseau, director, supply chain management global networks, Vodafone Group, UK; Bernhard Poeltl, supply chain manager, Airbus, Germany; Laetitia Terray Child, procurement manager, Metso Minerals, France. The Alumni Association is made of over 300 members.

International connections: MBA students usually come from big multinational corporations, and although class sizes are small, there are often six or eight different nationalities represented.

Student profile: The average age on the MBA is 36, and most students have more than eight years of work experience. Some 48 per cent have an engineering degree and 38 per cent already have a business degree. The male to female ratio is 65:35.

Cost: The MBA costs €26,000.

Return on investment: Salary boost and better contacts. Students also undertake a major project during the programme, which can often yield profitable results before they've even graduated.

Who's the boss? The EIPM director is Bernard Gracia, and the MBA Programmes director is Dr Jean-Paul Susini, PhD, MA.

Prospectus: +33 4 50 31 56 78; jpsusini@eipm.org; www.eipm.org