IE is a great university for students interested in business related subjects and adjacent fields. However when it comes to the master of International Relations it is nothing short of a mess. Courses are named in a way to sound very relevant and cutting edge but the reality is nothing short of pathetic.

Some examples: 
Technology, Innovation and International affairs :
A course about disinformation with reading on news articles from 5-10 years ago.

IR and strategy: 
Basic game theory and some few hypothetical IR applications. No application to real life situations because of lack of time.

Data analytics for decision making:
A quantitive methods course. Reading articles on experiments in social science. No tools for data analytics at all. No data handling, no data cleaning.

These are just a few examples but the same reality is true of nearly every course.

There are several non-graded courses which take up time but do not give any in-depth knowledge. This makes the core courses even weaker as students don’t have time to actually study and have to attend mini-lectures which sometimes aren’t even directed related to the programme theme.

Professors are in general good but a common theme is that students are never given clear instructions or criteria for papers making the academic standard lax and grading very subjective. Meritocracy is non-existent. some professors also passing everyone and seem uninterested in giving the courses they teach.

Finally, there is nothing in the courses which give theory and application. They are often descriptive and offer nothing close to real frameworks and concepts which could be of use outside of the university courses. Too shallow for academic rigour and too few applications for gaining experience. This is unfortunately a theme throughout the program in general. There is no thinking about how concepts and frameworks should be learned and applied, instead very brief overviews of different areas of a given subject done. This is a consequence of way too many small courses.

Majority of students at this master want to work in the private sector or NGO sector but the programme still orients its career offering towards development, regional institutions and international institutions.

If you want an IR degree there are better choices for less money. If you want a mix between econ, business and IR there also better choices. I wish I could say that IEs reputation would transfer from the business area to IR master but this is not the case.

I do like my program so much, since it gives me the possibility to develop my own personal skills while building a strong professional cv with plenty of extracurricular material. The amenities are extraordinary and the campus is super professional and convenient for networking!

IE University provides almost everything a student desires from a university; it is well located in the business centre of Madrid, has impressive business connections, offers a range of scholarships to make it accessible for all, and integrates technology to complement its teaching. In fact, I personally very much prefer the IE method of teaching which places the student at the centre of the learning experiences. I personally get a lot more out of class when it requires participation, fosters dialogues between students and encourages debates than merely from a lecture and note-taking. The classroom size is also not too big, meaning the professor is able to interact with students on a one-on-one basis, if necessary. Moreover, the absence of student residences can be a curse and a boon. While sometimes inconvenient to have to search for housing, and have to cook meals after a long day, it provides a way to prepare for what life will look like after university anyways.

That being said, the university does sometimes fall short in terms of its academic rigour and overall content delivery. Because courses are planned out from the start, students have very little flexibility in determining their own academic path. As a result, I have found myself not enjoying certain courses, but having to do them regardless. Moreover, I believe that the university does not demand enough from its students to foster an environment that facilitates some form of academic diligence. As a result, the classroom is often dominated by a few voices which limits very much the potential to share an array of thoughts. Moreover, academic work is often not as challenging nor rewarding and can sometimes even be underwhelming. Finally, the university also occasionally attempts to add, as part of the curriculum, classes that are experimental. However, so far in my experience these have never really materialised the output that was intended and can seem like a waste of time.

All in all, IE University is certainly not perfect, but it does empower the student to make the most of the experience. While academically it can feel lax, at times, this provides the student with the opportunity to dedicate time to one’s passions and interests. In other words, one has more flexibility with their time and can choose to leverage how they want. Regardless of the criticisms, I have started to find a balance between university and advancing my own interests, all while enjoying the city of Madrid; an experience I am not sure I would accomplish in a different university.

My programme gives a broad view on international and political issues.
The reason behind choosing IE is because I wanted to study in English this career since I am very interested in the field of International Relations. Also, such an international environment has given me the opportunity to connect with different realities and learn about new cultures.
It is true that the first two years have been a more theoretical approach, however now that I’m in my third year I feel that we are more focusing on the practical approach and on topics such as international organisations and conflict resolution that are the topics I’m more passionate about.
In my opinion, we have all the tools in order to succeed in this path and if we like some topic is a matter of going deeper into it.

I’m studying IR and the fact of having more than 15 nationalities in class opens your eyes to a whole new world. Most of my professors are experts in their field with a very practical approach. There is a wide variety of clubs, seminars, and labs to take part in, in order to continue learning. Finally, the flexibility of either doing online or face-to-face classes makes you able to get organized and use your time more efficiently. The language offer, although a bit small, is also amazing!

I really like IE university, I’m a first-year International Relation students and I think I made one of the best choices of my life when I chose to go to IE university. Indeed, the school offers various courses that are very interesting as they are operated by Teachers from all over the world. The students are also composed of a melting pot of nationality and thus, you can make friends from all countries and expand your network. The school library and the cafeteria are really modern and offer very good service, IE really permits students to work and teachers are always available for an appointment. I would highly recommend IE university, first because Madrid is an amazing city to live in, but also because the school is at the forefront of technology with great teachers.

I’m currently a first-year student studying International Relations at IE and so far my experience has been really the best that I could expect. The teachers really do care about the students and are generally very interesting, the facilities of the school are also very on point and thus, make it a very nice play to study or work for group projects. The university is located in a really accessible area of Madrid, you can reach the city center in 20min with the metro. However, if I had to cite the thing I prefer about IE, it’s that it is truly international with students coming from all over the world. It creates a real diversity and permits a real exchange of culture even during classes! I would recommend IE university to anyone who would like an international class joint with academic excellence.

IE University is dedicated to its students from the very beginning of their journey with IE. The staff is ready to help the students in any way they possibly can. From answering questions during the application process to helping to find internships and jobs after graduation. During the academic year, they are willing to help us in case of difficult situations and to adapt if needed.

Moreover, this university is incredibly international with students from all over the world, allowing each of us to see different perspectives from different cultures and countries. It also allows us to have friends from all over the world which is very enriching. For example, in the BIR (Bachelor of International Relations) it’s common to have over 30 different nationalities in the same classroom.

Aside the academics, a large range of clubs allow to practice multiple activities like cooking, sports, music, theater, debates etc.. Multiple events are also organized to create a sense of community among the student body, it includes parties, trips, IE days and many more events throughout the year.

IE also offers a large range of services for the well being of the students, a mentorship society allows incoming students to have a mentor to guide them. There’s also a mentoring and counselling service aiming to help with any personal or academic difficulty and it offers free sessions with professional psychologists if needed.

Finally, during the COVID-19 crisis, the university first created a hybrid system overnight with cameras inside classrooms to continue classes with students at home and in class at the same time. Later, the whole system moved to exclusively online and despite some few technical problems related to the speed all the decisions were taken, globally the system works very well.

As a whole, I love this university and I would do exactly the same choice if I had to do it again.

I absolutely love IE University! I have had the pleasure of transferring to IE after completing two years at another “traditional” university. I find that IE has an amazing academic experience, with really passionate professors, and hands-on teaching methods. Classes are small allowing for intellectual debating, and teamwork opportunities. Exchange opportunities are extensive, and there is a very international student body. I have had an amazing year at IE and look forward to my next ones!

Generally, I would say that IE is a very good university that has fulfilled my expectations of the « university experience » with a great variety of courses which are really interesting. I love the fact that teachers are usually very friendly and really interested in your ideas and person. You don’t get to choose your subject (Except for a few courses) but I was pleasantly surprised with every course for the moment.
As for the location, IE is situated in Salamanca, a Nice neighbourhood of Madrid. The advantage is that you can have your flat really next to the university and still be close to the city centre.
Another point I would like to highlight about the university is that the faculty members are very efficient and try their best to help you out in every situation. Just as an example, when you reside in Spain you need to get an official paper to legally live there, the NIE. Through the process of acquiring, I thought that they really helped us, as most of us do not speak Spanish fluently.