MBA

The one-year, full-time ESMT MBA is a General Management MBA starting each year in January. The programme offers an innovative curriculum that integrates two elective tracks: Global Sustainable Business and The Management of Innovation and Technology. Students tailor their curriculum with electives and field seminars from a combination of both tracks to create a personalised programme combining sustainability initiatives and innovative product development. The MBA also has a strong focus on entrepreneurship.
The programme's mission is to develop leaders for the 21st century through the conjunction of theory and practice. Future leaders face the challenge to anticipate change before others do so and to lead organisational transformation in terms of re-aligning business structures and functional activities to grasp new opportunities.

During the first phase of the programme, participants ground themselves in management fundamentals. The programme opens with a module in which MBA participants are immersed in the general principles of responsible leadership, business ethics, and the role of business in society. Participants also focus on behaviour within organisations and learn how the external economic environment influences decision making.
Examples of courses are:

• Economic thinking
• Managerial analysis and decision making
• Sustainable business

During the second phase, participants are exposed to the theories underlying the various facets of business administration. They develop functional expertise and core managerial skills through the study of different management functions as well as cross-functional, integrative and strategic courses.

During the third phase, participants deepen their understanding of core areas beyond management fundamentals and move towards integrative business thinking. They can participate in the International Field Seminar (see description below) or do a five-week summer internship.

Developing integrative leaders
Future executives cannot just be functional specialists. They not only need to convince through their cross-functional perspective, but also need to bridge departmental, legal, or cultural lines. The curriculum also includes a separate 70-session Leadership Competence Development programme, which develops a wide range of integrative leadership tools to ensure that students can apply their theoretical skills.

Focus on Technology and Sustainable Business
MBA participants can choose from two elective tracks. The first, Management of Innovation and Technology, concentrates on how to successfully innovate through technology, how to capture value from this innovation, and how to bring new technologies to market. The second, Global Sustainable Business, focuses on issues of sustainability, environmental management, and doing business in emerging economies. It is also possible to create a personal course plan combining these two electives.

International Field Seminar
Students can elect to participate in a two-week international seminar (IFS) linked to one of the elective tracks described above. Students in the Innovation and Technology track will have a chance to visit an international hotbed for high-tech innovation. Meanwhile, Global Sustainability students can visit a country or region facing development challenges. Students organise their own company visits during the trip. Previous destinations include Silicon Valley, China, India, Mexico, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and Turkey.

Global Network for Advanced Management
ESMT is part of an elite group of 25 business schools who partner together to offer one-week short studies at their universities. Students will have the option to attend a seminar at the school of their choice. Partner schools include Yale (USA), EGADE (Mexico), HEC Paris (France), and Fudan (China).

Consulting Project and Master's thesis
Following the elective courses, participants undertake a team-based consulting project, from which each participant derives an individual Master's thesis topic.

Educational organisation

The ESMT MBA programme is a 12-month, full-time course of study taking place at the ESMT campus in Berlin-Mitte.

Study abroad unit(s)

Through the optional International Field Seminar (IFS) or the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM), participants discover emerging markets which are expected to play an essential role in the future business world. The IFS trips have taken members of previous classes to China, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, and Silicon Valley.

Internships

A special part of the one-year, full-time MBA programme is the Consulting Project. It is the foundation of the Master's thesis which every participant writes and defends in front of ESMT faculty.
In the consulting project, participants work on an assignment submitted by one of ESMT's partner organisations in order to propose applicable recommendations to the organisation's management. The nature of the assignment is similar to that of a management consulting project.
Participants work in teams formed by the MBA office and receive input from sponsors, faculty and participants. In this project, participants are given a unique opportunity to make a difference through interaction with senior executives. ESMT faculty members, who are also highly experienced consultants and enjoy close relationships with their corporate clients, provide tight supervision and guidance. For project sponsors, this is an opportunity to become acquainted with a select group of high-potential MBA candidates.
Additionally, through the optional international field seminar, participants discover selected countries which are expected to play an essential role in the future business world. The field trips have taken members of previous classes to Silicon Valley, South Africa, Russia, Turkey, China, India and Mexico.

Forms of assessment

Assessments can take the form of written and oral exams, individual and/or group presentations as well as submission of papers. Many courses also allocate a percentage of the course grade for class participation.

Course objectives

Development of integrative leaders with:

• Cross-functional managerial expertise
• Strong intercultural skills
• Excellent team-working skills
• Entrepreneurial thinking
• Enhanced problem-solving capacities
• Responsible approach to critical business decisions

Language requirements

English proficiency test (TOEFL or equivalent). The required level is 95-100 on the internet-based TOEFL, or IELTS 7.0.

Academic requirements

• Strong academic first degree (at least Bachelor's degree or equivalent)
• Balanced GMAT or GRE, and TOEFL or IELTS scores
• At least three years of full-time work experience, preferably first leadership experience (e.g., as a project manager, team leader, senior scientist) managing either people, processes or budgets
• International experience preferable

See: https://www.esmt.org/degree-programs/full-time-mba/mba-admissions

Enrolment fees

Confirmation deposit of 4,000 EUR (will be deducted from tuition and fees)

Costs of living

Accommodation and living expenses: 12,000-15,000 EUR per year

Job opportunities

German student visa regulations allow students to work a total of 120 days per year. Due to the heavy workload, we do not recommend working during the one-year, accelerated programme.

Funding opportunities within the university

Supported by its 25 corporate founders, ESMT is able to offer substantial scholarships to support students. ESMT offers a number of merit-based scholarships for applicants to the Full-time MBA programme commencing in January 2017.
Scholarships will be allocated on the basis of intellectual excellence, evidence of personal and professional achievement, and evidence of strong leadership potential as well as superior interpersonal skills.
The application and interview results will be used to measure the above-mentioned criteria.
The scholarships are restricted to self-funded candidates and will be accounted for against the applicant's programme fees. Applicants must meet ESMT's general admission requirements.
Scholarships are offered exclusively in conjunction with a successful application to our MBA programme.
http://www.esmt.org/degree-programs/full-time-mba/scholarship-programs

Arrival support

ESMT provides extensive support with visa, relocation, apartment search, health insurance and residence permit application. The ESMT Admissions Team provides each student with access to its pre-programme networking platform for newly admitted students which contains thorough information about living in Berlin, living in Germany, and German administrative regulations.

Services and support for international students

The ESMT Admissions Office and the MBA programme office support international students from the very beginning. As an international institution, ESMT's faculty and staff often speak the native language of the students, which is another way in which the school can support its international student body.

Accommodation

There is no on-campus housing available. Students are responsible for finding an apartment and signing a personal lease but are supported by the ESMT Admissions Office. Studio apartments in central Berlin cost from 400 EUR upwards per month.