GISMA Business School

About GISMA Business School

Since its establishment in 1999, GISMA Business School has paved the way for talented and skilled individuals to develop tech-driven and innovative solutions to some of the biggest challenges in the business world. With our goals in mind, we are continuing to expand and grow, helping students from across the globe to pursue their dreams and succeed.

We award both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees as GISMA Business School University of Applied Sciences, and we are also trusted to deliver degrees from some of the top academic institutions across Europe.

Our Mission

GISMA educates individuals to be leading members of the global business community. GISMA stands for practice-oriented and inspiring management education that enables students to be engaged in life-long learning and synergising relevant academic science and practice. GISMA cooperates with a network of globally operating organisations in business and higher education and supports the business community in its internationalisation and change processes by preparing students for the global and regional (German) business community.

GISMA was founded in 1999 as a private non-profit organisation of the state of Lower Saxony. Among its founders was former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. According to reports, the idea of setting up an international school in one of the industrial regions of Germany came following a meeting with Bill Gates, bankers and CEOs. The initiative was supported by 26 German companies. During the initial years, organisations such as Continental AG, Georgsmarienhütte Holding GmbH and Volkswagen supported the business school through annual grants and by enrolling their staff onto GISMA's MBA programme.

GISMA started offering an MBA awarded by Purdue University and delivered in partnership with Purdue's Krannert Graduate School of Management. The programme was delivered in two modules: an 11-month full-time programme and a two-year executive MBA programme run with a consortium of six partners from 1999 to 2013. GISMA also built an academic partnership with German public university Leibniz Universität Hannover, through which it offered a weekend MBA.

In September 2013, GISMA was acquired by Global University Systems. Following the acquisition, GISMA's partnerships with both Purdue and Leibniz universities ended. In 2014 the school signed an agreement with Maastricht School of Management to deliver an MBA and a Masters in Management in Hannover. In 2016, GISMA announced two further academic partnership agreements. An agreement with Grenoble Ecole de Management would see both schools delivering Grenoble's MBA and Master in International Business programmes at a new campus in Berlin due to open in early 2017. A second agreement with Porto Business School (part of University of Porto) would deliver Porto's Magellan MBA in Hannover.

Every programme has its own entry requirements, so make sure to check our programmes page to see specific information.

The minimum entry requirements for GISMA HE Programmes are:

• IELTS — overall band score from 6.0
• Strong undergraduate degree from a recognised university
• GMAT and three or more years of postgraduate work experience (only for the Magellan MBA and Grenoble MBA).

Executive education programmes may differ from course to course, so please refer to each programme page.

The Association of MBAs (AMBA) is the international impartial authority on postgraduate business education, namely MBAs (Master of Business Administration), DBAs (Doctorate of Business Administration) and MBMs (Masters in Business and Management). Established in 1967, they currently accredit programmes at over 200 business schools in more than 70 different countries. The MBA programmes delivered at and by GISMA have been AMBA-accredited since 2011.

Germany is a well-regarded, vibrant state, known for its cosmopolitan outlook and roaring economy. There are plenty of employment opportunities here for students and graduates; and with a high standard of living, international students can expect to live comfortably and safely.

There are also efficient transport links, allowing you to explore all of Germany’s cities. Students will always have something to do, especially as Germany has many year-round popular events.

We recognise that choosing a university and studying overseas can be one of the most important decisions you will make. Our Student Recruitment Team is here to help you study in Germany or the United Kingdom with GISMA Business School.

• Campuses in Berlin and Hannover
• Access to corporate links such as Continental and Volkswagen
• A dedicated Careers Centre
• Programmes taught completely in English
• Free beginner's German classes for all students 
• Flexible payment plans and scholarships available

Why GISMA:

• Highly ranked programmes
• AMBA accreditation since 2011
• Access to corporate links
• Strong alumni network