This English-taught MBA in International Management prepares future managers to navigate the rapid changes and uncertainties of 21st-century business. The program tackles pressing global trends — increasing globalization, digital transformation, new technologies, and rising social and environmental expectations — by equipping students with the strategic, analytical and responsible leadership skills needed to exploit opportunities and manage risks in dynamic environments.
The program follows a two-tier strategy that pairs a broad, international classical management foundation with specialised future-oriented topics: Innovation Management & Digital Business and Sustainable Globalisation. In the second and third semesters you choose electives to tailor your profile (options include Marketing; Finance & Accounting; Big Data & Artificial Intelligence; and Recent Developments in Management & Business Transformation). Practical application is emphasised through company projects offered in the third semester, where students work on real-life challenges and implement classroom learning.
Students can optionally spend the third semester at one of the program’s partner universities in Asia, Europe or the Americas. There is also a Double Degree option with ISCTE — University Institute of Lisbon (Portugal). If you earned your first degree in Germany and have no prior study or work experience abroad, the program includes a semester abroad to ensure international exposure. The business school holds AACSB accreditation (first awarded in 2011 and re-accredited in 2017 and 2022) — it was the first German university of applied sciences to receive this seal. Fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide hold AACSB accreditation; in Germany only about 11 out of roughly 200 institutions with business programmes have it.
Key features and requirements
Overview
This four-semester MBA curriculum blends core business fundamentals with international, digital and sustainability-focused modules, plus applied research and practical company experiences. Semester 1 builds the essentials—financial and managerial foundations, marketing, economics, statistics, presentation skills and an introduction to business functions such as supply chain, HR and information management—so you can immediately engage with interdisciplinary management problems. Research Methods and Management Skills run across the programme to develop academic rigour and professional capabilities.
Core and elective pathways
In Semester 2 the emphasis shifts to innovation, digital business models, sustainability in a global context, international strategic management and accounting/controlling in cross-border settings. You also deepen quantitative skills through business analytics and take project- and agile-management modules. Semester 3 focuses on digital transformation, corporate responsibility and consulting methods, while offering a broad selection of electives for specialisation (examples below) — from digital marketing and AI/data analytics to IFRS, sustainable finance and valuation. Each semester includes short company experience modules to apply learning in real organisational settings. The programme concludes in Semester 4 with a substantial MBA thesis (27 ECTS).
Key modules (selected)
Representative elective specialisations (examples with ECTS where listed)
Learning outcomes
Graduates will be able to interpret and apply financial and managerial information across international contexts, design and evaluate digital and sustainable business models, lead projects using traditional and agile methods, and perform applied business research. Through elective specialisations and company experiences, you can develop domain-specific skills (e.g., digital marketing, AI/data analytics, advanced accounting or sustainable finance) and complete an independent MBA thesis demonstrating the ability to tackle complex, practice-oriented management problems.
Program structure and requirements (summary)
This MBA program looks for applicants who combine a solid academic background with practical work experience and clear personal motivation. You should be prepared to demonstrate both quantitative aptitude through a standardized test and interpersonal fit through a motivation letter, an extracurricular essay, and a selection interview. Strong undergraduate performance can, in some cases, reduce the testing requirement.
Prepare to explain how your professional experience and extracurricular engagement have shaped your leadership goals, and be ready for a formal interview (either face-to-face or via Microsoft Teams). If your first-degree GPA is particularly strong, you may be eligible to request a waiver for the GMAT requirement—check the exact waiver criteria with admissions.
Required application materials and criteria:
Winter Semester (International)
15 June 2026
Summer Semester (International)
15 December 2026
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
31 July 2026
Summer Semester (EU/EEA)
31 January 2027
Graduates are prepared for international leadership and specialist roles across industries where management, digital transformation and sustainability intersect. Typical career paths include management and strategy roles in multinational companies, consulting and advisory positions, project and product management in digital businesses, and specialist functions in finance, marketing or data analytics.
The programme’s practical components (company projects, internships and industry-linked theses) and the international focus help graduates build professional networks and transition into roles that require cross-cultural communication, strategic decision-making and the ability to manage innovation and sustainability initiatives.
HWR Berlin (Berlin School of Economics and Law) — Berlin
Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts — Dortmund
Furtwangen University — Villingen-Schwenningen
Harz University of Applied Sciences — Wernigerode