This intensive, one-year full-time MBA is aimed at accomplished professionals from around the world who want to pivot their careers and gain a broad grounding in general management. Taught in English, the programme brings students together in interdisciplinary, multicultural study groups where classroom learning is paired with opportunities to practise leadership and interpersonal skills in an international setting.
The curriculum includes 30 days of concentrated international courses delivered across Europe and the USA, designed to broaden your global business perspective and prepare you to make impact in diverse markets. You can tailor parts of your development through elective courses and workshops focused on leadership, and benefit from personalised career support through a dedicated, highly ranked MBA Career Centre that helps translate your ambitions into concrete outcomes.
Beyond graduation, the programme offers lifelong learning benefits: alumni retain free access to MBA courses and workshops for ongoing professional development. The cohort-based environment and international experiences also help you build a durable, global professional network that can support your career long-term.
Requirements / key facts
The MBA is organised around a Start.Grow.Sustain framework that gives you a practical, end-to-end roadmap for both entrepreneurial ventures and corporate leadership. Courses are designed to build transferable skills across all C‑suite functions—strategy, finance, marketing and leadership—so you leave able to plan, scale and sustain organisations in real-world settings.
The Foundations and Start phases establish core business literacies. Foundation modules (Strategy, Financial Accounting, Marketing) develop strategic thinking, financial literacy and go-to-market know-how. The Start cluster (Entrepreneurship, Economics, Statistics, Organisational Behaviour) sharpens your ability to launch initiatives, analyse markets and data, and understand human and organisational dynamics.
The Grow and Sustain phases move from scaling to long-term stewardship. Grow covers Data Science & AI, Operations, Finance and Leadership plus an elective, equipping you to apply analytics, optimise processes, manage funding and lead teams. Sustain focuses on Governance, Sustainability, Innovation and Managerial Accounting plus an elective, preparing you to embed ethical governance, sustainable practice and innovation into lasting business models. Electives allow targeted depth in areas aligned with career goals.
A customised personal development and leadership journey runs alongside the modules. All students take part in the Future Leaders Fundraising Challenge and the Midterm Strategy Challenge and complete a Leadership Credo, ensuring hands‑on experience in pitching, strategic problem solving and personal leadership. A range of optional workshops—such as Creating Value in Negotiations, Leadership Communications & Stage Rules, and Coaching Skills for Leaders—supports practical interpersonal skills essential for senior roles.
Program requirements (high level)
These are the documents and qualifications you must have to apply to the full-time MBA. If you earned your secondary or university qualifications outside Germany, make sure they are recognised as equivalent to the German requirements — contact admissions if you are unsure.
In addition to academic credentials, this programme requires professional experience and proof of English language ability. The programme uses an “Excellent Fit Assessment” in which applicants supply a GMAT score or an accepted alternative; several specific alternatives are listed below.
If you have questions about what counts as an equivalent credential, how work experience is calculated, or the accepted English tests and minimum scores, consult the programme’s admissions page or contact the admissions office.
Required application elements:
If any of the above points raise questions about documentation or equivalence (for example, how to document class ranking or what counts as accredited), contact the admissions office for guidance.
Winter Semester (International)
31 May 2026
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
15 July 2026
The programme targets professionals seeking a career change into general management and leadership roles. Graduates are prepared for positions across functions (strategy, finance, operations, marketing) and sectors including consulting, corporate management, entrepreneurship and international business, supported by practical project work, a 17-week final research/business plan/internship option, and immersive international experiences.
WHU’s dedicated MBA Career Centre and extensive alumni network support individual job-search strategies, recruiting preparation and employer connections, increasing prospects for fast-track leadership or international roles. Lifelong access to MBA courses further supports ongoing career progression and skills updating.
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