Leading MBA Programs in Germany

Currently, no ranking of German MBA programs  is available. Most MBA programs have started in recent years as the MBA title is new in Germany. The listed rankings at this website are based on the German degree programs (e.g. Diplom-Kaufmann/-frau, Betriebswirt/-in). A "Diplom-Kaufmann" requires about four to six years of studying compared to one or two years for an MBA. 

I can recommend the following MBA programs:

Full-time Master Programs in Business 

    Business Schools/Universities

• GISMA (in co-operation with Purdue University AACSB) E
• Leipzig Graduate School of Management (HHL) AACSB E 
• University of Mannheim AACSB, EQUIS (in co-operation with Warwick and ESSEC)  E

• WHU Vallendar EQUIS E  

    Universities of Applied Science

• FH Esslingen D (no tuition fees) 
• FH Pforzheim D (tuition fees only for term abroad)
• FH Reutlingen D (no tuition fees for full-time program)
  

Part-time Master Programs in Business 

• Frankfurt University’s Goethe Business School (in co-operation Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business) E New
• GISMA (in co-operation with Purdue University AACSB) E 
• Leipzig Graduate School of Management (HHL) AACSB E
• University of Mannheim & ESSEC AACSB, EQUIS E Executive MBA
• RWTH Aachen (in co-operation with Universität St. Gallen AACSB, EQUIS) Executive MBA für Technologiemanager D
• WHU Vallendar EQUIS (in co-operation with Kellog Graduate School of Management) E

Check out our MBA Program Profiles for more information.

It is difficult to forecast, who will be the dominant player in the German market. GISMA and Fuqua are "branches" of US-American business schools, who took over the US-American concept and professors. The Universities of Applied Sciences still have to fight with their relative weak reputation compared to normal universities in Germany. However, as the above listed Universities of Applied Science do not charge tuition fees, it is very competitive to enter these programs. 

Just recently the European School of Management (ESMT) has been founded.They will start with their MBA Program only in 2005. Even though they are well funded by the German industry, the start has been a marketing disaster. Their projected tuition fees are much too high (EUR 50.000 for one year) and therefore they will get problems to find qualified students who are willing to pay such a hefty price for a new MBA program. 

The University of Mannheim has very good chances with its new MBA program, as it runs also one the best Diplom-Kaufmann programs in Germany and has a close co-operation with two strong European business schools (Warwick, ESSEC). Admission to this MBA program is also highly competitive. The other two favourites are the private business schools Leipzig Graduate School of Management (HHL), which has a joint venture for executive education with Insead, and WHU, co-operating with Kellog at the EMBA program, as both are well positioned with their Diplom-Kaufmann program and have already proven that they can train successfully future management. Both have excellent contacts to companies and foreign business schools. All three business schools are either accredited by EQUIS and/or AACSB.