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Solid Competence in all Management Disciplines

Obtain the business and management know-how that will empower you to lead with confidence. Core modules will equip you with the solid foundation you need to succeed as a business leader and management generalist. You will learn to manage responsively, master change, understand your organization and crunch the numbers. Each module consists of two courses, which will be held on campus roughly every second month. Once complete, the focus modules will round off your skills. You will learn to manage financial impacts, leverage data for strategic decision-making and create and lead markets. Practical projects will give you ample opportunity to put your newfound knowledge and competences to the test, as will your master’s thesis.

Perspectives

“The program was filled with numerous highlights and challenges. Some highlights included working on real-world business problems, engaging in stimulating debates, and forming close bonds with our classmates. The most challenging moments were usually associated with balancing the demanding coursework with our professional responsibilities, but overcoming these hurdles was a rewarding experience in itself.”

Dr. Benito Campos, Saribek Karapetyan and Gaurav Sinha, Co-Founders of Visual Abstract, Mannheim Part-Time MBA Class of 2020

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We decided to apply for the MBS Part-Time MBA because we believed in the power of lifelong learning and wanted to balance our existing careers with further academic and personal growth. The flexibility of the part-time program, the international reputation of Mannheim Business School, and its strong focus on entrepreneurship particularly appealed to us. Besides being home to Germany’s premier business school, Mannheim has been Germany’s hotspot for B2B startups and in some current rankings the startup climate was number one in the country, surpassing other startup hubs like Berlin and Munich. Next Mannheim is also one of the largest and best organized startup ecosystems. For the three of us, Mannheim was the natural choice.

For our application, we focused on showcasing our leadership skills, professional achievements, and motivations for wanting to do the MBA. We reached out to current participants and alumni, who were more than willing to share their experiences and provide valuable advice. Their insights helped us align our expectations and tailor our application effectively.

Our first contact with the admissions manager and the MBS team was very warm and welcoming. They seemed genuinely interested in our profiles and career aspirations. They were also transparent about the program and its rigorous demands, which gave us a clear idea of what to expect.

Receiving the acceptance notification was a thrilling moment. We felt that the MBA would open many doors for us but that it would also “close” doors in ways that we could not yet fully grasp: It would inevitably shape our path. In addition, we saw it as a validation of our hard work and potential, and it also marked the beginning of a new exciting chapter in our lives.

MBS has been incredibly successful in bringing together some of the brightest talents who are also great team players and good comrades. Walking into our class for the first time was a mix of nervousness and excitement. Seeing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of our classmates, we knew that we were going to learn as much from them as from the program itself.

The program was filled with numerous highlights and challenges. Some highlights included working on real-world business problems, engaging in stimulating debates, and forming close bonds with our classmates. The most challenging moments were usually associated with balancing the demanding coursework with our professional responsibilities, but overcoming these hurdles was a rewarding experience in itself.

Founding our own company was something we had aspired to, and the program definitely reinforced that decision. The Mannheim startup ecosystem felt like a natural extension of the Mannheim Business School environment: MBS and the Mannheim startup ecosystem provided us with invaluable resources such as access to funding, accelerator programs and potential customers. This support system played a crucial role in getting our business off the ground.

The Mannheim Part-Time MBA has been instrumental in our professional and personal development. It not only equipped us with the tools and knowledge needed to run a successful business but also instilled a sense of resilience, strategic thinking, and ethical responsibility. It expanded our network and introduced us to diverse industries, which have been beneficial in our current roles. As #Mannheimerforlife we always had the unique opportunity to leverage Mannheim Business School’s powerful brand and network. Some of our professors still mentor us to this date, long after graduation and have been instrumental in shaping our business model.

When we started our MBA journey, we could understand the value of the MBS Network but now, we can fully appreciate it. The MBS Network has been an essential part of our journey. It provides ongoing support, learning opportunities, and connections that transcend our time in the classroom. On a personal level, it has given us lifelong friendships. Professionally, it's an immense resource for new business opportunities, partnerships, and insights. We consider it an indispensable part of our success. It speaks highly of Mannheim Business School that, even in times of pandemic and hard competition on the business school market, it has not diluted its prestigious “Mannheimer for life” brand.

“Plenty of tools have already been of great use, for example, the Strategy Canvas and the Scenario Funnel as inputs for a SWOT Analysis to identify the potential of a new strategic project within our company. Moreover, I became more confident in talking to the management board: No question marks appear in my head when the impacts of KPIs like DSO or Cash Flow are discussed during a meeting.”

Nico Dahl, Head of Digitalization at PFW Aerospace GmbH, Mannheim Part-Time MBA Class of 2016

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Why did you decide to do an MBA? Why did you choose the Mannheim Part-Time MBA?

In doing an MBA, my goal was to gain new insights and learn new skills. With my background in engineering, I needed to complement my management expertise in order to accelerate my career. Moreover, I wanted to extend my network. I chose a part-time program because I wanted to continue with my career and also prove to myself that I can manage to both work and study at the same time.

The decision to study at Mannheim Business School was an easy one for me: Apart from the proximity to my home and my workplace, there are many good reasons in favor of Mannheim. As confirmed by the major international rankings, MBS is the best business school in Germany. Its Triple Crown accreditation is further proof of its international acceptance as a leading institution for management education. I also think that the course schedule, with two study trips and compact modules every two months rather than fragmented lectures every weekend, is the best concept for a part-time MBA program.

What difference has the Mannheim MBA made to your career? 

For one thing, the MBA led to the next stage in my career just a few months after graduation. There are also many personal changes I have noticed: I built my stamina throughout the program and I can now overcome stubborn obstacles; the program increased my self-confidence by taking me out of my comfort zone and making me master tasks I was not very comfortable with before (for example, from being afraid of presentations to having fun doing them); I achieved a more rounded personal profile, which earned me a recommendation for an internal personal and professional development program over one year; and the MBA gave me a clearer vision of what is really important to me in my job and what I want to achieve in the future with regard to my hierarchical level and leadership, for example, I am now striving for more and more strategic elements in my job.

How do the tools and expertise you obtained help you in your daily work?

Plenty of tools have already been of great use, for example, the Strategy Canvas and the Scenario Funnel as inputs for a SWOT Analysis to identify the potential of a new strategic project within our company. Moreover, I became more confident in talking to the management board: No question marks appear in my head when the impacts of KPIs like DSO or Cash Flow are discussed during a meeting. I also adopted many tips and tricks from my fellow students with a consultancy background to improve my slide decks, with the result that I have received much more positive feedback since.

What were some significant experiences that you took away with you from the program?

I would say there are two main things I took away from the program. First, ideas get bigger and better in a team: If you discuss your idea within a team, so many valuable and interesting new aspects come together. And second, giving huge projects a logical structure and splitting them into digestible parts right at the beginning is key to the overall success and keeping everybody on board throughout the project.

What was your personal highlight? 

One of my highlights during the program was the module abroad at Goizueta Business School in Atlanta, US: Great lectures and facilities, awesome organization, and a great mix of studying and excursions. Everything was just right and almost felt like a class trip from my childhood. 

I also learned to shoulder the workload and enjoy it: No matter how tough and tight one’s work, study, and private calendars are, there is always a way to integrate good fun and enjoy the journey.

During the program, I loved listening to guest lectures held by entrepreneurs – the way they burn for their dream and their passion in their work were incredible and demonstrated that this is really what it takes to start your own business.

I am still in touch with some fellow students: We see each other at private and MBS-organized events, and sometimes our WhatsApp group still goes crazy with new messages. I am impressed with how passionate MBS is about keeping the network alive and together – there are so many great opportunities to be part of it as an Alumnus. I am happy that I can now recommend the program to potential “Mannheimers” and that one of my closest friends has joined the next Part-Time cohort. And finally, I am proud that I was invited to contribute to a newspaper article about studying at Mannheim Business School, published in the “Rheinpfalz” in December 2017.

The Mannheim Part-Time MBA program has been a great experience I can only recommend!

“On a personal level, I learned a lot during the social project, which is mandatory during the Mannheim MBA. We had to think about issues that are not your typical business cases, but we were taught to think out of the box and we reached a very satisfactory result for the disadvantaged children we wanted to help.”

Jéhann Duplot, PMO, Robert Bosch GmbH, Mannheim Part-Time MBA Class of 2016

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I decided to enroll for an MBA because I wanted to understand more of the organization of a company. I also knew it would help me become a responsible leader in my organization. I chose Mannheim not only due to the exceptional experience that the participants share during the program but also because of the fact that it is the best school in the most powerful country in Europe. The part-time format, which is different from the ones at other business schools, ensures that learning phases are both intense and effective.

Apart from the career evolution I was offered within Robert Bosch GmbH, my company, the Mannheim MBA taught me that I could become an ‘intrapreneur’ and could put things in motion to improve my work environment. The courses gave me the necessary tools to define the strategy for my team and implement it flawlessly. I was also able to use the two years of the program to develop my soft skills and presentation abilities, in front of many experienced, very well connected professionals.

There were many intense moments during the program, but the international seminars organized during the MBA will stay in my memory forever. The courses were taught in Business Schools with an excellent reputation and the benefits of learning from the world famous professors were countless. I even stayed in touch with an eminent scholar from Hong-Kong, with the hope to have a common project in the years to come. 

On a personal level, I learned a lot during the social project, which is mandatory during the Mannheim MBA. We had to think about issues that are not your typical business cases, but we were taught to think out of the box and we reached a very satisfactory result for the disadvantaged children we wanted to help. And finally, I know that nothing will erase the friendships I developed over the last twenty-four months. They are way more than just co-students, we are all part of the Mannheim family!

“One of my personal highlights was our residency in Atlanta. The leadership and organizational change module was outstanding. Having the chance to experience the flair of another world-renowned business school was unforgettable. Furthermore, networking with so many international young talents that inspire each other personally and professionally is a really unique experience.”

Kati Boeckenhauer, Head of Strategy & Business Development Private Sector at Fujitsu CE, Mannheim Part-Time MBA Class of 2016

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I only had a bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration. Doing an MBA was therefore a necessity in order to get ahead in my career. Moreover, after working for 6 years, I also felt the urge to go back to school – not just to learn new skills and refresh old knowledge, but also to get in touch with peers who are at the same point in their life. 

One thing was clear from the very beginning: a full-time MBA was not an option for me. I was looking for part-time programs that would allow me to continue with my career. Mannheim was an obvious choice because it offers one of the best-ranked MBAs in Europe and is the No. 1 business school in Germany. I also liked the modular format of the program. I find it much more time efficient and effective than weekend programs.

The MBA already made a big difference in my career: one year into the program, I got a promotion. Getting promoted to Head of Corporate Strategy & Investment at BRITA Group, the leading water filtration company in the consumer segment, has been a big step forward for me. What greatly helped me face this challenge, especially with regards to building up my own team and suddenly having managerial responsibility, were the many leadership courses during the MBA program and the way we continuously worked on our personal development.

Being exposed to such a diversity of personalities and working styles was not always easy, but it certainly brought us all a major step forward. That meant for example finding a professional way of dealing with people that you just cannot work with by valuing their strengths rather than focusing on their weaknesses.

One of my personal highlights was our residency in Atlanta. The leadership and organizational change module was outstanding. Having the chance to experience the flair of another world-renowned business school was unforgettable. Furthermore, networking with so many international young talents that inspire each other personally and professionally is a really unique experience.

Completing the Mannheim MBA has been a great journey. Would I do it again? I sure would. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn and work with fellow participants from so many diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. Many were and will continue to be a great source of inspiration for me in business and private matters. I am leaving the Mannheim MBA thus not only with new skills but also with friendships that will last.

Program Overview

Pivotal Elements of Your MBA Experience

Case in Practice

Through working on a Case in Practice and reflecting on your new competences within the scope of your own work activities, you will gain comprehensive practical professional experience. You will choose a topic from one of the core courses and apply the knowledge, methods and theories covered in the program to the professional environment in your company.

Sustainability in Action

The Social Class Project is an integral part of the Mannheim MBA curriculum. You will develop, plan, organize and execute your project in the first year of the program, working together with your class toward a common goal. Irrespective of the nature of the project, which may be humanitarian, social, educational or ecological, you will need to directly apply your management skills. Previous classes have worked with socially disadvantaged children, devised a concept for recycling paper towels and developed ways to reduce air pollution in Mannheim.

Business Master Project

The Business Master Project gives you the unique opportunity to develop a solution for a complex business issue in your Multi-Competence Team, a diverse team of your classmates, by applying all your experience and newly gained knowledge and methodologies. You can either slip into the role of consultants and work on a business challenge being faced by a sponsoring company or develop a business plan for a completely new entrepreneurial idea. In the past, the projects included strategically repositioning a management consultancy on the German market, conducting a market and feasibility analysis for an SaaS solution for industrial machinery, optimizing a pharmaceutical company’s multichannel marketing approach in a digital world and developing a business plan for a mobile payment app.

Study Trip to the US and Outdoor Leadership Training

Immerse yourself for an entire week in the US economy, trade, business culture, geopolitical challenges and leadership in corporations, start-ups, and organizations. The study trip includes all this and much more. The lectures, company visits and project work will explore the many aspects of doing business in the US.

Another transformative learning experience is the three-day outdoor leadership training in France during the kick-off week of the Mannheim Part-Time MBA. The training focuses on pushing your personal limits, taking leadership in challenging situations and fostering team spirit while mastering group tasks.

Core Courses

  • Manage Responsively

    Strategic Management

    The question at the heart of strategic management research is how companies manage to gain a competitive advantage and thus superior financial performance relative to the industry. The course discusses the various building blocks that may help a company generate a competitive advantage, such as the company’s competitive positioning, resource and capability base, etc. The course also familiarizes you with various tools, concepts and analytical frameworks that are meant to enhance your ability to define and analyze strategic problems, and identify sources of competitive advantage from both an industry and a company perspective.

    Ethics and CSR

    This course provides participants with an overview of the concepts and theories related to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and managerial discretion at an individual level. Competing positions will be juxtaposed and discussed in an interactive course format. Participants will form groups to work on real-world managerial problems pertaining to CSR and subsequently present their findings. Through this course, students should develop an understanding of CSR, be aware of CSR at an institutional, organizational and individual level, and be able to recognize the roles that various stakeholder groups, including employees, customers, investors, NGOs and the media, play.

  • Master Change

    Marketing Fundamentals

    Marketing Fundamentals is designed to introduce participants to the key concepts, tools and practices of contemporary marketing. Effective implementation of marketing concepts requires knowledge of key relationships between internal (company) and external (competitors and customers) environments, and how they are impacted by marketing management. This course will specifically address issues pertaining to marketing strategy, innovation management, branding, pricing, sales management, CRM and communication decisions.

    Organizational Behavior and Change Management

    Organizational Behavior and Change Management is designed to familiarize MBA participants with the behavioral aspects of business administration. Issues related to behavior in organizations will be addressed to help MBA participants reflect upon their own work experiences and analyze them using applied psychological and sociological frameworks. Leadership issues including how to lead a team, how to lead in a larger unit such as a department, and common leadership mistakes that should be avoided will also be highlighted. Part of this course will focus on change management, discussing a step-by-step process for introducing change, communicating change and, finally, dealing with resistance to change.

  • Understand the Organization

    Financial Accounting

    Knowledge of financial accounting is essential to understanding a company’s communication with its stakeholders (e.g. capital market investors, private lenders, regulators). However, a company’s presentation of accounting information is often complex, and understanding it requires some basic skills. Hence, the course will focus on the fundamental accounting concepts and principles, specifically, how managers have to report a company’s most important economic transactions in financial statements. It will also address managerial flexibility in applying these accounting rules and ethical issues arising from this flexibility.

    Operations Management

    Operations Management develops management, analytics and engineering approaches for the effective planning of resources and activities from the strategic level down to the control level. It focuses on systematic capacity planning and operations planning of supply chain activities and production processes in manufacturing and service systems to match supply and demand.

  • Crunch the Numbers

    Corporate Finance

    The purpose of this course is to provide participants with an introduction to the major financial decisions companies face and the methods and tools they use to reach them. Topics covered include capital budgeting, financial statement analysis, the valuation of securities, working capital management as well as financing and capital structure decisions.

    Macroeconomics

    The main objective of this course is to acquaint students with the challenges of economic globalization. Applying basic economic theories, it will demonstrate that, on average, an increase in international economic integration will lead to an overall increase in economic welfare, although not everyone stands to gain from this. The analysis will also show that with a country’s increased openness, its national economic policies become less efficient. Consequently, international economic policy coordination is the appropriate answer to economic globalization.

    Managerial Accounting

    This course focuses on internal operations and cost analysis as opposed to the evaluation of external financial statements. An organization’s long-term competitive success is critically dependent on the availability and efficient use of information about its products, services, processes, organizational units, suppliers and customers. Managerial accounting includes the concepts, models and systems that provide both this information and control. The course will familiarize participants with the terminology and basic concepts of managerial accounting, touching on topics ranging from the development and use of cost information for decision-making all the way to performance measurement. Applications include both the manufacturing and the services sectors.

    Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods 

    Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods is designed to introduce participants to the key concepts and methods of empirical business research. Companies and managers can rely on various sources of “small” and “big” data, and methods to obtain a better empirical basis for their decision-making or even for the automation of key business processes. Participants will acquire a profound knowledge of how to evaluate the overall quality of empirical studies conducted by internal or external experts (e.g. market research companies, business intelligence departments, etc.).

    Participants will also critically discuss these issues in the light of big data. They will learn how to design an empirical study that best addresses a particular research problem. This course will discuss key qualitative and quantitative methods that can be used to analyze market, company or customer data from multiple sources, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of these methods and sources of data. Participants will apply this knowledge and address specific business research problems on their own.

Focus Modules

  • Manage Financial Impacts

    Advanced Finance and Mergers and Acquisitions

    This module gives participants an overview of the most important aspects of modern financial markets. They will gain a good understanding of how financial markets work and learn the basics of investing. Issues covered include the risk-return trade-off, diversification and optimal portfolio strategies. This module will also address behavioral biases many investors are subject to and review classical and some of the most recent investment approaches. Advanced Finance will mainly focus on equity investing as well as fixed income and alternative investments. The coursework includes practical hands-on experience based on case studies and real-world applications. 

    For decades, mergers and acquisitions have continued to be the primary vehicle for reshaping firms’ business portfolios. Both the rationales and economic outcomes of mergers and acquisitions, however, have remained a source of controversy in both academic research and business practice. Mergers and Acquisitions will unpack which of the “received wisdom” on mergers and acquisitions really holds up to rigorous scrutiny and which does not. For this purpose, it will systematically review the key determinants of acquisitions, the deal-making process and the economic outcomes of acquisitions coupled with the key contingencies influencing acquisition outcomes. It will also discuss some of the key tools for analyzing and completing acquisitions and demonstrate their use.

  • Leverage Data for Strategic Decision-Making

    Management Analytics

    While the increasing availability of big data enables empirically guided approaches for decision-making and resource allocation, managers and top executives still rely on conventional wisdom and intuition. This module is designed to introduce participants to key concepts, tools and practices in data-driven decision-making in management and marketing. It will focus specifically on state-of-the-art analytics and metrics that show how different management and marketing practices affect sales, profits and managerial processes to translate model recommendations into organizational action.

    People Analytics, which uses data and statistical analysis to improve decision quality in HR management, is another management practice that will be addressed in detail. Case studies will be discussed and HR data that facilitates data-driven decision-making explored, with the goal to provide an evidence-based approach to management. This enables students to assess the business impact of HR and understand how management practices can add value at the firm level.

  • Create and Lead Markets

    Innovation and Digitalization

    This module highlights the most important innovation concepts and focuses on enabling students to execute them in a lean and rapid manner. Within each industrial revolution, innovation distinguishes leaders and followers from vanishing organizations. Due to its high velocity and complexity, the current digital revolution starkly showcases this mechanism in many industries. Moreover, due to the increasing power of customers in many consumer and industrial markets, a customer-centric innovation approach has become a driving force for successfully commercializing new technologies and ideas. To cope with this, managers, intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs have to understand, know and apply the different mindsets of innovation for radical, incremental and efficiency innovations. An understanding of (end) user needs is central to this. Therefore, they have to know and master toolkits that enable them to prototype ideas rapidly so that they can then interact with users in a natural manner in order to test and optimize ideas that address existing and latent customer needs.

    Additionally, technological advances such as artificial intelligence, big data and social media bring about extreme change to markets and user and customer behavior. This challenges companies and fuels the digital transformation of organizations. Increasingly entrepreneurial-thinking stakeholders and the appropriate tools to cope with these rapid developments and ongoing changes are both needed to proactively turn these challenges into opportunities. Consequently, students will gain an understanding and discuss the different dimensions and impacts of digitalization from a business viewpoint. Building on these foundations, they will learn about managerial implications and methods that can help decision makers to actively approach these challenges in the context of digitalization by applying strategies, business models and agile innovation processes. 

    Sales and Negotiation

    The first objective of this module is to provide an overview of the various concepts in sales from both a manager and a salesperson’s perspective. These include virtual selling and sales management, integrating digital and traditional sales channels, and indirect sales. This will enable participants to apply and adapt their knowledge of sales strategies, concepts and instruments to specific sales problems. The second objective is to present concepts, observations and suggestions to improve analytical and operational negotiation skills. It starts by addressing the essentials of negotiation, namely how to do the first things first and make the right moves at the right time in order to reach the right decisions and achieve successful implementation.

    Negotiators can model the right moves. They can care for people before anything else, leveraging quality relationships within and beyond their organization, essentially putting people first. They can structure and facilitate a process for ownership by all stakeholders before and during problem solving. They can prepare before meetings and debrief afterwards, managing the mandate and implementing deals with principals and teams. Their communication, whether formal or informal, internal or external, verbal or non-verbal, face-to-face or virtual, can promote information sharing and common understanding with active listening and questioning to increase empathy before engaging in active speech and persuasive arguments to assert the needs. If cooperation prevails, negotiators can see the big picture and expand the pie to increase value – economic, social, etc. – for all involved before capturing their fair share. If emotions, identity, power and culture issues are at stake, they can acknowledge them and address them, as well as coalitions and complexity. As part of the module, participants will embark on a common reflection on how to act as more responsible negotiators.

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MANNHEIM BUSINESS SCHOOL (MBS)

Located in the heart of the German and European economy, Mannheim Business School (MBS), the umbrella organization for management education at the University of Mannheim, is considered to be one of the leading institutions of its kind in Germany and is continuously ranked as Germany’s #1.

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