Small Enterprise Promotion & Training (SEPT MBA) Leipzig University

Courses are exclusively held in English (100%). The Master's thesis is to be written in English.

The SEPT MBA is a two-year programme specifically designed to prepare participants for advancing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and enhancing entrepreneurship knowledge. It is one of the few programmes globally focused on promoting and developing SMEs.

This MBA addresses key challenges such as identifying growth and innovation opportunities within SMEs and crafting innovative strategies to promote them. These strategies aim to generate beneficial effects on their business environments.

The curriculum draws from the successful model of Germany's "Mittelstand" (the term for SMEs in Germany), offering insights into their promotion and development. Graduates of this MBA are equipped to take on pivotal decision-making roles, supporting SMEs and fostering innovative entrepreneurs, particularly in knowledge-intensive business services.

A distinctive feature of our programme is its strong ties with SMEs worldwide, allowing our curriculum to include real-world case studies. Our faculty is a blend of resident and visiting lecturers, many of whom also serve as consultants in their fields of expertise.

For more information, please visit our programme website.

DAAD EPOS scholarship applicants:
1 October for the following winter semester (the year prior to beginning the programme)

Self-financing applicants:
15 March for the following winter semester (the same year the programme starts)

The tuition fee of 6,000 EUR is due in four instalments of 1,500 EUR each at the beginning of every semester.

First semester
Module 101 Foundations of Economics and Development

• Development Economics
• Reading course on development economics
• Field Trip – visit to German development and business promotion institutions

Module 102 Entrepreneurship Management

• Entrepreneurship Management
• Business Model Development
• Business Plan

Module 103 Strategies for the Development of SMEs

• Innovation and Technology Promotion
• Value Chain Analysis
• Internationalisation of SMEs
• Sustainable Marketing in SMEs
• Local and Regional Economic Development

Second semester
(two elective modules* chosen by the student + compulsory module 205)

Module 201* Innovation Management in SMEs

• Strategic Innovation Management
• Quality Management
• Tools for Innovation Management
• Innovation Systems

Module 202* Marketing in SMEs

• Marketing in SMEs
• International Marketing
• Market Research

Module 203* SME Finance

• Introduction to Financial Systems
• Financial Instruments for SMEs
• Financial Planning

Module 204* Competence Development in SMEs

• Knowledge Management
• Leadership
• Competence Development
• Organisational Learning

Module 205 Research Methodology and Project Management

• Research Methodology and Research Design
• Data Analysis and Presentation
• Project Management

Module 206* Internship (a minimum of six weeks for the internship)

Third semester
Module 301 Field Research

Fourth Semester
Module 401 Master's Colloquium

• Advanced Data Analysis
• SEPT Colloquium
• Submission of Master's thesis

For those students interested in gaining insight into institutions or firms dedicated to the promotion and development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe, our curriculum provides for the possibility that an internship or practical training in Germany or Europe might be recognised as one of the elective modules.

1,500 EUR

The tuition fee of 6,000 EUR is due in four instalments of 1,500 EUR each at the beginning of every semester.

Approx. 300 EUR

You will need approx. 940 EUR per month for your living expenses in Leipzig. Of course, this figure is only an estimate and depends on how much you spend. Please remember that you must provide proof of secured funding for your living expenses when you apply for a visa in your home country.

• A four-year undergraduate degree or its equivalent from a reputable university
• Documentation of English proficiency*
• A minimum of two years of relevant career experience
• Excellent computer skills, at least in the use of software for word processing (e.g. MS Word), spreadsheets (e.g. MS Excel), and statistical analysis programmes (e.g. SPSS, STATA)
• Broad knowledge of economics and/or economic issues

Special requirements:

• Students from India with a three-year Bachelor's degree are eligible to apply if they fulfil the following requirement: minimum grade: first division/class 60% and above or A = very good and above or a GPA from 3.0 onwards
• Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian applicants are required to submit an APS Certificate
• Nigerian and Cameroonian applicants must have their application documents certified at the German Embassy

*Please see: Language requirements

English proficiency required to apply:

The English proficiency can be proven with a TOEFL iBT minimum score of 80, IELTS academic at least 6.0 overall band, or English proficiency letter if the medium of instruction in the undergraduate programme was English. TOEFL ITP, TOEIC, and IELTS General Training are not accepted.

Note: If the applicant requests the TOEFL score report to be sent to SEPT directly by the Educational Testing Service, they should indicate the code number 6976 when taking the test.

DAAD EPOS scholarship applicants:
1 October for the following winter semester (the year prior to beginning the programme)

Self-financing applicants:
15 March for the following winter semester (the same year the programme starts)

No

As an international student, you are allowed to take up part-time employment along with your studies while in Germany. To increase your chances of success, we offer employability-related workshops as well as first-hand interaction with German companies and development cooperation agencies.

Student halls of residence and accommodation are offered at reasonable prices by the "Studentenwerk". Rooms are also available on the private market. Living in Leipzig is still very affordable. Accommodation can be found starting at around 300 EUR, and living expenses are very reasonable in comparison to other European cities.

Compared to German students, international students often face additional challenges during the course of their studies and their job search. The Career Service for Internationals at the University of Leipzig will be happy to advise you on topics such as internships and working during your studies, as well as finding a job and obtaining a work permit after graduation.

The SEPT MBA team will gladly introduce you to the many possibilities of gaining support by different bodies of the University of Leipzig.

Modern university, long tradition

Leipzig University was founded in 1409, making it one of the oldest in Germany. Our university comprises 14 faculties with over 130 institutes and centres as well as 17 central institutions. The range of subjects at our comprehensive university extends from the humanities and social sciences to the natural sciences, life sciences and medicine.

With 155 degree programmes, our university offers a unique variety of subjects. It is the most popular institution of higher education in the Free State of Saxony, with more than 30,000 students.

A strong profile in research and transfer

Our university's research fields act as the interface for our intensive cooperation with the 22 other scientific institutions in Leipzig. In addition to Leipzig University, these include three Max Planck Institutes, two Fraunhofer Institutes, four Leibniz Institutes, two Helmholtz Centres, an integrated research and treatment centre financed by the federal government, and an excellent university hospital.

With regard to entrepreneurship, we are also one of the most successful universities in Germany. In a recent survey, we ranked among the top five in the category for “start-ups involving the transfer of university knowledge” ("Gründungsradar 2016" of the Stifterverband organisation).

Internationally visible and well connected

Moreover, our university is among the most prominent in terms of international relations in Germany. We regularly achieve top positions in the funding ranking published by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), we cooperate with a wide variety of international partners on every continent, and approx. 12% of our students are international.

Campus in the city centre and a vibrant cultural scene

One special aspect of Leipzig University is its centrally located campus in the heart of the city. Traditionally, our university has been closely linked to life in Leipzig as a city of culture, trade, sport and media.

Please visit our website to learn more about Leipzig University: www.uni-leipzig.de/en/.

“Leipzig is the place for me 'tis quite a little Paris; people there acquire a certain easy finish'd air.” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Over 200 years ago, the famous German author, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, flattered Leipzig with these words in Faust. The compliments still apply today: the city has a lot to offer by featuring a stimulating scientific, cultural, and industrial landscape.

Leipzig is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony, acting as a major international commercial centre. In 1497, Leipzig was granted imperial trade fair privileges by Emperor Maximilian, hence acquiring the title of "mother of trade fairs". In the inner city, visitors can stroll through arcades and passageways reminiscent of former fair activities. Owing to its rich history in trade, the city is an attractive location for investors like Porsche, BMW, and DHL.

Hardly any other city can claim as rich a musical heritage as Leipzig. Names like Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy are inextricably linked to Leipzig. The Gewandhaus Orchestra has cultivated classical music in Leipzig for over 250 years. The Opera House is the third oldest civilian music theatre stage in Europe. Today its programme includes a wide range of works from Baroque to modern operas and ballets. Leipzig’s dynamic art scene enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide. Its prime site is the Spinnerei, a former cotton mill in the trendy Plagwitz district, which is home to countless galleries and ateliers.

One third of Leipzig is covered in a green belt. Its core, the Auenwald (a wide strip of floodplain forest running all the way through the city), is unique in Europe. On a boat trip along the canals and rivers, visitors can discover the green lung of Leipzig. Another green part of the city is the zoo, which is the most modern of its kind in Europe. In the south of Leipzig, the former lignite mining area has been turned into the “New Lakeland Area”, with attractive sandy beaches and ideal conditions for swimming and water sports.

Leipzig is also an ideal starting point for new discoveries – thanks to the excellent train connections, Berlin, Dresden, or the porcelain town of Meissen are easy to reach in only a couple of hours.

For more information regarding one of the most vibrant and welcoming cities in Germany, please visit www.leipzig.travel/en/.