ESB Business School: MBA International Management (Full-Time) Reutlingen University

Language of instruction: 100% English
German language classes are mandatory for all MBA international students.

The AACSB accredited, full-time ESB MBA provides a platform for international professionals wishing to leverage and advance their careers in Germany or Europe. It offers a well-rounded, international and industry-relevant experience, helping students to learn and reach their career aspirations with greater confidence in their abilities.

Small-scale, interactive classes

Small class sizes underpin the success of our programme. This intimate learning environment allows students to interact fully with fellow students and peers – maximising learning potential and fostering a sense of investment and inclusion.

International with diverse backgrounds

Students learn from both instructors with in-depth industry experience and a world-class academic reputation and from international and motivated classmates - all with highly diversified professional backgrounds.

Core programme

The MBA core programme consists of six clusters evolving around relevant, key management subjects, as well as intensive German language courses.

Together, these areas address the key challenges for future leaders in business and society.

Specialisation subjects and courses

In the second semester, MBA students continue to develop their German language proficiency and will also be given guidance and instruction in academic writing and business research methods to help them prepare for their MBA company report and thesis.

Students will also choose four of 10 elective subjects, carefully selected from relevant and contemporary management issues and taught by industry experts.

In-company project and thesis

The programme includes a mandatory company project/placement of three months at a company of choice and a thesis, also of three months duration. Companies include smart Europe GmbH, Mercedes-Benz AG, Allianz Technology SE, Henkel AG, Genesis Motor Europe GmbH, Audi AG, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Zoi TechCon GmbH amongst others. In the in-company project, students apply their acquired knowledge to real-world business challenges, developing their MBA and professional skills in a company of choice that could range from start-ups to multi-national enterprises including any of ESB’s 50 corporate partners. The company or organisation may also be located outside of Germany, and alumni and faculty members can also be helpful in finding a project.

Typical career trajectories post MBA

A graduate of this programme typically pursues management positions in industries, including, but not limited to: marketing and product management, business and/or strategy development, key account management, controlling, consultancy, international and global sales, international trade, global procurement, logistics and fulfilment, tech start-up development and supply chain management, etc., depending on the student’s prior professional background.

• CORE MODULES: semester one / winter semester (October to February)
• ELECTIVE COURSES: semester two / summer semester (March to July)
• IN-COMPANY PROJECT: summer break / semester three / winter semester (August to November)
• MASTER'S THESIS: semester three / winter semester (November to February)

• International applicants: 15 June
• Applicants with a recognised Bachelor's qualification from Germany: 1 August

Semester one: CORE BUSINESS MODULES

• Business in Numbers: Accounting and Finance
  • Fundamentals of Accounting
  • Fundamentals of Corporate Finance
• Managing Demand and Supply
  • Marketing Management
  • Supply Chain Management
• Strategising the Future
  • Understanding Markets and Environments
  • Business Strategy
• Managing People and Culture
  • Leading People and Change
  • Managing Across Cultures
• Legal Frameworks of Management
• German 1 / Business Language 1

Semester two: ELECTIVE SPECIALISATION / LANGUAGE SKILLS AND ACADEMIC WRITING AND RESEARCH

• German 2 / Business Language 2
• Business Research Methods
• Choose four of 10 electives:

1. Lean Enterprise Management
2. Negotiating across Borders
3. International Sales Management
4. Data-Driven Marketing
5. Leveraging Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as Organisational Drivers
6. Data Analytics and Decision Making
7. Sustainability Dynamics
8. Organisational and Business Transformation
9. Business Models for a Circular Economy
10. Strategy Creation and Execution

Semester three: PRACTICAL AND ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

• Enterprise Project and Colloquium
• Master's Thesis

A compulsory study period abroad is not part of the programme, but students have the possibility to complete some or all elective courses at a partner university abroad.

The three-month, company-based project (enterprise project) enables students to acquire new perspectives and fields of interest for their future professional lives.

For their enterprise projects, students are supported in finding an appropriate company through various contacts, offers and activities, such as our ESB Career Center, career fairs on campus, the ESB alumni network and company visits and lectures. Many of our students also write their theses with a company.

3,500 EUR

199.30 EUR (as of 2025)

900 EUR minimum per month

• CV
• One page motivation letter
• A copy of your undergraduate degree certificate
• GMAT, GRE, ESB BAT test score above the 35th percentile or CAT score above the 80th percentile unless applicant has a business or finance-related Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
• Verification of two years of professional experience post Bachelor’s/undergraduate degree
• Successful selection interview

Applicants must provide proof of English language proficiency (CEFR B2/C1, IELTS 6-6.5, etc) unless their Bachelor’s degree was conducted in English.

• International applicants: 15 June
• Applicants with a recognised Bachelor's qualification from Germany: 1 August

No

ESB Business School maintains strong links with companies. The VIMA eV association, which is a network of 50 renowned companies, enables and intensifies contacts between theory and practice. Additionally, career fairs take place regularly at the university and the Career Center assists students and graduates at ESB Business School with planning and developing their careers during their studies and when starting their professional lives.

Part-time jobs / student jobs: As this is an intensive study programme, it is not advisable to take up a part-time job while studying.

Student accommodation in Reutlingen is at a premium, and students should begin looking for somewhere to live as soon as possible. The student residences near the campus are for both male and female students. There are also some individual private rooms available on the open market (https://www.reutlingen-university.de/en/before-studying/your-accommodation/).

Career advisory service is provided by ESB Business School's Career Center. Students get to attend the career fairs "Firmenforum" and "International Business Fair", which take place each year.

See information from the Reutlingen International Office: https://www.reutlingen-university.de/en/international/reutlingen-international-office/

ESB Business School has more than 50 years of experience in teaching applied international management, and it is considered to be one of Germany's leading public business schools. Regularly ranked at the top of numerous university league tables, the school's close cooperation with companies and its international partner universities contribute to ESB's outstanding ability to educate the next generation of highly qualified, international managers.

We are accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Only six per cent of all business schools worldwide bear this seal of quality. The AACSB is the largest accreditation organisation in the world with demanding quality requirements in relation to training and research at business schools.

ESB Business School’s quality management system was accredited by the German accreditation council. This ensures that quality development of all study programmes is part of its mission.

Internationality and a balance of theory and practice are crucial cornerstones of our forward-looking and interdisciplinary approach. Semesters abroad as well as foreign and national internships are mandatory and are integral parts of our programmes. Workshops, seminars and dissertations written in conjunction with businesses, our own company fairs, case studies, professors with management experience, guest lectures or excursions to renowned companies all guarantee a high practical orientation of our programmes. Besides the required first foreign language module in Business English, students can take other business language modules. The language lecturers are generally native speakers.

All teaching is in small, multinational groups. This direct contact between the student and the professor shapes the unique atmosphere at ESB Business School. We also consider student involvement and initiative-taking to be of great importance. Our students acquire a sense of team spirit and improve their intercultural competence by being part of international teams working on a wide range of interesting tasks and projects.

ESB Business School is one of six schools of Reutlingen University, one of the leading German universities of applied sciences with a first-rate reputation. Its five schools offer more than 40 degree programmes. Reutlingen University offers programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level as well as in lifelong professional training at the university level. This makes the university attractive to prospective students from different backgrounds. The university aims to prepare students for future challenges, both professionally and personally, and it is committed to shaping the future together.

The city of Reutlingen is situated in an attractive region at the foot of the range of hills known as the Swabian Alb, near to the valley of the river Neckar.
Reutlingen can trace its roots back to the fifth and sixth centuries. Nowadays it is a modern industrial centre with a strong service sector; it has more than 110,000 inhabitants and provides employment for 50,000 people, making it the biggest economic hub in the south Württemberg area. Reutlingen offers outstanding shopping facilities, a large market held twice weekly, a prize-winning library, numerous museums, and a multitude of cafés, restaurants, and bistros. Service industries and trade are the city's main hallmarks. Art, music, dance, ballet, and opera can be enjoyed in the state capital Stuttgart, around 40 km to the north, and in Reutlingen's neighbouring city of Tübingen.