Europe MBA Discussion

German B-schools are not so popular in general. But a business degree from these schools, combined with your German language proficiency, do open up several job-opportunities within Germany.

GISMA, in Hannover, has an intake of 60 students but, this particular year, they could find only 48 students (12 of them being Indians). [PS: I hope you are aware that GISMA awards an MBA degree from Purdue University-Krannert School of Business]. GISMA is also able to provide substantial amount as scholarships to some of its students (700+ GMAT would guarantee a scholarship). Within Germany, HHL is ranked higher than WHU and GISMA. HHL also has a good reputation for placements. But HHL and WHU has very limited financial-aids for its students.

Reputation-wise Vlerick-Leuven-Gent (Belgium) is perhaps the best and also the cheapest among all the schools you have listed.

THanks for the info.
Yes i have heard about GISMA and its link to Purdue. Are you studying at GISMA? Out of 60 they couldfill in only 48? That sounds scary for me becuase i think GISMA with the Purdue link might be very well reputed.
Anyway thanks for the info and yes you made a very good point on the german language proficiency. I think you need to learn the local langugage if you are studying in Europe.

Like you, I, too, am an MBA aspirant. As I am currently working in Germany, I do keep exploring the possibilities of an MBA education from one of the German B-Schools. The info I posted previously was taken from one of the German web-magazines.

Andrew,

Thanks for the feedback. I very much favor value when it comes to anything, especially a major investment like an MBA. However, I also desire a reputable program, i.e "brand name" recognition. I am going on a visit to the UK this November to check out some open days at various b-schools. I would like to check out Cranfield, but Cass is hosting their "Experience an MBA" on the same day. Perhaps, I'll just have to schedule a drop-in visit during the week. I really want to check out Cass, because I want to validate its connections to the financial services firms in London and get a feel for the environment around Canary Wharf.

Because I want to be a trader in a top, global firm, I really think "brand name" recognition plus the strength of I-bank recruiting (finance reputation) at each school will help drive my ultimate decision. I want "brand name" recognition not only in the UK, but also globally. So, Cambridge and Oxford are my top 2 choices based on that perspective, unless someone correct me if I'm wrong. I know LBS would beat both schools in this regard, but I don't like the price tag and the long length of the program. As for Cranfield, I see that they are also "up there" in various rankings. I am just concerned about "brand name" when it comes to Cranfield. I've never heard of Cranfield until this past year. But, I've always heard of Oxbridge...

We'll see how my trip pans out, and I'll give everyone a future update. I want to determine at which campus I feel the best fit.

All the best,

William

Because I live in Germany and have been researching German b-schools for over the last years on and off, I have to comment on studying a FULL-TIME MBA in Germany. I think that it's wasted money. UNLESS, you want to work in a German company and stay in Germany, then it's not "necessarily" wasted money.

Let me say the following to give you an insight into how I view a full-time MBA. I think that if you want to establish a strong foundation for a future career in business, wherever that may take you, you MUST get into the best program you can get into. In other words, go for the best! Whether that's the Top 20 or 30 globally, or Top 5 or 10 regionally, go for the best of breed.

Several of my German friends who are working in finance are familiar with the MBA, but don't put much value on it. They all have their Diplom in business/finance, you name it. And, the Diplom carries a lot more weight in Germany. The MBA is somewhat new for them. A good site to check out for German MBA news is Handelsblatt (but you need to know your German!): https://www.handelsblatt.com/mba

As far as HHL, WHU, and GISMA go, I am staying away from them.

HOWEVER, if you are considering an Executive MBA (part-time), then WHU and GISMA have strong reputations. Goethe Business School in Frankurt also has an EMBA, with links to Duke Fuqua. It's not ranked yet, so....

But full-time MBA programs, I would actually take Mannheim and a very reputable b-school in the German-speaking region of Switzerland - St. Gallen - over the above-mentioned schools.

St. Gallen, or HSG, has a very strong reputation as a business school in Europe. Many top CEOs of German multi-nationals have gone to HSG, i.e Ackerman of Deutsche Bank. Their MBA program is relatively new, with a small class size, but the program looks really good. Plus, the average GMAT score is in the high 600s - which is the usual trademark for any top MBA program.

Mannheim also has a very strong reputation of b-schools in Germany.

Here are links to both schools:

https://www.mba.unisg.ch/org/mba/web.nsf ... endocument

https://www.mannheim-business-school.com ... e-mba.html

Rankings from a German business journal:

https://www.mba.unisg.ch/org/mba/web.nsf ... rriere.pdf

I think you should also take a look at the FT rankings on European b-schools in order to get a feel for general reputation. I think this gives a good assessment of the quality of each business school and could help assess the quality of some of the young MBA programs at several of these schools. These are not the MBA programs, but the actual business school itself:

https://rankings.ft.com/european-busines ... l-rankings

All the best,

William

Andrew,

That Cranfield application packet looks pretty intense!

And, they want an academic referee...

I have not stayed in touch with any of my former teachers from undergraduate studies, so I don't know what I should do. In 2006, I finished a Master's in IR, but it was distance. So, I didn't establish strong relationships with any of my teachers. Would you recommend just submitting a second work reference? I know other schools ask for academic references, so I'm trying to figure this one out here...

By not submitting an academic reference (when a school requests one), will that look bad?!

Thanks,

William

Hi William.

I submitted 2 business references and they where fine with that. Cranfield values good business experience.

Best of luck !

Andrew.

Thanks Andrew. Cranfield and Cass are my top choices following "Oxbridge." Originally, I had Manchester ahead of both, but I just recently realized that their program is 18 months, so it's not fitting my 1 year model. Any perspective on Lancaster?

hello Friends,

I am very much interested in doing mba... and that too in International Business

Can anybody guide me with the ranking for B Schools UK)for 1 yr Mba specializing in
international Business


Regards ,

Ankit

William,

Thanks a lot for the insight that you have provided. I was just researching about the schools and was thinking on the prospect of German MBA.
By the way what are your views on Vlerick Leuven Ghent. I have heard its a reputed school in Europe and the placements are also good. Im thinknig on applying to Mannheim - Eurasian Track and Vlerick, along with St Gallen.

Thanks

I don't know much about Vlerick. However, if I were to study in the Netherlands, I would definitely go for Rotterdam School of Management. It definitely carries more "brand name" in my opinion.

Good luck on your applications!

William

Vlerick is in Belgium and not in Netherlands.

Thanks for correcting my error.

Nothing that I have against Vlerick or Belgium, but if I were forced to choose of going to Vlerick for an MBA and not going for an MBA at all, I would not go for an MBA at all. I just wouldn't make that investment.

Again, let me tell you my way of thinking re: the MBA and a little about why I want an MBA. I am pursuing an MBA to jumpstart a career in investment banking/financial services, specifically as a professional trader. Keeping this in mind, my biases are towards MBA programs with strong finance reputations and from which many financial firms recruit. With that said, I think that is very important to attend a program at a school with a world-wide reputation. This means going to the schools that are consistently ranked the highest amongst their peers in various rankings. For Europe at the moment, most of these schools are located in the UK, France, Spain, Netherlands, and Switzerland.

It may turn out that many of these other European MBA programs become reputed over the next 5, 10, or 20 years. But, I don't want to wait that long before future employers recognize the value of the MBA program from which I graduated.

Thanks William.
Can you also comment on REIMS Managment School in France ? Any idea you have?

Just in the 1st week at Cranfield.

For those of you who go elsewhere, you are missing out, also Economist 2007 ranking just ranked the MBA program at 11th in the world.

I think it can be expensive to study in London, but from my experience, if you are in London, you can attend a lot more networking events, or career events and meet with investment banks and consulting firms.

I am studying at Imperial, and there are events every week at the school. Banks probably find it easy coming to the school since it only takes them a short while to get to the school.

Hi Paul. You have said several times that schools in Europe focus on the GMAT as a criteria for admission. I think that is slightly off base in the case of LBS. LBS's average gmat for MBA is only 682, not really what it should be if they were considering the GMAT as important as you say they do. They reject tons of people with high gmat scores who do not fit the profile for LBS (i.e. international outlook etc). I tend to think that FIT matters a lot more for LBS than the GMAT score. Do you think you may be be biased because you yourself received a high gmat score before going to LBS?