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The Rise of German Business Schools

"The market is the only democratic judge in a modern economy." These were the words of Ludwig Erhard, the former chancellor of Germany and father of the economic miracle, the Wirtschaftswunder, in the 1950 and 1960s. The current market for MBA courses in Germany, which is growing larger and more confusing by the day, is in particular need of such an orderly influence. Even though it has only been possible to acquire the MBA title in Germany since 1998, the number of providers offering courses is rising rapidly, along with the number of programmes of dubious quality. However, a small group of business schools have emerged in Germany which are already able to compete at a top international level to provide management education. They attract applicants from around the world: Applicants who are ultimately attracted to Germany, a champion of exports and the world's third-largest economy, with favourable working conditions, a great need for a well-qualified and internationally educated workforce and a high standard of living.

Mannheim Business School

A showpiece of a German business school of international calibre is Mannheim Business School: MBA programmes have only been offered there since 2002, yet the Mannheim Business School is already one of the top addresses in Europe. It heads the organization of the University of Mannheim, after all, which has been known for educating the management elites of Germany for over 100 years. Quality of thought is a Mannheim tradition. It is hardly surprising then that the Business School is the first institution in the German-speaking countries to recently earn the "triple crown" of international accreditation by the three major organizations (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA).

The faculty for business administration in Mannheim is considered the best in Germany, and its graduates are particularly sought after by HR managers. This is also the case for students of Mannheim's full-time MBA programme: Every single one of last year's graduates had received at least one job offer before the end of the programme, and 70% had even signed a contract of employment before graduation. Statistics from leading news magazines confirm that their average starting salary exceeds that of graduates from any other German school. The Mannheim MBA programmes are naturally very popular with young professionals as a result. "Applicant and participant numbers continue to soar", according to Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Christian Homburg, president of Mannheim Business School and one of the world's most renowned researchers in the field of marketing. As well as high-quality research and teaching, the excellent network of corporate partners is a crucial element contributing to the success of Mannheim Business School. Furthermore, students have the opportunity to tailor their studies to suit their personal objectives: Those pursuing the full-time MBA can choose from four different international tracks, and the ESSEC & MANNHEIM Executive MBA is offered on both a modular and weekend basis.

ESCP-EAP (Berlin)

The German campus of ESCP-EAP opened in 1973 and is located in Berlin. ESCP-EAP is a multi-campus European business school which delivers refined management education to students and executives from all over the world in five European cities.

The ESCP-EAP European Executive MBA opened in 1993 and is one of the few triple accredited programmes world-wide. The Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid and Torino campuses offer local core course tracks and a global itinerant track rotates from campus to campus. The Berlin track will open in 2009, in partnership with universities in Central and Eastern Europe and will provide participants with a unique focus on this emerging region.

Participants from all 6 core course tracks come together for elective courses and international seminars giving them great networking opportunities. 120 executives from over 25 different nationalities join our 18-month programme each year.

HHL - Leipzig Graduate School of Management

Germany's oldest business school, HHL - Leipzig Graduate School of Management, was founded 1898. Today it is considered to be one of the country's leading business schools.

The school offers AACSB accredited MBA programmes that are taught entirely in English. "The different unique and innovative designs of the 15 months full-time or the 24 months part-time programme are tailored to serve individual needs", underlines Volker Stoessel, Head of Marketing and PR. "Our philosophy has been to focus on the student with close student-faculty interaction, in-depth, highly practice-related, international business experience combined with a substantial theoretical foundation" says Mr. Stoessel.

HHL's student body consists of more than 70% of students from abroad taught by resident and visiting professors from top universities. More than 80 partner schools around the world stand for a truly international experience.