Dear all,

I applied to the one-year full-time MBA programs at Aarhus university, CNAM Paris (general track OR major entrepreneurship/ innovation) and UC3M Madrid. So far, I granted admission from CNAM and expect feedback from Aarhus and UC3M by end of April latest.

I limited the number of possible schools to those 3 due to my GMAT (only scored 520) and budget (tuition max. 20k ?) restrictions, still I am satisfied with the remaining options.

About all schools I like that they have small programs/ classes (Aarhus/ CNAM 15-25 students, UC3M 25-35 students) and quite aged/ experienced students (age 30-35 yrs, work experience 5-8 yrs). CNAM (French) and UC3M (Spanish) also offer to learn another widely spoken language (I have basic French skills).

I am German, 30 yrs old, earned my 1st degree in business management (German diploma, placed between bachelor and master) and have 6 yrs of work experience in finance as sales-/ business unit- controller. These 6 yrs I spent at 2 different companies, one multinational and one SME, both located in Western Germany.

My post-MBA objectives are to work for an international, but relatively small organization in areas like finance, business analysis or business development/ strategy. This could also be a consultancy. I am open-minded about most industries and would like to take a leadership position in 3-5 yrs. Straight after studies I intend to return to Germany, but long-term I could also picture to live in another European country.

Assuming I also received admission from Aarhus and UC3M which of those 3 schools would you recommend watching my past experience as well as my future objectives?

Thank you for your insights and feel free to ask if you need any further information.

Best,
Coby

I don't understand why you are not taking a part-time MBA or masters in finance in Germany. None of those schools have strong placement outcomes, and especially not in Germany.

Hi Duncan,

thank you for your quick response.

Mainly, because I want to experience living and another educational system abroad. I earned my 1st degree at an university of applied sciences in Germany. Moreover, I like the idea to have a job break and to fully focus on the MBA studies. So, it's not only about the business education itsself (which is still important) but also about learning another country and culture and broaden my horizon at a whole.

But I understand your argumentation just with regard to career opportunities.

There is a big opportunity cost. You could decelerate your career and end up with a qualification that's not worth much.

Can I suggest: look at the HHL Global MBA and Euro*MBA. You could base yourself anywhere in Europe, or even move between countries, and still get a respected German qualification.