Hello experts,

As the subject says I have a PhD in agriculture biotechnology and now planning to pursue MBA on Part time basis in Germany (Cologne). The purpose is to land a job in Industry ultimately. I am a polyglot with English and Chinese living in my brain and a beginner in German language with a strong confidence to learn it to the higher professional level within an year. In fact I am thinking about HHL's Part time option. There are certain things that I am concerned about!
1- Cost (Is HHL the best option?)
2- Is this the best way to jump into industry from academia (as I am currently in a university)
---If so, then how about low cost or free MBA programs to complement my previous degree and experience for career switchover?

I am having second thoughts because I have seen most of the MBA doers come from engineering or non-life science backgrounds even if they have a PhD!

I would really appreciate your thoughts and shall be able to answer further queries anyone may have for the sake of a fruitful discussion.

many thanks

The free MBAs are totally different from the internationally-accredited ones. A high-quality MBA is professional development, growing soft skills, integrated thinking and leadership capacity. You won't get that in a free MBA, because that is essentially be a purely academic programme based on a pre-experience BSc or MSc. The HHL MBA in Cologne is a good option. If international business is an interest, then I suggest you also look at the new RSM-Uni Koeln EMBA, or HHL's excellent Euro*MBA.

I don;y see why you should have doubts about the MBA's not having many life science PhDs. There are not so many, and few PhDs want to go into general management: they often want to do research.

Thank you Duncan! Yes there is a significant difference between free and paid MBA. I like the courses offered in HHL's Part time option.
The thing about a few life science PhDs with MBA came to my mind because I could barely see companies like Bayer or Dupont on the collaboration/recruitment panel of different business schools. Having observed that I'd assume the job switchover into industry may be facilitated by the business school, HHL in my case.
HHL's part time program does not offer research based thesis that could be done in collaboration with industry and I'd definitely negotiate for that, in case they show some flexibility. It could be an excellent way to make way through the target company in which the thesis is done!!?? I am doing Postdoc btw!

Perhaps also try this:- How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571

Hi. If pursuing MBA is to find a job then MBA shouldnt be strictly what you should be looking for. PhD and MBA both are completely different career tracks. like 100 m race and 400 m relay . If you finish your PhD , and go for post doc or enter industry in research positions, you will save much of your energy.

If you are interested to build up managerial skills , consider management development programs MDPs , search for resources which will suit agribusiness sector . there are a few good Agribusiness management schools available there where you can find programs which are pretty good. There is a program in TU munchen . Master program in Agrimanagement. Also you can look for International irrigation and water management course in Wageningen UR.

Postdoca are lots of energy: Very competitive to win, and as soon as you are there you are looking for your next role. An MSc aimed an younger international students from the developing world might not give this person the acceleration they want. I guess a PhD will want a midcareer role or one with rapid progression if they want out from academia.

Thanks to both of you. Your comments are now leading to a discussion that I wanted to have and it may also be useful for others like me!
Yes securing a Postdoc is quite competitive these days and the most difficult thing to get is the industry job due to certain reasons. Most important being the poor training of the science graduates about the commercial aspects of research.
@Ashok! Yes I am seriously considering a switchover towards industry and MBA may help in this case. Having said that your suggestion about choosing agribusiness related programs is excellent but unfortunately none of them offer on part-time basis. That is the reason I turned towards general management programs.
Recently I came across an MA program in Responsible Management at Steinbeis University. Here is the link http://www.steinbeis-icrm.eu/curricula/. Check the curriculum. I found it interesting because of courses like Sustainability and Environment. Furthermore, tuition fees are also low comparatively with an option to extend it towards MBA to gain double degree. What you guys think about it?
Here is a job posting from Bayer that likes to see scientific as well as business/management qualities in the ideal candidates. I am posting it just for an example.
The link is http://tinyurl.com/plmwkzv

PS. I have received positive reviews from HHL about my CV btw!

[Edited by NV on Oct 06, 2015]

Steinbeis is an innovating school, but I think a non-profit university will be more highly valued.

Hello again guys!
Now need your further wise words as I am exploring different options and getting some offers. Please suggest which one sounds better in terms of job placement keeping in view my academic background: HHL Part-time MBA or EBS-Durham Executive MBA? EBS-Durham program offers two degrees with 2 residential weeks in Durham business school.
I have offer from both. Both programs start in Jan or March, respectively so there is no issue of time wastage. And expenses are also more or less same with EBS may be a few thousand Euros cheaper.
I appreciate your inputs please!

Hallo Zusammen!

I am waiting for your inputs! Please give me a comparison of HHL part-time MBA vs EBS-Durham EMBA. I would be grateful for your advice.

Vielen dank

They seem rather similar. Despite the comment by NV above, the HHL part-time MBA does include a thesis. With nine years' experience, on average, I think the HHL cohort will be as strong or stronger than EBS. HHL allows students to take the study abroad exchange programme, so that is a big advantage if you are not working full-time. If the UK is an important market for you, then the Durham network is good. So, I guess it depends on the alumni networks.

Thank you very much Duncan! The EBS one includes two mandatory Durham campus weeks split in two years. They also give option of semester abroad and also include a thesis. As a layman I would think that EBS one is relatively cost effective and better than HHL in a way that the students can avail two Alumni networks and become open to two markets with one degree. EBS-Durham award their separate degrees to the EMBA graduates so that can also be considered as a factor. And if I imagine the alumni composition in terms of life science sector then I don't really see a difference between HHL and EBS-Durham. I don't really know the exact stats though but it a wild guess!

Therefore, based on my search I would prefer EBS-Durham over HHL then!!

I don't understand why you would make a wild guess when you could find out the answer: How to use LinkedIn to find the best school www.find-mba.com/board/33571

Remember the networking you do will be mostly though the people you meet in your studies. The quality of the cohort matters more. Obviously, Durham has a science faculty and neither HHL or EBS do, but those scientists will not be easily accessible to you.

Duncan I have finally received a very generous offer of admission from EBS. As I am aiming to get into Management Consulting based on my profile, another program by HS Offenburg caught my eyes. Its MBA International Business Consulting.
So I have following specific questions:
1- From a non-business background, Part time EMBA is good or one year full time MBA-IBC from HS Offenburg? I anticipate much better learning from full time program!
2- How rankings would matter in this particular case in terms of job and salary? I mean EBS vs an Hochschulle!?

The situation has gotten interesting I guess and I am hoping for a little sarcastic yet very helpful response from people around here!

You get what you pay for, and that was my opening point to you in October.

EBS has a better network than Offenburg, but I don't understand why you don't look at excellent programmes instead.

Other comparable or even better programs I know of are expensive and do not offer any assistance towards tuition fee, which is something I am counting upon!
So keeping in view my budget, I am going for such choices that are ranked even upto a moderate level.
My actual question was does a part time/executive program justifies and makes it easier to switch career?

A high-quality MBA would be the best investment of your life, better than a house or a pension. If you are not prepared to invest in yourself, then do you really want a managerial career?

No, part-time programmes are less good at supporting career change than full-time programmes. Germany has come great, low-cost, full-time MBAs with international accreditation. Search the board for Esslingen and Pforzheim and you will find the discussions. The outcomes differ in line with the quality of the students, alumni and business school. There are few arbitrage opportunities.