Are there any good MBA programs with a focus on pharmaceutical management in Europe? I've read on the board here that Copenhagen Business School was good, but it doesn't have a specialization in pharma. Would one of the German schools (ESMT, HHL, Mannheim) be a good choice for a pharma career?

In Europe that would be an MSc not an MBA. Try http://www.mastersportal.eu/

I think that Copenhagen generally comes up in these kinds of discussions is because it's got good proximity to Denmark's big pharma companies - but the school doesn't really focus specifically on this industry - like you said, there's no specialized curriculum, etc., but each year a few students tend to go into these companies.

Indeed, entry to this industry has to do more with location than anything. IMD also places students in pharma companies, but that's because it's close to them. And a few searches on Linkedin reinforce that: in Europe, there's no clear association between a particular business school and the pharmaceutical industry - HEC Paris, IE, ESADE, Copenhagen, even INSEAD all seem to have graduates working in pharma firms.

Thank you both for your suggestions. Would it be better to do an MBA program that officially specializes in pharma, even if it means going to the US - like the programs at Rutgers, or Columbia?

These programs are indeed great choices for a career in pharma, but I would personally worry that they're too far away from employers in Europe.

Why don't you ask the career services departments at these schools? They could give you some information about whether students in your position tend to be successful in finding employment in Europe after graduation. I know that with Columbia you'd have a wide network, but I'm just not sure how deep it is in this particular field.

Depending on your background -- and if you can speak French -- you might also want to look at ESCP's MS in Biopharmaceutical Management. It's not an MBA, but the school has fostered strong ties with Europe's pharma companies.