Hi all,
I have been an avid reader of the forum posts and have gained very useful insights via the advices given. I would like your advice on the questions below for myself

Background: I completed my Bachelors in engineering from India and after working for 2 years in an engineering MNC, moved to Germany for a Masters in mechanical engineering at one of the TU's. After graduating, I worked for 4 years at a mid senior level in a French company in France. My job involved travelling to a lot of East asian and South American countries for international projects.

Since 2021 I have moved back to Germany to work for an international MNC and now I have been thinking about pursuing a part time MBA here. As future goals, I would like to develop skills in strategy and innovation and aim for senior leadership roles in engineering & management.

I have a B2 level fluency in German language but do not have business level language skills (which I am trying to improve upon by taking lessons). It would be great if you can provide some advise on

1. Should I wait until I reach C1-C2 level in German language before applying to schools? Although I intend to enroll in an English part time MBA.

2. What would be your recommendations regarding schools? I have WHU Otto-beisheim, HHL, Mannheim and Frankfurt up on my list

3. In long term future (Around 10 years), I may think about returning back to India .Would an MBA from Germany be valuable in terms on career prospects there ?

Thanks in advance to everyone for your valuable feedback. :)

My take:
1. This very much depends on the nature of your current role and the people above you. 
2. I think you should focus on an EMBA rather than a part-time MBA.
3. The Kellogg-WHU MBA stands out there, since a US MBA will be better understood rath and German one?

Hi StuartHE

Thanks for your kind reply. Can you please explain a bit about your comment regarding point 1. Just FYI, my current role is more international and R&D related. I primarily use English at work. However in informal settings I pretty much speak conversational level of German. 
Also, what are the main advantages of EMBA compared to a part time one ? (as you suggested in point 2).

Thanks for suggesting the Kellogg-WHU MBA program, however it is quite expensive ( Euros 85k) and it is definitely out of my budget. Do you think an online MBA may also help me to reach my career goals ( targeting senior leadership roles in future)?



 

senior leadership roles 

In the main menu at the top of this page you can see a link to some articles discussing various introductory and basic issues in the world of MBA programs and one of these is about the difference between the different kinds of MBA programs. Generally a part-time MBA is for relatively junior people, three or 4 years into their career l, who are making the transition into functional management: on the other hand the executive MBA is focused more on building leadership skills rather than functional skills in order to prepare people for senior management roles. So you should pick the right kind of program that hits your goals. On the question of budget very few people who are taking executive MBA programs are funded personally with cash. They are normally fund them through borrowing and some support from their employers.

[Edited by Duncan on Jul 06, 2021]