Hello and greetings from Berlin!



I am an American-German woman based in Berlin planning to enrol in a part-time European Executive MBA program in 2022.



I speak native level English, fluent German, and no French or Spanish. However, the French programs offer very good female leadership scholarships, and I like the idea of studying in another country.



I see pros and cons for the different Executive MBA programs, and I have spent a good bit of time studying the FT and Economist rankings as well as checking out the LinkedIn alumni.

My ultimate goal is to stay in Europe, most likely based in Berlin for the next 4-5 years, but I enjoy traveling for work, particularly within Europe and also further abroad in the long-term.



The obvious advantage of ESMT in Berlin or WU Executive Academy in Vienna would be that I already speak German - but perhaps having a French Executive MBA at EDHEC, KEDGE or NEOMA would make me stand out? The EADA/Ecole des Ponts LeadTech GMBA is focused on technology, which is interesting, but it is a relatively new program.



Thank you for your feedback and advice as I am having a hard time deciding between all of these many outstanding Executive MBA programs!

[Edited by kristin_berlin on Jan 12, 2022]

Do you have any professional goals? 

My professional goals are to increase my salary and my rank in my current company I also want to increase my range of options if I decide to change companies and/or career fields. 

[Edited by kristin_berlin on Jan 03, 2022]

I think a career coach would be a great investment. I'm not sure that an MBA is the most respected qualification in educational non-profits unless, of course, the non-profit in question runs an MBA. If you are not from a German-speaking country, and if you have worked mainly in international organisations in Germany, studying in German will help you with acculturation. The GMS is a great option, since that gives you a German-language diploma  https://execed.esmt.berlin/offene-seminare/advanced-management-seminare/general-management-seminar 

Thank you Duncan. That is helpful advice but I already have a German MA degree from a university in Berlin and I have an MS degree from the US as well. My current senior managers all have MBAs. I have 20 years of professional experience in Germany, but I don’t have a business degree, and I would like to boost my salary and future career options in management.

[Edited by kristin_berlin on Jan 03, 2022]

Excellent: are their MBAs from the schools you have applied to? You'll have to graduate from a school that's slightly better than the average in their competitive pool. I would certainly consider transatlantic options like Northwestern/WHU, Minnesota/WU, Purdue/TIAS. 

PS I assume your German MA was also a German-language programme, like the one at the FU.

[Edited by Duncan on Dec 29, 2021]

The Carlson School of Management (Minnesota)/WU Executive Academy is one of the few transatlantic EMBA programs that is anywhere near my budget, and it reflects my English/German background. I like the international aspect of the program as well. I am 100% self-funding so cost is a major factor for me. 
Thank you for your feedback Duncan!

[Edited by kristin_berlin on Jan 03, 2022]

Can you give a few examples of these schools attended by colleagues? Are the schools mostly North American or European? If the former, a bigger brand school than ESMT will help. The MBA is relatively new to the German market and, for example, an IHK qualification or the Diplom Betriebswirt/in from the WU might be more trusted by domestic employers in the DACH region. 

My company is very global and English speaking, and I think it is more desirable in that context to get an international MBA rather than a German degree. I plan to remain at an internationally oriented, English speaking company, so the more widely recognised MBA program, the better. It is very likely that I may never work for a German company. Great questions.

[Edited by kristin_berlin on Jan 03, 2022]

In that case your best options are Carlson/WU or the Illinois or Boston University online MBAs. 

Thanks Duncan, your feedback is extremely helpful!

You might want to check the online MBA of Robert Gordon University too. 
I think it will match your needs.

I am looking for a part-time in-person Executive MBA Program, not online. In the meantime, I have more information and the French business schools have definitely made the best scholarship offers in terms of quality and price ratio. 

The brand equity of schools is really important, and RGU isn't even well known in England.