GERMAN DISTANCE MBA's

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by samkoyejo, Oct 2, 2008.

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  1. samkoyejo

    samkoyejo New Member

    Hello!

    Does anyone have a word about low cost distance mode MBA programs in Germany?

    What schools fit the bill?

    What will their admission requirements be? GMAT? TOEFL?

    Thanks
    Sam
     
  2. Woho

    Woho New Member

    Hey Sam,
    Germany is a bit tricky since they changed to the bachelor/master system just a few years ago and degrees like in law or medicine are still running under the traditional models.

    There are a few distance learning providers, but you have to write the exams usually proctored at the major German cities. (The biggest distance learning university there is http://www.fernuni-hagen.de/english/) Public universities also usually run their programs only in German. In the recent years quite a few private universities came up, but most are accredited "only" as applied science universities, meaning they are not allowed to run PHD programs.

    To my knowledge there is only the Master in Eastern European Studies or something like this from the "Freie Universtiy Berlin", which someone can do with very limited residency. I think this one was discussed around here already quite a few times.

    Just in case you are interested in doing your MBA over there: GMAT might be required but the score requirement is usually quite low in Europe (public universities usually don't require one, it's all about your undergrad degree), TOEFL or some English skill certificate required too, also accreditation is some strange thing and not really established yet. For the first, universities got to be accredited by the "Akkreditierungsrat". Also, most of the time private universities, got additional accreditations by agencies like FIBAA.

    There problem somewhat is, that there are no high profile universities with a name recognition like Harvard, Yale or even INSEAD. So people tend to rate degrees from public universities at least as "high" as from private ones, despite the private universities effort to profile themselves. Some of them had financial struggle in the past and the whole private university thing is very "young" and still on it's way.
     
  3. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Hi Sam - I think that it's possible that you've stepped out of bounds. Here's what I mean. First, you've made the assumption that there is such an animal as a "German MBA." My guess is that the nomenclature is entirely different in that country. Second, you've made the assumption that there are distance learning programs. I know that there is an Open U in Germany but that's not the same as distance learning. Third, you've made the assumption that a non-German, not living in Germany, can enroll in a German program at low cost. I'm sorry to disappoint you but it's possible that you're wrong on all three counts. If you're really interested, start your search here:

    http://web.mit.edu/cdemello/www/de.html
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  5. Woho

    Woho New Member

  6. Go_Fishy

    Go_Fishy New Member

    Being German, I just have to jump in here! ;)

    The important thing to know about Germany (and many other countries in the world) is that the higher-ed system works quite differently than in countries like the US.

    Among the most prestigious German universities you will find only public institutions because higher education has been the responsibility of the federal and state governments as per the constitution (or "Basic Law" - post-war Germany doesn't have a constitution).

    Private universities tend to fill niches and focus on particular areas. There are a couple of high-profile ones, but their reputation is usually restricted to their field, and the whole private university thing is quite new in Germany.

    This being said, there are a number of outstanding universities in Germany. Traditionally, universities in Germany did not openly compete with each other because this was considered unacademic. Today, the situation is somewhat different as universities begin to accept more and more private funding and compete for the most gifted international students. Furthermore, 10 (?) universities have been declared "elite universities" and receive significant funding from the federal government.

    My own alma mater, the University of Freiburg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Ludwigs_University_of_Freiburg) has just celebrated its 550th birthday. A home to 17 Nobel Prize laureates, the university ranks ahead of univerities like Georgetown, Tufts, and Dartmouth in international rankings (I just read this on Wikipedia, personally I think attempting to determine an institution's worth by rankings is pretty stupid ;)). And Freiburg is by far not the best university in Germany. Among other top schools are:

    University of Heidelberg
    University of Munich
    Technical University of Munich
    Humbold University Berlin
    University of Karlsruhe
    Freie Universitaet Berlin



    Now, here are some of the problems Americans studying at German universities have to face.

    Few distance education programs:

    This is a growing field in Germany. But compared to the US, the country is just too small. Distance programs do not make much sense for many schools.

    Language:

    More and more classes are offered in English, but for the full college experience, German is a must. This is of course a major disadvantage in the competition for talented international students (especially Asian students tend to go to the US and UK rather than Germany). (On the other hand, it is nice in terms of cultural identity, but this is not the topic here).

    Service and student support:

    German professors do not consider themselves service providers. Students are not paying customers but novices and do not receive the same attention as their American counterparts. Studying in Germany is DIFFICULT, and the students have a lot more responsibility for their learning than, say, in the US. For foreign students, who are usually not used to the German university system, this can be tough (even though international students get a TON more help than their German buddies).

    Plus, it happens that students find themselves crammed in a classroom with 30 other students and no A/C because the professor likes big crowds, and some ancient law from 1500 forbids messing around with the structure of the building... ;)

    Oops, long post! Sorry, not everything has to do with distance ed. But if anyone ever plans to move to Germany and enroll in a university program, please feel free to talk to me. There are a number of pitfalls, but studying in Germany can be an awesome and rewarding experience. Plus, there is good beer...
     
  7. samkoyejo

    samkoyejo New Member

    Kizmet: My post was an enquiry and not an assertion. Many thanks for the German DL link(s). I will send them an email shortly.

    Go_Fishy: Thanks for giving an insightful brief about the German educational system. It was simply brilliant! Should i decide for Germany (on-campus program), i will write you.

    Thanks to all contributors.

    Sam
     
  8. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Hey it's not any kind of big deal to me but let's face it, there were assumptions built into the enquiry.
     
  9. mba_expo

    mba_expo New Member

    For online MBA programs in Germany, you may want to search www.find-mba.com (which I've found to be an excellent resource). If I remember correctly, there's the Uni Freiburg, Fachhochschule Wolfenbuettel and the Fachhochschule Koblenz. Language of instruction is German. I have not checked the tuition fees but, as the above ones are public, should be reasonable.

    For those looking for European master's programs (incl. MBA) with English as the language of instruction will find that, besides the U.K., of course, the Netherlands has overall (trad. and distance) the largest selection. Of these, online is the Maastricht School of Management's MBA program, for example. Delft University is another.
     

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