“Our mission is ‘German Excellence. Global Relevance.’ The idea is to stick with German characteristics, such as a rigorous education, but also to attract students and teach cases from all over the world.”

Professor Adrian Buss, Associate Professor of Finance and Academic Director of MBA Programs at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, discusses what makes the Frankfurt School’s MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Topics

• Introduction (0:00)
• Program Highlights – What Makes the Frankfurt School MBA Unique? (4:20)
• Frankfurt School MBA Admissions & Scholarships – How to Improve Your Chances? (20:45)
• Career Opportunities after Frankfurt School – What to Know & How to Prepare (36:15)

Frankfurt School of Finance & Management Full-time MBA Highlights

(last updated October 2023)

• Length, Intake, Size: 12-months, September intake, 30-40 students/year
  • The MBA is taught entirely in English. However, German classes are provided for all non-German speaking students throughout the duration of the programme.
• Typical Class: 
  • 7 years average work experience
  • 90% international (20 countries)
  • GPA average: not available
  • GMAT average: not available
• Curriculum:
  • Academic Core:
    • MBA Leadership Camp Orientation + 10 required core corses (including module abroad at SDA Bocconi in Italy) + choose 6 electives (from 20) + research thesis / consulting project / business plan
  • Tracks (2): Advanced Management, Finance & Technology
  • Study Abroad: 1 week core course “Innovation” taken abroad at SDA Bocconi in Italy
  • MBA Degrees (5): Full-time MBA (12 months), Part-time MBA (21 months), Executive MBA (18 months, part-time), MBA International Healthcare Management (20 months, part-time), MBA for Executives in Kinshasa (18 months, part-time)
  • Faculty: 70+ full-time professors and 20+ adjunct professors
  • Student Clubs: 40+ “student initiatives” in various fields, including sports, arts & culture, social engagement, and personal and professional development initiatives
• Admissions: 
  • Application requirements:
    • First academic degree (Bachelor or equivalent)
    • 3 years of post-graduate work experience
    • GMAT or GRE preferred (Frankfurt School Business Test Methods also available)
    • TOEFL(90) / IELTS(7)
    • Transcripts
    • CV in English
    • Copy of Passport
    • Case Study Essay (Download an article about a current business/management issue. Please read the text and write a brief (i.e. 500 words) response to the questions provided)
    • 2 recommendations
    • Interview with Faculty Member or Program Managers over Zoom
  • Admissions is looking for:
    • Academic aptitude
    • Work experience
    • International exposure
  • Application rounds: 4 application rounds between November and July
    • Apply in earlier rounds for reduced tuition (i.e. by 30th November for 6,000€ discount, by 29th February for 4,000€ discount, by 31st May for 2,500€ discount)
• Scholarships: 4 types of scholarships available each year up to 30% of tuition; two out of three students are awarded scholarships of varying magnitudes
  • High Performance
  • Diversity & International Scholarships
  • Women in Business Scholarships
  • Entrepreneur & Leadership Scholarships
  • Specialised Background Scholarship (e.g. Engineering, Finance, Technology, Innovation)
• Careers:
  • Placement, Class of 2021: 84% employed w/in 3 months of graduation, 65,500€ avg starting salary (9,000€ avg bonus), graduates experienced 61% increase in salary after 3 years; average alumni salary is 102,090 USD after 3 years
  • Top Destinations, Class of 2021: 90% Germany, 4% Americas, 3% Africa, 3% Asia
  • Top Industries, Class of 2021: 31% technology & engineering, 14% manufacturing, 10% financial services, 10% consumer goods & fmcg, 7% healthcare & pharma, 7% real estate
  • Top Functions, Class of 2021: 18% IT, 14% sales & business development & marketing, 14% project management & consulting, 11% finance & controlling& tax, 11% product development
  • 65+ companies have hired Frankfurt School MBA graduates since the start of the program
• Rankings: Ranked #98 internationally by Financial Times (2023)
• Alumni:  60,000+ Frankfurt School Alumni, 1,400+ MBA alumni
• Tuition: 42,000€; no application fee; estimated living costs 1,500€/month
• Accreditations: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, Wissenschaftsrat from German Council of Science & Humanities

About Our Guest

Dr. Adrian Buss is Associate Professor of Finance and Academic Director of MBA Programs at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. Prior to joining the Frankfurt School, Adrian taught as an Associate Professor of Finance at Insead for over 10 years.

Adrian graduated from the University of Mannheim with a Masters of Science in Mathematics and Business Informatics before getting his PhD in Finance at Goethe University Frankfurt.

Show Notes

• Frankfurt School of Finance & Management MBA Programs

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