The Frankfurt MBA | Part-time

In the last decade, more and more economic tools have been productively integrated in managerial decision making. Typical examples are game theory as well as the analysis of incentive problems and negotiations. In the first part of the course, the economic perspective on business problems is discussed by combining standard theories on strategic thinking and behavioral decision making with insights from empirical and experimental research. In the second part students get familiar with the current global business cycle and macroeconomic policies as important features of the business environment.

Unless a company is successful financially, it does not matter how good a company's products or services are. In the most basic sense, financial success is business success and requires an effective and state-of-the art financial performance management.

The aim of this module is to introduce students how to measure performance and use this information internally to implement corporate strategy and externally to communicate and inform external stakeholders. A major emphasis is put on accounting information as "the primary language of business" although the course also covers alternative performance information such as customer satisfaction measures or the growing importance of social media information.

For strategy implementation and managerial performance management, a particular emphasis is put on the measurement of performance at different levels in an organization. It will be discussed extensively how non-financial and financial performance measures can be used for decision-making and control to implement corporate strategy. For information of external stakeholders, a particular emphasis is put on financial accounting information such as understanding the structure, details and interconnections between the balance sheet and the income statement based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Students will learn how this information can be interpreted and used by external stakeholders of an organization.

The module explores how to evaluate and develop effective business strategies. We discuss key drivers of profitability and examine how market structures, competitor behaviour, and the resources and capabilities of a company contribute to sustained profitability. The module then analyzes how value creation and value capture affect competitive positioning and the design of business models. Finally, we discuss how corporate strategy -- diversification moves and vertical integration -- may create or destroy value for shareholders and other stakeholders.

People are often described as a difficult to imitate resource of a company that helps to create competitive advantage. At the same time employees are sometimes seen as a barrier to change hindering a company to react to new demands in the market within an appropriate time span.

In our module management approaches will be presented and discussed that contribute to achieving strategic organizational goals by building a competent and forward looking workforce whose capabilities are built through effective selection and development, training and development and performance management. HR practices are envisioned as key strategy implementation tools which give realisation to the strategic vision and purpose of the organisation enabled through feedback and learning. The role of leadership, middle management support and employee participation in decision making are particularly emphasised. Change models are also examined intensively through the use of case studies of leading firms.

Patrick Flood

• Teambuilding & Intercultural Management
• Presentation & Communication
• Regression Analysis
• Project Management
• Colloquium: In the Boardroom

"The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer" – this statement by Peter Drucker is as true today as it was 60 years ago. In this course, we will discuss marketing and innovation strategies for targeting, acquiring, retaining, and developing customers. Students will learn how to quantify marketing success and how to evaluate the contribution of marketing and innovation activities to the overall success of the firm.

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The China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) is the leading business school in mainland China and one of the leading business schools in Asia and worldwide. The module International Strategy explores how to evaluate and develop effective business strategies in an international context by concentrating on shareholder and stakeholder value. A special focus is given to respective business strategies in Asia and China.

The purpose of the Finance the Enterprise module is the introduction of techniques to analyse major financial decisions made by corporations. The module focuses on finance concepts that can be applied directly to real-life financial decision making. Main topics covered in the course include hurdle rates and the cost of capital (i.e., the investment decision), the mix of debt and equity and the choice of the right kind of debt (i.e., the financing decisions), basic valuation concepts (i.e., discounted-cash flow and multiples valuation), mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. The course enables participants to make and assess complex corporate financial decisions.

The leadership and organisational behaviour part of the course focuses on individual, team, organisational and social factors affecting people’s behavior at work. Various models and approaches to leading and behaving will be reviewed. In their everyday work, leaders make decisions, either individually or in teams, which have substantial bearing on the sustainability of companies. However, the human mind has only limited capacity to evaluate and process the information that is available, and only a limited amount of time is available to make a decision. As a result, even individuals who intend to make rational choices are bound to make satisficing (rather than maximising or optimising) choices in complex situations. The course will focus on bounded rationality both at the individual level and in teams and discuss how to ensure quality and perspective taking in decision-making and leadership processes. Besides decision-making, influencing, coaching, and motivating employees are core challenges in managerial work. Drawing on insights from various research directions, the course will discuss three logics that drive people’s actions at work. Critical-ethical reflections will be encouraged in considering the subsequent conclusions regarding students’ individual approach to leadership and behavior in organisations.

The second part of the course elaborates on ethical and responsibility dilemmas at the level of individuals, businesses, and society. It reflects the philosophy of business, one aim of which is to determine the fundamental purposes of a company.

Students will be able to develop an independent analysis and provide solutions to questions relating to managers and corporations’ dispositions and their ethical and societal consequences. Knowledge gained from this course forms the basis of strategic and operational decisions relating to the structure and management of a business.

The course 'Managing Technology & Operations', a core course of the Frankfurt School's MBA programme deals with essential aspects and concepts of operations management and technology and provides the required tools for an efficient improvement of business processes.

The course 'Managing Technology & Operations' explores how a company can use the operations functions of the organisation to contribute gaining a competitive advantage. In order to realise intended process improvements, relevant concepts and techniques are discussed. Hence, it is a key question of this course how process improvements can be achieved by using the respective concepts. Furthermore, critical implementation aspects will be discussed.

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Introduction

Courses in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial management have gained popularity in business schools everywhere, but it is not clear just what should be taught and how. In contrast to accounting, for example, entrepreneurship lacks a defined technical base or discipline. Moreover, individuals and organizations ranging from street vendors to transnational corporations all espouse entrepreneurial activity, which suggests that the topic should permeate all of business education. What can the focus of a special course on innovation and entrepreneurship possibly be?

The mission adopted for the Entrepreneurial Management course is to prepare MBA and EMBA students to start and nurture their own businesses (whether such businesses are new or within established organizations). Business schools admit students with great talent and high long-term expectations of responsibility, autonomy, and financial reward. Historically, some MBA and EMBA students have had an innate desire to run their own businesses, but many of those who didn't often turned to entrepreneurship after they confronted the realities of a pyramidal corporate world.

Further, it is widely recognized that even the future leaders of large business corporations must have an entrepreneurial mindset, in order to create the growth engines that will provide sustainable growth opportunities to their organizations.

This course will provide an overview of innovation and entrepreneurship that will help entrepreneurs in independent start-ups as well as large corporations pursue new business opportunities.

Topics to be covered:

1. What is entrepreneurship?
2. How are opportunities identified and how can they be evaluated?
3. What different kinds of resources do start-ups need and how can they be mobilized?
4. How can a start-up develop and fine tune its business model?
5. What are some of challenges associated with growth?
6. What are the unique challenges of launching new businesses from established companies?

MBA Master Thesis

The MBA Master Thesis in the final months of the MBA programme provides students with three options to put their newly developed skills into practice and to demonstrate their analytical and research competency at the Master level through a major piece of work:

1. Consulting Project (CP)
2. Entrepreneurial Business Plan (EBP)
3. Research Project (RP)

Consulting Project (CP)

A Consulting Project (CP) is performed by a student in consultation with the academic supervisor of Frankfurt School on an agreed strategy or management problem of their organisation. It is expected that the CP results in practical, implementable recommendations to the company. Frankfurt School explicitly encourages project teams of up to 4 students. In case of team work, the contributions of the individual team members must be identifiable, such that individual assessment is possible.

Entrepreneurial Business Plan (EBP)

An Entrepreneurial Business Plan (EBP) by a student in consultation with the academic supervisor of Frankfurt School means a comprehensive business plan for the establishment and start-up phase of a new enterprise/initiative, according to a set format. An EBP may also be performed by a group of up to 4 students.

Research Project (RP)

A (traditional) thesis as a major, individual piece of work, on a subject of conceptual/research interest for business, following a set of scholarly criteria typical for scholarly work, like in a conventional Master thesis.

Digitalisation focuses on transforming processes, products, or entire business models through information technology. The ubiquity of digital technologies in terms of enterprise applications, but also sensors, social media, and different kinds of mobile devices, the tremendously increasing availability of various kinds of data, and the development of analytical tools and capabilities for handling and utilizing these vast amounts of "Big Data" enable firms to transform any facet of their business – from optimising or re-engineering the business processes and operations, via changing the way how business decisions are made to digitalising the customer interface, products and services, or re-inventing the whole business model.

In this module, students will get an overview about the opportunities and challenges of managing digital transformation. They will get a basic understanding about how information systems support the operations of an organisation, they will learn about the range of technologies and analytical approaches that help to utilise “Big Data”, and they will develop competencies to use this knowledge for transforming parts of a business towards a digital business. They will also get insights into the fundamental challenges of establishing a firm-wide IT platform, which is required to run digital initiatives and to enable data-driven processes and business models. Finally, we will discuss the economic and societal changes that come along with the digital transformation of firms and industries.

The objective of this course is to undertake a rigorous study of the theory and empirical evidence relevant to investment management. It will introduce you to the characteristics of various financial securities and discuss the risks and rewards associated with them.

Topics covered include optimal portfolio selection and asset allocation, the theory of asset pricing models, market efficiency, behavioral finance, the mutual fund and hedge fund industry, as well as techniques for evaluating investment management performance.

The elective will also introduce the basics of M&A: M&A strategy, target search, transaction processes, valuation techniques and factors for success and failure in M&A.

Lecturer

Fritjof Franz

Director Business Development and Head of M&A, Paul Hartmann AG

The course introduces key principles and methods used in designing effective organisations. Participants will learn how to select an organisational model that fits a firm’s strategy and business processes, and to implement the model by creating or adjusting sub-units, roles, reporting structures, and other elements. The teaching methods include case analyses, theoretical and conceptual discussions, as well as a simulated organisation design project (performed by groups of students).   

Video: What is organisation design? 

Supply chains are networks of organizations (suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers) that jointly supply and transform materials, and distribute products and services to consumers. If designed and managed properly, these networks are a crucial source of competitive advantage for both manufacturing and service enterprises. Each day, companies such as Amazon, Apple, Dell, and Zara try to leverage their supply chain management capabilities to achieve sustainable growth far ahead of their competition. This course develops a framework of supply chain drivers, that helps students understand the financial implications of a firm’s ability to align its supply shain strategy with its overarching competitive strategy. Importantly, the course addresses supply chain tailoring: what is the right supply chain strategy for one product (say, diapers), may well be the wrong strategy for another (say, fashionable shoes).

The elective “Renewable Energy Finance” will provide an overview of the regulatory environment as it is shaped by climate related policies. Together with an introduction to the specifics of electricity markets (e.g. grids, volatile and intermittent sources, challenge of storability) the approaches to finance renewables-based electricity generation will be discussed.  We will look at project finance transactions for wind or photovoltaic and identify major risks and potential mitigants. Along this we also discuss the role of public finance institutions (e.g. World Bank or national promotional banks) and their respective toolbox for investment support (e.g. concessional loans, guarantees), as these institutions play a significant role at a global scale. Global market trends will be discussed.

A significant part of the course will be dedicated to debate topical issues from the field. These may include: (i) characterising different forms of “Green Bonds”; (ii) relation between financial markets and climate change impacts and policies; (iii) trend to securitise renewables-portfolios through so-called “YieldCos” (tradable equity); (iv) impact of developments at the level of the UN climate negotiations.

Frankfurt School graduates are known for their first class-analytical skills and practical knowledge. To prepare MBA students for successful future careers, we provide the following services:

• Individual career planning and placement support
• CV checking
• Job market preparation
• Professional skills workshops and application trainings
• Job board
• Career fairs
• Corporate presentations and workshops
• Career Services newsletter
• Access to Frankfurt School’s career network with corporate partners and alumni

The aim of our professional services is simple: to enhance the professional development of our students and to assist in preparing them as thoroughly as possible for a successful career. Our Career Services team is here to help you make the most of your next career step.

• CV or resume
• Transcript of records and degree certificate(s) from previous university
• Two reference letters (at least one from an employer - can be handed in later in the application process if not available yet)
• Registration for FS Admissions Test in online application or upload GMAT/GRE score 
• TOEFL / IELTS score report, or proof of equivalent English proficiency
• Case study assignment (instructions provided in online application)
• Letter of motivation

Once you have been admitted to the The Frankfurt MBA programme, we kindly ask you to make a tuition fee deposit of 5,000 Euros to secure your place in the programme. The remaining fees will be paid in regular instalments at the beginning of each semester. If you were granted a scholarship, then the total amount reduces by the given scholarship amount.

Example:

Total cost part-time MBA: 36,000 Euro
Down payment to secure place in the programme: 5000 Euro
Tuition fee semester 1 (due at the beginning of the semester): 7750 Euro
Tuition fee semester 2 (due at the beginning of the semester): 7750 Euro
Tuition fee semester 3 (due at the beginning of the semester): 7750 Euro
Tuition fee semester 4 (due at the beginning of the semester): 7750 Euro

*adjustments to the payment schedule can be discussed individually

There are a limited number of partial scholarships available for outstanding candidates. If you apply for a scholarship by May 31, your application will be considered for funding by the Scholarship Committee. Scholarships will be awarded to candidates with outstanding academic or business track record or excellent performance during the admissions process.

All scholarship decisions are merit-based, although financial hardship may also be taken into consideration in special cases. Scholarships are awarded at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee and decisions are final. Scholarships will only be awarded to cover tuition fees and will be deducted from the total tuition amount. No funds are available to cover living expenses.

Several organisations offer competitive scholarships for outstanding students:

• The Generation Contract Study first, pay later: the Generation Contract is an innovative model to finance your studies. The GC allows the applicant to study at Frankfurt School without paying tuition fees during the study programme.
• Future Finance provides student loans for tuition fees and cost of living.
• Bildungsfonds offers funding to help cover living costs, tuition fees, and other expenses during the MBA programme. Funding is available for both EU and non-EU citizens. Applicants must complete a multi-stage selection process – part of the process is conducted in German, so at least basic German language skills are highly recommended. Engineers can apply for the specialised Festo-Bildungsfonds.
• Deutsche Bildung AG offers financial support to German and international students studying in Germany
• Student loans for US citizens are available by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Frankfurt School’s US Federal School Code is G40153.
• Private loans are available from many banks to support educational expenses. We recommend that you contact your local banks to find out what options are available.