The Frankfurt MBA | Full-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.

The course 'Managing Technology & Operations', a core course of the Frankfurt School's MBA program 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 explores how a company can use the operations functions of the organization to contribute gaining a competitive advantage. In order to realize 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.

The purpose of this module is the introduction of techniques to analyze 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. 

In this module, students will learn about the various leadership approaches that influence successful leadership of individuals and teams. Moreover, they will reflect on their own behaviour in order to improve their leadership style and abilities. In doing so, the will also take into account aspects of organisational culture in order to understand how to motivate and incentivize teams for performance and continuous improvements.

This module will be held at SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan.

"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.

Business Ethics

The course focuses 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 ethnical 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.
Knowledge: The students learn basic concepts and theories from the fields of business ethnics, CSR and corporate governance and stakeholder theory.

Skills: Students learn to recognize and solve ethical dilemmas, to participate in stakeholder analysis and to understand and influence employees’ behaviour. An integral part of the course is self-reflection, teamwork, and presentations. In the context of presentations students have the possibility to practice presentation techniques. Both presentations and discussions in the lessons help to develop rhetorical skills. Working together in a group develops teamwork capabilities.

Reflectivity: Students are made aware of management responsibilities and learn how to work in a constructively critical way.

Organisational Behaviour

The second part deals with organisational behaviour, i.e., the behaviour and attitudes of individuals and groups within the specific environment of businesses. Relevant topics relate to core process variables affecting people’s performance at work: For example, what factors stimulate job satisfaction and motivation? To what extent is employees’ motivation and success at work dependent on their personality profile (internal factors) or leadership (external factors)? Does power change people’s personality and if so, in what direction? What factors, beyond rational criteria, affect people’s perceptions and decision-making at work? In this respect various models and approaches to personality, social and organisational psychology will be reviewed. Critical-ethical reflection will be encouraged in considering the subsequent conclusions regarding students’ individual approach to leadership.

This module will be held at BI Norwegian Business School.

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 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.

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.

Lecturer

Fritjof Franz

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

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 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).   

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.

• CV or resume
• Transcript of records and degree certificate from previous university degree(s)
• Two letters of recommendation
• GMAT / GRE score report, or registration for FS Admissions Test
• TOEFL / IELTS score report, or proof of equivalent English fluency
• Case study assignment (instructions provided in online application)

Once you have been admitted to the The Frankfurt MBA programme, we ask that you make a tuition fee deposit of 5,000 Euros to secure your place on the programme. Your remaining fees will be paid in regular instalments at the beginning of each semester.

A limited number of MBA scholarships are available to encourage applications from candidates from any discipline or background with an outstanding academic or business track record.

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 German and international organisations offer competitive scholarships for outstanding students:

• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) awards stipends to cover the cost of living for international students pursuing an academic degree programme in Germany.
• 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
• Study first, pay later: the Generation Contract (GC) 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. Repayment starts after a successful career entry and after obtaining a minimum income of 30,000 EUR gross salary. Then alumni pay back a fixed percentage of their income over 10 years. 
  * The GC is available for prospective students from the following countries: Germany (and those who did their high school degree in Germany), Switzerland, Norway. Potentially also available for other EU-countries, USA and Canada.
• Future Finance provides student loans for tuition fees and cost of living.
• Student loans for US citizens are available by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). These loans may be used towards tuition and living expenses. Frankfurt School is one of only four universities in Germany who have received such approval by the US Department of Education. Take advantage of this unique opportunity in Germany to fund your MBA degree at Frankfurt School.
• 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.

The Klaus-Peter Müller scholarship was introduced through the generous sponsorship from Professor Dr. h.c. Klaus-Peter Müller, chairman of Commerzbank AG and honorary chairman of the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management foundation, who donated €1 million to support full-time Masters and MBA students.

The Klaus-Peter Müller scholarship will be awarded to full-time Master students who are not able to self-fund their studies and have performed exceptionally well throughout their previous studies, both academically and personally.

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