ESMT Berlin

FAQ

What is the tuition for ESMT’s MBA program?

The tuition for ESMT’s MBA program is €43,500 per year.

How hard is it to get into ESMT’s MBA program?

The acceptance rate for ESMT is around 30%. It is important to consider the acceptance rate in the context of the student profile of those who are admitted. For example the average GMAT score is 640.

What is the average GMAT score for admission to ESMT’s MBA program?

The average GMAT score for the incoming class at ESMT is 640.

Does the ESMT MBA program accept the GRE?

Yes. The ESMT MBA program has accepted the GRE for a few years now.

What is the average GRE score for admission to ESMT’s MBA program?

The average GRE scores for the ESMT MBA class are 160 Verbal and 160 Quant.

What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to ESMT’s MBA program?

ESMT requires a minimum of 3 years of postgraduate, professional experience.

What is the average number of years of work experience for admission to ESMT’s MBA program? (or, What is the average age of a ESMT student?)

The average number of years of work experience among students in ESMT’s MBA program is 7. The average age of an ESMT MBA student is 31.

What is the average starting salary for graduates of the ESMT MBA program?

The average starting salary for ESMT MBA graduates is 71,900 Euros. The salary will vary by industry, with consulting and finance jobs generally commanding the higher salaries.

How long is ESMT’s full-time MBA program?

ESMT offers a traditional 1 year MBA program.

What are the application deadlines for ESMT’s MBA program?

The Round 1 deadline is February 16. The Round 2 deadline is March 30. The Round 3 deadline is May 18. The Round 4 deadline is June 29. The Round 5 deadline is August 17. The Round 6 deadline is September 21. The Round 7 deadline is November 16.

What percent of ESMT MBA students are women?

The percentage of the class at ESMT that are women is 48%.

What type of interview does ESMT use for MBA admissions?

ESMT invites applicants to a personal interview, either at ESMT’s Berlin campus or via Skype. Applicants interview with an ESMT professor, director, or senior professional. The interview lasts about an hour, and assesses various aspects of the applicant’s interpersonal competency as well as career goals and aspirations.

Admissions

The Class Profile

The ESMT MBA Class of 2022 is comprised of 40 students. Thirty-five percent had studied engineering in their undergraduate years. Another 23% majored in business/management/economics and 8% humanities/arts. Six percent had studied finance and 5% sciences. Their average GMAT score is 640.

The class averaged seven years of work experience and had an average age of 31. Eighty-eight percent are international and 48% are women.

Application Procedures

ESMT has seven rounds of admissions deadlines. For consideration for an early application scholarship, applicants must submit their materials within the first three rounds. Prospective students must have three years of postgraduate, professional work experience, as well as an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification. The application requirements for ESMT include completing the school’s application forms and submitting essays, a CV, at least one letter of recommendation, and unofficial college and graduate transcripts. Applicants must also report their GMAT/GRE and, when applicable, TOEFL/IELTS scores. TOEFL scores (95 minimum), PTE score (64 minimum), IELTS score (7 minimum) or other English proficiency tests are accepted. If English is your native language or you earned a university degree exclusively taught in English you do not need to take an English proficiency test.

Interviews are required for admission, and ESMT holds interviews by invitation only. ESMT invites applicants to a personal interview, either at ESMT’s Berlin campus or via Skype. Applicants interview with an ESMT professor, director, or senior professional. The interview lasts about an hour, and assesses various aspects of the applicant’s interpersonal competency as well as career goals and aspirations.

Application Checklist

• Online application
• Essay questions
• CV
• At least one recommendation
• Test scores (GMAT/GRE, TOEFL/PTE/IELTS if applicable)
• Copies of university transcripts
• €50 application fee

ESMT Berlin LiveWire and DecisionWire

Academics

Faculty

ESMT employs 10 adjunct and 29 full time faculty. Their research appears in international academic journals, and contributes to managerial publications and case studies.

Curriculum

Full-time MBA students enroll at ESMT in January and complete their degree by March of the next year. The curriculum structure and cadence are designed to focus on the intersection of theory and practice. The curriculum is broken down into five Modules, each building on the previous one. The teaching style comprises a variety of different learning techniques, breaking down to roughly 65% case or group work and 35% lectures. The experiential learning approach gives students hands on experience in a small diverse class. Working groups are comprised of students from 4-6 different countries.

From January to May, MBA students complete the core curriculum, focused on managing organizations, assessing economic impact, making decisions and more. Students also complete an organizational project through the Global Network for Advanced Management. The second half of the program includes elective courses and activities outside the classroom like the Consulting Project. Courses focus on innovation, technology, managing big data, sustainable business development, entrepreneurship, and global strategic management.

The next module of the MBA introduces the core tracks of the program—Managerial Analytics, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Leadership. The courses in this module, which runs from June to mid-July, stress the areas where future leaders must excel, and where they must have specific awareness. Candidates choose one track to complete. Each track focuses on:

Managerial Analytics
Customer analytics
Advanced decision modeling
Machine learning

Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurial finance & valuation
Human factor of innovation
Creating and capturing value

Strategic Leadership
Digital transformation
Corporate Strategy
Agile leadership

Each track concludes with one “in-practice” week to work on simulation projects or visit relevant companies and organizations.

From mid-July to August/September, ESMT MBA students choose one of the three summer options to support personal and professional development. One option is the Industrial and Social Innovation Challenge, in which students team up to solve a corporate or social challenge while also developing skills in reverse entrepreneurship. The other options include a summer internship or further development of one’s German language skills through a 6-week intensive Sommer-Sprachschule. 

From September to December, ESMT MBAs can choose from a broad range of electives focused on topics that include digital transformation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, leadership, personal mastery, and more. Candidates may also elect to join a 1-week exchange. Fellow Global Network for Advanced Management partner schools include Yale, EGADE, HEC Paris, Fudan and many more. Students may also opt for a full term exchange.

Finally, from January to March, MBA students partake in a consulting project, applying their strategic learning to team-based fieldwork. Projects are selected from submissions from the Entrepreneurship and Social Impact Clubs or from ESMT’s corporate partners and contacts.

Other MBA Degree Options

The ESMT Berlin Part-time Blended MBA in Business Innovation allows students to continue working full-time while earning their MBA. Eighty percent of the program takes place online, with the remaining 20% is conducted in-person over 14 weekends in either Berlin or Munich. Online induction takes place in September, then the in-person weekends are held once a month beginning in October and ending in June. All students attend Berlin for the first module. The face-to-face weekend modules start Thursday evening, with full days of courses on Friday and Saturday.

ESMT Berlin also offers a Global Online MBA, which also allows students to continue to work full-time. The degree itself is designed for modern decision-making and leadership. The Online MBA has two start dates – May or September. The program is flexible, lasting two to five years depending on candidates’ needs and pace. Ninety-percent of the MBA curriculum is self-paced online and 10 percent is conducted live. The curriculum centers on technology and innovation with courses that cover topics like how to apply quantitative techniques to decision making, how to address organizational issues that can prevent effective decision making, and how to evaluate the implications of managerial decision making.

The ESMT Executive MBA curriculum integrates academic training with an Individual Leadership Development Itinerary, peer-to-peer and individual coaching, applied and evidence-based learning. The ESMT EMBA begins in October each year and runs for 18 months. It consists of 10 modules, each comprising a week. Most modules take place on ESMT’s Berlin campus, but EMBA candidates also partake in studies in North America and other international locations. Between modules students study independently, including pre-and post-module reading, assignments, case studies, group work, and the final report.

Students who graduate from the MBA at ESMT Berlin are eligible to apply for the Master of Advanced Management at Yale School of Management or the Master of Science in Management at MIT Sloan. The double degree program allows students to gain two degrees in two years, in the first year a full-time MBA at ESMT Berlin, and the second year a fast tracked masters at Yale or MIT.

Core Tracks at ESMT
Managerial Analytics
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Strategic Leadership

Degree Options at ESMT
Full-Time MBA
https://degrees.esmt.berlin/mba

Part-Time Blended MBA in Business Innovation
https://degrees.esmt.berlin/part-time-mba

Executive MBA
https://degrees.esmt.berlin/emba

Campus Life

Clubs & Conferences

ESMT students have a variety of opportunities to get involved with the school community. They have a choice of nine student-founded clubs to join: agriculture, consulting, entrepreneurship, innovation & technology, investment, marketing, net impact, Queery and women in leadership. Most of these have a professional focus and many collaborate. For instance, the Agriculture Club aims to develop tools to digitalize the agricultural process and help ensure that we produce enough food for the global population. In pursuing this goal, they collaborate with the Innovation & Technology Club, Entrepreneur Club, and ESMT sustainability initiatives. Meanwhile, the Queery Club advocates a more gender friendly environment and awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community, and the Women in Leadership club members seek to develop and empower women in leadership roles. Students can also join the Zero Waste Initiative, which aims to transform ESMT Berlin into a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly campus.

The DigitalFuture Summit is an annual event run by ESMT students that connects student talent with the future of digitalization. It offers a unique learning experience by providing a space for exchanging ideas and information with exciting panel discussions, inspiring keynotes and hands-on workshops.

Campus Spaces

The campus of ESMT Berlin sits in the historic Staatsratsgebäude, the former East German State Council in the heart of Berlin. Located on Museum Island, and a 10-minute walk from Alexanderplatz, ESMT officially opened in 2006 after modernization and restoration. The campus is also the location of renowned events and conferences, such as ESMT Annual Forum and ESMT Open Lectures.

Each MBA student has access to an assigned study room and lecture rooms for the duration of their studies. Students also have access to Space Shack, an entrepreneurial hub and co-working space also open to some of Berlins best start-ups.

All MBA students live off campus in a variety of private accommodations. ESMT has partnerships with a number of housing suppliers. Apartments and expenses in Berlin are low – it is one of the most affordable European capital cities.

Pre-MBA Opportunities

• Intensive German courses at GLS (German Language School Berlin)
• Full access to ESMT campus facilities
• Scheduled meeting with ESMT Career Services Advisor
• Ability to participate in ESMT Open Lectures
• Integration into ESMT MBA Club activities
• Networking opportunities with current MBA class

MBA Careers

Career Services

ESMT’s Career Services team plays an active role in supporting, advising, and guiding students as they consider their futures after their MBA. A series of career development workshops and personal coaching are integrated into the MBA course schedule, along with on-campus recruiting events and company visits throughout Germany.

Throughout the MBA program, students work individually with coaches, mentors, and advisors who give professional feedback and advice on career goals and opportunities. The annual career fair at ESMT campus boasts around 40 participating companies and takes place in February each year. This career fair is open for all ESMT students and alumni. The interview day takes place in the fall and is exclusively designed for MBA students. Participating companies conduct first round job interviews, or orientating career conversations with MBA candidates in a private setting.

During the year, ESMT MBA students have opportunities to interact with companies from a wide number of industries. Many corporate guests participate in class to discuss leading cases with professors, as well as dedicated information sessions about their companies. Career Services also organizes two career treks throughout Germany during the year. Students are able to visit company offices and ask questions about the industry or specific company culture. Recent company visits include: Allianz, Amazon, BMW, DeliveryHero, Earlybird, Google, HelloFresh, HERE, McKinsey, Microsoft, SAP, Signavio, Wayfair, Zalando, and many more.

Career Statistics

Graduates of ESMT Berlin automatically qualify for an 18-month work visa in Germany for which no employer support is needed.

Within 3 months of graduation, 60% of the Class of 2020 had received job offers. Amidst Covid-related delays and issues, that number increased to 72% within six months of graduation. Twenty-two percent each joined the tech or e-commerce industries. Consulting took in 12% of 2020 graduates. Food, FMCG, agriculture and healthcare industries all saw 8% of the ESMT Berlin Class of 2020. Energy, governance, logistics/transport each took in 4% of graduates.

ESMT keeps with the general business school trend of placing a considerable percentage of its graduates in the region where the school is located.  In this case, 80% of the Class of 2002 found work in Germany. Eight percent settled in other parts of Europe. Asia/Australia took in 7% of ESMT MBA graduates. The Americas and Africa split 5% of the class.

Financing

ESMT’s tuition and fees total €43,500. These fees include the cost of books and cases. They do not include travel to and from the Global Network exchanges. In addition to tuition, students should budget enough money for relocation and living expenses. The school recommends that students budget €1,000 to €1,500 a month for living expenses.

Most students cover the costs of their studies with a mix of scholarships, loans and personal savings. A separate scholarship essay is required in the application form to apply for a full or partial scholarship. Scholarships are allocated based on the candidate’s academic excellence, personal and professional achievement, leadership potential and superior interpersonal skills. Besides scholarships, admitted students may be eligible to borrow the program’s full tuition costs through Prodigy Finance or Brain Capital.