Curriculum

Our full-time MBA program starts with building up expertise in business administration, finance, economics, technology management, and data literacy as a strong foundation, accompanied by key insights and skills concerning transformational leadership. The focus lies on the practical application of your gained knowledge while the goal is to learn by experience how approaches from different disciplines fit together. Strategy development in teams based on real-life cases improves your skillset by integrating project management, intercultural communication, leadership, and creativity. Last but not least the MBA degree program aims at developing personal and leadership skills based on your individual profile. Over three semesters, you will acquire 90 ECTS credits.

In addition, you may enroll in a German language course for one entire semester at no extra cost.

Management and Business Administration

The first modules of the program introduce you to the field and tackle the main questions associated with digital change for societies and companies. Building on these foundations, you expand your knowledge in finance, management, and data science.

Strategy Labs

Practical labs at the end of each term provide the opportunity to apply the learned competencies and to develop personal skills in leadership, communication as well as project management in intercultural teams.

Industry Applications

Industry-focused electives enable you to define your context of application. Parts of the program will be taught at the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering at RWTH Aachen University.

Capstone Project

The final part of the program is about developing strategies for the real world – and for real companies – making use of the competencies and skills gained during the first year in an interdisciplinary capstone project.

Master Thesis

You demonstrate your ability to work independently and to apply the knowledge and skills gained during the MBA program by writing a master thesis. In the thesis, you specify a challenging management problem, analyze it using scientific methods, and derive new insights based on your research findings.

Learning Experience

Our educational approach aims to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and vision to become effective technology leaders able to proactively shape technological developments in your industry rather than being shaped by them. Our professors will enable you to harness the full potential of new technologies and to solve the grand interdisciplinary challenges of today and tomorrow. To be as effective as possible in our teaching, we are at the forefront of digitized learning. All modules follow a participant-centered and experience-based learning approach that is designed to deliver a truly customized learning experience:

  • With regard to teaching methods, variety is key: lectures, cases, labs, flipped-classrooms, applied projects, and creativity tools all come together to form an immersive learning experience.
  • You learn in interdisciplinary teams being coached by company representatives and university professors.
  • You train the application of scientific methods for practical problem solutions while coaches help to interpret personal profiles.
The Heart of the Program: Capstone Project

The Capstone Project builds on the knowledge gained during your studies and merges your business competencies, your ability to think strategically and interdisciplinary, and your leadership skills in a conclusive real-life-project. Accompanied by academic experts and company managers, you work on solutions for company-specific problems in a project- and team-setting. You develop strategies for transformation linked to the projects, lead in a team, and continuously get feedback on your theoretical findings and practical suggestions.

Development Opportunities

The full-time MBA prepares you for leadership roles in the industrial sector. Traditional industries face dramatic and partly disruptive changes in their existing business models and supply structures. Everything is about customer-oriented business models and agile processes in organizations that enable fast loops concerning the integration of new information. Various production-oriented industries define the competence to manage interfaces and data, build up innovative customer relationships, and lead interdisciplinary teams as key requirements for their employees.

Your Career Prospects

By participating in our MBA Digitalization & Industrial Change, you will make more than the next career step. Completing the degree program will help you to transform your career and empowers you to lead the digital transformation in your field – rather than just following it.

  • Project Manager Strategy and Transformation: You are responsible to foresee major technological developments and initiate new processes and business solutions.
  • Digitalization and Automation Manager: You are responsible for coordinating the functional design and implementation of digital tools and for optimizing production processes towards a smart factory.
  • Digital Project Manager: You are responsible for developing and managing various digital projects.
  • Digital Marketing Manager: You are responsible for the digital presence of the company and its online marketing activities.
  • Management Consultant: You are responsible to analyze the digital footprint of companies and provide strategic advice for transforming into smart and agile companies.

Whichever path you choose to follow after graduation, our career service will accompany you on that journey and help you decide how to best realize your ambitions. Our graduates usually find a profession in global technology blue chips, hidden technology champions, leading technology consultancies, and fast-growing technology ventures.

Portrait of Prof. Dr. Oliver Lorz, academic director of the Full-Time MBA, in the eGo showroom.
Meet your professors | Prof. Dr. Oliver Lorz

Interview: Prof. Dr. Oliver Lorz, academic director of the Full-Time MBA Digitalization & Industrial Change, on management training, the curriculum and his expectations of the program.

Full interview
Dr. Garnet Kasperk, academic co-director of the full-time MBA standing in front of the Super C of RWTH Aachen University
Meet your lecturers | Dr. Garnet Kasperk

Introducing: Dr. Garnet Kasperk, academic co-director of the Full-Time MBA Digitalization & Industrial Change. “This challenge will prepare real business leaders for their future challenges.”

Full interview

Requirements

To apply for our full-time MBA, you need to prove different academic and English language requirements.

Academic Requirements

Technology or Management Focus

RWTH Business School is looking for applicants who have a degree in business/economics or industrial engineering. A technological background or professional experience in a technological environment is an advantage for the technology-oriented study program.

Professional Work Experience

Courses within the full-time MBA address a broad set of technology and management challenges from current practice. Applicants thus need to have at least 24 months of relevant professional work experience.

English Language Requirements

The program is entirely taught in English. A recognized certificate of proficiency in English is required:

  • TOEFL Internet based minimum of 90 pts.,
  • IELTS (Academic) test minimum overall band 5,5 pts.,
  • Cambridge Test – Certificate in Advanced English (CAE),
  • First Certificate in English (FCE), completed with a B,
  • Placement-Test of RWTH Aachen University’s language centre (B2).
  • For German applicants: A certificate attesting English language skills at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This proof is provided, for example, by the submission of a German Abitur certificate, which shows that English has been continuously taught until the end of qualification phase 1 (grade 11 for G8 A-levels, otherwise grade 12) and has been completed with at least sufficient marks.

A scanned copy of the score reports needs to be uploaded to the online application system. Please do not send the original TOEFL or IELTS score sheets to the university (also not via ETS). In case of admission, the original scores have to be presented for enrollment in October.

Exemptions for the language requirements are only applicable for nationals or first degree holders from the USA, the UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia.

Required documents

  • CV
  • Motivation letter
  • At least one letter of recommendation (merged as one document)
  • Transcript of records
  • Proof of professional experience of at least 24 months
  • Other proof of performance/assessment, e.g. English certificate, degree certificate, further qualifications (not mandatory for admission)
  • Translation of submitted documents (if your documents are not in English or German)
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Checklist Documents for Application

Deadlines

Application for the Full-Time MBA is possible through our application portal from October 1 until August 31. There is no application fee.

Scholarships

RWTH Business School offers various scholarships to support particularly suitable candidates. Information on our scholarships, the application process, and external scholarship opportunities can be found at the link below.

Scholarship information

FAQ

You cannot find the answers to your questions or want to learn more about living and studying in Aachen respectively Germany? Then take a look at our FAQ area for more information on course specific topics or on general topics like financing & scholarships, the application process, or accommodation.

FAQ area