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M.Sc. in Strategic Management & Consulting

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Master of Science in Strategic Management & Consulting (M.Sc.) in Germany

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Master of Science in Strategic Management - Why should you study it?

With its comprehensive training concept, the master of science in strategic management & consulting prepares you optimally for positions in management or consulting companies. Within four semesters, you will thus become able to make far-reaching decisions for your future employer on the basis of figures and facts.

What strategy change should a company implement? And which consulting tools and techniques do you use to base your evidence on to justify this change in strategy to the management? In your master’s degree in “Strategic Management and Consulting” you will not only acquire a comprehensive understanding of the entirety of a business model, but also apply a comprehensive Consulting Tools Kit that will prepare you ideally for the demands of the professional world. After successful completion of your consulting studies you will be awarded the title “Master of Science”.

Targeted further development of consulting and management skills

Can you imagine using your analysis and decision-making skills to successfully manage your company? In our English-language master`s programme in Consulting you will acquire all the necessary specialist and methodological skills for this: you will deal intensively with the digital aspects and considerations of sustainable management and take a look at the topic of “Business Models”. The major changes in traditional industry structures and the continuous transformation of successful business models – especially in times of digitalisation – require clever strategic approaches and answers, which you will acquire in the “Strategic Renewal” course. In addition, you will develop an understanding of business start-ups and your own start-up idea as a basis for management consulting in subjects such as

  • Strategic Investment Decision and Risk Management

  • Strategic Renewal and Digital Business Models

  • Environmental Impact Management

  • Corporate Governance

  • ECTS 120
  • Semester 4
  • Language English
  • Type of Study Full-time
  • Degree Master of Science
  • Campus Cologne
  • Internship Integrated**
  • Semester Abroad Integrated**
  • Start of Studies Winter Cologne
  • Study Fee* 5.730 €
FINANCIAL AID
RANKINGS & ACCREDITATIONS

Study Course Plan

Some information about the study plan for the study programme Masters in Strategic Management:

General business teaching units

Business Economics3 ECTS ? !
  • Analysis of demand, supply, and market equilibrium

  • Theory of consumer choice

  • Theory of the firm, production and cost analysis

  • Market structures: perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, contestable markets

  • Game theory

  • Pricing strategies

  • Factor markets, labor economics

  • Economics of information

  • Industrial organization

  • Limitations of markets and interventions by the government

  • Econometric techniques related to these topics

Empirical Research Methods3 ECTS ? !
  • Development of a research question

  • Primary vs. secondary data

  • Steps of research process

  • Research designs

  • Quantitative and qualitative data

  • Structured methods of data collection: questionnaire and structured interview

  • Un- and semi-structured methods: qualitative interview and focus group

  • Quantitative and qualitative content analysis

  • Ethical considerations of data collection

  • Sampling

  • Data analysis using statistical software programs (SPSS)

  • Univariate analysis, bivariate analysis (crosstab and correlation), multiple linear regression

  • Writing a research report – structural and other formal requirements

Strategic Analysis & Management3 ECTS ? !
  •  Strategy making process and strategic reasoning: cognitive process of strategy 
    creation through the prism of logic and intuition

  • Setting strategic purpose in the context of responsible stakeholder management

  • Advanced external environment analysis: markets, industries and competitive 
    landscapes in static and dynamic perspective in the domestic and international 
    context

  • Diagnosing and managing strategic capability through national borders over time

  • Cultural and institutional context of strategic management: concepts, frameworks 
    and analytical tools

  • Generic and interactive business strategies, inside-out and outside-in perspective on 
    achieving and sustaining competitive advantage internationally

  • Network-level strategies

  • Corporate development and configuration: strategic options and portfolio matrices

  • Strategy formation

  • Strategic change and corporate restructuring

  • Strategic renewal

  • Strategy evaluation and strategic controls: tools and methods

  • Organizing for success

Innovation Management & Digital Transformation3 ECTS ? !
  • Diagnosing the change context: diffusion and dynamics of innovation 

  • Sources & types of innovation

  • Product/service, process & business model innovation

  • Individual and corporate creativity

  • Strategic innovation management & the innovation process incl. New Product Development (NPD)

  • Introduction to digitalization, digital age & digital divide

  • Digital drivers & disruptive forces

  • Technological drivers of digital transformation

  • Socio-technological change associated with the adoption of the mentioned drivers

  • Introduction to the digital organization & digital business models

  • Impact of digitalization on the value chain (Industry 4.0)

  • Digitalization-related innovation theories & technology management

  • Digitalization leadership & organisational transformation concepts

  • Change management & transformational leadership

  • Agility and VUCA world

  • SCRUM and Design Thinking

Programme specific teaching units

Consulting Techniques3 ECTS ? !
  • Management consulting as a management activity

  • Management consulting as an industry and profession: areas, history, development in the era of globalization

  • Controversies and ethics of management consulting

  • Consulting engagement as problem solving exercise

  • Analytical and interactive data processing and forecasting methods

  • Analytical problem solving approaches and techniques

  • Creative approaches to problem solving and decision making

  • Evidence-based decision making methods

  • Structured and logical report writing techniques

  • Effective communication techniques

Evidence-Based Problem Solving - CaseLab3 ECTS ? !
  • Strategy process

  • Strategic thinking

  • Strategy formation

  • Strategic content and context

  • Organizational context

  • Industry context

Data Science3 ECTS ? !
  • Machine learning, AI and neural networks

  • Information visualization

  • Big Data and statistical methods for big data analysis

  • Data mining

  • Database systems (e.g Hadoop, Kubernetes)

Business Intelligence3 ECTS ? !
  • Introduction in Business Intelligence

  • KPIs and Dashboards

  • Report definitions

  • Multidimensional Modeling

  • OLAP

  • Data warehouses within a company infrastructure

  • Interfaces and ETL

  • BI Software Products

Interdisciplinary competencies

International Project Management2 ECTS ? !
  • Social competence: Communication, motivation, groups and team structures, leadership, conflict management

  • Methodological competence: Structural aspects, time management, cost management, human resource management, creativity and problem solving

  • Organisational competence: Quality management, documentation, risk management, project start and closure

Language & Communication Skills2 ECTS ? !

The “Scholarly Writing and Analysis” course is offered for German native speakers. German as a foreign language is offered as an obligatory course for Non-native German speakers.

General business teaching units

Corporate Social Responsibility3 ECTS ? !
  • Cornerstones of sustainable management

  • CSR as management approach

  • Practical approaches of organizational effectiveness

  • Tools for CSR implementation

  • CSR and financial performance

  • Life cycle assessment

Corporate Governance3 ECTS ? !
  • Historical developments around the world

  • Directors and board structures in different parts of the world

  • Family business governance

  • Role of institutional investors

  • Corporate governance in mergers and acquisitions

  • Socially responsible investments

  • Corporate governance in different regions

Value Based Management3 ECTS ? !
  • Value maximization and corporate objectives, shareholder value and stakeholder value approach

  • Financial measurement of corporate strategies and competitive advantage: the principles

  • Shortcomings of traditional profitability ratios for a value-based management

  • Economic Value Added, Cash Value Added

  • Identifying the drivers of value creation and investment decision-making

  • Management compensation and incentives for value creation

Sustainable Supply Chain Management3 ECTS ? !
  • Defining the state of a sustainable supply chain based on actual trends

  • Discussion of various theoretical concepts (e.g. Stakeholder Theory, Slack Resource Theory) and their implications for sustainable supply chain management

  • Defining a “New Normal” of how to do business (e.g. circular economy, regenerative business models, carbon literacy training)

  • Sustainable Marketing (definition, Green Marketing Strategy Mix, Green Washing and Sustainable Consumer Buying Behaviour)

  • Sustainable Procurement (definition, Sustainable Procurement Process Model with a focus on sustainable supplier relationship management; new trends like circular procurement)

  • Sustainable Logistics

  • Sustainable Design

  • Carbon Emission / Human Rights in global supply chains

Programme specific teaching units

Strategic Investment Decision & Risk Management3 ECTS ? !
  • Investment decisions under conditions of uncertainty

  • Types of Investments and disinvestments

  • Investment Decisions under capital constraints

  • Strategic Analysis of selected investment decisions

  • Funding Decisions

  • Financial Distress

Experience Lab: Search Engine Marketing3 ECTS ? !
  • Introduction: definition

  • Search Engine Optimization / SEO

  • Keyword research

  • On-page SEO

  • Web analytics and SEO tools

  • Search Engine Advertising/ SEA

  • Campaign settings 

Business Project6 ECTS ? !

The overall objective of this course is to provide students with possibility of applying their business knowledge on concrete business situation, related to the field of their specialization.

By the end of the module students should be able to:

  • Define project goals for the “client”.

  • Work under the set timeframe and agreed project scope.

  • Cooperate in the international project teams.

  • Evaluate markets/ industries/ competitive landscapes.

  • Develop possible strategic directions for the “client” business.

  • Formulate recommendations.

Elective area

Business Elective3 ECTS ? !

A business elective is a business or management-related elective course.By choosing Business Electives in the second and third semester you can personalize your degree course and extend your management knowledge.

Interdisciplinary Elective3 ECTS ? !

By choosing Interdisciplinary Electives in the second and third semester you can personalize your degree course and extend your management knowledge. An interdisciplinary elective is an elective from another discipline than your own specialization.

Interdisciplinary competencies

Assessment Center Bootcamp 2 ECTS ? !
  • Consulting Industry: Sector Overview Company Profiles – Job Opportunities and Consulting Careers

  • Job profile: Characteristics of capabilities and skills needed as a consultant

  • Job application and interview training

  • Consulting (mini) case study training

  • Framework for processing case studies

  • Brain Teaser Training

  • Case Simulation (Individual and Group Cases)

Programme specific teaching units

Industry 4.0 & System Engineering3 ECTS ? !
  • Innovative concepts, technologies and systems which are required for Industry 4.0

  • Use cases (Digital Twin, Predictive Maintenance, Condition Monitoring ) for Industry 4.0

  • Maturity and Readiness Model for Industry 4.0 Strategy

  • Business models in Industry 4.0

  • Systems analysis, systems design, systems architecture

Environmental Impact Management and Marketing3 ECTS ? !
  • Historical developments and environmental policies: Evolution and role of industrial ecology and environmental management

  • The transition from a linear to a circular economic system

  • Industrial Metabolism, Dematerialization, Cradle to Cradle (C2C) & Circular Economy

  • Life-Cycle-Impact Portfolio and Life-Cycle-Assessment: Stages of LCA process, interconnectedness to supply chain

Strategic Renewal & Digital Business Models3 ECTS ? !
  • Corporate strategy

  • Development of a corporate strategic concept

  • Corporate strategy evaluation and development of strategic options

  • Emergent and prescriptive approaches

Applied M&A & Restructuring3 ECTS ? !
  • Corporate strategy evaluation and development of strategic options

  • Emergent and prescriptive approaches

  • Gap closing strategies

  • Buy strategies: Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Build strategies: Strategic renewal, organic corporate development strategies

  • Ally strategies

Venture Lab4 ECTS ? !
  • Discovering and evaluating entrepreneurial opportunities

  • Developing business ideas from opportunities (e.g. based on using Design Thinking, Personas and User Stories).

  • Feasibility analysis of business ideas

  • Transferring the idea into a Business Model

  • Business Model and its building blocks (value proposition, customers segments, channels, customer relationships, revenue model, key partners, key activities, key resources, cost structure)

  • Business Plan: Introduction, Sample Case and General Outline

  • Developing the details of the business plan

  • Finding sources of financing: Business angels; Private equity; Start up financing; Venture capital investors

  • Preparing a pitch deck for successfully presenting the new venture business plan

Integrative Case Studies3 ECTS ? !
  • Focused review of the curriculum content

  • Pre-assessment quiz/ content area assessment as benchmark for students’ status quo

  • Guide and Strategic Plan to Case Study Analysis

  • Writing a proper Case Study Analysis report

  • Developing proper answers to Case questions, applying the relevant theoretical knowledge and frameworks

  • In-depth Case Study Analysis with focus all subject areas of the curriculum

  • In-depth Case Study Analysis with special focus on Strategic Management

Business Simulation Game3 ECTS ? !

In a business simulation game participants have to manage their own virtual company which operates in the same market as other participant-operated competitors. This involves making typical management decisions in realistic environments. Beside the deepening and active examination of subject-specific knowledge the simulation games also include the team environment, where interaction, communication and prioritization are of paramount importance. Participants learn how to manage risk and uncertainty while time is limited and information constrained. Group-reflections help to take over different perspectives and to discuss pros and cons of content- as well as behavior-related actions.

Master Thesis Tutorial2 ECTS ? !

During the Master Thesis Tutorial you will learn the fundamentals for your Master thesis: Defining the topic as well as structuring the thesis and you will learn the theoretical knowledge for scientific working.

Elective area

Business Elective3 ECTS ? !

A business elective is a business or management-related elective course.By choosing Business Electives in the second and third semester you can personalize your degree course and extend your management knowledge.

Interdisciplinary Elective3 ECTS ? !

By choosing Interdisciplinary Electives in the second and third semester you can personalize your degree course and extend your management knowledge. An interdisciplinary elective is an elective from another discipline than your own specialization.

Interdisciplinary competencies

Event Management (Ted Talk) Seminar2 ECTS ? !
  • Basics of event management

  • Objective of the event and different types of events

  • The event as a marketing and communication tool

  • Planning and preparation

  • Event execution

  • Tasks and role of the event manager

  • Choosing the right venue

  • Personnel selection

Programme specific teaching units

Master Thesis18 ECTS ? !

During your 4th semester you are working on your Master thesis. You have 19 weeks to complete your thesis and the subject is freely selectable. A supervisor from CBS will support you and you can write the thesis in collaboration with a company as well. Or you can write your thesis in connection with a stay abroad.

Internship or Study Abroad10 ECTS ? !

You can choose between an internship (lasting at least eight weeks) or a semester abroad at one of our partner universities.

master-strategic-management-and-consulting

Practice-oriented teaching content: Consulting Techniques and Consulting Tools

Speed and efficiency are trumps in management consulting. Experienced consultants draw on proven tools to develop optimal strategies in the shortest possible time. During your master’s degree course in “Strategic Management & Consulting” you will learn these methods in courses such as “Consulting Techniques” and immediately test them in a “Student-centred learning approach” using case studies from successful companies in the course: “Evidence-based Problem Solving – Case Lab”. In addition, you will apply the methods learned in a real business context in our practical phases, such as an internship and a business project.

Innovative skill formats: Pitching and Assessment Center Bootcamp

Put your knowledge and skills to the test in our business skills training courses: Our “Assessment Center Bootcamp” prepares you intensively for the examinations in assessment centres of large management consultancies. You will not only critically examine the various questions and questioning techniques but can also test your stress resistance in a fake selection process. The following skill formats are also taught in the second semester:

  • Ted Talk Seminar

  • Business Plan Writing and Pitching

What are the future career prospects in strategic management and consulting?

Consultants are the first point of contact when it comes to steering a company on the road to success. In the first two semesters you will deal intensively with the change of business models, value chains, strategic-organisational changes in the company as well as approaches and methods of strategic management. How does digitisation affect companies? And what challenges does the economy face in the context of Industry 4.0? These and other questions are aimed at the special underlying conditions of companies today and are dealt with intensively in courses such as “Innovation Management and Digital Transformation” and “Industry 4.0 and System Engineering”.

Strategic Management Career Path - What are the job opportunities?

A master’s degree programme in “Strategic Management & Consulting” opens up attractive career opportunities in various fields of work:

  • Management consultancy

  • In-house consulting

  • Strategy consulting

  • Corporate development

  • Project management

  • M&A advisories

  • Assistance to the management

  • Strategic positions in family businesses

  • Activities within the manufacturing industry

  • Activities within start-ups

The expertise of a consultant is in great demand across all sectors. For example, they work in the IT sector, logistics, banking, technology and telecommunications, as well as in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Even if you don’t want to commit yourself to one industry within your studies – with the title Master of Science in “Strategic Management and Consulting” all paths within the consulting industry are open to you. In addition, you are also excellently qualified for a subsequent doctorate as the basis for an academic career.

Build up your expertise with a graduate degree

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Master in Consulting: In-depth knowledge in international business

Consultants need a broad understanding of business administration in order to find effective solutions for business challenges. They achieve their project goals by examining the individual starting position, identifying new opportunities early on and realising them within the company in a resource-saving manner. During your master`s in Consulting you can expect the following in-depth teaching content:

  • International Economics

  • Business Economics

  • Applied Management Accounting

  • Empirical Research Methods

Developing analytical skills

During your master`s in Consulting you will learn different methods for analysing large amounts of data (Big Data), on the basis of which you can make your operational decisions with confidence. In our module “Innovative Data Analysis” you will also deal with the topic of “Business Intelligence” and learn how to find number-based, goal-oriented solutions. In addition, you can develop your analytical skills in these courses:

  • Industry 4.0 and System Engineering

  • Environmental Impact Management

  • Data Science

High practical relevance in the Consulting master's

Practical experience in strategic management and consulting should not be underestimated: In consulting, decisions with wide-reaching consequences are made, which do not always meet with a positive response from customers or management. This requires tact and assertiveness, which can best be acquired through practical experience: During your master`s in “Strategic Management and Consulting” you will complete an internship  and work on real business cases in a business project with our practice partners or in our business simulation game.

The aim of the degree programme is to prepare students as well as possible for entering the workforce and for their future careers. Therefore, the practical transfer of specialised knowledge in the Business Project, a Capstone Simulation Game and an optional internship semester at home or abroad are part of the study programme.

You can choose whether you write your Master's thesis in cooperation with a company during an internship or during a semester abroad at one of our more than 120 partner universities.

NEED MORE REASONS? FIND OUT WHY CBS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU

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  • PRACTICE ORIENTED

  • ACCREDITED

  • PERSONAL

WHY CBS?

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Marc Spitz

Marc Spitz

Study advisory: Campus Brühl (Cologne)
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone: +49 (0) 2232 56 73 406
WhatsApp: Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail: study@cbs.de
Elsa Chumakova

Elsa Chumakova

Study advisory: Campus Aachen
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone: +49 (0) 2232 5673-423
WhatsApp: Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail: study@cbs.de
Lidia Gusev

Lidia Gusev

Study advisory: Campus Berlin/Potsdam
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Phone: +49 (0) 221 931809 - 476
WhatsApp: Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail: study@cbs.de
Maike Refräuter

Maike Refräuter

Study advisory: Campus Düsseldorf/ Neuss & Solingen
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Phone: +49 (0) 157 58248880
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E-Mail: study@cbs.de
Elena Göpfert

Elena Göpfert

Study advisory: Campus Hamburg
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Phone: +49 (0) 221 93 18 09-683
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E-Mail: study@cbs.de
Simon Blache

Simon Blache

Study advisory: Campus Hanover
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Phone: +49 (0) 15758244899
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E-Mail: study@cbs.de
Mirjam Zimmermann

Mirjam Zimmermann

Study advisory: Campus Mainz
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Phone: +49 (0) 6131 88055 31
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This is What Our Students Say

Philip Kollmann
Project Manager
Wayne´s Coffee

"Especially the soft skill courses have been of great help for my performance in job interviews. Through my work in the Finance and Business Club I have built up a broad network and acquired project management skills that have enabled me to score points with companies."

Katrin Rieger
Bereichsdirektorin Reisevertrieb Deutschland / Vice President Sales
HanseMerkur Krankenversicherung

"The practical learning in small groups prepared me optimally for today's project and team work. The CBS provided me with the decisive soft skills and current knowledge from the world of business."

Christopher Rosenbaum
Manager
Ernst & Young GmbH
Wirschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

"The Management Studies programme prepares you thoroughly for the tasks of a consultant. In particular, the development of presentation techniques as well as analytical thinking is of enormous importance in the everyday life of a consultant."

Oliver Kiderle
EMEA Regional Product Expert
Google Inc.

"The focus on internationality and practical skills have had a very positive influence on my development at Google. Especially the structured and very versatile project work, which is often found at a private school, was extremely helpful."

Kalle Kenkel
Commercial Excellence Manager
GE Healthcare

"My studies at CBS prepared me for a career in today's dynamic, global work environment. As one's origin and physical location become less and less decisive, it has become increasingly important to have a multinational network and adapt quickly to various cultures and environments."

Neil Jordaan
Global Digital Content Manager
Elanco

"Many professors shared their professional business experience with us in class and were able to illustrate dry theory with practical examples. I also enjoyed the international atmosphere on campus."

Patrick Stein
Head of Human Resources
Boston Consulting Group

"The strongly practice-oriented studies and the international orientation of the CBS, as well as the lectures held in English, were an absolutely necessary basis for starting a career with a renowned, international company."