International Management (MBA)

At a glance

Study language	English	Intake	Fall	Duration	4 semesters
ECTS	120	Type of study	Full Time	Qualification	MBA
Semester abroad	-	Internship	-	Campus	Cologne
Tuition (Cologne)	5.850 €*	Financing	More info >>

*The displayed prices are semester fees. For non-EU students' fees please check the tuition fees information page. Status: Jan 2020.

Study Course Plan

Semester 1 Semester 2 Semester 3 Semester 4

Basics Of Industrial Management
3 ECTS

Basic Business, Economic, and Market Principles and Key Terms
External Business Environment: At both National and International Level
Global Markets and International Trade
Competitive Environment
Internal Environment
Management, Leadership & Motivation
Business Function: HR
Business Function: Operations
Business Function: Marketing
Business Function: Finance and Accounting
Entrepreneurship
Business Ethics: Ethical Business Management, International aspects of Ethics & CSR
Emerging Business Trends

Applied Managerial Economics
3 ECTS

Demand Analysis and Applications of Elasticities
Supply Analysis and the Theory of the Firm
Production Economics and Cost Analysis
Economies and Diseconomies of Scale
Market Equilibrium and Welfare Analysis
Prices, Output and Strategy
Strategic Interaction and Game Theory
Market Failure and Government Regulation

Quantitative Methods & Toolset
3 ECTS

Algebra and Mathematical Functions
Matrix Algebra and Linear Equations
Differentiation and Integral Calculus
Optimization: Functions of several variables
Linear Programming
Mathematics of Finance
Apply the sampling methods and the Central Limit Theorem
Compute the measures of location and measures of dispersion
Represent the statistical data
Perform linear (multiple) regression and correlation analysis
Describe the basic concepts of probability
Set up a difference and/or relationship hypothesis and carry out statistical inference tests
Apply decision making theory to make decisions under risk and under uncertainty
Apply statistical software like R or SPSS in common business issues

Modern Market Research Methods
3 ECTS

Defining the marketing research problem and developing an approach
Methods of international market research
Research design
Secondary Data
Qualitative research
Quantitative research
Scaling and sampling
Fieldwork and Data preparation
Basic data analysis (how to use it)
Report preparation and presentation

Modern Business Strategy
3 ECTS

External Analysis
Internal Analysis
Generic business-level strategies for competitive advantage
Basic Corporate-level strategic choices for long-term profitability
Diversification strategy
Internationalization
Mergers and acquisitions
Strategic entrepreneurship
Strategic leadership
Social Responsibility and Ethics of Strategic Management
Basics of Corporate Governance

Organizational Behaviour
3 ECTS

Research Methods for Organisational Behaviour
Managing Diversity and Individual Differences
Perceptions and Decision Making
Work Motivation and Performance
Job Satisfaction and Commitment
Efficiency, Motivation, and Quality in Work Design
Interdependence and Role Relationships
Group Dynamics and Team Effectiveness
Leadership in Groups and Organisations
Power, Politics, and Conflict
Culture, Change, and Organisational Development

Financial & Cost Accounting
3 ECTS

Financial transactions and their impact
Major financial reports
Accrual accounting
IFRS versus US-GAAP
Ratio analysis
Cost behaviour, terms, and definitions
Traditional costing systems
Job costing and process costing
Activity-based costing
Overhead analysis sheet
Cost-volume-profit analysis
Pricing decisions, product mix decisions
Budgeting
Transfer pricing

Managerial Accounting
3 ECTS

Managerial accounting and global business environment
Cost term, terms and classifications
Job-order costing
Process costing
Cost behavior
Cost-volume-profit relationships
Variable costing
Activity based costing to aid decision making
Profit planning
Sustainability and ethics in accounting decision making

Project Management & Digital Skills
3 ECTS

Basic competence (Project specifications, project goals and evaluation, project phases and cycles, project norms and rules)
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)

Team & Self Management
3 ECTS

Team typologies models: Hippokrates, Kretschmer, Belbin, Jung, & Myers Briggs
From workgroup to high-performance self-managing teams
Phases of team development & the team performance curve
Conditions for team development Trust and control
Group dynamics
Ego-States: Eric Berne
Realistic goal setting
Team conflict: emergence and avoidance
Escalation and management of conflicts: Friedrich, Glasl

Applied Economics
3 ECTS

labour economics
business economics
development economics
health economics
education economics
monetary economics
public economics
and economic history

Business Law
3 ECTS

Survey on different legal systems and the harmonizing effect of EU Law
Concluding a contract
Different types of contracts and their typical features
Performance and obligations
Solving problems (e.g. failure to perform, liabilities)
Safeguarding creditors’ rights
Forms of business organizations
International Business Sale Law

Corporate Finance & Valuation
3 ECTS

Determinants of a firm’s financial structure
Market value of a firm and financial decisions
Effects of time, uncertainty, taxes, and incentives on the present value of firm cash flows
Net present value and discounted cash-flow analysis
Risk, Return and Capital Budgeting

Financial Instruments
3 ECTS

Overview of various types of fixed income securities, valuation of fixed income securities, understanding bond ratings, securitisation and asset backed securities, risks associated with investing in bonds, understanding yield spreads, interpreting the yield curve, Spot rates and Forward rates, measurement of interest rate risk, bond portfolio management strategies in the international context
Derivatives instruments; Futures and forwards, option payoffs and options strategies, option valuation techniques

Global Supply Chain Management
3 ECTS

Fundamentals of international logistics
Inventory management
Warehouse management
Packaging and transportation
Procurement logistics
Production logistics
Distribution logistics
Disposal logistics
Supply Chain Strategy & Design
Supply Chain Planning & Synchronization
Trends in supply chain management

Modern Marketing Management
3 ECTS

The Strategic importance of International Marketing
The world trading environment
International Marketing Research and opportunity analysis
Consumer Buying Behaviour – Analysing Customer Requirements
Identifying Market Segments and Targeting
Marketing Strategy Development with focus on market entry strategies
Implementation: The 4Ps in International Marketing
Technology enabled International Marketing

Business Process Planning & Operations Management
3 ECTS

Costs and Targets of Operations and Operations Strategy
Location Decisions and Layout Planning
Process Design and Business Process Optimization
Aggregate Planning, Material Requirements Management and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Short-Term Scheduling in Production
Lean Production and Toyota Production System
Quality Management and Statistical Process Control
Maintenance and Reliability Decisions
Service Management
Sustainable Operations

International Human Resource Management
3 ECTS

The organizational context
IHRM in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, international alliances and SMEs
Staffing international operations
Recruiting and selecting staff for international assignments
International training and development
Re-entry and career issues
International performance management
IHRM trends and future challenges

Intercultural Awareness
3 ECTS

Concepts of communication
Concepts of culture
Categories of cultural analysis
Creating brand identity across cultures
Marketing in global social networks
Cultural symbols and taboos
Diversity in world markets
Diversity in teams
Identity and culture
Gender and culture

Managing Change & Digital Transformation
3 ECTS

Organizations and the environmental change
The formal and informal subsystem of change
Forms of change
Frequency and magnitude of change
Organizational responses to change
Resistance, commitment and readiness to change
Implementing change management
Culture, politics and power

Business Elective
9 ECTS

Strategic Management and Consulting
- Fundamentals of Consulting
- International Competitive Strategy
- Corporate Strategy and Renewal
Entrepreneurship
- The Entrepreneur
- Start Up Management and Business Modeling
- Digital Network Economy
Sustainability
- Sustainability and Business Ethics
- Sustainable Supply Chain Management
- Sustainable Financial Management

Risk Management
3 ECTS

Performance Criteria for Risk Management
Process and Framework for Managing Risk
No-arbitrage concept in international financial markets
Nature of Derivatives
Valuation and use of forwards
Marking-to-Market mechanism with futures
Valuation of options
Hedging currency exchange risk using derivatives

Digital Management
3 ECTS

Introduction to socio-technological trends driving digital transformation: Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Robotics, Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems, Cloud Computing, mobile technologies, social media, semantic Web, Augmented und Virtual Reality, 3D print, …
Digital management approaches
Cross-functional coordination
Digital product management: product evaluation; product lifecyle management
Interplay between analytics and business model thinking; creation and orchestration of stakeholder networks
Process digitization
Digitization of value chains

Business Project
6 ECTS

Project Kick-off
Project objectives, scope and key milestones presented by the “client”
Deep-dive sessions and feedback loops
Lecturer on a weekly basis supports students with designing their intermediate presentations
Feedback sessions
Final presentations

Business Simulation Game
3 ECTS

Storage
Cost accounting
Capacity utilization
Cash-Flow
Performance indicators

Management & Leadership Competencies
3 ECTS

Theories, Models, Processes around Peoples and Teams
Managerial competencies i.e. Planning and Administration Competency
Strategic Action Competency
Leadership competencies i.e. Communication Competency
Personal Vision and Self-Motivation
Goal Setting and Mission Statement
Teamwork Competency
Multicultural Competency
Self-Management Competency
Leading in a Culture of Change
Knowledge Building

Creative Thinking & Innovation
3 ECTS

Contemporary Theories of Creativity and Innovation
The Ten Faces of Innovation
Creativity and Intelligence
Barriers, Blocks and Squelchers
Inspiration through Analogical Thinking
Brainstorming and Others Techniques of Ideation
Lateral Thinking
Creative Problem Solving
The Art of Incubation
Assessing Creative Potential
Using Imagination, Association, Intuition
Creative Questioning
Creating Flow

Master Thesis
24 ECTS

You have 12 weeks to complete your thesis and the subject is freely selectible. A supervisor from CBS will support you and you can write the thesis in collaboration with a company as well.

Master Thesis Workshop
3 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.

Career Seminar
3 ECTS

In this module students will learn about future possible employments and business sectors of their interest. Aim is to discuss the master thesis and industry-related issues with companies to see future prospects, chances and limitations of particular business areas. Furthermore, students shall be able to make important contacts with business people for their further career development.

Programme specific teaching units

Interdisciplinary competencies

Study Advisory

Campus Cologne

Kristina Behr

+49 (0) 221 93 18 09-31

Target Group

The MBA Program, International Management commencing yearly at the end of August is aimed, in particular, at graduates of non-economic studies programs who wish to expand the knowledge acquired from a first degree studies or the skills attained through initial professional experience through sound, business-oriented and internationally oriented know-how.

Not only do graduates of a business economics studies background benefit from rediscovering the once familiar models in a new light, but also those who simply wish to refresh the knowledge they have lost in their everyday professional lives. For many students, the MBA Program, International Management is a crucial prerequisite for reaching the next step in their professional careers.

Study Program

The programme comprises a total of four semesters, each with about 16-20 lecture hours per week. In addition to business and economics seminars, you will also attend a variety of skills courses, in which you will learn leadership and intercultural competencies – all of these a must in leadership positions nowadays. What’s more, CBS offers you the opportunity to specialize in a subject area of your choosing and in line with your own interests.

The first semester, along with its introductory modules on the subjects: Management Principles and Organization and Strategy, also lays the foundation with Accounting. Within this field of interdisciplinary skills, you will attend courses on the subjects, Research Principles as well as Project and Team Management.

On the agenda in the second semester are the modules: Business Environment, Financial Management, Global Value Chain Management, Culture and Change Management and International Management.

Business Project and Simulation Game

In the third semester, all the contents learned shall be applied in a business project. The aim is for students to work on a real-life company case study before ultimately presenting their proposed solutions to representatives of that company. What’s more, a simulation game is conducted here as well, in which students practice making real business decisions to learn the actual consequences of these decisions for a company.

Furthermore, the students can pursue their own personal interests by choosing an elective course from the subject areas: Strategic Management and Consulting, Entrepreneurship or Sustainability. The modules: Financial Markets and Institutions and Creativity and Managerial Leadership complete the program.

The fourth semester consists mainly of the Master Thesis where, for example, the students work on an actual problem or situation, taking into account scientifically based methods and approaches – also in close collaboration with a company. By doing so, both students and companies benefit from the results obtained. A Career Seminar also takes place in the final semester.

Degree and Career Prospects

Thanks to the knowledge acquired within the MBA program, students are able to move about safely in the international business world while positioning themselves for management opportunities. This means that graduates have a particularly good chance of success in internationally operating companies. The knowledge acquired during their studies will be of particular use, i.e. regarding regional idiosyncrasies and intercultural differences. And because of the study program’s wide range, a number of opportunities for applying these new skills become conceivable in the areas of consulting, project management, marketing and sales, or even in general management. Graduates also have good career opportunities in product development and research. But that’s not all; career perspectives in government offices, government-related institutions or non-profit organisations across almost all industries open up to job-seeking graduates. This includes, for example, the financial sector; the manufacturing industry; telecommunications; the healthcare sector and the environment, just to mention a few. This degree also fulfills the prerequisites for a subsequent doctorate.

UN Global Compact - CBS International Business School

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UN Global Compact – CBS becomes a member

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Business Project with MINT Square

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Introducing our “SDG Teaching Map”: Incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals within CBS

Professional advice

Curious? Then arrange an appointment for a non-binding study consultation and clear up all of your questions concerning the course of the studies, examinations, scholarships and financial aid.

Information material