Full-time MBA – new horizons for your career
Program Overview
Program Start
- September (Application: May/June 30)
Program Length
- Fast Track: 12 months courses on campus
+ 3 months master thesis - Advanced Track: Up to 21 months including an optional term abroad or a professional internship
Language of Instruction
- 100% English
Class Profile
- 30-40 students per class
- Average age: 30
- 90% international students
International Perspectives
- Over 140 partner universities
- Term abroad and double degree option
Career Prospects
- 90% employment rate 3 months after graduation
- 88% of recent MBA graduates working in Germany
- 93% salary increase upon graduation
The application platform for the Intake 2021 is open
Reach new horizons: Learn to navigate the challenges of tomorrow in our open and diverse learning environment that combines functional subjects, soft skills, practical experience, and personal growth.
Discover the HHL Spirit!
“The feeling to have arrived at the right place,
at to be where I want to be.”
Chat with our students
Our student ambassadors are here to share their experiences of HHL and to answer any questions you may have about your chosen program. Just simply click on the program you would like to know more about to start a conversation with one of our students.
Open new doors for your career!
The MBA program at HHL unleashes your potential for a promising career in Germany and beyond. The MBA allows you to quickly settle into an upward career path in the German job market. Many of HHL’s MBA graduates have launched successful careers at established world-class companies – Volkswagen, Roland Berger, E.ON and ThyssenKrupp to name a few – and in renowned tech companies such as Amazon, check24, Mister Spex and Zalando. Our full-time MBA program not only gives you better chances in the job market but also has an exceptional Return on Investment; our graduates find that their investment pays off in just three years. We call that low risk, high reward!
The MBA for your career
Skills for your successful career
We offer you the opportunity to get a foot in the door of the German job market with the optional internship you can complete as part of your degree – this provides you with valuable contacts, networking opportunities and the chance to showcase your skills. Furthermore, you gain first-hand consulting experience and support renowned companies in finding solutions to real-life challenges with our student consulting project. In addition to these practical experiences, you can also benefit from the numerous recruiting events on the HHL campus
Our MBA program will also give your profile an edge by equipping you with the latest insights into current trends, be it agile working methods, Big Data and databases, Blockchain, robotics, Artificial Intelligence or Industry 4.0. Our German courses, tailored to our international students, will also help your profile stand out among German employers. And there are even further benefits in pursuing an MBA at HHL! The HHL Network and our exceptional Career Development Team will even further facilitate access to the German and international job markets.
Career Development
Tailored support for your career
HHL’s Career Development ranks in the top five worldwide! This is no coincidence, as our exceptionally qualified and highly committed team of experts support your career strategy from day one. We will help you identify your strengths, develop your skills and systematically focus on reaching your professional goals through individual coaching, workshops and seminars. From admission through graduation and beyond, we pave the way for your success. We will:
- check your CV
- prepare you for interviews, recruiting processes and salary negotiations
- put you in touch with alumni in the business sector you aspire to enter
- strengthen your capacities
- share effective methods to make the job market work for you
- provide access to job postings and exclusive recruiting events on campus with leading companies.
With passion and commitment, and our famous personal touch, we will guide you to the job you have always dreamed of! And our Career Development and your access to our network will serve you for the rest of your life!
For international Students
Did you know that Germany’s visa regulations are very favorable for international students looking to enter the German job market? The student visa allows you to stay in Germany up to 18 months after completing your studies? That gives you plenty of time to find the right career path for you, especially considering our graduates’ employment rates.
Contacts are everything!
Having an extensive network is invaluable in today’s world. Whether it acts as a support system or opens the door for your next step on the ladder of your career – knowing the right people is the key to success. For this reason, HHL not only offers a degree from one of Germany’s best business schools but also provides access to a world-class network of successful entrepreneurs, leading international managers, important actors in the world of startups and pioneering experts. And there’s more; the friendships and contacts established during your studies will be there for you for the rest of your life!
The HHL Network
HHL alumni are active in over 70 countries, they are well connected, and they support each other and future graduates in a multitude of ways. They become part of your learning experience as guest lecturers, are available to answer career-related questions, and support the new HHL generation with their know-how, experience, and insider tips for the job search. Many alumni become mentors to HHL students. They make it possible for students to visit their companies, provide opportunities for gaining valuable practical insights, and establish connections to important contacts and decisionmakers. And there’s more: many of our over 2,500 alumni frequently return to campus to recruit students from their alma mater!
Alumni Association
Be a part from the start!
Do you want to take advantage of the many important and international contacts of our HHL network from the beginning of your studies? Then take this opportunity to join our Alumni Association for free! Read more here
The MBA program was a great opportunity to switch careers and I am very happy to work in the Supply Chain Management sector. I realized that a good job is not related to the salary, level or any other tangible standards. It should be a place where your personality and ability can be combined well, where you feel cheerful and can keep yourself learning and growing. I am grateful for HHL’s support to make this career progress.
After seeing Bertelsmann’s on-campus presentation at HHL and learning how interested they are in international profiles, I approached the company representative at the get-together afterwards to learn about internship opportunities in HR. One thing leads to another, and I ended up landing an internship in Talent Management at Bertelsmann’s corporate headquarters. This internship turned into a job offer. My first day of work was actually coming to HHL to do a company presentation – talk about full circle! Several years later I’m now Director, Employer Branding & Talent Acquisition, and still visiting HHL once a year to get to know the latest generation of students.
The full-time MBA program at HHL had more in store than I expected. My objective was to get the best business education. As an historian, I wanted to learn about marketing, finance, organizational development, and strategy frameworks. HHL was a turning point in my career. It did not only help me to reach my professional goals but taught me the meaning of responsible business leaders within a globalized world.
The MBA program for your success in the management of the future!
Business is changing at an increasing rate, and with change come new challenges. Management and leadership in times of digital transformation demand new approaches. If you want to lead a company to success in a volatile and unpredictable world, you require brand new management competencies and skills. Your studies at HHL will equip you with all the tools to become a responsible leader and effective manager – be it in an international company, a reputable consultancy, or an innovative startup.
Fast Track or Advanced Track? 15 or 21 months? Our MBA program revolves entirely around your individual career goals and your personal growth.
Fast Track: 12 months + 3 months Master Thesis
For a rapid and successful return to your professional life
The Fast Track is perfect if you wish to return to your job as soon as possible. In just 12 months we will prepare you for the next big step in your career. Even the following three months set aside for your Master’s thesis is designed to accommodate this quick return to your working life, as you can write your thesis on a company-related topic!
Advanced Track: 21 months
More learning, more experience, more time to network
The Advanced Track is the right choice for you if you wish to broaden your knowledge with a wider spectrum of elective courses, or if you wish to use your time at HHL to build and strengthen your professional network within Germany and beyond.
In 21 month, you have the option of:
- completing one of a range of internships
- go on a term abroad
- join our German classes
- take on the role of a consultant in our Student Consulting Project
- develop your own business idea in our Business Plan elective
From Future Skills to Personal Growth
In addition to leading you to a deepened understanding of state-of-the-art business management concepts, our MBA program will also strengthen the skills that will ensure your success in management in the digital and fast-paced future. Digital skills, creativity, problem-solving skills, perseverance, leadership and intercultural management; these are just a few of the skills that empower HHL graduates to drive innovation and to take the risks necessary to manage successfully in the rapidly changing business landscape. At HHL your personal growth is at the centre because we believe this is fundamental for professional advancement. You will be challenged on all levels to reach your true potential.
Program Structure
The MBA program at HHL is divided into four segments: the Welcome Weeks, the General Management Essentials, the General Management Deep Dives and the General Management Competencies.
1. The Welcome Weeks
1. The Welcome Weeks: Where your HHL adventure begins!
The Welcome Weeks offer a plunge into the HHL spirit. Through a range of intercultural team-building activities, you will embark on your unforgettable HHL adventure. You will get to know classmates from all of our programs and from all corners of the world and lay the foundation for a powerful network of contacts that will support you not only through your studies but far beyond. Refresher courses on business management fundamentals will also ease you into the program, and an initial introduction to the Leipzig Leadership Model will begin your transformation into the future leader of your aspirations.
2. General Management Essentials
2. General Management Essentials: The key qualifications of tomorrow
Here you lay the foundation for your management career. Three pillars impart a balanced mix of fundamental and state-of-the-art management knowledge.
Business Administration & Economics:
In addition to fundamental business administration and economics courses, this pillar … read more includes one of the MBA program’s highlights. You will deal with an integrated case study offering an in-depth and interdisciplinary experience of real-life problem-solving, drawing on perspectives that span many facets of business.
Leadership & Reflection
What will good leadership look like in the future? How can we lead and succeed in an … read more unpredictable, volatile, digital world? How can we find innovative solutions to the increasingly complex problems of today’s world? What are the most effective ways of negotiating in intercultural settings? Prepare yourself for brand new perspectives on such crucial questions within this pillar. You will learn how to reach your own potential so you can successfully lead others and make an impact.
Entrepreneurship & Disruption
Entrepreneurial minds are in great demand in today’s world. HHL has you covered! With our focus on digital entrepreneurship, we awaken and strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit and know-how in our students. This will empower you to drive innovation and to take the necessary risks to successfully manage the rapidly changing business landscape. You will become proficient at data literacy, coding and databases, explore new, digital, data-driven and creative business models and Industry 4.0, and actively engage with the disruptive technologies that are shaping today’s market, such as A.I., robotics, Blockchain and the IoT.
3. General Management Deep Dives
3. General Management Deep Dives: Tailored to your needs
Our Deep Dives will allow you to focus on those topics that will benefit your personal and professional development most. If you opt for the Fast Track you choose 2 out of 8. In the Advanced Track you select at least 4 Deep Dives:
- Strategic Management
- Financial Management
- Marketing Management
- Innovative Business
- Decision Making
- Transformation Management
- Sustainability Management
- Value Creation Management
4. General Management Competencies
4. General Management Competencies: Gain practical and international experience
In the Advanced Track you have a number of options at no additional cost:
- work on a real-life consulting project
- test your entrepreneurial skills in a business plan seminar
- study abroad at one of HHL´s over 130 partner universities
- complete an internship, be an entrepreneur in residence or make a difference with a social impact project
The practical experience you gain and the connections you build will serve you far beyond graduation.
Additional feature: German language courses
Are you an international student looking to launch your career in Germany after your MBA studies? Then German skills will give you a large advantage! HHL, therefore, offers you the possibility to learn German throughout the program with our tailored language courses offered for all levels. For those particularly committed students among you, we also offer an intensive beginner’s German course in August, prior to the start of the MBA program. For further questions and German course registration, please send an e-mail to germancourse@hhl.de
HHL Professors
Trained by leading experts and selected practitioners
Throughout the MBA program, you will be supported by our exceptional HHL professors. Here you are never just a number; our professors are always approachable and have your personal growth at heart. All HHL professors are respected experts in their fields and rely on practice-oriented and interactive teaching. At HHL you will also benefit from the knowledge and expertise of our visiting professors from around the world – be it Canada, France, Ireland, Belgium, UK, Switzerland or India. They enrich your learning experience through their comprehensive international exposure. In addition, many of our successful alumni return to the campus as guest lecturers, to share their invaluable practical experience with the next HHL generation and to advise them with insider tips for their professional careers.
To ensure the bridge to practice in the full-time MBA Program, leading practitioners with a wide range of professional expertise actively contribute to your learning experience. High-profile personalities from the business and social spheres regularly teach MBA classes as visiting lecturers, including successful entrepreneurs, leading consultants, experienced executives or innovators from the startup world.
HHL differentiates in the sense that it makes you a leader. Rather than being trained to be the best employee, we are trained each day to be the best employer. Motivation is not to be the employee of the month but rather to be the one who decides who shall be the employee of the month. This difference is subtle but astoundingly deep. HHL explores the leadership sides of you and it is complete because you are not coached to spill out jargons like ‘Achieve’, ‘Impress’, or ‘Leverage’ but rather how to make informed decisions in Finance, Strategy, Marketing etc.
I particularly enjoyed entrepreneurial disciplines, not only in theory but also by testing the practical worth of new ideas we developed. The combination of this high-class academic program, the international experience and the practical knowledge I had before the studies are the foundation of my professional development.
I am excited to take advantage of the flexible schedule the classes provide to pursue other career benefiting opportunities such as TEDxHHL and European Ivy League. Having time in our schedule set aside for internships also allows me to work during the MBA program and gain important skills that are pertinent to the degree.
In vogue: Living and learning in Leipzig!
Leipzig is open, international and vibrant. Located at the crossroads of historic European trade routes, Leipzig prides itself on its 1,000-year tradition of commercial vitality and its reputation as a meeting place for science and the arts. Beyond its modern infrastructure, what makes Germany’s fastest growing city so popular and dynamic is its rapidly expanding economy, housing world-famous brands such as Porsche, BMW, DHL and Amazon. HHL, the first “Handelshochschule” in German-speaking Europe, was established back in 1898 and therefore laid the foundation for Leipzig’s profound management education early on.
Parks, cafés, bars, clubs and lakes invite you to enjoy a welcome break from your studies. Plus, Berlin, and all that it has to offer, is just one hour away. And the best of it all? Living expenses in Leipzig are affordable for students!
The Campus
The Campus: In the heart of Leipzig!
The HHL campus is centrally located and, at the same time, surrounded by idyllic parks and rivers. You will experience an inspiring multicultural atmosphere and real campus flair. You also get to take advantage of the adjacent sports department of the University of Leipzig; as an HHL student, you are eligible to use all of their sports facilities and to sign up for sports courses offered by the Leipzig University. And to accommodate a flexible study schedule, we grant our students access to HHL’s premises 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can use the library, the study areas and meeting rooms, the lounge and the Student Club any time you want! Intrigued? Please contact us – we would be delighted to show you around our campus in person! We look forward to meeting you!
Living Expenses in Leipzig
Affordable and student-friendly living
Leipzig offers students a very high quality of life for extremely affordable prices. In contrast to many other student cities in Germany, Leipzig still has affordable student accommodation. The approximate living costs per month including accommodation in Leipzig are around 650 Euro, while the average living costs in Germany are estimated at 835 Euro.
Here is an overview of the monthly costs that you should take into account during your studies in Leipzig:
_Accommodation: EUR 200-350 for student accommodation or private housing
_Health Insurance: EUR 90 for students under 30, EUR 40+ for students over 30*
_Books & Printing: EUR 10
_Food: EUR 200
_Leipzig Student Union fees/transport: EUR 35**
_Other: EUR 100
Additional one-off starting costs
_Residence permit (only for non-EU citizens without a Stibet scholarship): EUR 110
_Rental bond: EUR 250
Maximum amount of initial costs: EUR 360
*Students under the age of 30 are eligible for public health insurance, students over 30 must get private health insurance, where prices will vary.
**All students must pay this fee, which covers a range of services by the student union, including the semester pass for trams and busses in Leipzig. The semester fee is EUR 216.50.
Moving to Germany
Find out everything you need to know before and after arriving in Germany, from visa requirements, health insurance, and housing to residence permits.
I chose HHL mostly because of the international diversity of the class and the flexibility of the MBA program. I believe HHL provides students with an ideal mix of theory, practice and networking. I am very delighted by how smooth the processes run and by how supportive the university is to the international students.
HHL provides a cultural diverse working environment. Furthermore, the different professional backgrounds of the students ensure different problem solving approaches. Methods learned in theory during class will be applied during the group assignments. Due to the cultural diversity of the classes, these case studies will get you directly in touch with different working styles. In short: Studying at HHL means challenging yourself on many levels!
For a person who wants to do an MBA program in Germany, at a prestige international business school, in a highly diversified class and in a thriving but charming city such as Leipzig, HHL is the perfect choice. After finishing studies I’ve successfully shifted my career to the business consulting field, where I am still active.
Your Window to Life@HHL
The HHL Student Experience
Our MBA program is made up of students from about 20 countries, with backgrounds ranging from engineering and medicine to music. They bring with them experiences from a diversity of cultures, languages, sectors and companies. This international and diverse setting perfectly prepares our students for their careers in international and intercultural teams and companies. Small classes and interactive group projects strengthen your intercultural competencies and reinforce the team spirit. Our students, therefore, establish a strong network of friendships and valuable global contacts, which unlocks many a door in their management careers.
Current MBA students come from across the globe, see for yourself:
Class Profile
Small classes and interactive group projects strengthen your intercultural competencies and reinforce the team spirit. Our students, therefore, establish a strong network of friendships and valuable global contacts, which unlocks many a door in their management careers.
- Class size: 30-40 students per class
- International students: 90%
- Average number of countries represented: 20
- Female students: 40%
- Average age: 30
- Age range: 25-40
- Average work experience: 6 years
International Experience: Term Abroad
The world is your oyster at HHL!
International competencies are essential for successful managers, consultants, entrepreneurs and executives in an increasingly globalized world. This is why HHL prioritizes maintaining global partnerships. Whether it’s New York, Paris, Moscow, Stockholm, Singapore, Hong Kong or Sydney; a term abroad at one of our 135 global partner universities will give you an exciting change of perspective. The HHL team will guide you before, during and after your term abroad. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to explore new countries and new cultures and to expand your own international network.
Double Degree Option
One more option for you: An additional degree from one of HHL’s partner universities! Aside from your term abroad, you have the option of receiving an additional degree from one of our global network of partner universities. Don’t worry, there’s no need to decide on your international options just yet! You can take your time until the end of the first term at HHL to choose if you wish to go abroad for a term or for an additional degree. And of course, your HHL team is here to support you!
HHL Initiatives
Conferences, workshops, sporting events and social engagement – HHL students have a range of student initiatives to supplement their studies with. This strengthens the HHL spirit, creates room for new ideas and inspiration, and provides access to valuable contacts. Want to join?
Entrepreneurship at HHL
HHL: The Startup Mill
With Trivago, About You, Delivery Hero and Auto1Group as examples, HHL is THE breeding ground for startups amongst business schools, setting an example for all of Europe. Four of Germany’s Unicorns (startups valued at over 1 billion US dollars) were founded by HHL alumni. The Founder’s Association for German Science Start-up Radar ranked HHL as number one for entrepreneurship in Germany. More than 280 startups were established by HHL alumni, generating more than 100,000 jobs. This is no coincidence, given HHL’s core focus on leadership and entrepreneurship in times of digital transformation.
Full support for founders and entrepreneurs!
Our success inspires us to support and expand all things startup. We actively encourage our students to develop their ideas even during their studies. The “HHL SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator” offers a modern co-working space in the middle of the Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei, Leipzig’s creative heart. It provides aspiring entrepreneurs with resources, partners and support to develop their ideas. Successful entrepreneurs, potential investors, highly engaged coaches and experienced mentors supplement the know-how provided during the program by advising, supporting and establishing the right contacts for your startup dream to take off.
The student initiative Accelerate@HHL regularly organizes company visits at startups, while HHL hosts the annual International Investors Day. Even within the study program students have the opportunity to experience the startup scene in real life, for instance through the Entrepreneur in Residence internship option. You bring the idea, we help you find the tools and contacts to turn it into reality.
Upcoming Events
This program offers a higher ROI compared to others, as well as a broad business network in the industry I am aspiring to join after graduation. At the selection phase, it was also important for me that the program offers a wide diversity of participants’ geographical and industry backgrounds. Now, after I have joined the program, HHL means to me new opportunities, such as to start my own project and participate in student initiatives.
The first year at HHL was such a fruitful journey: full of fun, full of challenge and full of memory. As most of the classmates, I was looking for a new start of career through this MBA study and I am positive that I made the right choice by becoming an HHLler. The elite professors, highly international environment and closely bonded alumni network have all became accelerators through my way pursuing a higher goal. In HHL community, everyone is willing to help and to share, which makes it unique and powerful.
Doing my MBA at HHL has been one of the best choices in my life, not just because it is one of the most prestigious programs in Europe and has an excellent and well-structured program highly focused on entrepreneurship, but also because of the multiple opportunities they provide to expand our network either through its networking events, student initiatives or just thanks to the diversity of cultures and backgrounds of your classmates. Moreover, you will find in Leipzig a city that has everything you need, with a very vibrant and diverse ambient.
Through connections that were established due to HHL’s strong Entrepreneurship program and the alumni network, I am now working at trivago GmbH, a leading international travel platform.
Apply now to fast-track your management career!
A diverse student body that brings a broad palette of cultures, nationalities, personal interests and professional backgrounds to the HHL community is very important to us. We, therefore, adhere to a careful and personal selection process. We do not just take into account the hard facts like grades, work experience and GMAT, but also your personality, your motivation and your aspirations.
Is HHL right for you? Are you right for us? Let’s find out together! We look forward to receiving your application. Within two weeks of receiving your completed application, we will inform you if you have been selected for an interview with one of our professors. Following this Skype or in-person interview, the admissions committee will inform you of their decision as soon as possible.
Our advice: the HHL MBA program is very competitive and fills up quickly. The sooner you apply, the higher your chances of admission, and the faster you can start planning your next steps!
Want to be part of the next MBA class? The application process for the Fall intake 2020 is now open. We are here for you if you have any questions.
Application criteria & documents
Admission Criteria
Application Deadlines
Application Deadlines
- March 31: Early Bird 2 – Tuition fee: EUR 34,000
The application process for the Fall Intake 2021 is now open.
Your MBA at HHL: Education that pays off!
Investing in your MBA degree at HHL will pay off quickly. The latest QS ranking shows that our MBA graduates enjoy an exceptionally high return on investment, allowing them to pay off their studies within just three years! Why? Our students quickly settle into managerial positions at prominent companies and enjoy an average salary increase of 60 percent. An MBA degree from HHL therefore is not only a fantastic career booster, but also pays off in no time!
Tuition Fees
The tuition fees for the MBA program amount to EUR 38,000. We offer a tuition fee reduction if you submit your complete application by the following Early Bird deadlines*:
- Early Bird 1: January 31 – EUR 32,000
- Early Bird 2: March 31 – EUR 34,000
This covers all tuition including the fees for the term abroad at one of our partner universities.
*The early bird discount is offered to those who have uploaded all mandatory documents and submitted their application by these deadlines and have successfully passed the interview as well as the GMAT/GRE within 1 month of the deadlines. In order to qualify for the early bird discount, the payment of the commitment fee must be transferred within 2 months of the deadlines.
Payment Policy
Pay your tuition fees in instalments!
Of course, the tuition fees at HHL do not have to be paid in one lump sum. The fees will be paid as follows:
- Payment of EUR 3,500: 3 weeks after admission (down payment)
- Payment of EUR 9,500: October 1 of the first study year.
- Payment of EUR 12,500: March 1 of the first study year.
- Payment of EUR 12,500: September 1 of the second study year.
Scholarships & Financing Options
The best part? We support the financing of your studies. We offer a range of financing options, as well as a number of scholarship programs for exceptionally driven candidates. How to receive a scholarship? Convince us not only of your outstanding academic and professional records but also of your personality and your ambition.
Have more questions? Get in touch with the HHL community!
Ask our students
Do you have any questions specifically related to the student experience at HHL? Our students are also happy to tell you about life in Leipzig and at HHL:
Contact our student ambassadors
Ask the HHL team
Do you want to get to know the HHL team, our campus and the city of Leipzig better? Are you curious about experiencing HHL for yourself? You are welcome to visit us on campus. Don’t miss the opportunity to talk to our students, experience our professors in a lecture, or have your first contact with our Career Development team. You live abroad and can’t make the visit to Leipzig? Then schedule an individual Skype or phone consultation. Please feel free to contact us at any time, we look forward to hearing from you!
