Graduate level courses offered in English

Can anybody tell me if any of the big Universities in Germany offer graduate (AKA Masters) courses in English?

All I've heard is that the Technische Universität München (TU) offers a Masters in Communications engineering and also one in Microwave (RF) engineering. Probably won't interest you though...???

Might want to check out

University of Maryland - Europe

Don't think there is anything in Munich, but may be at one of the American bases close by, not sure about access, etc...

What are you looking for? Do you want a Masters degree or continuing professional education? For business classes the St. Galler Business School offers courses in English. It's not too far from here.

www.sgbs.ch

TU Freising has added a number of Master programs taught in English.

ummm, from my experience, Uni of Maryland is not the best Uni to go to. I wouldn't recommend it.

U of Maryland in the US is a great school. Their course program here seems a bit weak, however.

is it an MBA you want to do?
there are quite a few MBA's you can do as distance learning.
open university and henley to name two.
there's a place in munich they do them as well, but they are taught, so you have to give up all your weekends.

It has been a goal that I've flirted with for some time (good eye, BTW). I'm not terribly interested in distance learning unless it is one of the top tier programs, however (and not many have that). I'd like to take some courses and ace them to supplement my chance of acceptance, as well as get a leg up on an MBA program.

Good to see an American making the effort to learn to speak properly

Yeah, in the states Uni of Maryland is great, but here it's a different story. My brother used to go there, it may have gotten bigger now, since that was a few years back. It is (was) mainly for kids whose parents are in the US Army and used to only teach general education, so you could only get your AA.

well, DW, you could think about doing the first year of the open university mba -"fundamentals of senior management" they call it.
they have seminars here in the center of munich on that course every six weeks, otherwise it is mainly distance-based (internet), although there's also a residential school as well (i think it's 5 days) usually in the UK somewhere, or in Dublin or Amsterdam.
It would give you an insight into business, and it's kind of half taught. You can use the first year of the OU course to transfer to other mba programs that I know of (in the UK, not sure whether you could in the US, tho).

i did it last year, and I found it really interesting and useful, if a tad time-consuming (probably my own fault for leaving course work til the last minute).
i'm flying back to blighty tomorrow otherwise would offer to come to next tt drinks and tell you all about it :-)

it'll set you back about k€5 but you can get it back on the tax
it's an idea, anyway. I expect you'll want something american, but you can take a look to get some ideas.
http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C01eB713_4_0

You can search for courses offered in English from DAAD website - Master in Economic, Business, Law
most of the courses(not MBA) require that u have the similar bachelor or vordiplom.

Topsy - MANY thanks. That is some really great info. Most US MBA programs won't take transfer credits but it just so happens some of the ones that the ones I've been scouting do. Offhand, might you know if Oxford, LBS, or LSE take them?

Upon looking at that site, it doesn't seem there is an application process, merely a registration. Can that be correct? The "entry" as they call it seems fairly basic; over 25 with experience and a degree (they say "honours degree" which I believe is the rough equivalent of a US Bachelors). Should be able to swing that much.

I can't speak to the quality of the UM-Europe programs.

I was just aware that they have several graduate level programs.

http://www.eba-muenchen.de/programs.de.php?sub=ParttimeMBA

http://www.mba.tu-muenchen.de/english/faq_allgemeines.htm

I had to send them my degree certificate, and my CV, that's it.
You're supposed to have 7 years personell management experience to get on the course. They let some people on there without that much experience, though.

Regarding the other schools, I think you would have to ask the schools themselves if they would accept it. It's not something they would advertise, simply because the OU generally has lower fees (although it has a good reputation).
So someone who was looking closely at cost would do the first year at OU automatically and then transfer to the more expensive course for the remainder. I know for a fact, for instance, that Henley Management School accept OU first year and take you straight into the second year of their course, but you won't find that information on their website. http://www.henleymc.ac.uk/henleymc03.nsf/pages/mba

If you're looking to stay in Europe, but not necessarily Germany, then an excellent school to consider is INSEAD, I know it's in both English and French, though I'm not sure how much French you need.

uhmm there r no more uni maryland schools in germany.. or if there are they will prolly be closing or they r only for military ppl... but u can check this site www.daad.de and there u can do a search for uni's that offer masters programs in english...i need to find one also... either for business or international relations (politics)

o yea i forgot.. incase u wanna take a break from munich and go to vienna webster uni offers graduate courses.

If you want to go to Paris then the American University of Paris offers graduate programs in International Relations

www.aup.fr

It's not harvard, but it isn't bad either. The program is relatively new about 4 years old I'd say.

@bubblegum

INSEAD's tuition is all in English (it can do this 'cos it's a private uni) but you need to speak 2 languages to get in and 3 to get out. I agree though, it is regarded as the best business education in Europe and has a groovy second campus in Singapore where all students are entitled to study if they want.

you might be thinking of HEC in Paris which does require you to take MBA classes in French.

thanks Brummie!

I was thinking of INCEAD, I just wasn't sure what the requirements were.

What's HEC?

Haute Ecole Commercielles or summat, here:

what the HEC is this?

dead famous for undergrad french business education.

Don't all these fancy courses cost you a fortune though?
I couldn't see the course fees on the HEC site - all they say is that an MBA is a "significant investment" and a link to a financial institution where you can take out a loan.
I agree, of course, that INSEAD is best, not quibbling with you there. I guess it depends what you want, how you are funded, and how you figure your chances are of recouping your investment.

@ Topsy

In the €45,000 range i think (for each of the the two years inc. living and everything).

Yeah, lots of money. Two schools of opinion on the ROI issue I think - either go really cheap or aim really high and hope to get a really well paid job after. INSEAD says average starting salary for its grads is >€100k i think.

suppose it depends on whether you just want to add some incremental knowledge or make a step-change in your career. reputation of MBA, 'networking opportunities' (shudder) and access to big capitalism bastard recruiters is dead important in the second case and only comes with the fancy schools.

@DW

Having done considerable research on the subject, the best place to do a full-time MBA is in the US. If you can get into one of the big schools ie Harvard, Kellogg, Stern, Wharton, Stanford. The rankings for the schools and the admission criteria is available on US MBA Schools This link makes good reading if you are considering an MBA MBA article

In case you want to do a full time MBA in Europe then the recommended schools that you should target are LBS, Insead and IMD (Lausanne). All these courses are run in English though INSEAD also runs a parallel French course. The LSE only offers a Masters in Finance Degree last I checked though they may also be offering an MBA now. Check MBA rankings

In terms of distance learning or Executive MBA's, I know Kellogg offer a course in Germany but I think that you have to attend classes there every weekend. Info on MBA programs in Germany

HTH

@ DA

agree with you on the US schools.

INSEAD does not have a parallel French course. INSEAD only teaches in English:
Insead & Languages

@DW If its an MBA your after, adding 'graduate courses' isn't going to up your chances of acceptance by much. They're looking for the quality of your application packages, essays, professional and personal cv, academic pedigree (uni cv +GPA), your performance on the GMAT and your letters of reference. These will determine if you make the first cut to an interview round. Then you can show up, and razzle dazzle em with your winning smile. Or mayber some of those buttock photos I've seen floating around...

Having said that, continuing education (outside of TT U) of course is always a good idea. Graduate level courses at this stage of the game can help you:
1. Determine your true level or area of interest before applying to a programme.
2. Beef up current skills your lacking for your current job. For example, a classic problem in many companies is that functional specific, i.e. technical folks rise vertically (up one business unit) through the organisation, they get promoted and all of sudden have horizontal (across many business units) leadership responsibilities. This is a problem for technical folks with leadership responsibilites over non-technicals and vice versa. This is one of the major pain points with the folks at Sandia, Livermore etc.
3. Once your into a programme...then it can help prepare you for certain topics, i.e. statistics or another area where you may feel weak.

Now, a major factor in deciding if to go is why you want to go...thats something you need to figure out before you apply and definitely before you get to an interview. For a lot of people, education and future career are actual not on the top of the priority list . Other common personal reasons are: overwhelming loathing of present job and/or location, major life changes, uncertainty about goals, meeting family/peer expectations etc. etc.

Another is always the finances...does it make sense? Yes if you're company sponsored. Perhaps not if you're personally footing the bill. Economically speaking you are looking at the tuition + living expenses+ lost wages, the dot.diggitybomb days are over so your likelihood of getting a well over 6 figure salary + phat package days on graduation day are over. Recruiting is on the upswing again but they're not graduating at 100% employment per class. This is especially true if you look at the Executive MBA programmes which can cost you circa 100K total (tuition only) for the big names. However, economics is never a reason to forgoe graduate education (just ask the physicists). MBAs are a long term strategic investment, they pay off in the long run as they better your skill set, expand your personal and professional networks etc.

Now as far as where to go for classes both now and where to apply programme wise in the future

NOW you have three options:
1. distance learning graduate courses
2. on-campus graduate courses
3. management development courses

You've nixed out the first one. I myself wouldn't take one as you have to be awfully disciplined and not do things like surf TT when your supposed to be doing, say German...er...moving on...There's not a lot available locally in terms of the second option, partly because the German schooling system is different from the US, towards that end the bachelor's and MBA diplomas are barely recognized here. Another related issue is that like a lot of German's public systems, the school systems are just financially strapped...for more info check out this article

The third option, depending on where you are in your career, is a good option for most peeps with several years work under their belts and on the promotional track, and/or owning their own businesses. Big name programmes are expensive as hell, circa 1k per day, courses range from 1-5 days or month long "'executive programmes". Peeps attending these usually get company sponsorship, most business owners can claim it as a corporate expense and get it back on the tax side. There's several good ones in the German-Swiss area. IMD in Luzanne, St. Gallen, WHU, and lots of others offer these types of programmes. I like the new ESMT, they have a campus here and in Berlin. Its basically a relatively new outfit started up with major endowments from all the German blue chips. They got off to a rocky start as some idiots bragged about being the Harvard of Europe. Built up expectations far beyond what was/will be realistically possible in the forseeable future. Utter nonsense to even make those claims...so they got a lot of bad press but they run a nice shop. They'll have their first MBA class in 2005/2006 - definitely worth keeping an eyeball out...they have some good designs in mind.

There are lots of cheaper "continuing education" options in the states that offer rock solid skill building...I'm sure they exist here as well, I just don't know the players in the more affordable end of the market...though I'm pretty impressed with what I've read re: Topsy's level of satisifaction at OU.

Later Down The Road:
You can never, ever go wrong with the top 5. If you can get into Harvard then do it. As far as everyone else goes, the prevailing idea is US over Europe. IMHO you should pick the best brand school you can get into with the regional and industry ties closest to your interests, thats where the networking and recruiting ties will come into play. If you're a rocket scientist and like it, you know for all the chicks you get to work with or whatever, set your sites on MIT. If you wanna be a playa in US and Asia consider Berkeley, US and Chile consider Chicago GSB. Babson, a little school outside of Boston runs a damn fine programme and they are the shit in Latin America. The networking thing is true even within the states. West coast schools have more West coast ties, East coast has more East coast ties. You didn't thing the gangsta rappers came up with that turf shit on their own did you? Oh and as far as rankings go, they are useful for prospective students in that recruiters use them as guides...i.e. which schools to hire from...however, the criteria and analysis are questionable and schools are starting to fight back. This year Harvard and Wharton have decided NOT to participate in the Business Week rankings, which means they will NOT be a "top five" school...does that mean peeps won't go and recruit from Harvard or Wharton? Hell no.

In terms of Europe, the schools mentioned are damn good bets. Me, I'd pick LBS anyday but then again its probably cause I like Marks and Spencers or something high brow like that. Or hell... a few years at the Australia Graduate School of Management...wouldn't be bad at all... Getting back to Europe, LBS and INSEAD are well recognized in corporate sectors. For the executive set, they also have joint "global" MBA programmes (LBS-Columbia and I think INSEAD-Wharton) which in many cases like the Berkeley-Columbia programme give you DOUBLE degrees, double networks. WTF right? The double degree issue sounds fishy eh...well due to stringent academic regulations many schools aren't allowed to offer joint degrees so they each have to award you one...hence the big tuition figures.

BTW: INSEAD has a Singapore campus...you apply to either the Fointanbleu or the Singapore campus. Regardless of which one you choose, you get to spend a chunk of time in both campuses. Also, as far as the language requirement at Insead...you need three languages: fluent english and level III of a 2nd language to get in and level III of a third language to graduate. Two of the languages can't be overly similiar, i.e. you can't claim two overly similiar languages...Level III is defined as: "Ability to speak, write and understand with structural accuracy and an adequate vocabulary". They consider Goethe's Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf (ZDfB) to be level III. You need to have certification no later than 4 months post acceptance in order to meet the regulations. Also, they offer all students intensive language training as part of the MBA programme...so yes, it can be done but awfully difficult for most north americans.

An advantage of European b-schools over US b-schools is the time frame. Europeans invented the 1 year - 1.5 year MBA programme. Check out IMD and St.Gallen in Switzerland and HEC as mentioned in Paris. Oxford has a 1 year programme, three 10 week "on campus" modules, one 8 week "self-designed" research module, and one final two week "on campus" module...total campus time: 32 weeks! Damn Gina...thats fast. Anyway, all those guys have language requirements but I think its just two.

At any rate European schools and/or US b-schools operating European campuses are on the rise and getting more competitive, lots in part due to the yo-yos in the visa regulations post 911. For more on this issue, read all about it here. The article also mentions a few other good schools, including Thunderbird...which is NOT just a drink for homeless alcoholics but ALSO a rather fine upstanding institution.

Shit I didn't realize how long this post was, I went all over the place. aahh fcukers. well thats all I know on the topic..if you want more info post here...I doubt I'll have anything else to say but probably I could make some good shit up.

Peace out - my TT homies.

*wonders if jml now has record for longest TT posting*

jml - respect for that post

As for an MBA, I've also been looking into this some time ago. Initially as a full time option after my university graduation early this year. And more recently as a part time option, e.g. distance learning in combination with current work. But with networking being the most important gain of an MBA, imho long-distance learning wouldn't make much sense. So guess i'll just stay with the research career for the moment.

drivingwest: the open university came out of the 60's and 70's and lets everyone in basically, but the standard of teaching is good. i am currently 3/4 way through an MBA with them and i find the course - for the most part - relevant, useful and the materials very good (but then i've no seen anyone else's distance learning stuff...).

looked at FHS munich which does a course half in english, but the number of hours was just too much for my taste, same with landshut and augsburg. however with distance learning you need to motivate yourself, not always easy on a sunny day when everyone else is heading to a beer garden or bbq!

http://www.worldwide.edu/ci/germany/flschools_adult.html

Just realized this isn't only for language courses, but includes other types of courses. Might be useful.

If it's an MBA you're interested in, you should try the European Business College Munich(EBCM) which is a division of the European University in Switzerland. They offer Both a Bachelor of Business Administration(BBA) and a Master's of Business Administration(MBA) taught in english. They are a private institution which means that unless you are company sponsored, you will be paying for it out of your own pocket. The MBA program is taught mainly in the evenings and on weekends(So you can pretty much expect to give up your free time for the program duration but may be worth it in the long run). They also offer online courses. I hope to begin the MBA program next spring. Check out their webpage at:

http://www.euruni.edu/

Cheers!

Munich Graduate School of Economics:

http://www.vwl.uni-muenchen.de/mgse/

MA:
http://www.vwl.uni-muenchen.de/masterstudium/

check this out. Am thinking about it myself, especially the first one...
both are offered by the LMU Ludwig-Maximilians Universität, biggest Uni in town :-) and one of the best in Germany...

I will be moving to Munich in August or sometime in the fall after my wedding. My fiance is Bavarian and we have decided to live in Munich while he furthers his career. I don't want to be bored to tears in a new city where I don't speak the language or know many people.

I have an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts with Majors in Art History and a licensure to teach art (pre K-high school)... I would like to further my own education however. This will most likely pose a problem since I do not speak German.

Does anyone know of any programs that are taught in English? I am going to need to do anything to stay busy and not get homesick. Thanks for your help!

Topics merged by admin

There's an astrophysics program in English, but I gather that's not what you're after.

I think this topic has been discussed before, so use the box in the upper right corner to do a search on it. At the very least, there are online programs at Open University and others. I KNOW those have been discussed on here before.

The solution is right there, in your own post - at least to begin with, the best thing you can do for yourself, your marriage and your life here is to learn German.

This has definitely been asked before, because I've given this link out several times. The website is the German Academic Exchange and the page is a list of international degree programmes.

But as Kay said, you would probably be better off spending your time learning German.

As said before the best place for searching for international master's or PhD programs is www.daad.org . It's full of different options sorted by region, subject, language, school, whatever you may need. And also it wouldn't be a bad idea to get yourself into an intensive german language course during the first months of your stay here. You will need it anyway, and it will make your life here easier.
Good luck!

Another good website for degrees/courses in germany Der Hochschulkompass der HRK haven't visited the site for a while, now they have english version. Good luck

Thanks for your help everyone... I'm sorry I'm so new to this and didn't realize that I could do searches through the message boards. Your help is greatly appreciated!