The extra-occupational MBA degree program at GSB Mainz is an English-language master’s degree program at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. It is aimed at participants with at least three years of professional experience. The main purpose of the degree program is to qualify participants to take on management tasks in globally active commercial enterprises. To this end, the broad-based General Management program imparts fundamental theoretical business knowledge and combines this with practical knowledge.

In this way, the degree program creates an understanding of the complex interplay of macroeconomic processes – both in the context of the individual company and with a view to the global economy. In addition, the courses offered include various workshops for the personal development of participants in the area of soft skills. For example, communication, rhetorical and presentation skills are specifically promoted.

The MBA is a face-to-face course. After an introduction week, all courses take place at weekends so that the degree program can be completed alongside a full-time job. The program of study lasts two years and is worth 90 ECTS credits. It comprises an introduction week, eight modules, a practical project, a study abroad period at one of our international partner universities at SGH in Warsaw or NHH in Bergen and a final thesis. Each module consists of six teaching days spread over two consecutive weekends from Friday lunchtime to Sunday lunchtime. The exact course times are Fridays from 14:00 to 19:00, Saturdays from 9:00 to 18:30 and Sundays from 9:00 to 13:30.

Educational leave in accordance with the Rhineland-Palatinate Education Leave Act can be taken for the introductory week and the international study visit.

The program of study begins with the introduction week in the summer semester. This is followed by modules one to four from April to July. The first semester concludes with a week of study abroad, which takes place alternately each year at one of our partner universities, either at the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) in Poland or at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) in Bergen. The second semester of studies consists of a practical project work, which is completed in teams from October to February and presented in a presentation. Modules five to eight take place from March to June.

Following this, participants have the opportunity to take part in a second stay abroad at the partner university not previously visited. To complete the program of study, a scientific master’s thesis must be completed between September and January. At the end of March, the master’s degree certificates and diplomas are awarded at a graduation ceremony.

The teaching is interactive with a continuous reference to appointments. The basic lecture units to introduce the subject and teach the fundamentals alternate with interactive group work and discussions. Case studies as well as planning and role-playing games are used as a means of gaining knowledge and practicing communication and teamwork skills wherever this is conducive to the subject matter. As a rule, academic content and knowledge are taught in approximately one third of the teaching time; the second third is devoted to the practical application of the knowledge based on practical problems; in the final third, the participants themselves apply the knowledge to specific tasks in their own environment or company.

The MBA is an English-only master’s degree. All courses and examinations are held in English, meaning that the individual cohorts are made up of international participants. Through the consistent use of English in teaching activities, participants not only gain specialist knowledge but also improve their English language skills. They benefit from this in their day-to-day work by improving their linguistic fluency and precision – particularly concerning the various operational processes. As a result, they are also better positioned in an international corporate environment and are fully prepared to take on tasks in a globally competitive environment.

The examinations take place during the study. Each module must be passed with an examination. There are various forms of performance assessment. The type of course certificate depends on the learning content of the respective teaching unit on which the examination is to be taken. For each course, students must either take a ninety-minute exam, write a 15-20 page term paper, or, as in the case of the project work, prepare and give a presentation. At the end of the program of study, a 50-page scientific final thesis must be written, the results of which must be presented at the end. The final grade is calculated from the individual grades of the program of study.

The MBA program offers its participants the opportunity to take part in two one-week programs of study at top international universities. To this end, GSB cooperates with the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), the most important business school in Poland, and the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), which belongs to the University of Bergen and is also the most renowned business school in its country.

The study visits are offered in alternating years. In each case, the study visit is a compulsory part of the program of study for the participants, which is carried out after their first academic year. Optional participation in the second study visit is also possible.

A key quality criterion for excellent teaching is the quality of the lecturers. We therefore make sure that we only employ lecturers with proven expertise in their subject. All lecturers must consistently fulfill the requirement of combining science and practice in their teaching. Ideally, lecturers design the knowledge transfer in such a way that participants can apply the course content directly to their appointments. All courses are evaluated to ensure excellence in teaching and practical relevance.

In addition to university professors, the MBA is taught by university lecturers and professional practitioners with a sound academic background.

The cohorts of the MBA are made up of international participants with different academic and professional backgrounds. Due to the high level of diversity, the participants benefit greatly from the wide range of experiences that flow into the discussions.

The MBA offers the opportunity to obtain a university Master’s degree after a first university degree, regardless of the subject area, while working full-time. To date, 26 participants in two cohorts have successfully completed the MBA.

Examples of the participants’ fields of activity:
Bertelsmann, Boehringer, BorgWarner, Commerzbank, Degussa, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Telekom, Ernst Young, Hewlett Packard, Hornbach, IBM, KfW, KPMG, Lufthansa, Bankhaus Metzler, Merck, PwC, Railion AG, R+V-Versicherungen, Sanofi-Aventis, SAP, Siemens, ZDF

The MBA program of study at GSB lasts two years. The curriculum includes an introduction week, seven modules with Economics content, a module with three training units for personal development in the soft skills area, a study visit to an international partner university, a project thesis and an academic master’s thesis.

Business Model Analysis

This module aims to introduce the basic economic tools for business and management students to analyze different market situations, identify business problems, evaluate different strategic measures and develop a business strategy from a management perspective. After a theoretical introduction, students apply these theoretical concepts to solve real problems. In group work, they analyze a specific management problem from a business perspective, develop different remedial strategies and discuss the recommended business strategy.

Future Trends

On the one hand, the module aims to teach communication techniques that enable participants to lead a team effectively and efficiently and, if necessary, to deal productively with conflicts. These communication and conflict resolution skills also form the basis for joint learning within the MBA cohort by providing participants with a starting point for dealing with each other in a trusting manner as a basis for good cooperation. This also enables them to recognize and resolve potential conflicts at an early stage.

Economics

The module provides an introduction to the stylized perspective of economics. Participants gain an insight into the behavior of individuals and firms, the functioning of markets and what is required for this. In addition, the module teaches what options Economic Policy has when actors do not behave adequately. Students also learn about the benefits and challenges of economic globalization and analyze trade-offs between reduced inequality and efficiency. Applications in the digital economy are also discussed.

Law

The module introduces the most important issues of commercial law. It deals with the essential features of labor and sales law, drafting a contract and the court system in Germany. In addition, participants are given an overview of the central legal aspects of corporate law.

Scientific Work and Scientific Methods

In this course students will learn how to write a scientific thesis (assignments, master thesis). To this end, they will learn how to identify a research question, structure their thesis and find a central topic, as well as how to retrieve, evaluate and use literature efficiently. In addition to that the course explains which criteria have to be met in a good scientific thesis and how plagiarism can be identified. These criteria are specified using hands-on examples and case studies. The second part of the lecture deals with the fundamentals of certain scientific research methods (quantitative literature review, interviews, randomization, questionnaire design, descriptive data analysis with R). Students will learn basic rules and scientific design principles of these methods.

This module involves a mixture of presentation, business simulations and experimentation. Key interactive concepts of strategic interaction and decision making are developed. Participants will learn to recognize strategic situations in their own daily business environment and strategic similarities in seemingly unrelated environments.

(Exam form: written exam)

Accounting is one of the core functions in almost every company. This module covers the most important accounting concepts. The aim is to improve participants’ interaction with accounting experts in their specific working environment.

How are financial transactions recorded and reported? As external stakeholders, how do participants extract valuable information from a company’s financial statements? How can accounting data be used to make informed business decisions and forecasts within the organization? These and other key aspects of accounting will be explored with relevant problem-solving tools and cases during the module.

(Exam form: written exam)

This module offers a holistic insight into financial management. The first part focuses on working capital management. It deals with the financing of companies to ensure smooth business operations.

A deep understanding of the financial consequences of various company-wide decisions is conveyed. The second part of the module deals with strategic and long-term financial issues.

Various evaluation methods for the evaluation of investment projects as well as value companies and shares are presented and applied. In addition, it is explained how the capital structure of the company affects its value. In the last part of the module, advanced topics of corporate finance are discussed, such as Dividend distribution decisions or the value created (or destroyed) by initial public offerings (IPOs).

(Exam form: written exam)

Presentation Training: Communication and Presentation Techniques

Win over listeners with convincing business presentations! In this part of the course participants will work on how to structure and deliver successful presentations. We will also practice dealing with unforeseen developments, surprising questions and train reading the room. Participants will find their own presentation style through individual feedback, a basic presentation model and they will get the chance to put their skills into practice.

  • Learn the basic structure of a presentation: The ABCDE Model
  • Use Storytelling and the Human Factor for successful presentations
  • Read the room and be able to adapt to it
  • Practice interaction as a key competence in presentations
  • Deal with surprising developments and questions
  • Get individual feedback on your presentation
  • Short intro to visualization and use of media
  • Difference online and offline presentations

The participants practice winning over their audience with a professional presentation. They will learn the basic structure of a convincing presentation, the ABCDE Model. Everyone will be given the opportunity to test or further develop their individual skills through hands-on training and direct feedback. Participants will be provided with insights into how they personally perform and how they can get better while staying authentic and present during the presentation.

(Exam form: presentation)

The Talking Body – Bodylanguage for Young Professionals

Giving presentations and leading teams is one of the foundations of a successful career as a manager. A conscious appearance, presence, voice and body language are decisive steps towards success. This workshop offers participants the opportunity to develop a confident and authentic appearance as well as a healthy, sustainable use of the voice by learning body, breathing and speaking techniques, which also strengthens rhetorical skills. Character development, presence training and sensible ways of dealing with tension and pressure are also at the heart of this two-day module.

Teamwork and Self-organization#

This highly experiential two-day course provides hands-on practice in using skills and tools to expand emotional and social intelligence and the capacity for agile and collaborative teamwork that are required in today’s VUCA world. Psychological safety has been proven to be a key component in building effective teams, allowing for clear interpersonal and group-level communication based on mutual respect and vulnerability-based trust. Participants of this course learn how to first create a foundation of trust with each other, and then practice building and sustaining a dynamic arena where they can openly discuss ideas, strategy implementation and potential conflicts. Students explore their own role in optimal team functioning through self-awareness, self-organization and attitudinal and behavior shifts in themselves, so that they have a more conscious impact on collaboration and outcomes, regardless of their official role in a team. By experiencing these methods first-hand, students learn the value of and techniques for creating such an environment in their own current and future teams.

This module is purely application-oriented. Real business problems are analyzed using the case study method. Participants take on the role of decision-makers and try to make the best possible decision for their organization from their perspective.

After becoming familiar with the method and its application, participants will work together in teams to analyze and discuss different cases from different perspectives and present the results. Strategic and operational business decisions, political and ethical issues must be considered. In all areas, well-founded questions are asked, which are discussed in depth and require courageous decisions. Just like in real life.

(Exam form: presentation)

At the end of the first academic year, the one-week study abroad program (September 2026) takes place at the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) on the topic of “International Marketing and Sales“.

The expansion of digital technologies and increasing competitive pressure have significantly increased the importance of marketing in organizations and companies. This module provides participants with a solid overview of marketing concepts and introduces participants to the latest marketing strategy tools. Special emphasis will be placed on analyzing the consequences of different marketing strategies for companies, competitors and customers.

The study week (06.09.-12.09.2026) at the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), Poland is recognized as educational leave according to the Rhineland-Palatinate law on educational leave.

(Exam form: term paper)

This module provides a general introduction to operations management, which encompasses the production and delivery of goods and services. Participants learn to understand and analyze an organization from both a system and a process perspective.

In doing so, they will learn to design, operate and improve the systems that deliver goods and services through OM models, including lean management, forecasting, optimization and decision analysis. The overall aim of this module is to familiarize participants with the key issues in OM that managers face and to provide them with the basic language, concepts, insights and analytical tools to deal with these issues.

(Exam form: written exam)

In an era marked by exponential data growth across corporate and public sectors, the ability to leverage data effectively has become critical to achieving competitive advantage. Advances in data science and machine learning (ML) are transforming decision-making processes, from predictive analytics in human resources and risk assessments in financial services to AI-driven decision support in judicial systems. This course provides students with a foundational understanding of data science and machine learning principles, focusing on predictive modeling as a tool for informed management decisions. The course emphasizes data-analytic thinking, equipping students with practical skills to address complex business challenges.

(Exam form: written exam)

Digitalization is one of the key strategic challenges for established companies. The module “Project Management & Digital Transformation” is a focused, case-oriented introduction to the effective management and implementation of digitization projects in large companies.

This module provides the necessary understanding of how to use projects to bring about digital transformation. Participants will be equipped with the necessary tools to set up and successfully implement them. Both traditional and digital project management tools are used and applied to real-world problems.

(Exam form: term paper)

This module enables students to understand human resource management as a central instrument for shaping the success of a company. The module covers both classic HR topics such as compensation, recruiting and performance management as well as topics that have recently gained importance on the company’s HR agenda, such as people analytics, talent management and findings from psychology and behavioral economics.

In dealing with these topics, the module pursues an interdisciplinary perspective and combines academic principles with implications for practical and industrial case studies.

(Exam form: term paper)

After the regular course program, the master’s thesis must be written as a scientific final thesis. The scope of the master’s thesis is approx. 50 pages.

A period from September to January is planned for the preparation of the final thesis. The submission at the end of January is followed by the presentation of the respective work at the beginning of February.

At the end of the fourth semester, diplomas are awarded at a graduation ceremony on the last Friday in March.
  • An undergraduate degree or equivalent*
  • Three years’ work experience
  • An admissions interview, the result of which confirms the applicant’s suitability for the degree course

*Applicants without an undergraduate degree can instead take an aptitude test to demonstrate they possess the requisite intellectual and technical skills and corresponding professional expertise.

The application process for admission to the 6th MBA cohort (2026 – 2028) ends on February 15, 2026. Due to the high demand for study places, we kindly ask you to apply for admission as soon as possible.

Please submit the following documents with your MBA application:

  • Application form(PDF-Download)
  • an overview of the academic and professional career,
  • a copy of the university certificate,
  • proof of English language proficiency either through a five-year school education completed with a grade of at least “sufficient” or five points or certification of a “Test of English as a Foreign Language” (TOEFL IBT) passed with a score of at least 87 points, ) or certification of a passed Cambridge certificate “B2: First Certificate in English” and
  • a letter of recommendation from the employer with details of financial and time support from the employer

After reviewing the application documents, applicants who meet the formal admission requirements are invited to an admission or examination interview. During the interview, which lasts approximately one hour, the main focus is on whether the applicants meet the professional, personal, integrative and mental requirements to successfully participate in the degree program. Minutes are taken of the interview.

Following the selection interview, applicants receive direct notification of their admission to the degree program with the corresponding reasons.
  • The MBA program of study at GSB Mainz costs a total of €16,000.
  • The tuition fee includes all teaching and learning materials as well as the costs for the course program of the mandatory study trip abroad. Individual travel expenses (flight and accommodation costs) are not included.
  • Tuition fees can be paid as a single payment, in two annual installments or in four semi-annual installments. Upon admission to the degree program and the sending of the enrolment documents, € 2,000 is due, which will be offset against the instalments due later.
  • The participation fee can be claimed in full as a business expense or tax-reducing training costs.
  • In addition, the semester fee must be paid to the Treasury Services. This is due each semester. The exact amount is determined by the University of Mainz and is currently €349.10.
  • The semester fee includes the Deutschlandticket, which allows MBA students to use all local public transport.
  • We offer reduced rates for members of JGU Mainz and members of the Gutenberg Network with the AlumniCard.

The next information evenings on the MBA will take place on

January 22, 2026 at 19.00 h instead.

Registrations to: gsb@uni-mainz.de

To give you an impression of our program, we are also happy to offer you the opportunity to take part in one of our courses on a trial basis.

Participation is non-binding and free of charge. Please register only briefly via: gsb@uni-mainz.de

Gutenberg School of Business Mainz –
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

Visitor address
Johannes Gutenberg University
Jakob-Welder-Weg 4
Haus Recht und Wirtschaft II (Altes ReWi)

Postal address
Gutenberg School of Business Mainz
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Faculty 03: Law, Business and Economics (FB 03)
D-55099 Mainz

Phone: +49 6131 39-22136
E-mail: gsb@uni-mainz.de