Englisch 
Deutsch 
The Central State Office for Distance Learning (ZFU) has approved the course MBA General Management under the number 136508. Who this MBA suits and what you need to get in
This online MBA is designed for experienced professionals without a prior business degree who now need general management skills. It fits you if you are, for example, an engineer or IT specialist stepping into product, project or operations leadership; a healthcare, legal or public-sector professional moving into administration or unit management; or a founder/co-founder aiming to professionalise finance, HR and strategy while keeping your day job. You study fully online with no attendance required, which makes it feasible from abroad alongside full-time work.
Admission requirements
Formal entry is tied to your first degree scope (ECTS) and professional experience. Your first degree must be in a non-business field.
- MBA with specialisation (120 ECTS, typical duration 24 months): first university degree with at least 180 ECTS + minimum 1 year relevant work experience.
- MBA without specialisation (90 ECTS, typical duration 18 months): first degree with at least 210 ECTS + minimum 1 year relevant work experience.
- Executive track without specialisation (60 ECTS, typical duration 12 months): first degree with at least 240 ECTS + minimum 3 years relevant work experience.
Credit system and recognition of foreign qualifications:
- Your bachelor’s and any prior master’s must sum to 300 ECTS overall; your eligible track is determined accordingly.
- International degrees and diplomas from recognised universities are accepted. Admission is case by case based on transcripts; certified English or German documents may be requested.
- Recognition of prior master’s modules is possible with a Transcript of Records and module descriptions.
Language requirements:
- English proficiency at B2 level (e.g. Cambridge B2 First). If you do not hold a certificate, an internal telephone assessment is offered.
Admission without Abitur: this is a master’s programme; a school-leaving certificate like the Abitur is not required if you hold a recognised first degree. Direct entry without a first degree is not offered.
Personal requirements
Remote study from abroad demands sustained self-management. Plan realistically for around 35 hours per week in study time, especially in examination and thesis phases. You will need:
- Strong self-organisation, reliable weekly routines and deadline discipline.
- Perseverance for long-term goals and the ability to work through quantitative topics (accounting, finance) independently.
- Solid academic reading and writing skills in German or English for study materials, case studies and your thesis.
- Stable internet access and confidence with online learning platforms, virtual meetings and digital libraries.
- Employer and family alignment on workload; many students block fixed evening slots plus a longer study window at weekends.
If you bring curiosity for management practice, comfort with data-driven decision-making, and the willingness to apply theory directly in your job, you will benefit most from the programme’s flexibility and specialisation options.
What will you study in the MBA in General Management at Allensbach University?
The MBA in General Management is taught in German. You should be comfortable studying and taking exams in academic German; proof of German proficiency will be required during admission. The programme is delivered as a Fernstudium (distance learning) at a state-recognised German Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences). It comprises 60 ECTS in the executive track, with variants up to 90 and 120 ECTS. The course is ZFU-approved (German regulator for distance learning; approval no. 136508).
You build a generalist management foundation first. Typical core topics include strategic management and organisation, plus project and process management to structure complex work. You also cover accounting and controlling, so you can read financials and steer performance with KPIs.
Finance and markets come next. You learn corporate finance basics such as investment appraisal and financing choices, and you touch on international business to understand cross-border dynamics and market entry considerations.
People and leadership are a second pillar. Modules in human resources management and leadership develop your ability to recruit, develop and retain talent, and to lead teams effectively through change. Sustainability and change management round out this block, linking strategy to responsible execution.
Methods and academic work underpin the programme. Early on, you train scientific writing and empirical research methods so you can evaluate sources, design smaller research tasks and prepare for the MBA thesis.
Electives and specialisations: Depending on the variant you choose, you can set a focus area. Options include Digital Business Management, Economics, Engineering Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance Management, Human Resources Management, International Business, Marketing and Sales, PR and Communication, Transformation Management, Business Psychology, and Business Law and Taxation. In the larger variants (90/120 ECTS), you study one or several in depth; the executive 60-ECTS track is condensed and may omit specialisations.
Final phase: You complete an MBA thesis and present it in an online colloquium. The programme has no compulsory on-site phases. The university’s distance-learning approval by the ZFU confirms the concept and exam formats for remote study.
How does the MBA in General Management distance programme work?
This MBA is designed for working professionals and can be completed fully online from outside Germany. There is no mandatory attendance on campus, and exams are organised for remote completion. The course is ZFU-approved under no. 136508, a state quality gate for distance-learning formats.
Teaching language and language certificates
The teaching language is German. All learning materials, interactions and examinations are in German. You will need advanced German skills suitable for graduate-level study. Specific certificate names are not listed by the university; expect to provide credible proof of proficiency during admission.
Learning format and study materials
You study in a flexible distance-learning set-up (Fernstudium): structured self-study with digital materials, tutorials and academic support via the online campus. As a Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences), the emphasis is practical and application-oriented, with cases and implementation tasks linked to your job context.
Exams from outside Germany
All mandatory assessments are available online, including the thesis colloquium. With the ZFU-approved concept, you can take exams remotely under controlled conditions (online supervision/proctoring or equivalent digital formats). You do not need to travel to Germany for examinations.
On-site sessions in Germany
There is no compulsory on-site attendance. The entire programme, including the final colloquium, can be completed online.
Weekly workload, time models and time zones
Plan with roughly around 35 hours per week in the intensive track. The standard duration for the executive 60-ECTS variant is about 12 months, with the university offering free extension options by several months if you need extra time. Any optional live sessions and deadlines follow Central European Time (CET/CEST). A purely remote format means no visa is required.
What does the MBA in General Management cost?
For the executive 60-ECTS track, the regular tuition quoted in our database is €395 per month, which sums to €7,080 in total over the standard duration. Tuition is paid in monthly instalments, which is practical if you’re studying from abroad and budgeting alongside your job.
What this means for you: the full MBA can typically be completed within one year of focused study. If you use an optional free extension to spread your workload, your monthly outlay stays the same, while your overall total remains in the order of a low five-figure US-dollar equivalent. International students usually pay the same tuition as domestic students; check potential bank or currency-conversion fees with your payment provider in advance.
If you opt for a longer variant (90 or 120 ECTS), the overall cost and duration increase accordingly. The university applies regular, undiscounted rates to all students; there are no surcharges for studying from outside Germany.
What careers and recognition does the MBA in General Management offer?
You earn 60 ECTS at master’s level under the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). ECTS and the Bologna framework make credit volume and level transparent across Europe and facilitate international recognition. Allensbach University is a state-recognised German university of applied sciences, and the MBA is re-accredited by the German Accreditation Council for eight years. The distance-learning set-up is additionally approved by the ZFU, the federal state authority supervising distance courses in Germany.
Internationally, a German MBA from an accredited, state-recognised university signals a graduate-level business qualification. Holders can generally apply for doctoral programmes where an MBA is accepted as a master’s-level entry; admission always depends on the receiving institution’s criteria. For employers, the 60-ECTS executive format indicates an advanced, focused programme completed alongside professional work.
Typical roles you can target include:
- General management or business unit leadership in SMEs and corporates
- Project, process or operations manager in technology, industry or services
- Product management, business development or transformation lead
- HR business partner or people lead; finance or controlling positions with managerial scope
- Entrepreneurship: launching or scaling your own venture with structured finance and go-to-market skills
Salaries vary widely by country, sector and prior experience. In most markets, an MBA primarily affects access to leadership tracks and scope of responsibility; compensation then reflects the role and company size more than the degree label alone.
Who is the MBA in General Management right for - and who not?
This programme suits professionals who want a German MBA they can complete fully online alongside work, and who are comfortable studying in German. It is structured, accredited and practice-oriented, with a short executive track (60 ECTS) and extended variants where needed.
- You want an accredited German MBA you can finish fully online from abroad, with no on-site attendance.
- You work full-time and prefer modular self-study with clear structure, cases and immediate application.
- You seek a generalist curriculum with optional focus areas such as Digital Business, Finance, HR, or International Business.
- You need a recognised master’s-level award (ECTS/Bologna) from a state-recognised university to signal management capability.
- You value the executive 60-ECTS format to gain a second, business-oriented qualification efficiently.
There are also clear cases where this MBA will not be the right fit. Read the following points carefully if you are applying from outside Germany.
- The teaching language is German. If you cannot study and take exams in German at graduate level, this programme is not suitable.
- You want a campus experience in Germany. This is a pure distance programme with online exams and no mandatory presence.
- You specifically require an MBA that is accredited by global business-school accreditors such as AMBA, EQUIS or AACSB. This programme is nationally accredited in Germany; check your employer’s or country’s preferences.
- You need a programme that leads to a regulated profession or licensure. This MBA does not grant access to regulated professions.
- You prefer a research-focused MSc with extensive quantitative methods. The curriculum is managerial and application-oriented.
Lade… 
Advisory Service
Have questions about Academic Programs MBA General Management? Ask your question here, even anonymously. An employee of the institution Allensbach University or the editorial team will answer you.