WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management MBA Review

WHU Otto Beisheim School’s 12-month Full-Time MBA will help you secure a leadership/ top position by giving you opportunities to gain international exposure and strengthen your leadership abilities, entrepreneurial spirit, strategic vision, and intercultural awareness in the global environment.

WHU offers academic programs and continuing education for executives throughout their careers.  It has dedicated itself to three core areas of activity: educational programs, research, and knowledge transfer in general management. WHU’s 5400+ graduates, research and profitable collaboration with 220 business partners demonstrate the School’s success in achieving its mission. 

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WHU MBA Class Profile

The students in MBA have worked in fields such as Finance, Consulting, Automotive, IT, Media & Communications, Energy, Chemicals, Electronics, Law, Manufacturing, Education, Retail/ Wholesale, etc. They belong to nations such as the United Kingdom, Philippines, China, Colombia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, South Korea, Egypt and 55 other countries.

Program and Curriculum of WHU MBA

The program runs for 12 months with an intensive learning experience. You will have the opportunity to take online pre-program preparation courses to brush up on your math and statistics skills and understand the fundamentals of economics. The curriculum of both Fall & Spring begins with a Future Leaders Fundraising Challenge, followed by ‘Core Modules’ 1 to 3. It lays a concrete foundation in basic management concepts and core organisational functions. It includes courses such as –

• Understanding Financial Performance (Managerial Finance, Financial Accounting, The World Economy)
• Exploiting Market Opportunities (Marketing, Corporate Finance, Economics of Corporate and Competitive Strategy)
• Managing in the Organization (Operations Management, Strategic Sourcing, Management Accounting)

There will be a Midterm Strategy Challenge during September (for the spring applicants) and February (for the fall applicants). After Mid-term, you will be taught the ‘Elective Modules’ 1 to 3, which will deepen your understanding of the core courses and provide deeper insights into Strategy & Organization, Marketing & Sales, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Advanced Finance. It consists of courses such as – 

• Creating Impact (Example courses: Foundations of Entrepreneurship, Price Management, Innovation Management, Omnichannel Business, etc.)
• Sharpening Financial Acumen (Example courses: Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Technologies, Private Equity, Entrepreneurial Finance, Business Tax Strategy, etc.)
• Executing Strategy (Example courses: Strategy Execution, Digital Transformation & Innovation, Negotiations, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, etc.)

Then alongside the core and elective modules, you will be taught in the first semester, International Module USA and in the second semester International Module India and China. You will also attend & learn from several workshops about management practices. Besides this, you will also learn an ‘Integrated Personal Leadership Module’, which allows the students to have their journey through MBA. It consists of –

• Leadership Essentials
• The Birkman Method
• Personal Growth
• Organizational Behavior
• Cross-Cultural Competency
• Team Build
• Team and Individual
• Coaching
• 360° Peer Feedback
• Communication & Stage Rules
• Leadership Credo

The curriculum concludes with a “Final MBA Project” that solely aims to showcase your capacity for problem-solving while putting the research techniques and management knowledge you’ve learned throughout the MBA to use. It might take the shape of a project in collaboration with a business, a research paper, or a business plan.

Extra activities at WHU’s Otto Beisheim School of Management

Depending on a person’s interests and needs, the Career Centre at WHU offers internships at various businesses, locations, and industries. Students can learn about the industry divisions for jobs after graduation through internships. Students can do a four to six-week internship (varies by credits). You can also gain real-world experience by writing your thesis in collaboration with a business.

Clubs – N/A

Eligibility & Requirements for WHU’s MBA

You need to fulfil the following admission requirements to get admission into WHU’s Master of Business Administration – 

• Four-year undergraduate degree (bachelor or equivalent) from a recognised institution with a GPA of 3.1 or 3.8/ 4.0 (or a masters degree).
• Minimum of two years of postgraduate work experience.
• Completed online application form.
• Completed MBA questionnaire.
• One Letter of Recommendation from a professor or supervisor.
• GMAT score (A minimum score of 600 is recommended) or equivalent GRE.
• TOEFL (min. 100 IBT) or equivalent IELTS (7.0) if English is not your native language.

Other documents required – 

• Current curriculum vitae (in English).
• Copy of government authorised ID (front and back side) or passport.
• Copy of secondary education diploma and transcript.
• Copy of universty diploma(s) and a detailed transcript of records.
• Pitch Deck
• Proof of internships/work placements stating duration, position title, and responsibilities.
• Proof of English proficiency scores.
• Proof for financial documentation.

After the admissions committee has read your written application, you will receive an invitation for a phone or in-person interview. The interviews are conducted by the faculty, staff, and alumni from the MBA program. For the time being all of the admission interviews are done via Skype and are scheduled directly with applicants.

Scholarship

• WHU Scholarship for Participants from Developing Countries
• WHU Diversity Scholarship: Life Experience
• WHU Diversity Scholarship: Professional Experience
• WHU Entrepreneurship Scholarship
• WHU Globalization Scholarship
• WHU Leadership Scholarship
• WHU Scholarship for Excellent GMAT/GRE result
• WHU Scholarship for Women in Business
  

WHU Master of Business Administration Deadlines

WHU Otto Beisheim School has two intakes, one in April and September. The school of management suggests Indian & Chinese students to apply one month earlier than the deadlines. Also there is no additional fees for submission of your application. The dates for NON-EU applicants is earlier due to the VISA processing & requirement. The admission committee takes decision within two weeks of the interview about the final decision for admission. The deadlines are as follows – 

WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management’s Employment/ Placement

WHU has one of the best Career Centres amongst the business school in Germany. The career centre at WHU hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including company presentations, career fairs, networking dinners, on-campus interviews, and one-on-one career counselling. They collaborate with alumni and business partners to develop engaging networking opportunities for the graduates and pave the way for their future career goals.

Talking about the facts, In the year 2021, 88% of the students who sought employment received at least one job offer within three months of graduation. Positions offered to MBA Graduates differ industry by industry which starts from typical entry-level positions and continue upto senior/ advisory level positions.  

Average Starting Salary – €63,100

Placement % – 88% of the students who sought employment got employed three months post-graduation.

88%

Top Sectors hiring Otto’s MBA Graduates

WHU had top recruiting companies for MBA graduates in the year 2021. These companies hired students through networking, hiring, formal job postings, unadvertised job opportunities, and/or campus recruiting. The students who graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree work in these industries:

• Consulting – Accenture, Infosys, mm1 Consulting, Deloitte, KPMG, Ernst & Young, etc.
• Banking & Financial Institution – Smava, Deutsche Bank, Allianz, Commerzbnak, Berenberg Bank, etc.
• Technology – Bühler Group, Amazon, Orbica Europe, Bloomberg, etc.
• Consumer Packaged Goods & Retail – Grohe,  Metro AG, Otto, etc.
• Food & Beverage – Kraft Heinz Company, Ferrero Group,  etc.
• Manufacturing – Henkel, Niedax Group, PICNIC, Siemens, etc.
• Logistics & Supply Chain – DB Schenker, DHL, Ceva Logistics, etc.
• Telecommunications – Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, etc.
• Pharmaceuticals – Bayer, Pfizer, Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheima, etc.
• Chemicals – BASF, Arkema, Covestro, etc.

WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management’s MBA Alumni

WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management has 6,000+ alumni with 35 regional chapters across 65+ countries. The In PRAXI, WHU’s Alumni Association conducts several events and activities such as round tables, meetings, reunions, discussions, virtual networking, business or sports clubs, and many more initiatives to allow the alumni to stay in touch as well as expand their existing network pool.

Some Famous Alumni

• Susie Liu – Strategy & Innovation Manager, Manufacturing, Logistics, Supply Chain at Bühler Group.
• Aayush Dhabhai – Global Purchasing Manager – IT & Professional Services at Henkel.
• Peter Rose, Managing Director of Orbica Europe.
• Dominik Geissler – Consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
• Julian Fieres – Vice President Strategy/Transformation, Digital & Sustainability @ ZF E-Mobility.

We have a 97% Success Rate In Helping Applicants Get Into Top Schools Like

Application Essay for WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management’s MBA

WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management requires you to submit a MBA Questionnaire which includes submission of personal & work-related information, essay questions and a checklist. Firstly, the questionnaire requests you add personal information (in table) which includes full name, gender, date of birth, city & country of birth, study program (full or part-time), and program start (April or September). Secondly you are asked to provide further insights into your profile and answer four essay questions (wherein there is no word limit).

Based on Motivation:

• What are your reasons, both professional and personal, for applying for an MBA program? What are some skills or key competencies you would like to develop when studying at WHU?
• What are your plans for the first 3-5 years after graduation? What are your long-term career aspirations? How do you think the WHU MBA will help you to achieve your goals?
• Why do you want to study at WHU?
• What sets you apart from other applicants? Why are you a perfect fit for the WHU MBA?

Based on Financing – 

• Please let us know how you plan to finance your MBA degree.

Thirdly, you will be asked to tell about your ‘Work Experience’. The basic details which are requested to be entered are; Name of last/current employer, Number of employeeslocally/ worldwide, Total post-graduate work experience (in months) and monthly gross salary (in euros). Also answer – 

• Please list any professional merits, extra certifications, recognitions you have received.

Lastly, you are requested to add some additional information – 

• How did you learn about the WHU MBA? Please be as precise as possible.
• Which other business schools are you considering?
• Please specify any extended international experience (professional or leisure).
• Please specify your extra-curricular and leisure-time activities.

After this you will find a checklist followed by accepting the submission of document and mention the date & location of completion. The checklist includes all the documents you are required to submit to WHu’s admission committee such as Application Form, Current CV,  Copy of secondary education diploma, Copy of university diploma and detailed transcripts, Official GMAT/ GRE score report, Official TOEFL (or its equivalent) score report, and the LOR.

Letter of Recommendation for WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management

WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management requires you to submit only one letter of recommendation for its Master of Business Administration program. WHU requests the applicants to submit the LOR in a specific and candid manner. It will requests the referee to fill in certain details in the beginning such as Name of the individual completing this form, Company/Organization, Position/Title, and Telephone/E-Mail. It is followed by a series of questions – 

• How long have you known the applicant?
• Under what circumstances have you known the applicant?
• What are the applicant’s most outstanding talents or characteristics?
• What are the applicant’s chief liabilities and/or weaknesses?
• How does the applicant interact with others in a team setting? How often did you observe this?
• How will graduate education in management help the applicant to realize his/her goals?
• The Admissions Committee would appreciate any statement you may wish to make concerning the applicant’s leadership abilities.
• In comparison with other candidates for graduate school in management that you have known, how would you rate the applicant with respect to the following qualities? (Qualities are Intellectual ability, Maturity, Leadership potential, Interpersonal skills, Written skills, Oral Skills and Teamwork).

The last questions has to be answered using a Likert Scale wherein the agreement/ disagreement is done via the following: Below average Bottom ⅓, Average Middle 1/3, Good Top 1/3, Unusually Good Top 15%, Outstanding Top 5%, Truly exceptional Top 2%, and Inadequate opportunity to observe. 

In the end, the document asks the referee ‘My Recommendation’ wherein he has to select an option which goes from ‘I strongly recommend’, ‘I recommend’, ‘I recommend with some reservations’ and ‘I do not recommend’. Lastly, the referee needs to sign and add the date on which the LOR was successfully finished.

Interview Questions for WHU’s MBA

Some of the common questions asked during interviews by the admissions committee at WHU Otto Beisheim School. Just ensure your answers are limited to what is being asked and do not go outside the context. 

• Please introduce yourself. 
• Why do you want to pursue a degree in Master of Business Administration? Why not do some oher degree or a specialized degree?
• What are your short-term and long-term goals?
• Describe yourself using three adjectives and explain why you chose them.
• Which companies would you like to join after graduating from WHU? Why this particular company? What role are you looking forward to working in?
• Do you have a plan B or C in case your career plans don’t work out?
• Why do you want to study in Ontario and not in your home country?
• Have you ever lived in any other country or interacted with people from different countries?
• What are your strengths, whether it was academically or professionally? Elaborate them.
• What are you passionate about? Give me some examples of how you have shown it.
• What are your weaknesses? Were you able to overcome them? How?
• Which other schools have you targeted and why?
• How are you unique from the other candidates applying at WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management?
• Tell me about a recent news affair that caught your attention. What did you like/ dislike about the news?
• What was your role at your previous job/ Internship? What impressions were you able to create?
• What is your proudest achievement?

What makes the MBA at WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management Unique?

• Global Networking – WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management has 6,000+ alumni with 35 regional chapters across 65+ countries. You get to interact and connect with students who belong to a diverse and open community. You get to build networks that will remain present to help & support you throughout life. It also works hard to draw in and support well-known researchers.
• Innovation & Research – WHU’s students and faculty are constantly involved in one research or another. One of the main pillars of excellence at WHU is high calibre and ground-breaking research in the fields of management, economics, and business administration. In order to produce top-notch research results, the school places a lot of emphasis on fostering an environment that is stimulating for independent study of business and economics topics. 
• Personal Growth – Throughout your journey at WHU, you will get to learn academically and professionally along with the change. Throughout the course and as a part of the curriculum, you go through an Integrated Personal Leadership Module. You learn and work on several personality based aspects like leadership essentials, organizational behavior, cross-cultural competency, team building, working in team & as an individual leadership credo and so on.
• Open & Inclusive Culture – The community of WHU, has students belonging to different cultures, races, ethnicities, etc. They belong to countries like Africa, Finland, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, etc. With such an inclusive community, one learns new languages, exchanges ideas, and creates new experiences every day. You will create connections with people who have highly productive, motivated, and connected experiences.
• Modern Dynamic Campus – Germany’s Vallendar and Düsseldorf are home to the WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management, which is situated within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is tucked away in the Middle Upper Rhine Valley. All lodging options, whether in dormitories, individual apartments, or homes, are accessible by foot from the main campus. There are many old castles all over the place, with 40 of them punctuating the Rhine Gorge hilltops and waiting to be explored by history buffs. Strong transportation links offer a wide range of options for students to explore popular European destinations like London, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, etc.

Conclusion

WHU Otto MBA is a top-ranked business school in Germany. It is a private, non-profit institution with a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation.

The WHU Otto MBA offers one of the most competitive and challenging MBA programs in Europe. Applicants are expected to have an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification and at least two years of professional experience in a relevant field.

WHU Otto MBA’s international student body consists of over 80 nationalities from all over the world, which provides students with rich and diverse perspectives on global business issues. The program offers full-time, part-time, evening or weekend study options to meet students’ needs and personal schedules.

WHU Otto MBA offers courses in English for international students who want to learn German language skills while continuing their studies at the university’s campus in Wiesbaden – just an hour outside of Frankfurt am Main by train.

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