The Online MBA program at ESMT Berlin offers multiple networking opportunities and the ability to access online lectures and other study materials from anywhere. Justina Geneviciute from Lithuania and Patrick Gall from Canada, both students in the Global Online MBA program, share their experiences.
Over the past few years, more and more business schools have shifted towards a virtual curriculum. In September 2021, ESMT Berlin launched a Global Online MBA program to attract graduates from across continents. This program allows students to study on their own, according to their own schedule. Students who enroll in this program get access to study materials from all across the world and, most importantly, they get multiple networking opportunities.
Flexibility, affordability, access to online study materials, and the diverse cohort are key elements that attract graduates and professionals to an online MBA program. As Justina Geneviciute, a Lithuanian currently living in Spain, says, “I work full time and the flexibility was very important to me, and having an option to study online means that I can study after work or during weekends, and I was looking for a course that offers that. When I found out that ESMT Berlin offers the Global Online MBA, for me it was a no-brainer and I decided that I want to pursue this.” (00:31)
Patrick Gall, coming from western Canada, is currently in his second year of the Global Online MBA. He adds, “For me, as someone who is working full-time, an online MBA was the best option. I looked into other programs that were offered in some of the largest cities nearby and it was not realistic for me to be traveling to these locations to try and meet the in-person requirements for these programs. I needed something that was fully online and that would allow me the flexibility to learn from home at a pace that is conducive to a strong learning process.” (01:01)
ESMT’s Global Online MBA program opens a plethora of opportunities for students – from international exposure to the opportunity to connect with fellow students to access to faculty and professionals in an immersive international environment.
With our long-standing experience in guiding students to find their dream MBA program, we at MBAGRADSCHOOLS have found that Europe has always been less flexible when it comes to educational policies. Strict classroom formats, disciplined faculty, and rigorous curricula have been defining one-year MBA programs in Europe compared to more flexible two-year MBAs in the United States. Thus, ESMT Berlin’s Global Online MBA is one of a kind in the European market, as offering a more customized learning platform remains a major turning point in the European MBA landscape.
Justina explains, “ESMT Berlin was like a pioneer in rolling out a global MBA. When I started looking online for the courses, ESMT Berlin stood out because they offered an international program. It means that I have an opportunity to connect with people and students from all over the world.” (01:42)
Patrick adds, “I chose the ESMT Berlin Online MBA primarily because of how the program was structured. I looked at a couple of other online programs and I found that ESMT was the best fit for my learning style. The program is flexible but also has a progressiveness to it.” (02:43)
The focus of the Global Online MBA is decision-making, analytics, entrepreneurship, and innovation. But, ESMT also fosters interaction between participants and a globally reputed faculty. Social learning is also a strong focal point. Having said that, one of the elective modules of this program is the opportunity to visit ESMT’s campus in Berlin. All graduates experience an intensely interactive session focused on key developments in the local, as well as global, economy. The module particularly focuses on Industry 4.0, Germany’s Hidden Champions, and the Berlin Startup scene. The entire week in Berlin is a mixture of academic and social activities that bring together graduates from behind the screens of Zoom calls and into the real world, creating the much celebrated professional network.
Justina, who participated in the Berlin Experience Week, shares her enthralling story: “We learned a lot. The future is actually all about automation [and] digitalization. So, those two were part of the whole Berlin Experience Week. Getting to see the founders [and] the startup companies based in Berlin that ESMT has connections with was a great experience for me.” (06:46)
“I think meeting all of your classmates and also the opportunity to meet all the other ESMT program classmates and connecting with all of them is probably the highlight for me,” Patrick adds. (07:26)
For almost all graduates, MBAs are about unlocking your purpose to do something more meaningful in life – creating a positive and lasting impact in your career. But, is an MBA only about developing business acumen and proficiency? ESMT Berlin’s Global Online program has an answer. While the program fine-tunes your soft skills by exposing you to the world podium, it also improves your self-confidence, so when you finally take up your own chair on the board or head your own business, you don’t fall short of the capabilities of an ideal leader.
As Patrick rightly says, “Personally, I think that my MBA experience has been a great opportunity to grow [and] make new connections [and] new friendships that will all have a lasting impact throughout my life.” (08:16)
For Justina, the program helped to strengthen her interpersonal skills. She reveals, “It taught me a lot – taught me discipline, taught me persistence – because it is not easy to study, especially having a full-time job. It taught me collaboration skills, networking skills, team skills, connecting with different people with different cultures, time management skills…” (09:05)
A global online program also prepares students on how to lead and collaborate in a virtual environment. Having all the modules online enables students to become more akin with virtual technologies.
“Professionally, the experience I gained through the lessons and the group projects is invaluable, especially in the field of business and management [where] we see such a strong transition of business to an online setting and to an online world,” Patrick explains. “Learning to navigate and thrive as a manager in that online setting is hugely beneficial.” (08:39)
Justina tells us, “We have learned so much [on top of] the data analytic skills. I may not necessarily apply them now in my current job, but when I read The Economist or the Wall Street Journal, I understand what they are talking about.” (10:14)
The road from a prospective MBA student to having a successful career is quite daunting, so there’s always some advice that comes handy in this journey. In fact, that’s the magic of all MBAs: it creates a sense of togetherness and responsibility among students, alums, and faculty that encourages them to share strategies and other nuggets of wisdom.
For example, Patrick shares, “Have a look through the program timeline and through the program schedule, see how the modules connect, how the timing works. Make sure you can commit to the program and if it works for you. [If] you have an additional questions, reach out. ESMT’s support team is amazing to work with.” (11:07)
Taking the first step to apply is the biggest challenge. Justina inspiringly says, “My advice is: don’t be scared. Do it. The process to get into the school is quite lengthy, but once you start, it opens a lot of doors. It will give you not just the skills that you can apply at work, but also it will connect you with these wonderful amazing people who are [on] the same wavelength, who think very similarly, and you will get a network from all over the world.” (11:52)
MBAs are a life-changing experience. It doesn’t matter if it all starts in a classroom or in front of a computer. If you can overcome the intense experience of the curriculum, you will be exposed to a network that is invaluable. It’s not an easy process, but once connected, it remains as a lifelong asset to cherish.
