Scholarships and awards make your Executive MBA more affordable by lowering the tuition you need to pay. With options to fit all profiles, we encourage outstanding MBA candidates to apply.
Executive MBA awards & scholarships
There are two types of tuition reduction you may receive: awards and scholarships.
- Awards are automatically granted if you meet the criteria (you don’t need to do anything extra). You can be awarded more than one and they can be combined with a scholarship. Certain awards, like the Early Application Awards, are available only before specific application deadlines.
- Scholarships are applied for as part of your application to the program. Each scholarship has a specific question you need to answer in the application form. While you can apply for up to three scholarships, you may only receive one. Scholarships are awarded on merit and only self-funded Executive MBA candidates are eligible.
We recommend applying for scholarships early as they are limited.
Scholarships and awards apply solely to tuition fees.
EMBA Awards
You will automatically be granted an award if you meet the criteria.
Early Application Award
Early application for our Executive MBA is strongly encouraged. Successful applications (those selected for admission to ESMT) that are submitted before the deadlines in rounds one through four will receive an award corresponding to the round in which the application was submitted.
Early Application Awards are used to reduce the overall cost of tuition. Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm Berlin time on the deadline day to qualify.
- Round one: Early Application Award is €12,000 (Application must be submitted by October 31, 2026). Current round.
- Round two: Early Application Award is €9,000 (Application must be submitted by December 15, 2026)
- Round three: Early Application Award is €6,000 (Application must be submitted by January 31, 2027)
- Round four: Early Application Award is €3,000 (Application must be submitted by March 31, 2027)
Executive MBA applications will stay open after March 31, however later applications will not qualify for an Early Application Award.
Test Score Excellence Award
Applicants who submit exceptional GMAT or GRE (equivalent), Executive Assessment (EA), or ESMT Business Admission Test (BAT) scores will be considered for scholarships to acknowledge their success.
Value: €3,000
Requirements
- GMAT: a total score of 690 or higher
- GMAT Focus: total score of 645 or higher
- GRE: a total verbal score of at least 160, quantitative score of at least 165
- ESMT Business Admission Test: a score of 16 or higher
- EA: a score of 157 or higher
Eligibility: Applicants will be considered after submitting a completed application to the EMBA program including official test results from either the EA, BAT, GMAT, or GRE. GRE scores will be converted to a GMAT equivalent using this online converter.
NOTE: Applicants must submit official test results no older than five years from the date of application, from either the GMAT or GRE. For the ESMT Business Admission Test (BAT), only the results from the first exam will be considered for the scholarship. Subsequent test results are not eligible.
EMBA scholarships: key facts
To apply for a scholarship, you will need to answer the specific question associated with it. Specific questions for each scholarship are listed below, and your response(s) is submitted as part of your application.
The following conditions apply:
- You can apply to up to three scholarships
- You can only be awarded one scholarship
- Applying for scholarships does not guarantee a scholarship award, irrespective of how many you apply for
- Scholarship values are used to reduce the total cost of tuition
Diversity Scholarships
Women in Leadership Scholarship
The Women in Leadership Scholarship recognizes outstanding women who are committed to advancing gender equity and inclusive leadership in the workplace and beyond. This scholarship supports women who are driving change, challenging barriers, and contributing to a more balanced and diverse business landscape.
Eligibility: You identify as a woman
Value: €13,000
Essay question: How have your experiences as a woman influenced the way you approach leadership, opportunity or professional advancement? Please give an example and explain what perspective you would bring to the ESMT MBA cohort.
Rainbow Scholarship
The Rainbow Scholarship recognizes MBA applicants who are actively advancing inclusion and equity for LGBTQIA+ people in their workplaces, industries, or communities. This scholarship celebrates leaders who champion authenticity, representation, and systemic change to create safer and more equitable spaces for all LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Eligibility: You are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community
Value: €10,000
Essay question: How have your experiences as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community shaped the perspective you would bring to the ESMT MBA cohort?
Impact Scholarships
Responsible Impact Scholarship
The Impact Scholarship recognizes MBA applicants who are driving positive change by aligning social purpose with business strategy. Preference is given to those working in social enterprises, non-profit organizations, or NGOs, but all applicants who are advancing meaningful impact in their industries are encouraged to apply.
Eligibility: You are either working at an organization where generating positive social or environmental outcomes is part of the business model, or it is a formal core responsibility of your job.
Value: €16,000
Essay question: Describe the most significant social or environmental outcome you have personally helped produce. What was your responsibility, what changed, and what evidence demonstrates the result?
Founders and Entrepreneurs' Scholarship
Entrepreneurship is part of ESMT’s DNA. The Founders and Entrepreneurs’ Scholarship supports applicants who have demonstrated initiative, resilience, and innovation by founding or co-founding their own business.
Eligibility: You are either the founder or co-founder of a business or social enterprise that launched
Value: €13,000
Essay question: What did you build and what was the most consequential decision you made as a founder or co-founder?
European Leaders' Scholarship
The European Leaders’ Scholarship recognizes EMBA candidates based in Europe who demonstrate outstanding professional achievement, leadership capability, and the potential to make a positive impact in their organizations and communities. This scholarship celebrates responsible leadership and a commitment to shaping the future of European business.
Eligibility: You must be based in Europe and be able to demonstrate outstanding professional achievement, leadership capability, and the potential to make a positive impact in your organization and community.
Value: €7,000
Essay question: What does responsible leadership mean to you, and how has it shaped your leadership transformation and impact within your organization?
International Leaders' Scholarship
The International Leaders' Scholarship recognizes exceptional EMBA candidates residing outside the European Union who demonstrate strong leadership experience, global perspective, and the ambition to drive positive change across borders. The scholarship supports individuals who exemplify ESMT’s values of responsible and innovative leadership in an international context.
Eligibility: You must be residing outside the European Union and able to demonstrate strong leadership experience, global perspective, and the ambition to drive positive change across borders.
Value: up to €26,000
Essay question: How do you define responsible leadership in a global context, and how have your international experiences transformed your approach to leading and creating impact across cultures?
Network Scholarships
e-fellows Scholarship
ESMT Berlin is proud to partner with e-fellows.net to offer a dedicated scholarship for e-fellows alumni and participants of e-fellows MBA Day events. Applicants must have taken part in at least one e-fellows initiative to be eligible.
Eligibility: you must have taken part in at least one e-fellows initiative
Value: €16,000
Essay question: MBA programs thrive on collaboration and diverse perspectives. How do you approach learning from others, and how will you help your peers learn from you?
Bundeswehr and Former Military Scholarship
ESMT Berlin is proud to offer a scholarship to officers transitioning from military to civilian leadership roles. The Bundeswehr and Former Military Scholarship is available to officers who have completed their service within the past year and have been admitted to the EMBA program.
This scholarship recognizes the valuable skills, discipline, and leadership experience developed through military service and their relevance to business leadership.
Eligibility: you must have completed your military service within the past year
Value: €16,000
Essay question: What leadership or strategic skill developed during your military service will most accelerate your leadership transformation and impact during the EMBA, and why?
Apply now for the EMBA September 2027 intake
Ready to step into senior leadership? Apply to the Executive MBA by Oct 31, 2026, and receive a €12,000 Early Application Award off your total tuition.