Timeline and courses
Explore your learning and development journey
The Master in Global Management (MGM) is a full-time, two-year program (120 ECTS) starting each September. This page outlines the program structure, course timeline, and key experiences that prepare you for international careers in strategy, consulting, finance, tech, and beyond.
You will gain a solid grounding in management, strategy, and economics, all while customizing your learning through electives, certificates, internships, and international opportunities.
The MGM curriculum is structured around five components:
- Core courses focus on management theory and practice, with an emphasis on leading in a global business environment.
- Electives allow you to explore specialized topics and industry applications, offered in terms four and five.
- Skills seminars build your competencies in communication, negotiation, and intercultural collaboration.
- Practice modules including an internship and a Social Impact Project help put your learning into action.
- Career support is provided throughout, with coaching, employer events, and job search guidance from the Career Development Center.
MGM timeline and courses
The MSc 2026–2028 cohort will begin on September 8, 2026.
- Business Economics
- Financial Accounting
- Financial Management & Corporate Finance
- Foundations of Strategic Management
- Judgment Decision-making
- Statistical Thinking for Managers
- The State of the World
- Fundamentals and Applications of AI
- Career Bootcamp
- Group Dynamics
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Meeting Effectively
The Communication and Presentation Clinic is a two-year clinic that teaches you how to communicate clearly and convincingly when it matters most. It is mandatory in Term 1 and 2 and optional in Term 4 and 5.
In the first year, students practice with real presentations from their own coursework, get feedback from peers and experts, and refine their communication skills – with extra support for key moments like interviews or major project presentations.
During your master's program, you can take optional evening German classes in partnership with Inlingua Berlin. Running from October to March with two live online sessions per week, the courses are open to all levels and taught in small groups.
Examinations are administered by Inlingua Berlin, and you will receive a certificate upon successful completion.
By strengthening your German proficiency, you’ll gain valuable skills for internships, student jobs, and early-career opportunities in Germany.
- Sustainability Information and Analysis
- Global Corporate Strategy
- Managing Organizations in a Global Context
- Marketing Management
- Operations & Global Supply Chain Management
- Data Science for Managers
- Applied Data Visualization for Managers
- The Psychology of Conflict Resolution and Resilience
- Project Management through SCRUM
The Communication and Presentation Clinic is a two-year clinic that teaches you how to communicate clearly and convincingly when it matters most. It is mandatory in Term 1 and 2 and optional in Term 4 and 5.
In the first year, students practice with real presentations from their own coursework, get feedback from peers and experts, and refine their communication skills – with extra support for key moments like interviews or major project presentations.
During your master's program, you can take optional evening German classes in partnership with Inlingua Berlin. Running from October to March with two live online sessions per week, the courses are open to all levels and taught in small groups.
Examinations are administered by Inlingua Berlin, and you will receive a certificate upon successful completion.
By strengthening your German proficiency, you’ll gain valuable skills for internships, student jobs, and early-career opportunities in Germany.
Complete an internship of up to six months with a company that aligns with your career goals, in coordination with ESMT. German students are encouraged to complete their internship abroad.
ESMT currently works with a growing number of companies to offer internships.
Please note that while ESMT has agreements with internship providers to offer internships, participants are still required to apply and pass the target company’s selection procedures. Participants may also source their own internship opportunities.
- Boeing in Market Research & Strategy Support
- Accenture as a Strategy Consulting Intern
- BMW as a Sustainability Strategy Intern
- Daimler as a Risk Management Intern
- United Nations as an Intern in Information and Communication Technology Section
- Deutsche Bahn in Strategic Organizational Development
- KPMG in Deal Advisory
- Helix Cognitive Computing GmbH as a Blockchain Research & Cryptoeconomics Trainee
- Rocket Internet SE as an International Finance Intern
- Google as a Marketing Intern
- Bayer Healthcare in Digital Health and Innovation
- Zalando on the Business Development team
Besides Germany, students are gaining international experience by interning in Japan, Turkey, Switzerland, France, South Korea and Kenya.
- MARGA Strategy Simulation
- The Global Economy
- Status, Power, and Persuasion
- Corporate Impact Lab: Strategy, Innovation, and Organizational Change
- Business Psychology
- Survey Design
- Entrepreneurship with Large Language Models
- Entrepreneurial Sales and Marketing
- International Finance
- Portfolio Theory and Asset Pricing
- Fixed Income Investments
- Introduction to Investment Banking
*If you choose to participate in the Global Impact Program (GIP), you will follow a predefined curriculum abroad at UVA. Click here to see Term 4 courses for GIP.
- Building Professional Networks
- Consulting
- Cross Cultural Management
- Talent Management & Acquisition
The Communication Clinic is a two-year clinic that teaches you how to communicate clearly and convincingly when it matters most. It is mandatory in Term 1 and 2 and optional in Term 4 and 5.
In the second year, students can sign up for on-demand individual or group support to strengthen their communication and presentation skills. Learn to make an impact in important project milestones, as well as the key career moments that extend beyond the classroom – like job interviews.
During your master's program, you can take optional evening German classes in partnership with Inlingua Berlin. Running from October to March with two live online sessions per week, the courses are open to all levels and taught in small groups.
Examinations are administered by Inlingua Berlin, and you will receive a certificate upon successful completion.
By strengthening your German proficiency, you’ll gain valuable skills for internships, student jobs, and early-career opportunities in Germany.
- Agile Leadership
- Negotiation
- Open and Distributed Models of Innovation
- Analytics and AI for Healthcare Management (with pre-requisites)
- Data-driven Solutions for Climate Adaptations (with pre-requisites)
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Advanced Investment Strategies
- Alternative Investments
- Risk Modeling
- Valuation
*If you choose to participate in the Global Impact Program (GIP), you will continue with the pre-set curriculum upon returning to Berlin. Click here to see Term 5 courses for GIP.
- Cyber Security
- Impact Consulting
- Leadership in Practice
- Stress Management & Resilience
The Social Impact Project is a five-week project for both Master and Full-time MBA students. It offers students the opportunity to serve as an economic or management consultant for an organization with specific social impact objectives.
- Introduction to Research Methods
- Research Strategies Week
The Negotiation Clinic is an optional two-term clinic that drills deeper into the skills learned in the Negotiation elective. You will utilize one-on-one coaching, and group sessions to strengthen your ability to navigate the moments that define careers.
Practice negotiation scenarios in a constructive, small-group environment, so that when it is necessary for you to perform, you can resolve conflict, build better relationships, and secure the job offer you are aiming for.
The Communication Clinic is a two-year clinic that teaches you how to communicate clearly and convincingly when it matters most. It is mandatory in Term 1 and 2 and optional in Term 4 and 5.
In the second year, students can sign up for on-demand individual or group support to strengthen their communication and presentation skills. Learn to make an impact in important project milestones, as well as the key career moments that extend beyond the classroom – like job interviews.
During your master's program, you can take optional evening German classes in partnership with Inlingua Berlin. Running from October to March with two live online sessions per week, the courses are open to all levels and taught in small groups.
Examinations are administered by Inlingua Berlin, and you will receive a certificate upon successful completion.
By strengthening your German proficiency, you’ll gain valuable skills for internships, student jobs, and early-career opportunities in Germany.
While working on your Master thesis, you may seek the opportunity of a second internship and carry out your research with support from practitioners.
Alternatively, particularly those who intend to pursue an academic career, you may opt for working on a thesis topic in close coordination with a professor’s own research agenda.
The Negotiation Clinic is an optional two-term clinic that drills deeper into the skills learned in the Negotiation elective. You will utilize one-on-one coaching, and group sessions to strengthen your ability to navigate the moments that define careers.
Practice negotiation scenarios in a constructive, small-group environment, so that when it is necessary for you to perform, you can resolve conflict, build better relationships, and secure the job offer you are aiming for.
Enrich your Master in Global Management experience
Throughout the program, you can take your learning further with a range of academic and international opportunities.
International exchange
Study abroad in your second year at one of ESMT’s top-ranked partner schools in Europe, Asia, or the Americas. Experience new academic environments and broaden your worldview.
Practical internships
Complete up to six months of hands-on experience with a globally active company or organization. Integrated into the curriculum, these internships provide real responsibility at a first-job level—helping you build skills, confidence, and connections for an international career.
Social Impact Project (SIP)
Work with a nonprofit or social enterprise during a five-week consulting project.
The Social Impact Project challenges you to apply your business knowledge in a real-world setting while contributing to positive social outcomes in Europe or beyond.
Global Impact Program (GIP)
Join an immersive exchange at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce. In Term 4, study in the US with a focus on global strategy, financial markets, and operations in international markets. In Term 5, return to Berlin to sharpen your leadership skills and collaborate with UVA students on a social impact project in an emerging country of your choice.
Skills seminars
Develop essential professional skills through built-in skills seminars covering topics like leadership, cybersecurity, talent acquisition, and project management. The skills seminars are mandatory in year one and optional in year two.
Corporate Impact Lab: strategy, innovation, and organizational change
Taught by Torsten Kurth, Managing Director and Senior Parter at BCG Berlin, this elective is your chance to explore the significant decisions that shape companies.
You will work with practical, real-life business cases to gain understanding of the innovation and ideation behind large-scale change and build the confidence to drive organization-wide impact.
Negotiation Clinic
Strengthen the negotiation skills that can help you get better outcomes, manage conflict, and move your career forward.
Offered in in Terms 5 and 6, the Negotiation Clinic is an elective that puts you in personalized, one-on-one or small-group sessions, so you can practice real negotiations such as job offers, client meetings, or tough team conversations.
Communication & Presentation Clinic
Strong ideas only make an impact when they are communicated clearly and confidently. The Communication and Presentation Clinic elective builds these communication skills continuously, starting in Term 1 and running throughout the MGM program.
Group and individual coaching sessions teach you to apply your strengthened skills in real time to projects, presentations, and course milestones, with special focus paid to topics like job interviews as you near graduation.
MSc Honors Program
Open to the strongest academic performers across all three MSc programs, the MSc Honors Program runs on select Saturdays in the second year and features advanced academic content, networking opportunities, and mentoring, alongside leadership insights from industry professionals such as the Program Advisory Committee.
Placement in the exclusive program requires students to complete a short selection process at the beginning of Term 3.
Executive Insights Series
As a Master in Global Management student at ESMT Berlin, you have the opportunity to attend talks and events from faculty, peers, and guest speakers that can have a transformative effect on your career.
Today’s Global Leader
An ESMT Berlin initiative where CEOs share their insights with the next generation. Topics covered include leadership philosophies, and current political or economic topics. Interaction with a diverse audience, including young leaders, is guaranteed.
Examples of previous events:
- Today's Global Leader with Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO of the Mercedes-Benz Group. Watch the talk here.
- Today's Global Leader with Bonita Grupp, managing partner of Trigema. Watch the talk here.
- And more
ESMT Insight Hour
A one-hour knowledge exchange that covers the big questions. Thought leaders unite to share their insights on business, economics, politics, philosophy, and the arts. With a strong focus on knowledge-sharing, the series ensures you will leave with a better understanding of complex business and societal challenges.
Examples of previous events:
Vali Berlin Talks
Vali Berlin Talks is a curated series of events designed to bring together students, entrepreneurs, innovators, and experts to explore the many faces of innovation and entrepreneurship, from early-stage ventures to corporate innovation and everything in between. Each semester includes a balanced mix of formats aimed at inspiration, connection, and learning.
Berlin Global Dialogue
An innovative global summit that provides a platform to debate and promote solutions for global economic cooperation in times of fragmentation and transition. Decision makers, thought leaders, and young voices from across the globe convene for an open and thought-provoking exchange at eye level in the heart of Berlin.
The event, initiated by and hosted at ESMT Berlin, is non-profit, outcome-oriented, and backed by the world’s leading global corporations. Past speakers include Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen, and Angela Merkel.
Geopolitical briefings
On-demand, exclusive student events where ambassadors and global experts share insights into current geopolitical questions. Operating under Chatham House rules, these events cover the topics that you need to know as a global business leader of tomorrow.
Student-organized events
From our yearly TEDxESMT Berlin talks, to exclusive events run by our student clubs (that cover everything from football to fintech), you have multiple opportunities to learn from experts and build a robust network during your time at ESMT. Get involved to access a community that will help shape your career even after graduation.
Certificate programs: add to your business skill set
ESMT offers you the chance to add additional breadth and skill to your management studies with optional certificate courses designed to help you explore finance, investment, coding, analytics, and more.
Finance and Investment Certificate
Pursue a focused finance track and earn an additional ESMT Finance and Investment Certificate alongside your master’s degree. Opt for specific in-person, advanced electives and gain a deeper perspective on finance theories, institutions, and careers.
Self-guided certificate programs
Self-paced, and run in parallel to your studies, these certificates cover topics that can add further weight to your C.V. and help you stand out in your future management career.
Bloomberg Certificate Courses
Complete Bloomberg’s online, interactive certificate courses to build a foundation of financial management knowledge. Gain finance industry-specific skills, and insights into real-life investment strategies.
AWS Academy
Gain the data-driven skills needed by future managers. ESMT’s membership in the AWS Academy, gives you access to a range of essential Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud courses, including AI and Machine Learning.
DataCamp
Explore coding and the technical understanding that shapes management decisions: get access to DataCamp’s 500+ courses in Python, SQL, Power BI, AI, Java, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, and more.
SAP University Alliances Program
Dive into SAP for HR, finance, supply chain, sales, analytics, and more, and build up your management toolkit. MGM students can benefit from a free membership with the SAP Learning Hub, and gain access to premium learning content, including learning journeys, practice systems, and free SAP certification exam attempts.
Collaborative learning in today's business context
In today’s global economy, leaders are expected to work across countries, cultures, and teams—often navigating different ways of thinking and collaborating. At ESMT, that’s how learning begins.
From your first term, you will work in diverse, international teams: challenging assumptions, learning from different perspectives, and developing the cross-cultural skills essential for global leadership. Collaborative learning is built into every part of the MGM experience, from case discussions to group projects.
As you move through the program, your learning environment expands. Electives, extracurricular activities, and campus events connect you with students from across all three Master's programs, as well as the MBA and Executive Education cohorts. This wider community brings fresh viewpoints, professional experience, and global insight into your learning journey.
At a glance: Your community at ESMT
- Around 150 MGM students on campus at any time (across two cohorts)
- 300+ MSc students across all three master's programs (MGM, MIE, MAAI)
- 49% of MGM students from non-business backgrounds
- 80% of MSc students from outside Germany, including Asia, Africa, and the Americas
- 1,048 students across MSc and MBA programs
- 95+ nationalities represented in the student body
- 9,000+ alumni from MSc, MBA, and Executive Education
Jamie Song
Nationality: South Korea
Education: INSEAD, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Entrepreneurial strategy, social networks, machine learning
Courses taught: Foundations of Strategic Management
Fun fact: I’ve lived across four continents and seven cities in the past ten years.
“The principles of strategic management will be a compass guiding you through the complexities of business, illuminating paths to gaining and sustaining competitive advantage, and empowering you to shape the future of organizations.”
Eric Quintane
Nationality: France
Education: University of Melbourne, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Social network analysis
Courses taught: Managing Organizations is a Global Context (MGM/MIE), Organizational Analytics: Data, Models, and People (MAAI)
Fun fact: I convinced my family to spend a night with me in a treehouse in the middle of the Amazon forest.
“No one can effectively implement third-generation strategies through second-generation organizations run by first-generation managers.” - Bartlett and Ghoshal (1990)
Merih Sevilir
Nationality: Turkey/USA
Education: INSEAD, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Entrepreneurship, gender gaps in leadership and entrepreneurship, healthcare finance, mergers and acquisitions
Courses taught: Financial Management and Entrepreneurial Finance
Fun fact: Studied, lived and worked in 5 countries in the last 20 years (England, France, USA, Italy and Germany).
"It lays the foundations of modern finance theory based on Nobel Prize winning theories in financial economics. Using finance theory to understand the creation and growth of entrepreneurial startups."
David Ronayne
Nationality: UK
Education: University of Warwick, Ph.D.; University of Oxford, Post doc.
Research area/focus: Industrial organization and behavioral economics
Courses taught: Business Economics
"We will explore business-relevant economic concepts and results, bringing them to life through applications and interactive exercises. The questions we will address range from the fundamental, e.g., 'What are the benefits of a free market?' to the practical, e.g., 'How should you price a product line?'"
Nazlı Sönmez
Nationality: Turkey
Education: London Business School, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Operational innovation in healthcare
Courses taught: Operations and Global Supply Chain Management (MGM/MIE/MAAI), Analytics and AI for Healthcare Management (MAAI)
Fun fact: I was the co-founder of Bilkent University Baking Club during my college years.
"You can't manage or improve what you can't measure."
Julia Langdon
Nationality: Spain/UK
Education: London Business School, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: How we judge unethical behavior, moral lay theories, moral messaging around disability, and negotiations.
Courses taught: Negotiations
Fun fact: I once walked from Bordeaux to Valencia.
"It is not the critic who counts; ... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, ... who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, ... and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." - Theodore Roosevelt
Linus Dahlander
Nationality: Sweden
Education: Chalmers University of Technology, Ph.D. and Stanford University, Post doc.
Courses taught: Innovation, entrepreneurship, new technologies
Fun fact: I once broke my arm while arm wrestling with a childhood friend. We are still friends even though he won.
"AI is changing how we innovate by opening new ways to solve problems and think creatively. But many people still don’t understand how to leverage it to the fullest potential."
Francis de Véricourt
Nationality: France
Education: Université Paris VI, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Decision science, analytics and operations, with applications in health care, sustainability and human-AI interaction
Courses taught: Judgement and Decision Making
Jan Sebastian Nimczik
Nationality: Germany
Education: University of Mannheim, Dr. rer. pol.
Research area/focus: Labour markets and immigration
Courses taught: Data Science for Analytics (MGM/MIE), Machine Learning and Causality (MAAI)
" In this class we connect the predictive power of machine learning with the quest for answers to causal questions that help us make thorough decisions."
Huseyin Gurkan
Nationality: Turkey
Education: Fuqua School of Business is the business school of Duke University, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Decision sciences, incentive management
Courses taught: Advanced Decision Analysis (MAAI), and Statistics in (MGM)
Fun fact: I have never tried doner kebap in Berlin.
Angeliki Papachroni
Nationality: Greece
Education: University of Warwick, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Strategy & innovation
Courses taught: Foundations of Entrepreneurship (MIE), Organizing for Innovation (MIE), Ambidextrous Leadership (MGM)
Fun fact: So far I have traveled to 29 Greek islands, there are approximately only 198 to go!
“There is nothing more practical than a good theory” - Kurt Lewin
Oliver Binz
Nationality: Germany
Education: Duke University, Ph.D.
Research area/focus: Valuation
Courses taught: Financial Accounting
Fun fact: Lived in 7 countries
"A = L + E"
Lars-Hendrik Röller
Nationality: Germany
Education: University of Pennsylvania, PhD
Research area/focus: Interlinkages of economics, business, and society, with a special focus on geopolitical risks
Courses taught: The State of the World
Per Olsson
Nationality: Sweden
Education: Stockholm School of Economics, PhD
Research area/focus: Financial accounting, capital markets
Courses taught: Valuation
Learn from experts shaping global business
ESMT’s international faculty combines academic excellence with deep industry expertise. Many are active researchers, consultants, and lecturers in ESMT’s executive education programs, ensuring that teaching is grounded in both theory and practice.
With a commitment to teaching and a strong network of industry connections, ESMT faculty create a dynamic, relevant, and academically rigorous environment for developing future global leaders.
ESMT faculty members:
- Have studied, taught, and worked at leading institutions and companies around the world before joining ESMT in Berlin
- Regularly advise global firms such as Volkswagen Group and Lufthansa Group, bringing those insights directly into the classroom
- Conduct research in areas including innovation, strategy, and analytics, informing course content and case discussions
