23/10/2023

Academic education is an important approach to solving problems, especially in times of increasing complexity. With a completely redesigned Executive MBA and two state-of-the-art MBA programs, the Department for Management and Economics (Danube Business School) imparts future-oriented business and leadership knowledge. The new study architecture already takes advantage of the opportunities offered by the reform of academic continuing education and provides greater individualization through combinable - i.e. stackable - degrees.

Times characterized by disruptive changes such as digitalization, remote work and a need for sustainable solutions, to name just a few, pose major challenges for management in companies. Descriptors such as VUCA - for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity - are used in an attempt to specify the current, complex framework conditions. Continuing education at university level is supported by a sound knowledge base combined with practical know-how in dealing with complex situations. The University for Continuing Education Krems offers three MBA formats that accompany personal development tailored to the target group.

(Further) developing your role as a manager

From March 2024, the new Executive MBA will focus entirely on the role of the manager and is aimed at people with management experience who want to reflect on, complement and develop their work. Admission without prior study is possible, but at least five years of management experience is required. While general management topics are taught in a compact format, the focus is on leadership and personal development for new environments or management levels. The goal of the EMBA is to develop one's own role and attitude in the face of current challenges. Additional specializations, which can be selected according to personal learning needs, complement the curriculum and enable tailor-made further education. The accompanying, top-class moderated peer learning group provides a framework within the study environment to deal intensively with leadership topics.

MBA programs tailored to individual needs

In addition to the relaunched EMBA, there are also two MBA study programs with different objectives to choose from: for those who want to efficiently acquire management knowledge for their next career step, the 60 ECTS points "MBA General Management" is a continuing education program that covers all relevant general management topics in a compact form.
Building on this foundation, a comprehensive 90 ECTS MBA offers the opportunity to add a specialization from the university-wide range of competencies. This additional specialist qualification is particularly relevant for prospective students who want to better position themselves in a topic-, industry- or function-oriented context. "The topics range from Sustainability Management or Digital Transformation to industry-specific specializations such as Aviation Management or Biotech Management to functions such as Sales Management or Business Controlling," explains 
Birgit Feldhusen, Director of Studies for the MBA programs. The MBA with specialization is the cross-faculty successor to the Professional MBA; due to the reform of academic continuing education, a previous degree is now required for admission.

Customized training paths in continuing education

A new opportunity opened up by the amendment to the law is the possibility of combining compact academic continuing education units into complete degrees. The MBAs can be combined in various ways (a feature known in the international context as "stackability"): For example, a 30 ECTS Certificate Program in General Management can be extended to a 60 ECTS MBA in General Management. The MBA with a specialization can also be prepared step by step by completing two Certificate Programs - one in General Management and one in the desired specialization. There are three different ways to enter the EMBA, as the moderated Executive Peer Learning Group 2024 can be started as a Certificate Program.

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