After a careful selection process I came to the conclusion that the Master of Business Administration program offered by the Californian Lutheran University in cooperation with IBSA Graz is perfectly suited for my personal requirements, and for those of my international acting company. The program featured all I would expect, namely: international setting, tutors from the business world and a broad mix of courses covering all relevant business issues. Moreover, courses are taught in English and can be attended while working full time. I am very impressed by the combination of flexibility and excellence offered by the CLU, the diversity of tutors with their wealth of experience and the carefully composed curriculum. An international working environment requires a sound understanding of international management tasks and challenges for which the program is building a great base. I have dedicated a lot of time and efforts to learn from the best and I am very satisfied with the ‘return of investment’.

As of the very first course I realized how valuable this international MBA program was going to be for me. The excellent mix of both online and weekend classes allowed me not only to stay right on schedule with the program despite a full-time job and intensive travel plans but also fostered a perfect balance of strategy and practical application. State-of-the-art technology, face-to-face time with instructors and the opportunity to build significant international relationships, among many other features, make this program unique and remarkable.

The knowledge and experience of the instructors at CLU/IBSA and their ability to connect the theoretical content with real-life examples was definitely impressive and helped my fellow students and myself to find relevant connections to our daily businesses easily. The mixture of participants from different industries and cultures and their practical inputs as well as our interesting discussions supported gaining not only additional professional but also interpersonal skills. Apart from that, I found the structure of the program with the mixture of online- and weekend-sessions and the fact that a lot of teamwork was required in order to fulfill the targets very practical and useful. Last but not least I am convinced that completing the MBA-program at CLU/IBSA helped me to find a new professional challenge recently.

After attending several aviation-related studies, I wanted to continue my further education through a program targeting the basic foundations of management. In this connection CLU´s MBA presented itself as a perfect match to my requirements, both in enjoying a high reputation as an academic institution as well as in offering an innovative learning environment, online and on site. The curriculum is designed to teach skills and promote thinking that one can benefit throughout the entire career path. Overall, I was able to grow professionally and personally by studying in a multi-national and multi-cultural group – mirroring the challenges of today’s business environment.

My decision for CLU’s MBA program was primarily based on its international orientation, the English language and the distinctive practical relevance of American postgraduate studies. The know-how and comprehensive business experience of the lecturers as well as their ability to link theoretical contents with real-life cases is more than impressing and allows me to easily find linkages with my daily job. The participants of the course are composed of different educational backgrounds and various industries which enriches the discussions and case studies and enables me to extend my personal and professional horizon. Comprehensive teamwork and the combination of face2face weekends and online sessions allow me to complete this part time MBA program in parallel to a time-consuming job.

For small and large corporations alike, current and future challenges can only be mastered with a strong educational background and the willingness to never stop learning. Cal Lutheran’s combination of weekend and online courses is the perfect combination which allowed me to pursue a management degree while having comprehensive business obligations. Professors use relevant cases, and the exchange with students from many different industries have helped me to broaden my horizon and find new solutions in managing my company. As someone who heads a medium-sized company, I chose this program particularly to help me explore new ideas, strategies and philosophies and acquire new skills to become a better leader. Cal Lutheran’s MBA program has helped me to do exactly that.

“Als Führungskraft mit technischer Ausbildung in einem international tätigen Unternehmen ist dieses MBA Programm eine ideale Vorbereitung für den Schritt in Richtung Management. Die Kombination eines in Englisch geführten Studiums mit den sehr fortschrittlichen Arbeits- und Denkweisen einer amerikanischen Universität war für mich ausschlaggebend bei der Entscheidung für diese Ausbildung. Der Praxisbezug des Studiums wird durch systematische Vertiefung des erworbenen Wissens in Analysen und Fallbeispielen aus dem persönlichen Arbeitsumfeld hergestellt. Durch das ausgewogene Verhältnis von Präsenz- und Onlinemodulen und die Unterstützung des professionell agierenden Professorenteams ist die erfolgreiche Durchführung des berufsbegleitenden Programmes möglich. Persönlich bin ich überzeugt, dass ich mit dem Abschluss dieses internationalen Studiums für nächste Karriereschritte optimal vorbereitet bin.”

With more than 300 locations worldwide and constant growth through brown- and/or greenfields, Magna International is one of the leading global suppliers to the automotive industry. My position requires a substantial amount of travelling and the ability to work with employees from very diverse backgrounds. The IMBA program at CLU has equipped me with the necessary skills, competencies and crosscultural abilities to do so. Thinking out of the box, being proactive and highly reactive to new business challenges makes up my daily work day. Being part of a global community I work following the sun. At CLU the combination of professional and highly qualified faculty, paired with an interesting and challenging curriculum has prepared me well for my career at a multinational corporation.

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning’ – Benjamin Franklin.
Having a technical education in mechanical and civil engineering, CLU´s MBA at IBSA in Austria offered a perfect complement in economic and management theory. The flexible program with its experienced professors delivered a fundamental economic knowledge and improved my managerial skills, competencies and cross-cultural abilities. The community and my fellow MBA colleagues, the exchange of ideas, know-how and my personal development made this program to an invaluable experience.

Who are the most sought after leaders and managers today? I strongly believe that they are the highly motivated, international educated self-starters. It appears to me that studying in, and graduating from MBA degree from a US university in just 15 months as a busy working professional is a good testimony of all these qualities. Cal Lutheran’s MBA program, delivered in partnership with IBSA was the perfect program, and I am convinced that this highly interesting and intensive program provides the best base for future career steps. Even while studying in the program, multiple opportunities for career changes opened up for me, and – ultimately – I seized one of them.

For me the MBA program at CLU in Austria provided much more than just an additional educational record in my CV. The program enabled me to further develop my professional and especially my personal skills. I really enjoyed the fact that people from different educational and professional background work together and learn from each other. Especially the professors are remarkable personalities from whom I learned much more than only the covered topics in the syllabus.

A major USP of this MBA program is that you study at an American university while being here in Austria for most of the time. Thus you experience all advantages of the American approach regarding education. Excellent international instructors with comprehensive practical experience respond individually to students and promote the widest possible growth of each. The whole program is conducted in English in a blended learning format which utilizes all advantages of e-learning. Being in California at the campus of CLU during the final study trip to complete the MBA is an absolute highlight.