GISMA Business School

GISMA Business School, the German International Graduate School of Management and Administration, was founded on the initiative of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in 1999. Its purpose is to offer globally recognised management education and give students the opportunity to study in an international setting. The idea for GISMA came from the need to retain management talent in Germany and attract skilled internationals to study and subsequently work in the country.

GISMA was created with the help of the State of Lower Saxony and several organisations around the region including Continental, Georgsmarienhütte, Nord/LB, Siemens, TUI, and Volkswagen. Until August 2013, the school operated and financed as a public/private partnership, partially by the State of Lower Saxony and by sponsoring companies. GISMA’s founding basis - the combination of its strong location and the international focus of its programmes - has remained the guiding principle and rationale for the school’s existence.

From 1999 to 2013, GISMA offered full-time and executive MBA programmes in cooperation with Purdue University, Indiana, USA; and from 2008-2013, the school also offered MBA programmes with Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH), one of the largest public universities in Northern Germany. A Weekend MBA programme was offered with LUH until 2015.

GISMA’s MBA programmes enjoy accreditation by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), an honour the school has had since 2011. In August 2013, GISMA was acquired by Global University Systems (GUS) and is now part of the GUS global alliance of institutions of higher education. Founded in 2003 and re-organised in 2012, GUS is an international group aimed at empowering higher education institutions with the tools needed to gain global presence. With over 40,000 students, GUS’s portfolio ranges from business, finance, and law, to arts and hospitality courses, delivered at vocational, undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive levels across international campuses and online.

From 2014-2017, GISMA offered an MBA programme in cooperation with the AMBA-accredited Maastricht School of Management (MSM). In May 2015, GISMA also partnered with MSM to offer the Master in Management programme. In January 2016, GISMA and Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) partnered to run the Grenoble MBA, Grenoble MIB, Grenoble MSc Marketing Management, and Grenoble MSc in Innovation, Strategy and Entrepreneurship in Berlin. Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) is triple-accredited - an honour shared by less than 1% of the world’s elite business schools. GEM’s triple accreditation include: AMBA (Association of MBA’s), EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System), and AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).

At the beginning of 2017, GISMA partnered with The University of Law to run MSc International Marketing, MSc Corporate Financial Management, MSc Leadership and Human Resource Management, and MSc Strategic Business Management. The University of Law is the UK's longest-established specialist provider of legal education. It was established in 1876, and was awarded a Gold ranking in the government-led Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) in 2017.

Studying in Germany - No German? No Problem

Let’s face it -- not everyone goes to study abroad to perfect their language skills. Going for the cultural experience and life in a new place is just as much a factor. Using a study abroad program allows you to tailor a program to fit what you want and make sure that learning in English is a priority.

Finding a program that offers the majority of its courses in English is a great first step. Check out these study abroad opportunities in Germany to find one that meets your language-learning needs. If you’re uncertain, you can ask a question right on the study abroad program page and alumni from that program will answer you.

You can also visit your school’s study abroad office to find out about partner universities in Germany. Often times, North American schools will partner with foreign institutions that specifically offer programming in their native language. It’s not a bad idea either to ask your school if they offer German language courses. Even a semester’s worth of language classes or short summer intensive will go a long way to prepare you for life in Germany. Chances are you might be able to use some of the credits to pad out your degree as well!

Furthermore, many German universities provide different options for varying levels of German-language abilities, including English instruction for absolute beginners.

You can even choose whether to take courses alongside local German students or other international students. With a little extra research, you'll be able to find the perfect program that pairs survival German classes and other subject courses taught with English instruction.

Remember that there is no best option when it comes to choosing a study abroad experience; just choose the best one for you.

For English speakers who aren’t comfortable speaking German except for the occasional “pass the schnitzel” or “Nein!” it’s no problem (or “Kein Problem,” as the Germans would say) for those wanting to study here.

Not only is Germany a hugely cosmopolitan country, with many English services available in its larger cities, but a 2012 survey by the European Commission revealed that 50% of Germans feel comfortable speaking English. In my experience, that number tends to be even higher amongst German youth and students -- the exact people you’ll be interacting with the most during your time studying abroad.

For those students who aren't confident in their German language skills, there are plenty of programs taught in English all over the country. You'll just need to be a little pickier when you're selecting which program in Germany to study abroad with.

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