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.

After having worked for several years in a multinational company in Global Procurement and Supply Chain I thought it would be beneficial to go back to theory and study some foundational elements of business. I was aiming to enhance my knowledge in finance, international business and better comprehend the complexities of globally operating companies. My plan worked out even better than I expected. Theory applied was always linked to practical examples of daily business. There is no doubt that the MBA will bring me forward in my endeavor for more knowledge, personal achievements along with professional accomplishments. It was a great experience made of great people I met.

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’.

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.

By offering a diverse curriculum and a very hands-on education through highly experienced and knowledgeable professors, CLU´s MBA at IBSA in Austria is an unparalleled and inspiring program. It has not only equipped me with the necessary skills to compete and succeed in a global workplace but has also helped me to further my personal and professional growth substantially. I particularly appreciated the mix of online and weekend sessions which has allowed me to master the program besides my comprehensive work schedule that requires me to travel a lot, along with the informal exchange of ideas and experiences with my fellow MBA colleagues, which has enabled me to acquire new points of view and has certainly further facilitated a mutual cross-cultural understanding. I can recommend the program for anyone seeking to complement their current business profile, advance their careers and expand their perspective!

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.

In life we need to make the right choices to achieve success, but it all starts with good education. CLU’s MBA program at IBSA in Austria appeared to be the best choice for my career for several reasons: The mix of online- and weekend sessions perfectly enabled me to combine the MBA program with my intensive job. Highly experienced professors helped me to grow not only professionally but also personally – including a significant improvement in my Business-English conversation skills.

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 working more than ten years in different positions, I really aspired to refresh and deepen my business knowledge with a comprehensive and international program. Having the opportunity to study at an US university in a blended learning format in Austria really looked promising to me and totally met my expectations. Learning from professors with academic excellence and a track record in business, who really care about you as a student, is one of the real benefits of this program. Eventually not only the program itself, but in particular the mix of students with different backgrounds from different countries was very inspirational for me.

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.

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.

With my technical background and after having been in various management positions over the past years I eventually decided to do an MBA. I have chosen the MBA program of CLU in co-operation with IBSA because of the perfect fit with the daily business. The mix of weekend courses, online sessions and time in California is very balanced and this program is maybe one of the few programs where business, family and further education can be easily handled, even if you are not from Graz.  I also enjoyed the high quality of the instructors and the fact that nearly all of them came from the US.