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 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.

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.

You do not need an MBA for anything, but it is a sustainable learning experience and it is a valuable way to develop a set of skills. As a Project Management executive with Geodata Group working in an international environment, California Lutheran University´s MBA at IBSA in Austria provides interesting courses and the learning content that adds an asset to your skill set.  California Lutheran University´s MBA program is the perfect add-on to get ready for the next career step and to be able to manage the challenges of an international working environment.

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.

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.

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.

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’.

I discovered Cal Lutheran’s MBA program as I wanted to prepare myself for the next step in my career. As someone with a technical background, the extremely relevant, high quality courses in that MBA program were perfect in helping me to transition into management. The combination of weekend compressed and online courses proved to be a perfect fit with my busy career, and the study trip to California simply has been an unforgettable experience that I will remember forever. I now feel fully prepared to take my career to the global level.

Education is surly one of the most important investments people have to make. Studying International Development at the University of Vienna gave me a good understanding of trade, economic theories and business development around the world. However I strongly believe that an entrepreneurial mindset and applied business skills are critical and fundamental success factors for an international career in those days. CLU’s MBA program gave me the perfect tools for working in an international environment, in an organization which I was part of from its start up. The flexible schedule enabled me to pursue a degree from an American University and experience this great multi-cultural environment.

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!

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.