As a collaborative academic partner of Edinburgh Business School (EBS), Heriot-Watt University, Scotland, we offer a 100 ECTS Dual Degree MBA programme designed for ambitious business leaders. The programme combines a world-class general management education with a strong focus on Cross-Cultural Leadership, equipping you to lead diverse teams, navigate global business challenges, and drive organisational success - all while continuing to advance your career.
Factsheet
- Degree
- Dual Degree MBA
- Learning environment
- Online and Onsite
- ECTS points
- 100
- Next start
- Rolling intake possible
- Duration
- 2-3 years (on average)
- Teaching languages
- English
- Venues
- Basel
- Fee
- CHF 2 800 per module
At a glance
- Top Swiss and Scottish MBA programme
- Earn two Master of Business Administration Degrees
- Study part-time
- In-depth study of business management principles
Aims & benefits
Dual MBA. Global Leadership. Flexible Study.
Earn two MBA degrees from Switzerland and Scotland, master cross-cultural leadership, and gain international management expertise — all on a flexible, part-time schedule that fits your professional life.
The overall objective of the Dual Degree Programme is to educate individuals as competent managers and business leaders, thereby enhancing the quality and impact of management as a profession. With its integrated and international approach, the programme provides significant value to professionals aspiring to take on key leadership roles within their organisations.
The MBA FHNW Cross-Cultural Leadership / EBS MBA is a rigorous, broad-based management programme designed to equip future leaders with the skills, knowledge, and global perspective needed to excel in today’s complex business environment. Participants will:
- build a strong foundation in essential management disciplines
- develop analytical and problem-solving skills for confident, effective decision-making
- master the art and science of leadership, including understanding human behaviour in organisations
- gain insight into global business, economic, social, and political dynamics that shape organisational success
- integrate diverse business disciplines and cultivate reflective thinking to drive strategic analysis and leadership excellence
Target audience
Business professionals with at least three years of relevant working experience and an undergraduate degree or an equivalent qualification from a recognized academic institution.
The start of your MBA is the start of a great experience that could make a real difference to your career.
Structure & programme contents
The programme follows a flexible modular structure, allowing students to take between one and three courses per term, depending on their individual schedules and professional commitments.
It comprises seven core modules that provide a comprehensive foundation in key management disciplines. In addition, students select one elective course and tailor their learning experience to their personal interests and career goals.
The programme concludes with a master’s thesis, enabling students to apply their knowledge and research skills to a practical business challenge or academic topic of their choice.
Module Contents
Each course consists of four workshop days. Workshops take place on Saturdays once or twice a month.
Compulsory Modules
People, Work and Organisations
The course examines the factors influencing how people behave at work and how these link to performance.
- Understanding behaviour in organisations
- Motivation and engagement
- Work group dynamics
- Organisational culture
- Organisational change
Financial Decision Making
The course provides a practical approach to the crucial finance and accounting issues that affect organisations in today’s business environment.
- Financial accounting
- Working capital management
- Budgeting
- Financial tools
- Financing, payout and management
Leadership – Leading across Cultures
The course examines the concept of leadership in globally operating organisations.
- The evolution of leadership
- Modern theories of leadership
- Leadership in contexts
- Leading in different cultural and changing environments
- Developing leadership
Delivering Successful Projects
The course covers the fundamental concepts of the project management discipline.
- Projects in the organisational context
- Leadership and behavioural aspects of human resources
- How the project manager and the project team work
- Project success criteria
- Qualitative and quantitative planning and control processes
Developing and Executing Strategy
The course addresses key areas of strategic management, which is concerned with the long term direction and performance of the organisation.
- Strategic Intent
- Strategic Issue Diagnosis
- Interpreting and Analysing the Environment
- Generating, Selecting and Evaluating Strategic Options
- Strategy Implementation and Practice
Strategic Marketing
The course provides students with the necessary tools and frameworks to make proactive marketing decisions.
- Marketing fit with corporate and business strategies
- Customer insights and customer connections
- Segmentation and target marketing
- Branding and positioning
- Marketing strategies for competitive and market scenarios
- The integrated marketing mix
Intercultural Negotiation and Communication
Negotiation is one of several means that help managers make decisions. The course provides a thorough grounding in the practice of negotiation.
- Foundations of negotiation theory and practice
- Distributive bargaining and strategies and tactics
- Integrative bargaining approaches
- Cross-Cultural negotiation dynamics and trust-building
- Analytical tools for negotiation
Elective Modules
Each elective course consists of four workshop days which take place on Saturdays.
Digital Transformation
This course equips students with knowledge on emerging digital technologies, digital business model innovation, and skills to manage digital transformation.
- Digital disruption and its impact on business and society
- Emerging digital technologies (AI, blockchain, deep learning, big data, etc.) and their impact
- Digital business model innovation through Industry 4.0
- Building a culture for collaboration and co-creation in the digital age
- Managing change in complex and dynamic environment
International Entrepreneurship
This course equips students with knowledge and skills to develop and scale entrepreneurial ventures in global markets.
- Comparative analysis of international entrepreneurship and innovation paradigms
- Strategic and organizational challenges of founding and scaling global start-ups
- Managerial design, presentation, and critical evaluation of business plans
- Strategic management of intellectual property and innovation assets across international markets
- Intrapreneurship and the role of entrepreneurial behaviour within established organizations
Managing Innovation
This course equips students with the knowledge and tools to strategically manage innovation within organizations.
- Conceptual foundations and strategic relevance of innovation management
- Types, dimensions, and process models of innovation
- Innovation strategy and alignment with corporate and business-level strategy
- Organizational and leadership approaches to fostering an innovative culture
- Managerial tools and practices for implementing innovation
Master Thesis
All students complete a master thesis at the end of the programme, demonstrating their ability to apply academic knowledge to real-world management challenges.
Research Skills Module
As a preparation for the master thesis, students undertake a research skills module comprising workshops in research methodology. They are invited to identify appropriate methodologies for their problem-solving strategies, including data collection, data analysis and evaluation of relevant literature, in order to reach evidence-based conclusions.
Thesis
The thesis is the outcome of a major business project within the framework of a project with an international company. The students themselves choose the company and the topic of their thesis and formulate the research question at the MBA level.
The work on the master thesis corresponds to six months part-time study.
Each student has a research supervisor for advice and for the discussion of challenges arising during their research period. Further experts with business experience are involved.
Dual Degree
Upon successful completion of this postgraduate programme, students are awarded the dual degree:
- Master of Business Administration FHNW Cross-Cultural Leadership (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Business)
- Master of Business Administration (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Business School)
Advanced Programmes
The Dual Degree MBA programme (100 ECTS) can be enhanced with a Specialism, allowing students to deepen their expertise in a chosen field. The Specialism builds on the Dual Degree MBA and is completed by two additional electives (10 ECTS each) from the same subject area, resulting in a total of 120 ECTS.
Specialisation in Strategy
- Entrepreneurship and Creativity
- Entrepreneurial Venturing
- Research Methods for Business
- Business Negotiation
- Mergers, Acquisitions and Restructuring
Specialisation in Logistics and Supply Chain Management
- Global Purchasing and Supply
- Strategies for Managing Supply Chains
- Green and Sustainable Logistics
- Logistics Operations: Freight Transport and Warehousing
- Humanitarian Logistics
Specialisation in Finance
- Research Methods for Business
- Lending and Credit Risk Analysis
- Financial Derivatives
- Managing Financial Risk
- Mergers, Acquisitions and Restructuring
Specialisation in Business Analytics
- Business Analytics
- Big Data Analytics for Business
- Performance Management for Business
- Business Consultancy
- Network Analysis
Success Stories
International
Students have the opportunity to broaden their international experience by taking a module abroad at one of Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School Education Centres. This unique option allows participants to gain global perspectives, expand their professional network, and experience management education in an international context.
Requirements and admission
The entry requirements for the dual degree programme consist of: an undergraduate degree (bachelor’s degrees) or an equivalent qualification from a recognised academic institution as well as at least three years relevant levels of work experience, two written work references as well as very good or excellent linguistic abilities in English (equivalent to level C1, CAE/BEC Higher).
A limited number of applicants without an undergraduate degree may be considered if they have a minimum of five years full-time business experience.
All students providing evidence of meeting the entry requirements will be invited for an interview.
Organisational matters
Schedules, Factsheets, and Regulations
Fees
Programme fees are paid on a course-by-course basis.
The fee per course is CHF 2 800 and is payable to FHNW, School of Business. This includes the comprehensive course material, access to the EBS interactive learning platform and tuition in Basel.
Students will be charged an additional GPB 160 exam fee (payable to Edinburgh Business School) per course.
MBA Community
We value staying connected with our community. The MBA Network at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) brings together current, former and future students of the Master of Business Administration programme - fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and lifelong professional relationships.
Location
University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
School of Business
Peter Merian-Strasse 86
4052 Basel
Advising and information events
Information Events
Contact
Dr. Laila Kabous
- Phone
- +41 61 279 17 36 (Direct)
- laila.kabous@fhnw.ch
Sabrina Goop
- Phone
- +41 61 279 17 32
- sabrina.goop@fhnw.ch
Registration
Students can start their studies at any time and progress at their own pace. You may choose to study course by course and pay as you go or enrol in two or three courses simultaneously. Our flexible fee structure is designed to accommodate your schedule and learning preferences.
MBA FHNW Cross-Cultural Leadership / Edinburgh Business School
- Date
- Rolling intake possible
- Duration
- 2 - 3 years
- Place
- Basel
- Notes
- Starts in March, September or December
Basel, Peter Merian
Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW
Hochschule für Wirtschaft
Peter Merian-Strasse 86
4052 Basel