Master of Business Administration (MBA) FHNW

School of Business

Boost your leadership potential with FHNW’s part-time MBA – a 90‑ECTS, 2½‑year programme designed for professionals aiming to master general management. You’ll gain cutting‑edge business knowledge and apply it directly to your role, preparing you to lead with confidence, responsibility and strategic insight.

Factsheet

Degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Learning environment: Onsite
ECTS points: 90
Next start: 19.8.2026
Duration: 2.5 years
Teaching languages: 1 Module in English
Venues: Basel or Brugg-Windisch
Fee: CHF 39 500

At a glance

Holistic, research‑based management knowledge: Grounded in current scholarship and tailored for practice.
Flexible, career‑friendly format: Taught part‑time over two years with weekend or evening sessions.
Practical, international orientation: Includes case‑based learning, simulations and optional international study trip.
Choice of specialisations: Leadership, Innovation & Venture Lab, or International Business Development.
Strong network & AACSB‑accredited quality: Learn from experienced faculty and build connections across industries.

Aims and benefits

You will:

Acquire essential, generalist management knowledge grounded in the latest research.
Learn to lead your function responsibly and successfully.
Immediately apply new knowledge in your role thanks to a strong practical focus.
Develop entrepreneurial thinking and act strategically across business contexts.
Understand and incorporate social, ethical and intercultural considerations in decision‑making.
Enhance teamwork, communication and collaboration skills, including in international settings.

Target audience

This advanced training is aimed at professionals and executives who want to expand their skills and prepare for future challenges.

Who is the MBA suitable for?

The MBA is designed for university graduates from various disciplines who:

do not have a business administration education but have extensive professional experience.
hold or wish to take on a leadership role.
want to build or deepen management skills for responsible tasks in the company.
want to develop further in a practical and part-time manner.

Structure and programme contents

The MBA programme includes 6 compulsory modules as well as a specialisation of your choice. The programme concludes with a practice-oriented MBA thesis. The instruction is conducted in German (one module in English).

Module Contents

Compulsory Modules

The following modules are part of the MBA. Each module is divided into courses.

Module 1: Leading Personnel – Leadership and HR Management

How to lead effectively and responsibly in dynamic organisations?

Leadership and Personnel Management

Values and roles in the work context
Leading teams
Own leadership behavior and leadership styles
Communication within the company
Conflict management

Human Resource Management

Personnel planning
Personnel promotion and development
Salary systems and structures
Labor law

Module 2: Improving Competitiveness Innovatively – Strategic Management

How are companies oriented to be future-proof and innovative?

Management and Innovation

Model of the enterprise and management tasks
Business environment and stakeholders
Basics of innovation management
Business plan or innovation plan

Digital Business Models

Methods of innovation management
Exploring the opportunities of digitalization in the company based on concrete use cases
Identifying potentials for the own company

Strategic Management

From vision to strategy
Competitive analysis and positioning
Developing strategy and planning implementation

Simulation

Business simulation
Recognising the overall context between functional areas
Formulating goals
Planning the use of resources

Management Assessment

Simulation of a management team
Mastering entrepreneurial challenges
Developing solutions and communicating them to stakeholders
Observation and feedback by experts

Module 3: Leading with Numbers – Financial Management

How to make informed financial decisions in everyday leadership?

Financial Accounting

Balance sheet and income statement
Key performance metrics

Management Accounting

Cost accounting
Calculations for companies
Calculating key figures for decision-making

Corporate Finance

Types of financing for companies
Financial planning
Investment calculations
Business valuation

Module 4: The Social and Economic Environment – Competition and Society

What influence do global developments have on companies?

Strategic and Operational Marketing

Strategic marketing
Operational marketing, marketing mix
Basics of online marketing

Managerial Economics

Understanding the business environment for company decisions
Economic framework: markets and the role of the state
Economic cycle, economic and monetary policy

Business Ethics and Sustainability

Basic concepts of ethics and business ethics
Topics: Morality vs. law, codes of conduct, corruption
Sustainability-oriented management facing economic, ecological, and social challenges

Module 5: Managing the Business – Organisational Management

How to effectively design structures, processes, and cultures?

Organisation and Change Management

Structural and process organization
Typical process structure with core, management, and support processes
Change management

Organisational Culture

Corporate culture and its impact
Culture analysis, culture change, and culture design

Problem Solving and Decision-Making Methods

Systematically analysing problems
Finding solution alternatives with creativity techniques
Documenting and evaluating solutions

Digitisation and IT Management

IT governance and IT processes
Digitalization in individual business areas
Enablers like big data and cloud computing and their fields of application

Supply Chain Management

Analysis and business process management in the supply chain
Lean concepts and optimizations along the supply chain
Digitalization and sustainability in the design of the supply chain

Module 6: Business Abroad – International Management

This module is offered in English.

How to succeed in an international context?

Cross-Cultural Management

Cultural norms and values
Dealing with employees and customers from other cultures
Professional negotiation skills

Elective: Internationalisation Strategy

Dynamics and models of global division of labor
Internationalization strategies of enterprises
Strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions

Elective: Study Trip

Dynamics and models of global division of labor
Visiting numerous companies abroad
Questioning intercultural leadership skills

These study trips are currently available

Elective Modules

One of the offered specialisations must be chosen. Each specialisation consists of two to four courses. The specialisations are offered across locations for the MBA programmes. They take place either in Basel or in Brugg-Windisch, with some courses also held externally.

Module 7: Specialisation in Leadership

What does it take to inspire people, lead them to peak performance, and ultimately create values? Values that shape the company, give it meaning and culture – trust, respect, esteem, the ability to collaborate. Leadership calls for integrity, clear communication, honesty, and openness.

Seminar on team dynamics and team leadership
Practical leadership concepts

Module 7: Specialisation in Innovation & Venture Lab

Innovation and venturing (entrepreneurial ventures) deal with the development and implementation of promising entrepreneurial innovations. This can take place as an intrapreneur within an existing company or through the founding of a startup.

From the creative idea to the implementation of the innovation
Working with real projects

Module 7: Specialisation in International Business Development

The area of specialization consists of two parts: firstly, another international study trip with visits to companies and other institutions from various industries, ranging from startups to multinational corporations. In the second part, the following topics are taught using case studies:

Analysis of international markets: tools and methods, identifying opportunities and challenges in various regions
International marketing and branding: tailored marketing strategies for different cultural contexts, brand localization vs. global branding, digital marketing and its role in international business
Opportunities through digitalization when entering a market, global supply chain management
Funding opportunities for companies (Switzerland Global Enterprise and others)

MBA Thesis

The processing time for the scientifically based, practice-oriented final thesis is six months. A colloquium will follow thereafter.

Module 8: Scientifically Address a Practical Topic – MBA Thesis

How is a specific management issue solved scientifically?

Course

Qualitative and quantitative research methods

Thesis

Practice-oriented problem statement from the professional environment
Independent processing using scientific methods
Supervision by experienced instructors
Presentation and defense of the results

International

As part of the MBA programme, students can participate in one or two study trips (elective module). Various travel destinations are offered, such as Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Poland, Singapore. The focus of these trips is on company visits, where participants can exchange ideas with management and tour the facilities. Our MBA alumni can also participate in the study trips after graduation. More information

Requirements and admission

For admission to the programme, the following criteria must be met:

University degree (University, ETH or University of Applied Sciences) and generally at least three years of professional experience after graduation
Or equivalent vocational training (HFP, HF or similar) and generally at least five years of professional experience after graduation as well as leadership experience, limited number of study places
At least intermediate English skills (level B1)

The programme management decides on admission to the programme and exceptions to the admission requirements after an admission interview. Applicants will be considered in the order of their applications.

Organisational matters

Schedules, Factsheets, and Regulations

Fees

The program fee is CHF 39 500 and is typically paid in three instalments.

Class Times

Campus Brugg-Windisch

Start of studies: January
Class times: Friday and Saturday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM every 1-2 weeks

Campus Basel

Start of studies: August
Class times: Thursday, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Friday, 8:15 AM to 4:30 PM, generally every two weeks

At the beginning of studies, there is an intensive course, and at the end of studies, there are a few block seminars.

MBA Community

We value staying in touch with you. We connect current, former, and future students of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Applied Sciences Northwest Switzerland (FHNW).

More Information

Location

Basel or Brugg-Windisch

University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
School of Business
Peter Merian-Strasse 86
4052 Basel

University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
School of Business
Bahnhofstrasse 6
5210 Windisch