MBA Wine, Sustainability & Sales

Our concept

Success in business is no longer just dependent on the quality of the product. Managers face numerous challenges for sustainable business management, including globalization, climate change, shifts in customer behavior, and running large companies with more complex workflows (and greater risks), to name just a few examples. To be successful domestically and abroad, managers must be able to recognize and effectively evaluate business opportunities in the marketplace and pursue them in a sustainable way. That also holds true for business in the wine industry.

Business management and sales skills

Sustainable business management and sales skills are at the center of this programme. Practical problem-solving strategies and business tools are taught using real-world examples from the wine industry.

Wine expertise

In addition to the classic business administration content of a traditional MBA, this programme also emphasizes sales and sustainability in terms of the environment, society, and business as well as international wine markets, consumer research, and a sensory analysis of wine.

Students are given intensive instruction in these topics based on the latest developments in both academic research and the business world. At the same time, students become acquainted with the world of international wine and learn about the particularities and sensory characteristics of important wine products.

Educational Organisation

Minimal on-campus presence

The MBA programme can be completed with only 36 days of attendance - a flexible lecture schedule allows students to continue working full-time.

On-campus weeks, which consist of workshops, seminars, and lectures, take place during the first three semesters. In the fourth semester, students research and write the Master's thesis. Because of the minimal on-campus presence, it is suitable for employees and entrepreneurs from around the world. Our blended learning approach is based on three core elements:

• Independent studies: using online textbooks and learning materials
• Webinars & virtual classrooms: web-based learning and teaching
• Face-to-face study: residential teaching phases for discussions, reflection, and networking

Curriculum

First semester:

• Strategic Performance Management
• Production I: Vines of the World
• Ecological & Social Sustainability
• Sensory and Consumer Science

Second semester:

• Marketing Management
• Production II: Flavours of the World
• Sustainable Business Administration
• Channel Management

Third semester:

• Wine Expertise
• Sales Excellence
• Management in Practice
• Law & Politics
• Research Methodology for Managers

Fourth semester:

• Master's Thesis

Further information can be found here: https://mba.weincampus-neustadt.de/curriculum.html

Course Objectives

Target group

The Master's programme is targeted at both experienced professionals from the wine industry as well as other interested persons aspiring professional development and who want to support their companies in their sustainable competition on the international market.

This study programme helps you to:

• develop sustainable and competitive strategies for your company
• find answers and suitable concepts for your practical questions
• get a greater understanding of the international wine business
• widen your (international) network in this industry
• enhance your leadership abilities and expand your horizons
• learn about the particularities and sensory characteristics of important wine products

This degree also qualifies you for a doctoral degree programme.

Job Opportunities

With only two weeks on-campus presence per semester, the MBA Wine, Sustainability & Sales allows you to work full-time and study at the same time.

Language Requirements

Applicants must provide proof of their English skills at the B2 level or higher according to the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR).

If you are interested in the programme, but still need official proof of your English language skills, Weincampus Neustadt offers an exclusive online language test! If passed, the test counts as a proof of your English language skills as required for admission. Please contact the programme manager for more information.

Academic Requirements

• Completed university degree (210 ECTS) and at least one year of related professional experience after graduation
• Applicants whose first-degree programme had only 180 ECTS can earn the additional 30 ECTS by completing a written assignment.
• Letter of motivation (one A4-sized page)
• Successful participation in a selection interview in which the applicant will demonstrate a basic understanding of business concepts related to the wine sector.

In 1996, the University of Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen am Rhein became an independent university of applied sciences. It was originally part of the University of Applied Sciences of the Rhineland Palatinate, founded in 1971.

With more than 4,500 students and about 80 teachers in four departments, it is actively integrated into the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. Its range of courses includes studies in the areas of economic and social sciences. The relevance of the study courses on practice has been one of the most important focuses right from the beginning, combined with an international orientation. In a dialogue with the economy and its needs, the range of courses is being expanded continually.

The university's competence lies in the business management courses with an international alignment. There is an intense meditation on business management functions at the focus of most study courses.

The University of Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen am Rhein signed the Charta of Diversity in December 2010. The University of Applied Sciences now belongs to a group of approx. 900 companies and public facilities who consider the introduction of a corporate culture based on recognition and valuation of diversity to be a key factor for their success. In this context, the University of Applied Sciences considers diversity in its culture and processes, informs and raises awareness among its employees, and reports regularly on current trends, conferences, projects, and many activities.

The University of Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen am Rhein stands for ...

• mutual respect and valuation
• living diversity and equal opportunities
• reflection and designed change
• dialogue orientation and open-mindedness
• ability to handle criticism and participation

Total number of students

4,500

Total percentage of international students

8 %

About the city

Ludwigshafen is a city in the south-west of Germany. It is located on the River Rhine, opposite Mannheim, and has nearly 164,000 inhabitants. The city is well known as the headquarters of the world's largest chemical company, BASF. With Mannheim and Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen is one of the three big cities of the Rhine-Neckar Region, which is the seventh largest economic region in Germany, with 2.3 million inhabitants.

The harbor of Ludwigshafen/Mannheim is Europe's second largest inland harbor. Due to its excellent infrastructure connections by river, rail, or road, the core competencies of the location are logistics and traffic engineering as well as the chemical industry and health care.