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Master’s · Business & Management

General Management (part-time) MBA

ISM International School of Management · Dortmund · Official programme page

26 facts from 10 official pages · last checked 14 November 2026

Reviewed by Dennis Maaß, admission and immigration expert
Published 8 November 2026 · Last reviewed 8 November 2026

Key facts

Length, deadlines and costs

Language
English
Source
“The degree programme "General Management" is offered with a workload of 60 or 90 ECTS credits and may be studied on a full-time or part-time basis. The language of instruction is English.”

en.ism.de/images/downloads/examination-regulations/examination-regulations-on-campus-master.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

The examination regulations name English as the language of instruction for General Management; the programme page gives "Language 100% in English".

Study mode
On campus
Source
“Where can I study the MBA program part-time? Dortmund Campus Largest ISM campus, founded in 1990. … Campus Dortmund”

en.ism.de/full-degree-students/mba-programs/mba-general-management-part-time/overview · checked 14 November 2026

One campus only: Dortmund. An optional study-abroad semester at City University of Seattle or Boston University (USA) can be added, with a second MBA degree from the U.S. partner; the tuition for that semester is charged by the partner university. Free additional distance-learning courses are available through 'MBA Plus'.

Attendance
Part-time
Source
“Where can I study the MBA program part-time? Dortmund Campus Largest ISM campus, founded in 1990. … Standard period of study 3-4 semesters (part-time)”

en.ism.de/full-degree-students/mba-programs/mba-general-management-part-time/overview · checked 14 November 2026

The examination regulations say General Management "may be studied on a full-time or part-time basis"; ISM sells the two as separate programmes, in Munich (full-time) and Dortmund (part-time). The part-time MBA runs alongside employment, which matters for a student visa.

Length
3 or 4 semesters
Source
“Standard period of study 3-4 semesters (part-time)”

en.ism.de/full-degree-students/mba-programs/mba-general-management-part-time/overview · checked 14 November 2026

The last semester is the optional semester abroad at the U.S. partner university.

Credits
60 or 90 ECTS
Source
“The degree programme "General Management" is offered with a workload of 60 or 90 ECTS credits and may be studied on a full-time or part-time basis. The language of instruction is English.”

en.ism.de/images/downloads/examination-regulations/examination-regulations-on-campus-master.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

60 or 90 ECTS depending on the variant; the fee table words it "MBA full-time (60 ECTS or 90 ECTS)". Which variant an applicant enters follows from the credits of the first degree (§ 8(17) of the admission regulations).

Intakes
Winter, Summer
Source
“Semester start October (fall term) or March (spring term), part-time alongside working”

en.ism.de/full-degree-students/mba-programs/mba-general-management-part-time/overview · checked 14 November 2026

The examination regulations confirm that General Management may be taken up in the summer semester as well as the winter semester. ISM calls the October/September start the fall term and the March start the spring term.

Non-EU deadline
15 Dec 2026 (summer 2027)15 Jun 2027 (winter 2027)
Source
“Applicants who require a visa for Germany and do not yet have one should submit their application the latest by June 15 for the fall term or by December 15 for the spring term.”

en.ism.de/full-degree-students/mba-programs/mba-general-management-part-time/application · checked 14 November 2026

ISM runs rolling admissions and publishes no general deadline; this is the cut-off for applicants who need a German student visa. Conflict: the programme application pages and the central admission FAQ give 15 June for the fall term, while ISM's bachelor's programmes page, its page for Indian applicants and the M.Sc. International Business flyer give 15 July; the programme pages are followed here. All sources agree on 15 December for the spring term. ISM recommends applying about four months to a year ahead when a visa is needed.

Non-EU tuition
€8,300 per semester charged for the three semesters at ISM; in the fourth semester (the optional semester abroad) tuition is charged by the U.S. partner university; no thesis fee
Source
“MBA part-time (60 ECTS or 90 ECTS) 8,300 € per semester for the three semesters at ISM (monthly payments also accepted upon request) No thesis fee (already included in the semester fee). In the 4th semester (semester abroad), tuition fees are charged by the U.S. partner university.”

en.ism.de/full-degree-students/mba-programs/mba-general-management-part-time/financing · checked 14 November 2026

The same fee table is shown on both MBA pages and covers the full-time and the part-time MBA. High-achieving students in the MBA programmes are eligible for a 50% tuition waiver, and ISM publishes separate MBA scholarships; the list price is recorded here.

Application fee
Not stated by the university
4 pages checked, 14 Nov 2026

No ISM page names an application fee, and none says that applying is free. § 15 of the admission regulations says only that "ISM may charge a fee for conducting the admission procedure" and that the amount must be communicated before the procedure starts. The one-off enrolment fee (600/1,500 EUR) is recorded as registrationFee and the non-EU admission deposit as the institution's otherFees.

Registration fee or deposit
€600 one-off EU/EEA students€1,500 one-off
Source
“Enrollment fee EU & EEA students: 600 Euro Non-EU students: 1,500 Euro”

en.ism.de/full-degree-students/mba-programs/mba-general-management-part-time/financing · checked 14 November 2026

One-off fee paid at enrolment. The full-time MBA page words it "This is a one-time fee to be paid at enrollment."

Places
Selection procedure
Source
“The individual interview is a mandatory part of the selection process. 2If no subject- or program-specific assessments are carried out in accordance with § 12, the selection decision shall be made solely on the basis of the results of the individual interview. 3The individual interview shall be graded as "pass" or "fail. 4Passing the individual interview is a prerequisite for admission to the program.”

en.ism.de/images/downloads/admission-regulation/admission-regulations.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

No cap is published. Admission turns on a structured individual interview graded pass/fail, so the programme is recorded as a selection procedure rather than as unrestricted. § 2 of the admission regulations does say that "The ISM Presidential Board determines the number of study places for the individual locations and on-campus programs for the respective semester based on the available resources" and that it is "announced at the beginning of the application period", and § 3(3) foresees applicants who meet the requirements but cannot be offered a place; ISM publishes no such number on its website. Distance-learning programmes are exempt from the places rule. Five percent of the places on a degree programme are reserved in advance for applicants with disabilities (§ 4(1)). Also quoted (same date): https://en.ism.de/faq-admission states: "No. ISM International School of Management does not have a numerus clausus (NC). Instead of an automatic average-grade based (NC-based) selection process, ISM relies on individual admission interview."

Programme accreditation
Not stated by the university
2 pages checked, 14 Nov 2026

ISM's accreditation table lists this programme's FIBAA accreditation as "valid until end of spring term 2026", so the published period has ended, and ISM publishes no newer decision for it. Whether the programme is currently accredited is therefore not stated.

Admission

What you need to apply

3-year bachelor’s
Accepted with conditions
Source
“Notwithstanding paragraph 8, for admission to the Master's program in General Management (MBA) comprising 60 ECTS credits, proof of a successfully completed Bachelor's degree comprising 240 ECTS credits must be provided. 2For admission to the Master's program in General Management (MBA) comprising 90 ECTS credits, proof of a successfully completed Bachelor's degree comprising 210 ECTS credits must be provided. 3In addition, proof of at least two years of qualified professional experience after completion of the first university degree must be provided.”

en.ism.de/images/downloads/admission-regulation/admission-regulations.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

A three-year, 180-ECTS bachelor's degree is not enough on its own: the MBA asks for 240 ECTS (60-ECTS MBA) or 210 ECTS (90-ECTS MBA). Applicants with fewer credits may be admitted and make the missing credits good through relevant qualified professional experience or ISM's online certificate courses (§ 8(17) sentences 4-6). ISM's admission FAQ maps this differently - "For the full-time MBA, at least 210 ECTS credits are generally required; for the part-time MBA, 240 ECTS credits are required" - which contradicts the regulations' link between the ECTS size of the MBA and the bachelor's credits; the regulations are followed here. Two years of qualified professional experience after the first degree are required in any case.

Subject background
A completed bachelor's degree with 240 ECTS credits for the 60-ECTS MBA or 210 ECTS credits for the 90-ECTS MBA, plus at least two years of qualified professional experience gained after the first degree.
Source
“Notwithstanding paragraph 8, for admission to the Master's program in General Management (MBA) comprising 60 ECTS credits, proof of a successfully completed Bachelor's degree comprising 240 ECTS credits must be provided. 2For admission to the Master's program in General Management (MBA) comprising 90 ECTS credits, proof of a successfully completed Bachelor's degree comprising 210 ECTS credits must be provided. 3In addition, proof of at least two years of qualified professional experience after completion of the first university degree must be provided.”

en.ism.de/images/downloads/admission-regulation/admission-regulations.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

ISM's admission FAQ puts it as "A completed Bachelor's degree with at least 210 ECTS credits or an equivalent degree from a recognized higher education system" and adds "At least two years of relevant professional experience following the first university degree is required."

Minimum grade
No formal minimum grade and no Numerus Clausus; a GPA of 2.5 or better on the German scale is recommended.
Source
“Academic performance: ISM evaluates applicants holistically, thus a strong performance in the online interview can compensate for a lower GPA. A GPA of 2.5 or higher (on the German grading scale) is generally recommended.”

en.ism.de/faq-admission · checked 14 November 2026

The FAQ gives this recommendation for the master's programmes; it names no separate grade for the MBA.

How your grade is converted
Not stated by the university
3 pages checked, 14 Nov 2026

ISM publishes no grade-conversion formula and no equivalence table for foreign grades. Its FAQ expresses the recommended grade on the German scale ("A GPA of 2.5 or higher (on the German grading scale) is generally recommended") without saying how a foreign grade is converted.

Pre-master or bridging course
Applicants short of the required 210 or 240 ECTS credits can earn up to 60 ECTS through ISM's 30-ECTS preparatory semester, online courses from ISM's distance-learning bachelor's programmes, other university credits or the recognition of professional experience.
Source
“In the cases mentioned, a maximum of 60 ECTS credits can be earned through: 1. Successful completion of a preparatory semester at ISM worth 30 ECTS credits.”

en.ism.de/images/downloads/admission-regulation/admission-regulations.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

ISM's FAQ adds that the on-demand certificate courses are "offered by ISM's distance learning in German", which matters for applicants who do not speak German. The Pre-Master page lists Dortmund, Frankfurt/Main, Munich and Berlin as its locations and a spring start.

English
Level B2. IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 80 · Duolingo 110 · PTE 67. Cambridge: First (FCE) 160, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency. TOEIC (Listening/Reading 785, Speaking 160, Writing 150) and ELS English for Academic Purposes level 112 are accepted too; certificates must be no more than two years old. Applicants without a certificate take ISM's own online English assessment as part of the admission procedure.. Exemption: no certificate from a certified provider is needed from applicants whose native language is English or who completed a course of study entirely in English (school-leaving certificate from an English-language school system, a bachelor's degree in English or an English-taught university degree); the admission regulations also accept at least 30 ECTS of modules taught in English at B2 level
Source
“The following language proficiency certificates are accepted for English-taught and billingual (German-English) programs at ISM International School of Management: Language certificates from a certified provider (no more than 2 years old), for example: TOEFL iBT: minimum score of 80 IELTS: minimum overall score of 6.0 Cambridge: First (FCE) with minimum 160 points, or AE (C1 Advanced) or CPE (C2 Proficiency) TOEIC: Listening/Reading minimum 785 points; Speaking minimum 160 points; Writing minimum 150 points Pearson PTE Academic: minimum 67 points ELS English for Academic Purposes: minimum level 112 Duolingo English Test: minimum 110 points.”

en.ism.de/faq-admission · checked 14 November 2026

ISM asks for CEFR B2 in the language of instruction (§ 5(1) no. 4 and § 8(6) of the admission regulations) and lists the accepted certificates and minimum scores centrally, not per programme. No ISM page says whether TOEFL iBT Home Edition is accepted, and no score is given on the new 1-6 TOEFL band scale. ISM's page for international applicants from India words the alternative "If you do not have an English certificate, you can take an English test online as part of our admission process."

German
Not needed when applying. During studies: optional free German courses in the StudyPlus programme, plus German classes at the Language Center
Source
“for English-language degree programs, English language skills at least at level B2 in accordance with § 10, and 5. successful participation in the selection process in accordance with §§ 11 and 12.”

en.ism.de/images/downloads/admission-regulation/admission-regulations.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

German is required only for ISM's German-language programmes (B2, § 5(1) nos. 2-3 and § 8(5) of the admission regulations). For the English-taught programmes no ISM page or regulation asks for German at application, during the degree or at graduation; German courses are optional and free within StudyPlus. Also quoted (same date): https://en.ism.de/services/language-center states: "At ISM, we offer also free additional language and hands-on courses within our StudyPlus program"

GRE / GMAT / GATE
Not required
Source
“No. ISM International School of Management does not require either the GMAT or the GRE for its Bachelor, Master, or MBA programs. The admission interview and review of application documents replaces the standardized aptitude test.”

en.ism.de/faq-admission · checked 14 November 2026

Stated for the bachelor's, master's and MBA programmes alike; the admission regulations provide for no standardised admission test either.

Other required tests
Not stated by the university
3 pages checked, 14 Nov 2026

No admission test: ISM states that it requires neither GMAT nor GRE and that "The admission interview takes place online and replaces the standardized aptitude test."

Selection
A structured online selection interview with a presentation, plus at least two years of qualified professional experience after the first degree.
Source
“Personal selection interview incl. presentation The next step is to get to know you personally. You will give a short presentation and have a structured online selection interview.”

en.ism.de/full-degree-students/mba-programs/mba-general-management-part-time/application · checked 14 November 2026

A structured job-style interview graded pass/fail (§ 11 of the admission regulations); ISM's page for Indian applicants says MBA applicants prepare a case study and interview with the programme director. At least two years of qualified professional experience after the first degree are a formal requirement. The MBA also includes individual coaching, which is part of the programme, not of the selection.

India, Pakistan, Nigeria

Rules for applicants from India, Pakistan and Nigeria

English test waiver
Possible for applicants from India, Nigeria, Pakistan, with a school-leaving certificate from an English-medium school or with enough English at school, or with a previous degree taught in English
Source
“Exceptions to the requirement to submit a language proficiency certificate from a certified provider apply to applicants whose native language is English or who have completed a course of study conducted entirely in English (e.g., a high school diploma from an English-speaking school system, a bachelor's degree in English, or an English-language university degree).”

en.ism.de/faq-admission · checked 14 November 2026

Two routes apply to applicants from India, Nigeria and Pakistan: a school-leaving certificate from an English-language school system, and a previous degree taught in English (the admission regulations add at least 30 ECTS of English-taught modules at B2 level). Being from a country where English is an official language is not by itself a basis: ISM ties the exemption to the language of the school or the degree, or to English as a native language. ISM's page for Indian applicants adds that the certificate is "only needed, if the medium of instruction in your high school or university is not English", and that a bachelor's degree older than five years also triggers the requirement. ISM reviews these cases individually ("applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis") and offers its own online English assessment instead of a certificate, so applicants should get ISM's decision in writing. Also quoted (same date): https://en.ism.de/images/downloads/admission-regulation/admission-regulations.pdf states: "2. a secondary school leaving qualification obtained in an English-language school system, 3. a university degree in English studies, 4. an English-language university degree obtained in a country or region where English is the official language and/or where English was the language of instruction, 5. the acquisition of at least 30 ECTS credits (modules taught in English at B2 level) in a university degree program"

Rules that name these countries
  • India: Indian applicants must include an APS certificate from the Academic Evaluation Centre with their German student visa application; ISM itself does not ask for it.
    Source
    “Once accepted, you can apply for a German student visa at the German Embassy in India … Indian students will have to include a certificate from the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS) in their application for a student visa. This is called an APS procedure and was introduced in Germany in November 2022.”

    en.ism.de/study-in-germany-for-indian-students · checked 14 November 2026

  • India: Indian applicants who need a student visa are asked to submit the full application and take the admission test by 15 July for a fall start and by 15 December for a spring start.
    Source
    “We kindly ask Indian students who need a study visa for Germany to submit their full application and take the admission test no later than July 15 for the programs starting in the fall and no later than December 15 for the programs that start in the spring term”

    en.ism.de/study-in-germany-for-indian-students · checked 14 November 2026

    This page says 15 July for the fall term, while the programme application pages and the admission FAQ say 15 June.

  • India: Indian master's applicants need an English certificate (e.g. IELTS 6.0) only if their university did not teach in English, or if their bachelor's degree is more than five years old.
    Source
    “If you have an English language certificate, you also have to submit it to our admission portal, such as an IELTS score of 6.0 (only needed, if the medium of instruction in your university is not English or if your Bachelor is older than 5 years).”

    en.ism.de/study-in-germany-for-indian-students · checked 14 November 2026

The rules for your country across all universities, and the visa rules on English tests, are on the India, Pakistan and Nigeria pages.

More on this programme

Every value was read on an official page and is stored with a verbatim quote; open “Source” to see it. “Not stated by the university” means none of the pages we checked says, and lists those pages. Rules change: confirm with the university before you apply or pay.