UWF welcomes German MBA students for three-week program
This month, the University of West Florida MBA program hosted 12 students from Germany. UWF delivers its German MBA program in Ludwigshafen, Germany through a partnership with the Transatlantik Institute.
From June 9-28, the students completed the capstone course of the MBA program, which is the final requirement to graduate, at UWF’s main campus in Pensacola.
Dr. Blaine Lawlor, director of the UWF MBA program and assistant professor, said the program is a perfect representation of a mutually beneficial, international partnership between the University and the Transatlantik Institute, which has been highly successful since it was established in 2002.
“The UWF German MBA program allows UWF the opportunity to recruit some of the brightest students in Germany and expand our knowledge of international education systems, while providing the students with the ability to earn a master’s degree from an AACSB accredited, high quality business school in the United States,” he said. “It’s a win-win.”
German students visit Pensacola for an intense two weeks of instruction at the beginning of the 18-month program to get started on the initial courses. After that, UWF faculty visit the TI campus in Germany two weekends per month to finish the courses they started in Pensacola and to teach the other required courses. The program finishes with the capstone experience in Pensacola.
“The UWF MBA program proved to be the perfect choice for me,” said Alexander Wiebe, a native of Mannheim, Germany. “With great professors and content, I have no doubt that I will benefit from the experiences and acquired knowledge, both personally and in my career.”
While they are here, the students participate in a variety of alumni and community events designed to introduce them to Pensacola, including a German MBA Social at the UWF College of Business, a Blue Wahoos baseball game and more.
On Tuesday, June 17, the students attended a special ceremony in which they were granted honorary citizenship in Pensacola by City Councilman Charles Bare. The trip will conclude with a graduation ceremony for the graduates on Saturday, June 28 at the UWF College of Business Education Center Atrium.
The UWF German MBA Program was created to enhance the cultural diversity of UWF’s student body and provide faculty with international experience. For additional information about the UWF College of Business, visit uwf.edu/cob.
