The IBEA Study Option in the Bachelor's Program Business Administration

Study Around the Globe!

Three of eight semesters abroad – this is what the University of Mannheim offers you with the International Business Education Alliance, in short: IBEA, study option in the Bachelor's program in Business Administration. Apart from spending five regular semesters at the University of Mannheim, you will broaden your academic and intercultural competences at leading business schools in the US, Singapore and Brazil.

Credit: Merle Schöning

I applied for IBEA because I found the program to be the perfect blend of academic excellence and cultural advancement. My expectations were exceeded. With IBEA I not only developed academically and professionally, but also grew as a person with the other students, made possible through the composition of this unique international cohort!

Tom Taeymans, IBEA Student

Credit: Q-Summit

The IBEA study option gave me the opportunity to look at the economy from a 360-degree perspective. The courses tailored to the different countries, living together with the IBEA cohort and dealing directly with three different cultures have allowed me to mature academically and above all – as a person. For me, IBEA means having unforgettable experiences and making lifelong friends.

Ricarda Seitz, IBEA Student

Credit: Lorenz Hetzel

For me, IBEA means the privilege of being able to develop not only academically and professionally, but also personally in an environment that could hardly be more global. The contrasts between the countries and the personalities within IBEA are unique and make you think in completely new perspectives. But what surprised me the most, was how much the cohort is growing together into a community and how friendships and networks develop that will continue long after IBEA.

Felix Güttner, IBEA Student

At a glance

Program duration: Eight semesters (full time)
Participating partner schools:
Course program: Five semesters at the University of Mannheim and one semester at each partner school
Course language: German and English, and Portuguese (depending on individual language skills)
Application period: Every spring semester by 30 April
Fees: No tuition fees at the partner schools

Benefits of the IBEA study option

Eine Gruppe von Studierenden im Schlossflur

Credit: Fakultät BWL

Professional expertise

All participating schools share the characteristic of offering world-class research and teaching. Learn about business in Asia, Europe, and North and South America.

Credit: Privat

Practical relevance

You will work on projects in multicultural teams with international companies, and gain valuable insights into the corporate world.

Eine Gruppe von Studierenden sitzt beim Picknick zusammen

Credit: Privat

Intercultural competence

Studying in an international group will improve your intercultural and social skills. You will also consider the sociopolitical and economic policy issues of each country in specially designed culture courses.

Credit: Privat

Personal development

Move out of your comfort zone towards independence. You will spend more than 18 months abroad and have to deal with visas, accommodation, etc. – with the support of the Mannheim and local IBEA teams.

Our IBEA partners

University of South Carolina, Columbia

The University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business has enjoyed a worldwide reputation for its international graduate programs for over 40 years. Its undergraduate/bachelor program in International Business has held first place in the U.S. News & World Report for more than 20 consecutive years. Around 35,000 students, representing 105 nations, benefit from the international atmosphere on the USC campus.

ESSEC Business School, Singapore

The ESSEC Business School, one of Europe’s leading business schools established in Paris in 1907, chose Singapore as a strategic location to expand its international presence and set up an Asia-Pacific campus. The economic dynamism of the city state, which is also a multicultural and educational hub, enables ESSEC to respond to the increasing demand for management training in Asia.

FGV EBAPE, Rio de Janeiro

The Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (FGV EBAPE) is considered the best school for business administration in Brazil. Its excellence is based on quality teaching and compelling academic research. The FGV EBAPE provides management training specific to the Brazilian context and is regarded as a major research center for groundbreaking concepts, methods and techniques in Brazilian corporate culture.

Weltkarte mit Partnerunis ESSEC, FGV und Darla Moore School of Business

Program structure

Students in their second semester of the bachelor's program in Business Administration have the opportunity to apply for the IBEA study option. All IBEA students start the program in Mannheim in the fourth semester. They will then study together as an international cohort. They will travel to the University of South Carolina (USA) in the fifth semester, to the ESSEC Singapore campus in the sixth, and to the FGV EBAPE in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in the seventh. All students will return to their home institutions to complete their studies before graduating in the eighth semester.

Students will receive the IBEA certificate after successfully completing the program.

For Mannheim students, the fifth semester will serve as the regular integrated semester abroad.

Detailed curriculum (PDF, 1 MB)

The IBEA semester in Mannheim

A specifically designed course program is offered to the IBEA group at all locations.

You will take the culture course ISC 470 Business, Culture, and Society by lecturer Alexander Pfisterer in Mannheim. This will give you insights into the current economic situation in Germany and into Germany’s role within Europe. The course addresses economic, cultural, and social relationships.

The cohort-specific course TAX 470 Business and Corporate Taxation in Europe by Prof. Spengel, a leading expert in international taxation, describes Europe’s taxation system. This information will be subsequently applied to the corporate project in Mannheim: Students will spend six to eight weeks working on projects in multinational teams at EY in Stuttgart and PwC in Frankfurt, and will present them to the corporate partners.

Further course information is available in the module catalogue. (PDF, 2 MB)

Credit: Fakultät BWL

IBEA exchange students in Mannheim

We look forward to welcoming the international students from our partner schools – the University of South Carolina, ESSEC, and FGV – in the spring semester. You will be selected for the IBEA program by your home institution and nominated at our university. We will contact you in fall, before your semester in Mannheim, and provide you with the relevant information for your studies and life in Mannheim.

The university's Central International Office and our website for business exchange students “Study in Mannheim – Incomings” provide further useful information for you.

Application

Is the IBEA study option just right for you? We look forward to receiving your application, following your successful admission to our Bachelor of Business Administration.

The next infosession will take place on March 14, 2024. More information will follow by email and in our newsletter.

Your profile
Applicants should be motivated and prepared to broaden both, their academic and cultural horizon. Apart from above-average grades and comprehensive language skills (English is mandatory, other languages a bonus), you should demonstrate excellent intercultural and social skills. Extracurricular activities and practical experience will be advantageous.
How to apply
Interested students enrolled in the bachelor's program in Business Administration at the University of Mannheim may apply during their second semester. The deadline for the application documents, which have to be handed in at the International Office, is 30 April.
A detailed application instruction can be downloaded from the website of the International Office a few weeks before the application deadline. This step-by-step guide explains what you need to submit and comply with when applying for the IBEA study option.
You can apply for both the Double Degree and the IBEA Program!
Selection
The selection committee will shortlist suitable candidates who will then be invited to an interview.

Antonia Fleischer has long curls and is wearing a black blouse. The castle can be seen in the background

Credit: Katrin Glückler

Antonia Fleischer, M.Sc.

Manager IBEA

University of Mannheim
Dean's Office of the Business School
L 5, 5 – Room 204
68161 Mannheim

E-mail: ibea.businessuni-mannheim.de

Consultation hour(s):
Please make an appointment at https://www.bwl.uni-mannheim.de/beratung/antonia-fleischer/

The IBEA Study Option in the Bachelor's Program Business Administration

Study Around the Globe!

At a glance

Benefits of the IBEA study option

Professional expertise

Practical relevance

Intercultural competence

Personal development

Our IBEA partners

University of South Carolina, Columbia

ESSEC Business School, Singapore

FGV EBAPE, Rio de Janeiro

Program structure

The IBEA semester in Mannheim

IBEA exchange students in Mannheim

Application

Your profile

How to apply

Selection

Antonia Fleischer, M.Sc.

Dean's Office | Business School

FORUM