This week saw the start of a new semester here at Pforzheim University. After the last three semesters in which - due to the pandemic - the classes had to be taught mainly digitally, students, staff and professors were very excited to return to campus for the opening of the winter semester.  
The new students that had been arriving during the last couple of weeks and days gathered for the first time in classroom. Finally they got to meet their new classmates that will join them on their journey towards their MBA degree in International Management. After welcoming the new MBA students to Pforzheim University the program director Prof. Strotmann had closer look with them on the curriculum. During the first semester all the basics in Accounting & Finance, Marketing, Business Functions, Economics, Research Methods and Management Skills will be addressed. Besides those lectures an exciting program of “guest in classroom” talks with key professionals from the industry as well as a two-day field trip with visits to reknowned companies is awaiting the first semester students.
The third semester students, that just got back from their three-day excursion to Frankfurt, are happy to finally be able to attend face-to-face classes. Besides the mandatory courses in Innovation & Business Dynamics, Sustainable Globalization and Digital Transformation the third semester offers a variety of elective classes in the areas of Finance & Accounting, Marketing or Consulting from which the students can chose in order to specialize. The Company Project, which is also one of the electives, is a great opportunity to work closely together with a German firm. Divided into project groups, supported by company representatives and supervised by a professor from Pforzheim University the students get the chance to work on real business projects for well-known companies such as Bosch-Rexrodt, NKT and Mahle.
After the individual launch of the first and third semester the two batches gathered for a short introduction round during which the first semester students got a chance to meet their buddies in person. As a good tradition the semester opening ended in the close-by Gartenstüble where the students could chat the evening away.     

text and photos: MBA