This week saw the start of a new semester here at Pforzheim University. We were very happy to welcome back our third semester students as well as the new first semester students on campus for the upcoming winter semester.   
The new students, who had been arriving during the last couple of weeks and days gathered for the first time in the MBA classroom. Finally, they got to meet their new classmates that join them on their journey towards their MBA degree in International Management. After welcoming the new students to Pforzheim University Janina Walther from the MBA team had a 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 well-known companies is awaiting the first semester students.
An exciting semester also lies ahead for the third semester students, that just got back from their three-day excursion to Switzerland and the Lake of Constance region. 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, Francotyp Postalia and attempto.
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, that already supported them before their arrival in Pforzheim, in person. As a good tradition the semester opening ended in the close-by Gartenstüble where the students could chat the afternoon away.     

text and photos: MBA