MBA in Leadership & Supply Chain Management Kühne Logistics University

MBA in Leadership & Supply Chain Management

The MBA follows a coherent learning journey designed to support confident and consistent professional growth. It begins with Management Essentials, a foundation covering core disciplines such as strategy and competitive positioning, financial decision-making, customer and market management, and operations and supply chain fundamentals. This phase strengthens analytical thinking across functions, develops a shared management language, and builds a holistic understanding of how organisations create value in international settings.

Building on this foundation, the programme moves into the Transformational Leadership Programme, shifting the focus from managing systems to leading people, organisations, and change. Participants strengthen their leadership capabilities in areas such as change management, ethics and responsible leadership, diversity and inclusion, conflict resolution, and leading teams in international environments.

In parallel, participants deepen their expertise through one of two complementary specialisations: Digital Operations, focusing on intelligent automation, foundations of AI and machine learning, process mining, data strategy, and risk sensing and scenario planning; or Organisational Resilience, focusing on circular supply chains, sustainability hotspots, ESG regulation and compliance, and responsible sourcing.

A central element of the programme is the Impact Project, a real business challenge from the participant's own organisation that runs throughout the MBA, translating classroom insights directly into professional practice. Two integrated international study trips — to destinations such as Universidad de los Andes in Colombia and KLU's campus in Vietnam — provide first-hand exposure to global trade dynamics and emerging markets. The programme concludes with a Master thesis, in which participants apply their acquired knowledge to a specific topic of their choice.

Course Organisation

The part-time MBA runs over 18 months in a monthly block-seminar format: participants attend intensive four-day sessions (Friday to Monday) on KLU's Hamburg campus, allowing them to study alongside their full-time role. The curriculum follows four consecutive phases:

• Phase 1 – Management Essentials: Core disciplines such as strategy and competitive positioning, financial decision-making, customer and market management, and operations and supply chain fundamentals.
• Phase 2 – Transformational Leadership Programme: A shift from managing systems to leading people, organisations, and change, covering topics such as change management, ethics and responsible leadership, diversity and inclusion, and conflict resolution.
• Phase 3 – Specialisation: Participants choose one of two paths — Digital Operations or Organisational Resilience — and deepen their expertise through targeted modules, practical applications, and two integrated international study trips to destinations such as Colombia and Vietnam.
• Phase 4 – Master's Thesis: Participants dive deep into a specific topic of their choice, supported by faculty guidance, applying everything they've learned throughout the programme.

Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree (minimum 180 ECTS) in any subject, or provide a GMAT score of at least 600. In addition, a minimum of three years of relevant work experience is required. Depending on their academic and professional background, applicants may also need to prove English language proficiency. As part of the application process, all candidates complete an interview with the Academic Director.

Included in the tuition fee

KLU offers several ways to finance the MBA. The Brain Capital model lets you defer part or all of your tuition until after graduation, repaying based on your income once you're back in the workforce. Many participants are also supported by their employer through sponsorship or a learning budget.

We offer a limited number of scholarships: Logistics Excellence (50%, for AGA/BVL/LIHH members), Women in Logistics Leadership (50%), Social Impact & Sustainability (75%, for NGO/social enterprise experience), Digitalisation & AI (50%), and Global Supply Chain Future Leaders (25%). Scholarships require prior programme acceptance; early applications improve your chances. Tuition is also reduced by up to 15% for early applications, tiered by deadline.

While KLU's MBA is designed for professionals who remain in full-time employment throughout the programme, it is built to actively advance your career. The Impact Project allows you to apply new knowledge directly to real challenges from your own organisation, creating immediate professional value. Guest lectures and case discussions led by senior industry leaders from companies such as Beiersdorf, DHL, EY, Kühne+Nagel, Mercedes, McKinsey & Co., and Lufthansa Technik bring executive-level perspectives into the classroom, while close interaction with an international peer group of experienced managers expands your professional network. Beyond graduation, KLU's alumni network continues to support your career through ongoing community events and connections.

KLU, Kühne Logistics University, is a leading, state-recognised, international university based in Hamburg, Germany, with a second campus in Saigon, Vietnam, and with a planned expansion to Africa and the Americas. Among the top five percent of business schools worldwide, as per AACSB accreditation, KLU offers high-quality education, fully in English, including Bachelor's, Master's, MBA, PhD, and Executive Education programmes in business and management, data science and analytics, and notably, logistics and supply chain management.

Funded by the Kühne Foundation, KLU is committed to empowering contemporary leaders with a strong operations mindset. Our teaching and research activities blend academic excellence with a hands-on approach preparing our students to tackle real-world problems with a future-oriented approach. Emphasising digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, KLU shapes leaders to drive responsible and sustainable change globally.

Our students benefit from an exceptional professor-to-student ratio, providing them individual support from world-class, highly research-active professors. Integrated internships, participation in student and sports clubs, and international exchanges with prestigious business schools and universities worldwide provide the best environment to gain additional experience and enjoy their student life. This is rounded off with tailored career coaching and partnerships with top companies to ensure a successful career path.

KLU's Name and Meaning:

• Kühne represents our founder and benefactor, Klaus-Michael Kühne, a visionary German businessman whose influence has shaped KLU's powerful corporate network, bridging academia and industry while creating exceptional opportunities for our students and alumni.
• Logistics reflects our origins in driving progress in logistics, operations, & supply chains. While this stays core to our mission, offering students a unique edge through an operations mindset, we've since expanded into broader management education, earning global recognition with prestigious AACSB accreditation, placing us among the top five percent of business schools worldwide.
• University stands for our faculty's dedication to producing cutting-edge science. As world-class researchers, they bring the latest insights to students, helping them gain up-to-date knowledge and hone the critical skill of knowledge production. Students learn to differentiate rigorous research from mere opinions, giving them a competitive edge in an era of continuous learning.

KLU's Operations Mindset

The operations mindset is a unique skill set (rooted in our logistics heritage) that allows anyone to approach any challenge with the strategic and pragmatic vision of a leader. This mindset empowers you to "get things done", enhancing your problem-solving skills by rigorously analysing the situation and coming up with effective and innovative solutions that can be implemented, even in a fast-paced environment. The operations mindset encompasses many skills that are key to moving projects forward, such as strategic thinking, data-driven decision-making ("head"), open mentality, quick adaptability, strong cooperation ("heart"), and a hands-on approach ("hand").

Hamburg is a popular city among German students. Its cultural spectrum rivals that of Berlin. Students can experience the diverse nightlife offered at the Reeperbahn, enjoy great music at the Elbjazz and Dockville festivals, relax in the cafés and trendy bars in the St Georg and Schanze districts, and watch the Hamburg sunset at the city's popular harbour beach clubs.

With over five million inhabitants, the Hamburg metropolitan area is among the biggest winners to profit from the opening up of Eastern Europe and worldwide globalisation. This metropolis on the water is the most easterly of the northern seaports, making it the ideal port for Eastern Europe. As a global hub serving overseas countries, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Baltic area, Hamburg benefits from its central position at the confluence of the global trade handled by European logistics.

Hamburg is also considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Its extensive stretches of water and green parks and the historic residential areas are renowned. There are many attractive possibilities for leisure activities. These special qualities, together with the maritime atmosphere and its proximity to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, make Hamburg a jewel among international cities.

The historic core of Hamburg's port is the "Speicherstadt", the former warehouse area, where the world's most beautiful warehouse complex was built at the end of the 19th century. Against this background, the new HafenCity is being constructed on the former harbour area, and it is right here – in the centre of Hamburg and right on the waterfront – where Kühne Logistics University is located. Students find everything they need in order to study and feel comfortable. This includes superbly equipped interactive teaching and study rooms, state-of-the-art facilities, broadband wireless access, a well-stocked library, and access to relevant online databases for research.