Doing a Master in Management without a business background

One of the major things that attracted Bronwyn to the Master in Management program at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management was the fact that “there’s a massive range of backgrounds” among the students. (03:57)

She admits that she was in “the minority [because she has] a BA in communications.” (04:03) Most of the other students had a little bit of experience in the business world, whereas she didn’t have any. 

Overall, there’s “a really nice balance between people who have a business background, people who are sort of business-minded and finance-focused, and then people who come from hospitality and other places,” Bronwyn explains. (04:24)

In Bronwyn’s experience, the Frankfurt School’s Master in Management “is set up in a way that anybody can succeed.” (05:09) During the first semester, students get a “crash course” in business, which some can waive depending on their academic background.

Even though Bronwyn describes that her first semester without any business background was “very hard for [her] and some of [her] classmates,” (05:53) she felt that all students ended up on a level playing field afterward, regardless of their prior experience.

How Bronwyn got from Zimbabwe to Frankfurt

Bronwyn is from Zimbabwe, but she’s lived in several different countries around the world. She did her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and journalism at the University of the Free State in South Africa.

After she completed her first degree, she changed course. She decided to take a break and work as a teacher in Thailand for a year. After that experience, she wasn’t sure of the next steps she wanted to take in her career. She knew she was interested in communication and working with people, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a journalist.

Bronwyn’s life took yet another direction when she met her current partner, who’s German. They fell in love and she ended up moving to Germany with him. After spending time learning German and settling into her new home, she started researching opportunities to expand her professional horizons. 

When she found out about the Master in Management program at the Frankfurt School, she was instantly interested in applying. This was a surprise because she “never thought about going into business, but there was something just about the course. It was something that was very open towards people who weren’t necessarily so business-focused.” (02:44)

The benefits of a two-year master’s program

Since Bronwyn didn’t have any business experience, she feels that having two years to complete her master’s program was hugely beneficial. It helped her gain confidence, maximize her personal growth, and determine the direction she wanted to take.

Bronwyn jokes that “to do all of this in one year would have been…not impossible, but it would have been incredibly difficult.” (07:45) She goes into further detail that “this way [they’ve] been able to not only have more in-depth exposure and experience, but [they’ve] also had time to get into the stride of things.” (07:57)

In addition, Master in Management students often do internships and work alongside their academic courses. The program’s two-year schedule provides enough flexibility to make that realistic. 

All in all, having two years to do the Frankfurt School’s Master in Management allows students to reap all the benefits, learning experiences, and