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Innovation doesn't happen by chance, it is managed. In an innovation management degree at Munich Business School, you learn how an observation becomes a validated concept and how that concept becomes a product the market wants. Whether you are starting straight after school or want to go deeper after your Bachelor's, there is a path that fits.
MBS doesn't offer a stand-alone degree called "innovation management". Instead, the subject sits where it has the most impact: as a concentration in a broad business Bachelor's and at the core of a specialised Master's.
First the business foundation, then the specialisation: from the 5th semester, you steer innovation processes from customer insight to market launch, work with Design Thinking and Open Innovation, and develop your own idea in the start-up project.
For anyone who wants to make innovation their profession: in a corporation, a family business or their own start-up. You develop ideas with Lean Startup and prototyping, learn to evaluate and scale innovation projects, and spend two semesters on a business project for a real company.
Semester by semester: Here’s how entrepreneurship, innovation, and business administration intertwine in both programs.
6 Semesters + Thesis · 210 ECTS · B.A. · German & English · Start: February & September
3 Semesters (Single Degree) · 4 Semesters (Dual Degree) · 90ECTS · M.A. · English · Start: September
According to the TUM Entrepreneurship Ranking 2025, MBS produces 85 start-ups per 1,000 students. First in Bavaria, fourth in the DACH region.
Design Thinking, Lean Startup, usability testing and a Google Design Sprint on a real company challenge are part of the core program.
In the business project, you work for two semesters for a start-up, an investment firm or a corporate innovation unit: for example on a market entry strategy for a mobility start-up.
The Bachelor's includes a two-semester start-up project; in the Master's, you can devote your entire 3rd semester to your own start-up, coached by faculty.
70+ partner universities and more than 20 dual degree agreements show you how innovation works in other markets and cultures.
No anonymous lecture halls: professors know your idea, give feedback and open doors to their networks.
Innovation management is a diverse but also highly competitive field. The following figures are based on current salary data (2026) in Germany.
| Position / Level | Median/Range |
| nnovation manager – entry level | approx. €55,000 |
| Innovation manager – all levels | €61,800 (€53,700–€73,400) |
| Innovation manager – experienced | avg. €69,000 |
| Head of Innovation | €91,400 (€84,700–€108,600) |
| Director of Innovation | €94,900 (€85,600–€109,900) |
| Head of Innovation – total compensation incl. bonuses | €120,000 (25th–75th percentile: €92,746–€152,000) |
Innovation management is rarely just one job title, it is part of many roles that move organisations forward.
If you study innovation management, you need to be close to the people who actually fund and deliver innovation. In 2025, more venture capital flowed into young companies in Bavaria than in any other German state: around €3.3 billion, well ahead of Berlin. Seven of the year's ten largest funding rounds went to Bavarian start-ups, led by Munich-based AI company Helsing. In the first half of 2026, Bavarian start-ups again raised more than €1.1 billion, including Isar Aerospace. At the same time, corporations such as BMW, Siemens and Allianz have their headquarters in Munich, companies that constantly need to develop new products, services and business models. For you, this means internships, business projects and theses can happen where corporate innovation, venture capital and founders meet, often just a few metro stops from campus.
Sources: EY Startup-Barometer January 2026, EY Startup-Barometer July 2026, munich-startup.de (as of October 1, 26).
Generative AI has made brainstorming cheap. That is exactly why innovation management is becoming more important, not obsolete. The bottleneck is moving. Companies used to struggle for ideas. Today they are drowning in them. What is scarce is no longer the idea but judgement: which idea solves a real customer problem, which one fits the strategy, which one is worth the budget?
What will define innovation managers:
How MBS prepares you: In the Master's, you learn hypothesis-driven experimentation with Lean Startup, evaluate and manage innovation projects, and analyse how new technologies change business models in the Technology Trends elective. In the Bachelor's, the start-up project takes you from idea to pitch. You use AI as a tool, the decision stays with you.
Find out which of our two innovation management programs best suits your goals, interests, and learning style. The self-assessment will give you an initial overview of the MBS programs.
✓ Introduction to Business Administration with a Focus on Innovation Management
✓ 12 Electives: e.g., Agile & New Work
✓ German- and English-language modules
✓ 3 years of full-time study in Munich
✓ Specialized Knowledge & Practical Skills
✓ Business Project & Mentoring Program
✓ Abroad, an internship, or a startup project
✓ Entirely in English
A university’s accreditations are one of the most important indicators of the quality and recognition of its degree programs. Government agencies and renowned international accrediting organizations evaluate the academic excellence, practical focus, and adherence to international standards of universities. This ensures that your degree is highly regarded and opens many doors for you.
A variety of paths and perspectives on the Master's in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Munich Business School.
An innovation management degree teaches how organisations systematically develop, evaluate and launch new products, services and business models. You learn the entire innovation process: from analysing customer needs through ideation and prototyping to market launch and scaling. Business fundamentals are added so you can judge innovations economically.
Yes, in two ways: in the Bachelor International Business with the concentration International Innovation Management, and in the Master Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Munich Business School does not offer a stand-alone degree called "innovation management".
The Bachelor's suits you if you are starting straight after school and want a broad business foundation first. You choose the innovation concentration at the start of your third year. The Master's is for graduates who want to specialise in innovation, corporate entrepreneurship or founding.
You need a school-leaving qualification that entitles you to university study in Bavaria, such as the Abitur, Matura or IB Diploma. You also prove English at B2 level, for example with TOEFL 85 or IELTS 6.5. You can apply with your last three school reports before you graduate. You can find more information on the bachelor's program page.
Yes. You need a Bachelor's degree with at least 180 ECTS. Business graduates are admitted directly; others qualify through the Pre-Master. English is proven with TOEFL 85 or IELTS 6.5, for example. You can find more information on the master's program page.
The Bachelor's takes 6 semesters plus the Bachelor thesis and starts in February or September. The Master's takes 18 months, or 24 months with a dual degree, and starts in September.
As a private university, Munich Business School charges tuition fees. Merit-based and need-based scholarships are available, including scholarships of up to €4,000. In addition, there are discounts if you take advantage of the Early Bird promotion and apply early. You can find current prices on the respective program pages for the Bachelor’s or Master’s programs at Munich Business School.
Yes. Bachelor's students can receive scholarships of 10 to 50 % on semesters 1 and 2; Master's scholarships are worth up to €4,000. Full study financing through Brain Capital is also available. Details are on the Scholarships and Financing page.
You can take the Bachelor's in the Bilingual Track (70 % German, 30 % English) or entirely in English in the English Track. The Master Innovation and Entrepreneurship is taught 100 % in English.
In the Bachelor's concentration, you learn to steer innovation from idea to market, use market research, Design Thinking and Open Innovation, and deepen your knowledge in product lifecycle management. The Master's adds innovation strategy, Lean Startup, usability testing, a Google Design Sprint, resource acquisition, open and sustainable innovation, and managing and scaling innovation projects.
No. Both programmes are business-focused; you look at technology trends from a management perspective, for example in the Technology Trends elective. The TUM Entrepreneurship Ranking 2025 shows this works: Munich Business School ranks third in the DACH region for deep tech start-ups per 1,000 students.
Innovation management steers new developments mostly inside existing organisations, while entrepreneurship focuses on founding and building new companies. Both use similar methods. The Master Innovation and Entrepreneurship deliberately combines the two, so you can decide on a direction during your studies.
Innovation management decides which new ideas a company pursues and builds the processes for them. Product management is responsible for one specific product across its lifecycle, from roadmap to further development in the market. In practice the two work closely together, and many innovation managers come from or move into product management.
Yes. In the Bachelor's, you develop your own idea in the start-up project in semesters 5 and 6. In the Master's, you can use the 3rd semester as a start-up project, coached by faculty, instead of a semester abroad or an internship.
Yes. The Bachelor's includes a semester abroad at one of more than 70 partner universities plus an internship abroad. In the Master's, you choose between a semester abroad, a start-up project or an internship in semester 3. The dual degree option gives you two Master's degrees in 24 months.
No, both programmes are full-time and on campus in Munich. For working professionals, Munich Business School offers separate executive education programmes.
Innovation managers identify trends and customer needs, organise ideation, evaluate projects and guide selected ideas to market launch. They work in corporate innovation units, consultancies, start-ups or investment firms. Related roles include business development, product management and management consulting.
In Germany, innovation managers earn a median of €61,800 gross per year, with entry salaries around €55,000. In leadership roles such as Head of Innovation, the median is €91,400 (source: StepStone, 2026).
Munich combines the headquarters of companies such as BMW, Siemens and Allianz with one of Germany's best-funded start-up ecosystems. In 2025, around €3.3 billion of venture capital went to Bavaria, more than to any other German state (EY Startup Barometer). That keeps the distance to internships, business projects and your first job short.
The Career Center advises you on internships and job entry, and Munich Business School alumni mentor you in the mentoring programme. Business projects with companies put you in touch with potential employers while you study. Master's graduate Caroline Baumann, for example, joined a Big Four firm as a consultant after her internship and thesis there.
Elsenheimerstraße 61
80687 München Germany
