Master programme in Business Administration (M.A.)
In today’s business world, companies need to act swiftly and flexibly in a diversity of markets of a globalized and rapidly changing world. This often involves making crucial decisions and engaging decisive action in a complex environment.
The Master programme in Business Administration aims to educate future executives coping with today’s management requirements at national and international level.
Practically oriented education of business managers as executives in a globalized world
Learning objectives
The Master programme in Business Administration is specifically designed to prepare skilled graduates of a Business Administration programme for management tasks in internationally active businesses.
The programme addresses four educational objectives:
- Broadly based focus on management functions
To an increasing degree management tasks require a broad understanding of corporate and economic processes - Cross-disciplinary education
Most issues to be solved at mid or upper management level are of a complex nature, thus requiring cross-disciplinary solutions. - Internationality
Entrepreneurship usually carries international implications today, which is why international topics and an upgrade of specific English language skills are important components of the programme. - Practical focus of a high and theoretically grounded standard
Practical orientation means applicability of business and management concepts taught as well as integration of practical experience into the course structure.
Lecturing on the Master’s programme is exclusively ensured by professors with long-term experience in companies active at national and international level.
Careers
The Master’s degree in Business Administration qualifies you for the broad and challenging tasks of future senior management.
The syllabus consistently designed in line with practical requirements offers you focused preparation for management tasks in national and international contexts.
Graduates of the Master programme in Business Administration will find career opportunities across all industries. You may take up leading position and management functions in national or international private or public business operations, in public authorities or as self-employed professionals. Typical career fields include Marketing, Finance and Accounting, Controlling, Organisation and Information Systems, HR, Logistics, Auditing and Taxation.
The Master’s programme in Business Administration of FH Bielefeld enables you to lay the foundations for a career in national and international environments. The Master’s degree also gives you access to PhD level studies.
Course of studies
Semester 1
Business Management provides knowledge on current concepts of business management. The module expands on present-day management techniques (coaching, performance improvement, re-engineering, kaizen) and corporate planning and decision-making approaches.
Projekt 1: Corporate planning-for-real Game essentially provides a model view of corporate management, decision-making and planning. Apart from supplying in-depth knowledge of Business Administration it promotes scientific and network thinking and acting as well as teamwork.
SME Economics focuses on economic analysis of SMEs regarding competition behaviour, their strengths and weaknesses in a changing economic context and economic policies designed to support SMEs.
Project Management provides the necessary theoretical background for managing projects and gives an introduction to process documentation and problem solving approaches. The necessary practical skills especially IT-supported project planning, are acquired through practical project work and documentation in small groups in the workshop accompanying the class.
Presentation Skills and International Meetings provides knowledge and skills in presentation and negotiation techniques. This class run in English focuses on international and cross-cultural aspects.
Taxation and Corporate Governance provides knowledge on corporate taxation and aims to optimize choices to be made by entrepreneurs from a tax liability perspective. On the basis of the German Corporate Governance Codex the rules applying to corporate management and supervision in Germany are analyzed and specific requirements for non-listed companies are elaborated on.
Quality and Logistics Management expands on management tasks in quality assurance, logistics and manufacturing. Quality assurance is understood as a cross-functional management task. Practical application and limitations of selected quality management systems and tools are analyzed. Logistics and Manufacturing Management deals with selected issues of manufacturing chains and production planning and control.
Human Resource Management focuses, one the one hand, on traditional functions of personnel management such as HR planning, managing staff, recruiting and retaining. On the other hand, the class analyzed new tasks such as diversity management or work-life balance.
Simulation Game is based on the corporate simulation Topsim. Participants define and pursue, across several game rounds requiring analysis and presentations, objectives and strategies in a complex competitive environment, teaching participants how to deal with complex decisions under insecure conditions and how to organize decision making and implementation in teams.
Semester 2
Taxation and Corporate Governance provides knowledge on corporate taxation and aims to optimize choices to be made by entrepreneurs from a tax liability perspective. On the basis of the German Corporate Governance Codex the rules applying to corporate management and supervision in Germany are analyzed and specific requirements for non-listed companies are elaborated on.
Quality and Logistics Management expands on management tasks in quality assurance, logistics and manufacturing. Quality assurance is understood as a cross-functional management task. Practical application and limitations of selected quality management systems and tools are analyzed. Logistics and Manufacturing Management deals with selected issues of manufacturing chains and production planning and control.
Human Resource Management focuses, one the one hand, on traditional functions of personnel management such as HR planning, managing staff, recruiting and retaining. On the other hand, the class analyzed new tasks such as diversity management or work-life balance.
Simulation Game is based on the corporate simulation Topsim. Participants define and pursue, across several game rounds requiring analysis and presentations, objectives and strategies in a complex competitive environment, teaching participants how to deal with complex decisions under insecure conditions and how to organize decision-making and implementation in teams.
Semester 3
Cross-disciplinary Subject presents theoretical models for solving complex business management problem, applying them to corporate decision-making. The class draws on knowledge from a variety of disciplines of Business and Law to be combined in making complex management decisions.
Projects 2 and 3 are corporate immersion projects running in semesters 2 and 3 in which student teams work on current and varying real-life problems in co-operation with regional companies. Students consolidate their technical knowledge and extra-functional skills in a learning-by-doing context.
Strategic Management introduces students to strategy development and implementation with special regard to dynamic business environments. The emphasis is on selected aspects of strategic marketing management with a special focus on strategies of customer loyalty management.
International Management provides a comprehensive introduction to cross-cultural management, supplying methodology, awareness and skills required by globally acting managers.
Business Law offers an introduction to key legal issues affecting corporate management. Apart from legal aspects of distribution the focus is on product liability and the legal impact of infringements on competition and cartels law.
Semester 4
Master thesis
In a six-month Master thesis to be delivered to scientific standards in co-operation with a company, the student works independently on a practically relevant task, focusing both on technical specifics and cross-disciplinary contexts.
Entry-level qualifications
Admission to the Master programme in Business Administration is directly organized by Fachhochschule Bielefeld. Restrictions in numbers apply. Applicants must meet the following requirements.
- Bachelor degree or National Degree in Business Administration, Business Law, Business Information Systems or equivalent from a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) or a university.
- Minimum ECTS grade average of C; if not applicable: grade average of German 2.5 or better
- Evidence of advanced English skills, e.g. recognized language test at B2 level, earned no earlier than three years prior to application; or a minimum study-abroad period or similar of one semester.
Duration of studies
4 semester / 2 years (120 ECTS credit points)
Degree
Master of Arts in Business Administration
Applications and start of classes
Applications are addressed to Fachhochschule Bielefeld, Studierendensekretariat. Classes always and only start in winter terms. Admission restrictions apply.
Applications by 15th July of each year must include
- CV
- certified copies of diplomas and degrees (document and full body of text) earned
- evidence of English language skills
Venue of studies
Fachhochschule Bielefeld
Faculty of Business and Health
Universitätsstr. 25
D-33615 Bielefeld
Germany
Contact
General academic issues
FH Bielefeld
Zentrale Studienberatung
Kurt-Schumacher-Straße 6, Gebäude D
33615 Bielefeld
phone +49.521.106-7758
Applications and admissions
FH Bielefeld
Studierendensekretariat
Kurt-Schumacher-Straße 6, Gebäude D
33615 Bielefeld
phone +49.521.106-7707 /-7712 /-7716 /-7746
Opening hours under
www.fh-bielefeld.de/studium/studsek
Subject-specific issues
Fachhochschule Bielefeld
Fachbereich Wirtschaft und Gesundheit
Universitätsstr. 25
D-33615 Bielefeld
Germany
phone +49.521.106-5064 studienberatung.wirtschaft@fh-bielefeld.de
Heads of Studies
Prof. Dr. Cornelia Kraft
Prof. Dr. Egbert Steinfatt
