Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - School of Business and Economics

Degree: Master of Science (M.Sc.)

Standard period of study: 4 semester (2 years)

Programme wokload: 120 ECTS credit points (CP)

Language of instruction: Mainly English

Start of study: Winter semester (October). Overview of semester dates

Semester fee: The semester fee includes the enrollment fee, the contribution to the Student Union and the student transport ticket (ABC + bicycle). More detailed informationis available on this homepage.
 

The programme Master of Science in Business Administration aims to provide students with necessary business management knowledge and skills to work successfully in an international and constantly changing economic envinronment.
 

We trongly believe that the following skills are essential to this:

• General knowledge: If you are interested in pursuing a master's degree, you are faced with the deision to either specialise in one area or  cover a broad range of topics. business requirements are subject to constant development. For that reason, we believe being overly specialised in an ever-changing envinronment is not advisable. That is why we offer a general master's programme in business administration similar to those offer at the majority of internationaly renowned universities.

• Special knowledge: That said, in-deapth knowledge is indispensable. And, with that in mind, you can specialise in the subject areas offered as part of your degree programme.

• Research skills: In recent years, business administration has evolved into a discipline driven by analytics and empirical research. As a result - as someone set to shape the future of business and research, a firm grounding in quantitative methods is an indispensable asset. Only those who are able to understand and evaluate scientific results will be able to put them to a profitable use. That's why the research-focused teaching approach not only corresponds to the Humboldtian ideal, it is also an essential tool for your future success in an often radically changing envinronment.

• Internationality: Humboldt is an international ideal, business is an international affair, and Berlin is an international metropolis. we have a large number of international students. Humboldt-Universität maintains relationships with partner universities the world over, while both promoting and eagerly anticipating international student exchanges. The majority of courses are offered in English.

• Social skills: Pfofessional skills will only lead to success if they go hand in hand with social skills. Social behaviour cannot be learned from books; it is something that is practiced in daily interaction. That's why we at Humboldt-Unversität teach students using seminars and smaller groups. The aim is for the students to see themselves as a group of like-minded individuals, working together to achieve academic success.

• Self-initiative: Freedom of research and teaching also means freedom for students to choose their fields of study. In this respect, our master's degree programme offers students a great deal of flexibility. However, this freedom requires a proactive approach. As such, we expect and encourage this in all aspects of academic life and look forward to working with you.

We have set ourselves the goal of providing you, the students, with the best possible support when it comes to aquiring and developing knowledge and skills. The programme is designed to last two years. We initially focus on impacting a common foundation consisting of two pillars - general business management and methodological skills. This area lay the groundwork for more advanced study of business administration. This is complemented by the catalogue of specialised and interdisciplinary electives as well as the master's thesis, which is generally written in the 4th semester. As part of the master's degree programme, here is already the option to take up doctoral studies. The faculty attaches a great deal of importance to ensuring its programmes can be completed within the standard period of study and regularly evaluates its teaching approaches.

In addition to the formal entry and admission criteria, we expect you to be interested in business-related issues, to enjoy scientific work, and to possess quantitative and analytical skills, sufficient IT skills, a very good level of English, self-organisation skills, and commitment. Practical work experience is an advantage, but not a prerequisite.
 

You can find subject-specific information on the entry and admission requirements for the master's degree programme Business Administration as well as the selection criteria through our link to the application form.

Other helpful homepages:

Study Programmes and applications at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
NC values and frequently asked questions

Applications to be entered into a higher semester (change of univrsity/ lateral entry) can be submitted for the winter semester (application period: 1 to 31May of the year in question) or the summer semester (application period: 1 December to 15 January of the year in question). You can find additional information on placement in a higher semester on the homepage of the Examination Office.
 

Core modules(20 CP):
Master's thesis
 

Catalogue of specialised electives (total 90 CP):
From the catalogue of specialised electives, 70 CP of the highest-graded modules are included in the overall grade.

Catalogue of specialised electives A, General Management (18 CP):
In this catalogue, we offer courses that cover central and current topics in business administration.. By selecting courses from this catalogue, students can complement their repective educational backgrounds in a targeted manner, thus ensuring they have a broad knowledge of all the currently relevant areas of business administration. At least 18CP are to be earned from the following elective modules:

• Marketing Management (6 CP)
• Financial Accounting and Analysis (6 CP)
• Principles of Taxation (6 CP)
• Finance Theory (6 CP)
• Organisation and Management (6 CP)
• Business Analytics and Data Science (6 CP)
• Economics and Entrepreneurship (6 CP)
• Operations Research: Grundlagen des OR (6 CP)

 

Catalogue of specialised electives B, Economics and Methodology (18 CP):
This catalogue gives students the necessary "tools" for scientific work. The students will be able to understand currentfindings in modern business administration. In addition, they will be able to independently contribute to the scientific development of this discipline with their subsequent master's thesis and in their subsequent professional activity. This catalogue gives students the opportunity to acquire specialist knowledge in econometrics, statistics and economics. However, the available options ensure that they can buildt upon their own prior knowledge in the best way possible. At least 18 CP are to be earned from the following elective modules:
 

• Applied Econometrics (6 CP)
• Econometric Methods (12 CP)
• Multivariate Statistical Analysis (6 CP)
• Introduction to Advanced Microeconomic Analysis oder Advanced Microeconomic Theory I (PhD-Level) (6 CP)
• Introduction to Advanced Macroeconomic Analysis oder Advanced Macroeconomic Analysis I (PhD-Level) (6 CP)
• Game Theory (6 CP)
• Competition Policy(6 CP)

 

Catalogue of specialised electives C, Business Administration (30 CP):
Current research-related specialist knowledge is taught in the various fields of business administration. The students primarily work in smaller groups on current business administration issues. At least 30 CP are to be earned from the following fields:
 

• Accounting
• Financial Economics
• Entrepreneurship
• Marketing
• Management
• Operation Research
• Information Systems

If more than 18 CP are completed in catalogue A, catalogue C shall decrease accordingly.

Catalogue of specialised electives D, Business and Economics (24 LP):
Furthermore, 24 CP are to be selected from the modules offered by the School of Business and Economics (Economics, Business Administration, Quantitative Methods). This catalogue is well suited for the recognition of modules with a focus on economics (e.g. from a semester abroad).
 

Please note: If more than 66 CP are completed in the catalogues A to C, catalogue D is reduced accordingly.

 

Catalogue of interdisciplinary electives (ÜWP, 10 CP - ungraded):

The catalogue of interdisciplinary electives has a workload of 10 CP. It is mandatory and cannot be replaced by selecting further modules offered by the Faculty.
 

Achievements are recognised  without grades. If applicable, grades awarded for courses from the ÜWP are not taken into account in the calculation of the final grade. The following achievements in this catalogue can be recognised:
 

• Interdisciplinary elective modules from other Faculties of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (except for the module Basic Knowledge of Civil and Commercial/Corporate Law of the Faculty of Law of the HU zu Berlin)
• Language courses at the Language Centre (excluding language courses in the mother tongue or official language of the respective home country, all German courses for foreigners under B2 level and English courses under C2 level GER)
• Career Center cources (excluding introductory courses in economics and law)
• Interdisciplinary and specialised courses of other universities
• Interdisciplinary and specialised courses abroad
• Economics-related internship
• Portfolio Management Program (PMP) https://www.esmt.org/degree-programs/masters-management/curriculum/portfolio-management-program

Prerequisites for the recognition of an internship:

The internship must be related to economics and last at least 6 consecutive weeks (full time). The definition of "full time" may vary from company to company. In some companies "full time" is also 38 or 39 hours per week. A 12-week internship with half of the regular full-time hours will also be recognised.
 

In order for the internship to be recognised, you must submit:

• A certificate of employment (issued by the employer) stating the duration of the internship, the weekly working hours and the tasks involved.
• An internship report (written by the student) amounting to 2 A4 pages. The internship report should provide a critical reflection on the skills acquired in the programmein relation to the professional experience gained.

The internship can only be recognised if it was completed during the master's degree programme.

Employments contracts for jobs as student assistants in universities or academic research institutes cannot be recognised as internships.

The recognition of internships falls within the purview of the Examination Office of the School of Business and Economics.

Regarding the master's thesis:
The master's thesis marks the conclusion of the programme and is an independent academic undertaking. When writing your thesis, which is completed over a period of 90 days and should amount to about 100,000 - 120,000 characters without spaces (roughly 60 pages of text without appendices), you independently apply the scientific methodological skills you have aquired in order to address a contemporary research problem. While writing your master's thesis, you will receive regular supervision. If applicable, your results are to be presented in a final seminar. The registration documents for the master's thesis are available at the Examination Office. Students are admitted to the master's thesis if the requirements set by the examiner are met.

Procedure: You collect the registration documents from the Examination Office. The topic to be covered as well as the date the topic was assigned by the examiner must be included on the registration form, which in turn must be signed. This registration form must then be submitted immediately to the Examination Office. You will then receive written confirmation of the registration as well as information about all related deadlines.

Information and formal suggestions are available in the ""Guidelines for students on scientific work". Please also adhere to any specifications from your examiner.

Related links:

• Study regulations, exam regulations, module description
• Stay abroad and notes on the recognition of examinations
• Study guide (PDF for download)