International Programmes 2024/2025

International Business and Management (MA) International Business and Management (MA)

Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences • Osnabrück

Degree
Master of Arts in International Business and Management
Teaching language
  • English
Languages

All courses of the core curriculum are held in English. Additionally, students choose two electives. Two electives are offered and taught in the English language. Electives in the German language are also available.

Full-time / part-time
  • full-time
Programme duration
4 semesters
Beginning
Winter semester
Application deadline

Non-EU applicants: 15 April for the following winter semester
EU applicants: 15 July for the following winter semester

Application guide and document checklist

Tuition fees per semester in EUR
None
Combined Master's degree / PhD programme
No
Joint degree / double degree programme
Yes
Description/content

The consecutive, English-taught Master's programme in International Business and Management (IBM) builds up on the business knowledge students previously gained in related Bachelor's programmes and provides in-depth and up-to date knowledge of business studies and key qualifications in the area of international management. After their graduation, students have gained the requirements needed for employees in specialised and leading positions in international companies or organisations. Graduates are able to take over complex leadership tasks.

This is possible through the programme's intense relation to practical experience and focus on key challenges of international management at an advanced level. Combined with a high degree of internationality in the composition of the study group and the teaching content, students are well prepared to meet the challenges of a continuously changing international environment.

Teaching methods include lectures, case studies, management simulations, team work, project work, presentations and assignments. Interaction between students and lecturers is fostered in small groups, which provide the opportunity for discussions about the issues at stake. Both teamwork in small international study groups and individual study are applied throughout the studies.

Studying International Business and Management at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences also includes:

  • small class size, close contact between students and teaching staff
  • international study groups
  • intensive training of social and intercultural skills
  • balance between theory and practical contents
  • highly qualified lecturers with profound management experience
  • face-to-face lectures, seminars, project work, e-learning
  • intensive and individual counselling and coaching before and during studies
  • buddy system
  • European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)
Course organisation

The Master's programme in International Business and Management is designed as a full-time programme that combines intensive classroom study with a demanding independent study programme. The curriculum comprises 120 ECTS.

During the first, second, and third semesters, students take six courses representing 30 ECTS credits per semester. Out of these six courses, three courses belong to the key competence (international business management), one course belongs to the general competences (social skills, communication, and research methods), and two courses belong to the two individually chosen electives. Each course in either category is worth five ECTS credits. Courses are usually given as lectures, and a schedule for each semester is fixed by the university. During the fourth semester, students write their Master's theses. The thesis represents 30 ECTS credits.

For more information on the study outline and for the module handbook, please see the structure of the programme.

A Diploma supplement will be issued
Yes
International elements
  • International guest lecturers
  • Specialist literature in other languages
  • Language training provided
  • Training in intercultural skills
  • Courses are led with foreign partners
  • International comparisons and thematic reference to the international context
  • Projects with partners in Germany and abroad
  • Content-related regional focus
Description of other international elements
  • Highly international composition of the study group with 10-12 students from abroad (non-EU and EU countries) and 13-15 German students, fostering intercultural skills on a daily basis
  • Core curriculum and two electives entirely taught in the English language
  • Double degrees possible with various partner universities abroad
  • Optional semester abroad
  • Optional international summer schools
Course-specific, integrated German language courses
Yes
Course-specific, integrated English language courses
Yes
Tuition fees per semester in EUR
None
Semester contribution

Approx. 360 EUR per semester

(includes e.g. a semester ticket for free public transportation in Germany and a discount on meals in our student canteens)

Costs of living

Legally, you must prove that you have 934 EUR at your disposal per month. This amount can differ from the actual cost of living. In Osnabrück, you will need an estimated 850 to 950 EUR per month. Mostly, this depends on how much you will need to spend on housing.

Here's an overview:

  • housing: 250 to 400 EUR
  • student health insurance: 120 EUR
  • savings for the semester fee: 60 EUR
  • food (including meals at the student restaurant): 200 EUR
  • study materials: 30 to 50 EUR
  • public transportation: included in your semester fee
  • leisure time activities: 70 EUR
  • TV fee (mandatory in Germany): 18 EUR
Funding opportunities within the university
Yes
Description of the above-mentioned funding opportunities within the university

We offer around 200 Germany Scholarships to our students annually.

International students are also eligible for this type of financial support and can receive 300 EUR per month for one year.

Applications are accepted during the first two weeks of May, and prospective students are invited to apply as well.

If you are planning to apply for both our study programme and a Germany scholarship, please send an e-mail to international@hs-osnabrueck.de for support if needed.

Academic admission requirements
  • Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in business management, economics, or related programmes (at least 80% of the subjects of your Bachelor's programme need to be related to business and/or economics)
    • Applicants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, please note your university degree as follows:
      • Four-year BA programmes are recognised.
      • Three-year BA programmes plus one to two years of consecutive Master's programmes in your home country or abroad are recognised.
      • Two-year BA programmes are not recognised in combination with a consecutive MA programme.
  • English language proficiency at level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
  • German language proficiency at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
Language requirements

Applicants must provide proof of their English skills (level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages [CEFR]) and German skills (at least level A1 [CEFR]). Test results submitted may not be older than three years at the beginning of the Master's studies.

English:

  • TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language (Internet-based), minimum score: 95
  • IELTS – International English Language Testing System, minimum grade: 7.0
  • TOEIC – Test of English for International Communication, minimum score: 945
  • CPE – Cambridge Proficiency, grade: C
  • CAE – Cambridge Advanced, grade: B/C
  • BEC 3 – Business English Certificate, grade: A/B

In individual cases, other documents may be accepted as a proof of an applicant's English proficiency: https://www.hs-osnabrueck.de/de/studium/studienangebot/master/international-business-and-management-ma/how-to-apply/#c82358.

German:
German language skills (min. A1 level) are required. Proof needs to be submitted with the application in the form of an official test certificate.

Application deadline

Non-EU applicants: 15 April for the following winter semester
EU applicants: 15 July for the following winter semester

Application guide and document checklist

Submit application to

Online application directly through the online application portal of Hochschule Osnabrück: online application portal

Possibility of finding part-time employment

We offer student assistant jobs at the university. You can also find jobs through our database (PRAXIKO), where local employers look for student workers and interns.

If you speak German well enough, there are many job opportunities in Osnabrück in bakeries, supermarkets, industry, restaurants, etc.

For international degree-seeking students, the university also has a career service that assists you with application checks, contacts to companies and more.

Important: If you need to work to support yourself, you should start looking for a student job as early as possible.

Accommodation

There's no doubt that finding accommodation is a challenge. The best place to start is the Studierendenwerk Osnabrück. They have shared apartments, one- or two-room apartments, and flats for families, with prices ranging from 250 to 900 EUR.

Important: Apply for accommodation as soon as you apply for a study place, as you don't have to submit the university's letter of admission at the beginning of the application process. This is the best advice we can give you, and it has worked for many others.

Need more advice? Just contact the Center for International Students at international@hs-osnabrueck.de.

Career advisory service

Our Career Service for international degree-seeking students provides you with support by offering the following formats:

  • application checks
  • workshops to advance student employability
  • job shadowing for international students
  • meet regional employers: online formats and excursions to SMEs in and around Osnabrück

In addition, you can also make an appointment for individual counselling in which we will support you in finding a career that suits your area of expertise and your personal situation.

Support for international students and doctoral candidates
  • Welcome event
  • Tutors
  • Accompanying programme
  • Specialist counselling
  • Cultural and linguistic preparation
  • Support with registration procedures
General services and support for international students and doctoral candidates

If you are an international degree-seeking students, our Centre for International Students (CIS) is available to assist you with any questions you may have, from the moment you decide to apply until you graduate and transfer into the job market.

The CIS will make sure that you have the infrastructure that enables you to study successfully. They cannot solve every problem, but they work with the whole university, the city of Osnabrück and other relevant structures to help you when things get difficult.

Our student assistants organise social events and give you the peer support that everyone needs.

Supervisor-student ratio
1:25

Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences

Content Bild
The campuses of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences © Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences

Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences is the largest university of applied sciences in Lower Saxony. We offer more than 100 accredited Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes that enable you to build your future and adapt your education to your needs.

Our students are very satisfied with us, as shown by our top positions in the national rankings of CHE and studycheck.de.

Our wide range of courses includes Bachelor's, Master's and continuing education programmes, from engineering, agriculture, economics and social sciences to courses such as theatre pedagogy, which are unique in Germany.  Our degree programmes provide both theoretical and project-based learning opportunities, enabling you to develop the skills that employers seek.

Our professors bring personal experience from national and international companies, preparing you specifically for your career. And if you are interested in pursuing an academic career later on, that is also possible.

At the same time, the university is a place for networking and socialising. We are closely linked to our local communities in Osnabrück and Lingen and encourage our students to look around and exchange ideas across national borders. Every study programme offers the opportunity to study abroad and we foster close relationships with more than 200 partner universities worldwide.

13,000 Students in total
820 International students

University location

Osnabrück is a city in Northwestern Germany and easy to reach by plane, train, or car. Nearby cities that you can easily visit by train or car include Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf. You can also reach Amsterdam in the Netherlands within three hours by train.

Our university spreads across four campuses with their own faculties. The three campuses in Osnabrück are Westerberg, Caprivi and Haste. The fourth campus is in Lingen, about 70 kilometres West of Osnabrück.

Each campus has its own special character:

  • The Westerberg campus: modern buildings such as the SL lecture theatre building, also affectionately known as the “Frog”.
  • The Caprivi Campus: You'll find a lovely mix of sand-coloured barracks buildings, an underground lecture hall complex and the "Plektrum", an innovative building tailored to the needs of the Institute of Music and its students.
  • The Haste campus is also known as the “green campus”. Not only is it home to study programmes in the field of landscape, food production and agriculture, but you can also enjoy a walk through its park-like grounds with its flower and plant-filled perennial garden.
  • The campus in Lingen is located in a former railway repair plant. Many students there call it "the most beautiful campus in the world" – you'll have to find out for yourself whether this is really the case!

The cities of Osnabrück and Lingen offer a personal, safe, and affordable environment in which you can feel comfortable quickly. Everything you need is close by, so you can easily reach your favourite restaurant, the theatre, or the nearest student party on foot or by bike. There's plenty of nature inside and outside the city for you to enjoy, and our visitors tell us that the people here are quite relaxed and friendly! And if you just have to get out and about, you can use public transport in Germany with the Campus Card for free and take a spontaneous trip, e.g. to Hamburg, Hannover or Bremen.

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