The Master's degree programme in International Management prepares you ideally for an international working environment. With a Master's degree in International Management, you will be ideally equipped to actively shape the future in a global company - be it a large multinational corporation or an internationally active small and medium-sized enterprise.

The specialist knowledge and communication and social skills you acquire on the Master's degree programme will enable you to recognise the challenges along the entire value chain. You will be able to derive and select appropriate structural and management decisions (for example in the areas of international marketing, personnel and organisational development or supply chain management).

The integration of sustainability aspects in international companies is a particular focus of the degree programme at Bochum University of Applied Sciences. The multidisciplinary study programme and a high degree of internationalisation offer you decisive advantages in your international management career.

As a graduate of this degree programme, you will have various career opportunities. Here are a few examples:

• Management positions in international companies
  As a manager, you will gain an overview of how strategy, corporate finance and the value chain affect the management of an international organisation and analyse the influence of external factors. Your broad interdisciplinary education in Business Administration will prepare you optimally for a management position.
• International Business Development Manager
  In business development in an international context, it is your job to identify opportunities, analyse risks and manage financial, strategic and organisational aspects that enable international business ventures to achieve their goals. The Master of Science in International Management strengthens your analytical and strategic skills, which are essential for a career as an international business developer.
• International business consultant
  As a management consultant, you will work in multidisciplinary teams that advise companies, for example, on realigning their strategy, developing proposals for internal reorganisation or preparing a merger. All of these activities require strong analytical and communication skills, which you will develop as part of your degree programme.
• Personnel developer
  In international HR development, you will be responsible for designing and implementing suitable HR development tools for different target groups and advising on further training measures and individual development plans. In addition to specialist knowledge in the field of personnel development tools, strong communication and conceptual skills are essential for such a position. Teaching these specialist skills and key competencies is part of our study programme.

... with the final cumulative grade of 2.5 (up to 2.59) or higher in the field of economics or a comparable degree programme with a distinct focus on economics. This economics focus must be substantiated by at least 50 % of the total number of credits earned on the respective programme.

Upon application, candidates who have earned their degree abroad can be admitted to the programme, provided that equivalence has been established. 

The final cumulative grade required is not the threshold for restricted admission. It is the admission condition that must be met in order to participate in the application procedure.

This means that applications where the final cumulative grade is lower than 2.59 are ruled out/cannot be taken into consideration in the allocation of places.

Proof of sufficient proficiency in the English language can be provided, for example, by the following:

Abitur certificate (see Foreign Languages, English, B2 CEFR)

• TOEFL (internet-based) with at least 72 points
• IELTS (Academic English, face-to-face format with speaking component): 5
• TOEIC: 400 (listening) and 385 (reading)

Proof of adequate knowledge of English can also be provided via other certificates on condition that English to Level B2 of the CEFR is indicated on the respective certificate.

Other language certificates or reference letters are not accepted. Semesters completed abroad are not a replacement for the language certificate.

Applicants are deemed to have acquired the necessary language skills if they have completed an English-taught degree programme (the Diploma Supplement serves as proof of language proficiency on condition that English is indicated as the language of instruction).

... at an institution where German is the language of instruction must provide proof of German language proficiency to Level B2 of the Common Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), e.g. a registered DSH 1, TestDaF 4 x 3, German Language Diploma Level 2 (B2) or equivalent. Please click here for further information.

The aim of the first two semesters is above all to train students in research methods and intercultural skills as well as in corporate governance in an international context. The intention is for students to familiarise themselves with the cultural specificities of companies that operate internationally and to empower them to take on management positions in international companies in an intercultural environment. Further compulsory subjects teach the necessary general management know-how at micro and macro level. These subjects concentrate primarily on the central characteristics of national and international institutions and transaction costs (international economic policy).

1st and 2nd semesters: 

• Research Methods (6 ECTS credits)
• Intercultural Skills (6 ECTS credits)
• Strategic Management (6 ECTS credits)
• Management in an International Context (6 ECTS credits)
• Institutional Economics (6 ECTS credits)
• International Economic Policy (6 ECTS credits)
• Specialisations (24 ECTS credits)

3rd semester: Semester abroad (30 ECTS credits)

4th semester: Master’s thesis and oral examination (30 ECTS credits)

Choosing a pathway allows students to specialise in a specific area within the MSc in International Management.

Each of the three pathways below comprises two modules:

• Market Management
• Human Resource Management
• International Economics and Finance

Each advanced module is attributed to a pathway. Students must complete at least two modules (i.e. 12 ECTS credits) in the respective pathway. Students are free to choose other modules in order to earn the remaining 12 ECTS credits.