International Business and Management (Bachelor)

The International Business Administration study programme is suitable for you if you are looking for a challenging, related-to-practice business administration course with an international focus. IBM is particularly suitable for you if you

• have a sound knowledge base and want university studies with real ambition
• enjoy working with data and want to justify business decisions in a comprehensible way
• are interested in management and leadership and would like to take on responsibility in the enterprise later on
• feel comfortable being challenged and growing professionally in the process
• are prepared to learn, present and discuss in English on a daily basis
• value personal exchange and want to learn in an environment with real contacts
• want to help shape your university studies through elective subjects and thus build a clear professional profile
• want to have not just a transcript of records at the end, but a good feeling of what you can really do

The International Business and Management study programme in Fulda expires according to the 5-plus-2 model, which bears the name "RI5E2IMPACT". Each letter stands for a principle that gives the program its character and puts students on a clear path from their first semester to their first job or Master's degree.

R - Relevance: You learn what the modern business world actually requires - management, data, technology and human behaviour, integrated and not isolated.

I - (In-person learning) Face-to-face teaching: Five semesters on campus, in a fixed group, with real feedback and networking.

5 - Five semesters of foundation learning on campus: a protected setting to grow, test yourself and build confidence before getting serious.

E - Engagement: case studies, business simulations, projects - active, applied learning from the very first semester.

2 - Two semester immersion: One semester abroad for university studies or internship, one semester online, wherever your career begins.

I - Internationalisation: Courses taught entirely in English, 40 students from all over the world, global mobility as an integral part of university studies.

M - Mobility: Through EUDRES, you can participate in bootcamps, hackathons and Erasmus+-supported blended learning intensive programmes. The centrepiece is the 6th semester: study at a partner university, complete a double degree or a full internship abroad.

P - Practice: Professors with industry experience offer applied learning from day one.

A - (Agency) Ownership: Your university studies, your responsibility, your path. Choose elective subjects according to your interests or learn another language. Decide on a specialisation at a partner university or complete an internship. You shape your future.

C - (Capstone) Final Project: A pathway to a degree that develops from your first semester. Start learning project management to organise your thesis like a pro. Make a mark through a project in collaboration with an enterprise, an entrepreneurial investigation or traditional academic research.

T - (Transition) Transition into professional life: The 7th semester takes place entirely online - no need to return to Fulda, just stay where your next step begins.

IBM is based on three overlapping specialisations. Together they form an integrated competence profile: analytically astute, strategically sound and sincerely human in management. You will learn to interpret numbers, manage people and deal with the uncertainty that modern organisations face on a daily basis.

Business Management

The well-founded core. How the business world works, how organisations create value, pass competition and interact with customers. You will develop the framework, language and judgement to become an entrepreneurial thinker. The core modules include: Introduction to International Business Administration I & II - Marketing Management - International Strategic Management - Corporate Governance & Corporate Social Responsibility - Microeconomics & International Trade - Macroeconomics & International Monetary Economics - Behavioural Economics - Case Study 2 - Digital Business

Data-driven decisions

Utilise data, master the rules and use tools for better decision making. You won't just learn to read data and recognise patterns - you'll understand the logic behind how to measure, protect and defend the value you seek as a business thinker. From financial modelling to legal and supply chain frameworks to computing at scale, become the analytical backbone that every enterprise relies on. Core modules include: Mathematics - Statistics - Financial Accounting - Management Accounting - Corporate Finance - International Economic Law - Supply Chain Management - Frontier Computing.

Expertise that shapes the future

The skills that modern managers need - and that no algorithm can replace. This study programme develops the competencies that translate strategy and analysis into real organisational impact: Manage people through change, build organisations, develop business, communicate across cultures and grow as a professional. Effect change, implement ideas and become a leader in human resources and business. Core modules: Change & project management - Entrepreneurship - Human resources & organisational behaviour - Intercultural communication - Business communication - Business simulation - Case studies 1 - Elective subjects I-III - Thesis

Over seven semesters, IBM uses a deliberately expired sequence of different learning formats. You don't just attend lectures - you work on case studies, manage simulations, gain experience abroad and finish with a thesis in which you summarise everything you have learned. The format changes as you progress. That's why the 5+2 model is so well suited: it shortens the usual break between university studies, gaining practical experience and the next career step.

Arrival and foundation for success (semesters 1-2)

You start on campus in an international group of around 40 students. Small enough to get to know everyone; structured enough to develop habits. From day one, you'll acquire academic basics, quantitative thinking and the ability to work in international teams.

Expand and deepen your knowledge (semesters 3-5)

IBM sets high standards here. You move from the basics to practical applications: advanced management, real-life case studies, a business simulation across several competitive rounds and projects with real organisations. Three elective subjects allow you to shape your own direction. This is the phase where students grow the most and where the pace is the fastest.

Unfolding, transitioning into the real world and making an impact (semesters 6-7)

In semester 6, it's time to go abroad - choose a partner university from around the world, do a double degree or complete a fully-fledged internship. The 7th semester takes place entirely online: Write your thesis and start your career without returning to Fulda.

Teaching and examination formats

Case studies - Business simulations - XR/immersive learning experiences - Group projects - Presentations and mutual feedback - End-of-semester examinations (written or oral) - Ongoing evidence of achievement and portfolio examinations - Seminar-style lectures - Independent research - Seminar-based discussions - Elective specialisations

University entrance qualification
Knowledge of English at level B2 (except for applicants with English as their mother tongue)

Winter semester
All applicants with a German school-leaving certificate (also obtained at a German school abroad), but not graduates of a preparatory course: 1 May to 15 July

German/EU/EEA nationals with a foreign school or university degree, including preparatory course graduates: 1 May to 15 July

All other nationalities with a foreign school or university degree incl. graduates of a preparatory course: 1 May to 15 June

Summer semester
All applicants with a German school-leaving certificate (also obtained at a German school abroad), but not graduates of a preparatory course: 1 November to 15 January

German/EU/EEA nationals with a foreign school or university degree, including preparatory course graduates: 1 November to 15 January

All other nationalities with a foreign school or university degree, including graduates of a preparatory course: 1 November to 15 December