Master's in International Management Hochschule Wismar - University of Applied Sciences, Technology, Business and Design

The programme is entirely taught in English.

The Master's in International Management (MIM) is a post-graduate 18-month full-time study programme open to Bachelor's graduates in the fields of business administration, management studies, other related professions, engineering and architecture. The globalisation of markets, business models, and supply chains for goods and services has increased the challenges international managers must meet. They have to reach sustainable economic growth while transforming organisations to become more agile, more networked and more diverse. The programme is therefore designed to give its students a comprehensive and state-of-the-art curriculum aligned to five contemporary global business trends, namely digitisation, sustainable development, new work, supply chain optimisation and ethics & compliance. All teaching modules take account of these trends and their effects on the subject area.

The programme is designed and carried out in close cooperation with international companies and business associations. Following state-of-the-art professional educational trends, the Master’s programme focuses on the acquisition of manifold management competencies, with special emphasis on the development of intercultural and interdisciplinary team skills. The degree programme builds on the existing knowledge of the students, and it expands on this by adding key competences. 

Three compulsory modules are concerned primarily with culture in a variety of ways: Organisational Communication Management describes modern organisational theory in changing global contexts; Interdisciplinary Case Studies shows how project groups can be formed in practice from team members with different specialisations and locations; and Intercultural Studies explains the origins, variety and impacts of culture on business.

The compulsory modules are primarily concerned with technology management and technology in management. Knowledge Management is a systematic data management course on the interface between IT and general management. Business Simulation and Controlling explains the complex interlinkages between parts of a firm in dynamic markets in the context of a game, and Innovation Management gives students an opportunity to practice their creativity skills and the management of international innovation processes. Academic Research and Writing explains and demonstrates professional research methodology.

Four elective modules are centred on international law. These modules include Public International Law, Principles of Health and Safety, Global Rules, and State and Economy, and they have strong environmental, social and governance components. The following three elective courses are primarily concerned with international trade and global supply chain optimisation: Export Marketing, Transport Management and International Business Transactions. The Interdisciplinary Practice Project elective focuses on real world projects between engineers and business specialists. Business Ethics provides an overview of universal codes of conduct and compliance. The elective German Language and Culture allows students interested in working in Germany to greatly improve their knowledge of the language and customs. The elective modules can be freely chosen, in any combination. Students need a total of four electives to graduate, but it is possible to take more. 

The degree programme begins in the summer semester at the beginning of March and in the winter semester at the beginning of September. Students attend lectures regularly for three hours a week per subject over the teaching period. The workload in our degree is the same as in every other full-time Master's degree in Germany. This means that students have a full weekly workload that includes independent study to consolidate knowledge gained in class and to prepare individual and group projects and presentations. This independent work is a central part of the student's academic development and an exciting opportunity.

We use classroom teaching, hybrid resources and blended learning on bespoke versions of established learning platforms. There are ample opportunities to develop and hone your skills in using these under the supervision of the staff and student assistants. We also do a lot of teamwork to develop intercultural and interdisciplinary skills, and the opportunities for this are better offline. In addition, there are also field excursions, so students need to join classes on site as soon as possible to benefit from this. The examinations take place offline. You are therefore advised to apply to enter Germany on a student visa as soon as you are accepted to the degree programme.

As in all full-time studies in Germany, there is a summer holiday period at the end of the summer semester teaching period. This holiday starts in the middle of July when the examinations have ended, and it extends until teaching begins in the winter semester. When the winter semester ends, there is a holiday period usually covering most of February. These holiday periods are a good time to visit family at home, to get a student job in Germany, or to do independent research towards larger projects or a thesis.

• For the summer semester: from 1 December until 15 January
• For the winter semester: from 1 May until 15 July
• Non-European applicants have to apply via uni-assist.

The Master’s in International Management extends over three or four semesters, depending on the qualifications of the entrant. Students whose first degree contained fewer than 210 ECTS have to study for four semesters. In a first or pre-semester, these students have to choose and pass subjects from the modules on offer in the Department of Business or in certain of the modules in the International Exchange Programme of the University of Wismar. These modules may be taken in German from the department programme if the student has not done similar modules before and speaks German at the European level C1 or better. If not, the student has to take modules held in English from the available modules in that semester, and he or she may also take German as a subject.

After completing the pre-semester, these students join the directly admitted students for the main modules, which take three semesters. In each of the first two main semesters, there are three compulsory modules, and two elective modules must be chosen. As a rule, the compulsory modules in Organisational Communication Management, Knowledge Management and Business Simulation and Controlling are held in the winter semester. In the summer semester, the remaining compulsory modules are held, namely Innovation Management, Intercultural Studies and Interdisciplinary Case Studies. In all cases, the seminar form of teaching is used. Organisational Communication Management ends with a written examination, and all other courses use a mix of written examination combined with project work. In each of these two semesters, students have to choose at least two elective courses as well. The electives on offer and their examination form vary from semester to semester.

The third study semester is dedicated to preparing, writing and presenting a Master’s thesis, which is equivalent in workload to approximately four modules. It is accompanied by the Academic Research and Writing compulsory module, which ends with a written examination and a project.

Students who wish to and are accepted to either do an internship at a company or to take part in an exchange programme for one semester with a partner university are encouraged to do so, with various provisions. Both these opportunities are ways of increasing your employability and building networks over and above the skills gains and contacts you will make during classes. Taking an internship or taking part in an exchange will normally prolong the study course by six months. Therefore, it is possible for a student to spend between 18 and 30 months in the Master’s degree programme before graduating. In sum, there are considerable opportunities to fit the study programme to individual backgrounds, wishes and needs.

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Internships are not integrated, but they are encouraged.

No tuition fees

The semester contribution is around 150 EUR.

The cost of living is approximately 992 EUR per month. This includes accommodation, entertainment and transport. For accommodation you have to pay around 250 to 450 EUR per month.

There are several routes to enter the programme, depending on previous qualifications and national origin. The requirements common to all routes are:

• a Bachelor's degree in general business studies, in engineering, in particular in civil, chemical, electrical or mechanical engineering, or in architecture
• an average mark rated by us as 2.5 or better on the German scale
• an academic thesis listed as such in the official transcript of study records

Candidates who fulfil all these requirements and also have 210 or more ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) points in the Bachelor's degree and whose average mark is 2.0 or better may be automatically admitted on application. 

Candidates who are citizens of the European Union but have either an average mark of between 2.1 and 2.5 or do not have 210 ECTS points in the Bachelor's degree must prove special suitability. All candidates with a Bachelor's degree from outside the European Union must prove special suitability.

All candidates who wish to prove special suitability may do this on the basis of a mix of several of the following criteria:

• graduation from an official partner university of our university
• skills at the European level A2 or better in a language foreign to the candidate, specifically one or two of these languages: any official European language except English, or Hindi, Japanese, Standard Cantonese, Modern Standard Chinese, Korean or Russian
• the completion of a formal (normally three-year) apprenticeship in a programme-related field, such as banking, customs, or foreign trade
• at least six continuous months of work experience or study allowed or prescribed by the rules of the home university in a foreign country before graduation
• at least six continuous months of work experience in a foreign country in a graduate capacity in the graduate's study field, following graduation
• award of a scholarship such as from the DAAD or regional or national equivalents
• social competence demonstrated by at least three months of voluntary work for a socially useful organisation that is recognised in its field
• a letter of motivation

The closer the average mark is to 2.5, the more proofs of special suitability will be required. Candidates with an average mark of 2.3 or better need relatively few points for special suitability. All claims of special suitability must be documented by providing written confirmation from the training firm, university, scholarship provider, socially useful organisation or employer.

Candidates whose mother tongue is not English need to present either an Internet-based TOEFL test score of at least 80 points or an IELTS score of 6.0 or DuoLingo with 105 scores or better.

Applicants whose mother tongue is English are exempted.

We supply our students with access to various learning platforms, particularly Teams, Zoom and Big Blue Button as well as our internal platforms. We recommend the students to access these via a laptop computer of their own with an adequate sound system. We do not supply laptop computers. Students in the residences affiliated to the university have internet access included in the room rental price, and access is free to students on the university campus.

• For the summer semester: from 1 December until 15 January
• For the winter semester: from 1 May until 15 July
• Non-European applicants have to apply via uni-assist.

No

The possibilities depend on the sort of work that is desired and the skills of the student. Any student may find a part-time job in the tourist industry, particularly in summer when there is a big demand for temporary workers. For most work here and anywhere in Germany, students need some language skills in German. However, students with particular previous qualifications (especially in engineering) and students who are willing to go to a different place to work during the summer break may also find employers willing to use English with them. More senior students in the programme often find work in our own research facilities.

There are university residences available in Wismar. All residences are within easy walking distance of the campus. The residence rooms are furnished with a bed, a desk, a chair and a cupboard. These rooms accommodate one student, and in many cases, two or three such rooms form a shared apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom. There are also some individual apartments available. Students are expected to provide their own bedding and towels. The rental rates per month are between 250 and 450 EUR, and this figure includes the costs for electricity, water, heating and internet access. These residences are run by an organisation associated with the university. For more information, please see the following website: https://www.stw-rw.de/en/accommodations/dormitories/wismar.html.

Alternatively, students may find accommodation on the general property market. In Germany, it is common for several students to rent an apartment together and share the costs. Such apartments may be unfurnished, partially furnished, or fully furnished. The price required is a matter of demand and supply. The university is not involved in such rentals. There are special websites dedicated to this purpose. For example, see: https://en.wg-suche.de/flatshare/deutschland-mecklenburg-vorpommern-wismar/apartments-studentapartments.

The university has its own career advisory service, which also helps students to find internships.