Master in Business Administration
The Master's degree program in Business Administration is a full-time two-year course with 120 credit points (CP) and leads to a Master of Science (M.Sc.).
Have you been admitted to the program under certain conditions? You can find information on this under Admission to the Master with conditions!
Structure of the study program
The Master's degree program is divided into the following three areas: the compulsory area, the compulsory elective area and the final thesis.
The following table illustrates the structure of the degree program and the available elective options:
| Sem. | ||||||
| 1 | Compulsory elective area in the scope of 90CP2 | Advanced Methods of Business and Economics 10CP1 | ||||
| 2 | (optional, at least 40 LP) Focus in
| |||||
| 3 | ||||||
| 4 |
Master's thesis 20 CP | |||||
Color codes:
| Compulsory module | Compulsory elective area | Focus | Master's thesis |
1 The compulsory module Advanced Methods of Business and Economics can be taken either in the first or second semester, depending on the time of admission. The exemplary study plan shows the course of study for admission in the winter semester.
2 In the compulsory elective area (90 CP), at least 50 CP must be chosen from the area of business administration and at least 10 CP from the area of economics and methods. At least 10 CP must be completed in the form of seminars. Furthermore, the modules in the compulsory elective area can be combined into one of the three specializations. Overall, the compulsory elective area is characterized by a high degree of flexibility. This allows students to configure their studies to suit their own interests and career goals.
Please note that the structure of the degree program varies slightly depending on when you start. The exemplary study plan shows the course of study for the winter semester.
From the first semester onwards, you can choose the subjects according to your own interests and goals and thus sharpen your profile for your later career entry:
The compulsory area includes the Advanced Methods of Business and Economics module (10 CP). The module is offered in the winter semester and can be taken either in the first or second semester, depending on when you start your studies. It serves to acquire advanced skills in microeconomic and econometric analysis with application to specific examples. We recommend that students take this module as early as possible. The knowledge gained from this module is helpful for many other modules.
In the compulsory elective area (90 CP), at least 50 CP must be chosen from the area of business administration and at least 10 CP from the area of economics and methods. At least 10 CP must also be completed in the form of seminars. The specified minimum requirements must be fulfilled independently of each other: Credit points from the three requirements from above cannot be credited for more than one category!
By choosing the modules in the compulsory elective area, you can optionally specialize in one of the following focus areas:
- The Management specialization deepens and expands your knowledge and skills in the three core areas of corporate management: deriving successful strategies based on market analyses, organizing and managing corporate structures and processes, and selecting, qualifying and managing personnel.
- The Accounting, Finance and Taxation specialization focuses on external and internal corporate accounting (accounting, controlling) including the consideration of tax aspects as well as the area of finance.
- The Information Systems major focuses on information management in companies.
In order to obtain a degree with a specialization at the end of your studies, you must design your compulsory elective area accordingly. For a specialization, you must complete at least 40 CP from the chosen area.
Two of the specializations also include a so-called narrower group as an additional requirement: modules in the scope specified in the module catalog must be selected from this sub-selection so that the desired specialization can be shown on the certificate.
You can find out which modules can be selected for the respective compulsory elective areas in the overview for the M.Sc. in Business Administration and Economics in the module catalog of the School of Business Administration and Economics. In addition, you can also view possible modules in Stud.IP via the module catalog or the individual study areas with the courses of a selected semester via the course catalog. The courses of the summer semester are made visible in Stud.IP in January/February and the courses of the winter semester in June/July.
The General Competencies area offers you the opportunity to integrate selected courses from related and complementary disciplines, such as law or psychology, totaling a maximum of 10 CP into your studies.
At the beginning of your studies, you should take a close look at the relevant examination regulations for your degree program. The examination regulations contain legally binding regulations on the timing, content and organization of the respective degree course. These include information on course content (compulsory and compulsory elective modules) and examinations (requirements, repeatability, free attempt).
The module catalog of the School of Business Administration and Economics contains overviews of the modules to be taken in the individual study programs as well as the corresponding module descriptions.
Examination regulations M.Sc. Business Administration (PDF, 764 kB)
(valid since 01.10.2022)
Module catalog of the School of Business Administration and Economics (PDF, 4.52 MB)
(valid since 01.10.2025)
You can register for the examinations in the HISinOne portal. You can also find exam results and certificates there. Everything you need to know about your studies in one place!
Please note: You can register for courses via Stud.IP. Further information can also be found there.
It is also possible to integrate a semester abroad into your Master's degree. With appropriate planning, a semester abroad is also possible without extending your study time.
In addition to the university's partnerships, you can choose from a large number of departmental partnerships in other European countries (Erasmus+). Find out more about your options under Study abroad.
Have you already completed coursework and examinations in another degree program or at another university or are you planning to spend a semester abroad?
As part of your degree program, you have the opportunity to have coursework and examinations recognized upon application to a certain extent and under certain conditions. Please note the provisions of § 21 of the examination regulations applicable to your degree program.
Further information can be found on the page Recognition of study and examination achievements.
Special regulations apply to coursework and examinations from module examinations at the School of Business Administration and Economics at Osnabrück University in accordance with Section 21 (2) of the PO M.Sc. BWL: These are credited ex officio, including failed attempts. Upon application, you can waive the crediting of (selected) modules that are provided for in the compulsory elective area according to these examination regulations.
The successful completion of your studies includes a Master's thesis in the field of Business Administration (including IT) or in the field of Economics and Methods.
In order to be able to write a Master's thesis, you must have completed at least 60 credit points at the time of binding registration (i.e. at the start of the processing period). In addition, the requirements for provisional admission to the Master's degree program must be met. The credit points awarded for provisional admission cannot be credited towards the 60 credit points mentioned above.
You must take part in the central allocation procedure in the previous semester in order to be allocated a Master's thesis place: These take place approximately in January/February for the summer semester and in June/July for the winter semester.
At the time of participation in the allocation procedure, the starting requirements do not have to be completely fulfilled; however, they must be fulfilled at the latest when the examinations office allocates the topics at the beginning of the processing phase in the respective target semester.
Further information on this can be found under Information on the assignment of theses.
If you are planning to write your Master's thesis in cooperation with a company, we recommend that you contact the relevant departments in advance.
In principle, there is no entitlement to a practice-oriented thesis. However, if the project you would like to carry out in your company as part of your thesis is also interesting from a scientific perspective, you have a good chance of convincing our professors of your project. The search for a suitable company is your responsibility.
If you have any questions about the course of study, module selection, etc., our Student Advisory Service staff will be happy to help and advise you! Advice appointments can be made by telephone, online or in person. You can find the contact details of the advisors on the Student Advisory Service page.