| Degree awarded | Master of Arts (M.A.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters (full-time) or 8 semesters (part-time) |
| Starts in | October (winter semester) |
| Language of instruction | German |
Charitable organisations improve the daily lives of many people and help them in times of crisis. If you want to work in a managerial position in the health and social services sector, you have to deal with leadership, organisation and help – just like managers in any other company.
In the master's degree programme in Charity Studies and Values-based Management, we focus on supporting leaders in their development. This includes thinking deeply about issues and investigating them thoroughly. While the programme examines managerial behaviour and actions from the perspective of Christian-influenced theology and ethics, it is open to all religions and world views.
You will learn how leadership grounded in values works in organisations and in human resources management – whilst taking into account social law, ethical and business management models. Application-oriented modules will prepare you to act and make decisions in a considered and ethically sound manner in your professional life.
On the degree programme, you will first learn the theoretical foundations of charity and then acquire practical skills, which you will be able to apply in a compulsory internship. In your master's thesis, you will work on your own research questions and analyse them using scientific methods.
This year, the University of Passau was ranked in the top 10 of universities in Germany on StudyCheck, the German web portal where students review their degree programmes. Based on the ranking, StudyCheck issued the University with a "TOP Universität in Deutschland 2025" award ("top University in Germany").
In the universities category, Passau was ranked 6th in Germany and reached the first place among Bavarian universities.
This master's degree enables you to take on management positions in non-profit organisations such as Caritas, Diakonie and other social and health institutions, or in corresponding sponsoring bodies and associations. Jobs in companies, public authorities or administration are also possible. You can also work in adult education or counselling.
The master's programme comprises four module areas and a master's thesis:
In this module area, you will deal with Christian-ecumenical approaches to charitable action. This is initially done on a biblical, systematic-theological, ethical and church-historical level. Later, you will apply these theological topics to specific situations.
Based on the fundamental idea of charity, we understand values-based management as an alignment of corporate management with quantitative, business values together with qualitative values. Module area B is divided into a theoretical part (business and socio-economic management, business ethics, organisational development, labour and social law) and an application-oriented part that focuses on values in the areas of organisation and leadership, entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurial skills.
In module area C, you will reflect on yourself and your professional role (spiritual personal development). Furthermore, you will learn about professional dialogue and staff management in professional contexts and address the needs of further education and training for employees.
Module area D aims both to link the skills you have acquired up to this point with practical experience (internship) and to generate your own projects from this experience. The Scientific Charity Research module prepares you methodically for the realisation of your own research project at the centre of your master's thesis.
The Academic Advice Service is the first port of call for all enquiries related to studying at the University!
Drop us a line: advice@uni-passau.de
