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M.A. International Cultural and Business Studies

M.A. International Cultural and Business Studies

Degree awarded Master of Arts (M.A.)
Duration and credits 4 semesters; 120 ECTS credits
Starts in April (summer semester)
and October (winter semester)
Languages of instruction German; includes individual modules
taught in two foreign languages

About the programme

Are you keen to give your studies an international orientation and do business, languages and culture fascinate you? This degree programme is both interdisciplinary and international, giving you the chance to acquaint yourself with business and economics, combined with two foreign languages and a cultural studies focus in a cultural region related to one of your chosen languages. You will learn to work across disciplines, develop strong organisational and communication strategies, as well as developing important key skills, such as project management, leadership and problem-solving skills. This is an accredited programme which has received the Seal of Quality of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Study Programmes in Germany.

For details, please consult the Academic Advice Service's infosheet [German content].

Features

  • A combination of business, economics, cultural studies and languages that is unique in Germany
  • A choice of five cultural regions: America and the British Isles; the French-speaking world; the Ibero-Roman cultural region; East-Central Europe; and South-East Asia
  • Learn a foreign language (business/economics or cultural studies track)
  • Practice-oriented due to hands-on project work
  • Double degree option at the Turkish-German University Istanbul

Career prospects

Graduates enjoy a wide range of employment opportunities in trade and industry, tourism, banks, insurance companies, cultural organisations, public administration and the media industry. Depending on your individual profile and chosen study focus, you may work in sales, customer relationship management, purchasing, marketing, human resources, public relations, organisation or in the education sector. Upon completion of your studies you may enter the job market or decide to pursue an academic career (i.e. doctoral study).

Programme details

The programme comprises four module areas:

Module area A: Theories and application

In this module area you will acquire in-depth knowledge of intercultural communication and comparative cultural studies, intercultural management and academic work. You will also work on a non-university project related to the programme.

Module area B: Cultural area studies

If you wish to choose a specific cultural area, you will consolidate your knowledge on that region in this module area. You will choose up to three of the following subjects: literary/cultural studies and linguistics,
digital humanities, geography, history, intercultural communication, communication studies, art history and visual culture, media studies, methods of empirical social research, political science and sociology.

Module area C: Business and economics

In this group you will study business and economics courses. The business courses will introduce you to the theory and empirical research related to international, market-oriented steering, management and control of organisations, as well as marketing theory and empirics. The economics courses include international economics, development economics, economic policy and behavioural economics.

Module area D: Foreign language; for TDU double-degree students: Research (see below)

In the foreign language focus module group, you will choose one or two of the following foreign languages: Chinese, Czech, English, French, German as a foreign language, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish or Thai. If you already have knowledge of a language you wish to choose, you will have to take a placement test. You will complete a subject-specific foreign language training programme, whereby you will choose between the business/economics and cultural studies track.

Students studying the double degree programme between the University of Passau and the Turkish-German University of Istanbul will take the Research focus module group instead of the Foreign Language focus module group in module area D.

You will write your master's thesis in module group B; if you can find a supervisor from the Faculty of Business, Economics and Information Systems, you can also write it in module group C.

Module catalogue [German content]

Academic requirements

To apply, you need to have a good first (undergraduate) degree with a cultural studies and business/economics focus, with a final grade of 2.5 or better according to the German grading scale or the relevant foreign equivalent, or be ranked among the best 50% of your cohort.

You must have attained:

  • a minimum of 40 ECTS credits in business administration/economics
  • a minimum of 40 ECTS credits in a subject included in module group B of the programme syllabus

German language requirements

You will need German language skills at level B2 CEFR or higher to study this degree programme.  If German was the language of instruction for your secondary school education or prior tertiary education, your academic certificates suffice as proof of your language skills. Otherwise, you will have to provide a recognised German language certificate along with your application for a place of study.

Additional language requirements (modern foreign language)

You need to have proof of language skills in a modern foreign language of your choice at level C1 CEFR.

Application before completion of your undergraduate degree

You can apply for a place on this programme before completing your undergraduate degree, provided you will have achieved at least 140 ECTS credits by the time teaching starts on the Master's programme. You will have to submit your transcript of records, which must show how many regular semesters of study you have completed, how many ECTS credits you have attained, and that your projected final grade is expected to be 2.5 or better according to the German grading scale. Among these, there must be 40 ECTS credits in economics-related subjects as well as 40 ECTS credits in subjects related to cultural area studies (module area B).

You will have to provide proof of having completed your undergraduate degree to the Student Registration Office by a set deadline, depending on when you enrol on the Master's programme.

  • Those starting in the winter semester (October) have until 30 September the following year
  • Those starting in the summer semester (April) have until 31 March the following year

This deadline cannot be extended by taking a leave of absence.

Application periods and deadlines

Application period for the winter semester:

  • 15 April - 15 July (direct applications)
  • 1 April - 30 June (applications via uni-assist e.V.)

Please use the interactive application guide to find out which application method you should use. 

Application period for the summer semester:

  • 1 November - 15 January (for all applicants)

What our students say

Dilara Gökdemir

Dilara Gökdemir

Student International Cultural and Business Studies

The large share of business and economics modules in the programme gives me an edge on the job market.

Dominik Weber

Dominik Weber

Student International Cultural and Business Studies

At the university I appreciate the interdisciplinarity, the small seminar groups as well as the good support from my lecturers.

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