Bachelor of Arts

International Business

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Fit for the global digital business world

Do you want to combine foreign languages and time spent abroad with a degree in business administration? Then you've come to the right place! Our bilingual bachelor's degree opens the doors to a worldwide career. You'll face this challenge in a friendly atmosphere and as an individual personality, and not as an anonymous (matriculation) number.

  • ECTS: 210 ECTS
  • Programme duration: 7 semesters
  • Campus: Schwenningen
  • Faculty: Faculty IV: Business, Design & Media
  • Programme begins: winter semester (October), summer semester (March)
  • Application deadline: 15 July (winter semester), 15 January (summer semester)
  • Entry requirements: university entrance qualification
  • Teaching language: German and English
  • Accreditation: yes
  • Top study programme Time and again, our International Business degree programme has achieved top positions in rankings. We are particularly praised for our high level of practical relevance.
  • Two semesters abroad You spend your internship semester at a company abroad. And for your study semester abroad, all doors are open to you at our partner universities. Shanghai, Paris, Buenos Aires, Bali... where do you want to go?
  • Digital and workplace-oriented Business decisions are based on data, lots of data. We teach you how to interpret it. All our lecturers have many years of practical experience, which they pass on to you.
  • Ethics and sustainability Climate change, child labour, plastic waste - decision-makers in companies need a compass of values. We guide you to empower you for sustainable, ethical management.

Details of the programme

Programme content and structure

You'll be studying with us in three different languages and spend at least two semesters abroad. We prepare you for this with intensive language courses and events on intercultural aspects. In addition to in-depth knowledge of company management, IBW also teaches you to think outside the box as the decision-maker of tomorrow. It is important to us that our students are aware of their responsibility for the environment (e.g. climate change) and society (e.g. working conditions). Digital processes and business models have become a central component of the corporate world and also play an important role in your studies.

  • 60% Business
  • 30% Languages
  • 10% Soft skills

We build a solid foundation

At the beginning of your studies, we cover the basics. In addition to the fundamentals of business administration, economics and law, your timetable will also include digitalisation and statistics. Of course, the degree programme is designed to be multilingual from the outset – you will have courses throughout to perfect your language skills and intercultural competence.

You've got the choice

In your advanced studies, you can choose from many optional courses in addition to the compulsory International Business Administration – do you want to specialise in International Marketing, Behavioural or Digital Business Management, Human Resources or Finance?

The best comes last

You can go abroad in the fifth and sixth semesters. During your practical semester and the following semester abroad, you'll enjoy unique experiences! After your return in the seventh semester, you'll write your bachelor's thesis. Of course, you can rely on our close support and advice when writing your thesis!

Entry requirements

  • German university entrance qualification 
    (Allgemeine Hochschulreife, Fachhochschulreife, Fachgebundene Hochschulreife) or a foreign university entrance qualification equivalent to the German one.
     
  • English language skills:
     
    • International applicants: GER B2, TOEFL iBT 72 points plus, IELTS 6.0, TOEIC 785, PTE 59, Cambridge English Scale Minimum 160 points
      The level is also deemed to have been reached if proof of an English-language school-leaving qualification or an English-language course of study is provided.
       
    • German applicants: The German university entrance qualification (Abitur/Fachhochschulreifezeugnis) is considered proof of your language skills.
       
  • German language skills: GER B2, DSH Level I, TestDaF Level 3, telc/Goethe/ÖSD B2, DSD II
     
  • Language skills in your regional focus of choice:
    • Francophone world: 2 school years /A2
    • Hispanic world: 2 school years /A2
    • China: no previous knowledge necessary

What's covered

Semester fees

Note: Enrolment is not possible unless semester fees have been paid!

All students at Furtwangen University pay semester fees every semester in the amount of €176.00.

Special features

This degree programme is bilingual in German/English.
Would you prefer to study 100% in English? Then click here for our Internal link opens in the same window:International Business Management (IBM) programme.

You study IBW in three languages, together with international students and lecturers who themselves come from abroad or have extensive experience in international business.

You will spend two to three semesters abroad at one of our partner universities worldwide and even have the chance to earn a double degree! You can also hold a bilingual degree in your hands after your IBW studies.

Your career prospects

Many possibilities await you

After your IBW studies, you will not only have a recognised academic degree in your hands, you will also have the specialist, methodological and social skills you need for a position of responsibility in the globalised world of work. Our graduates start their careers both directly abroad and at domestic companies with a strong international focus.

Or you can use your bachelor's degree as a ticket to a postgraduate master's programme.

There are many exciting career paths for IBW graduates, for example as a Financial Analyst in Zurich, Key Account Manager in Mexico City, Chief Purchasing Officer in Toulouse or Marketing Manager at a car manufacturer in Germany. Some of our former students have also realised their dream of setting up their own start-up.

HFU Business School gives you an "all-in-one" experience - international business knowledge, interaction with different cultures and the opportunity to learn different languages in a short period of time.
Gabriela M. aus El Salvador – IBW graduate

What's new in the Business School

Find us on Instagram: External link opens in a new window:@hfu.business.school!

Faculty IV: Business, Design & Media

The HFU Business School prepares you for your future in international business with bachelor's and master's programmes providing space for your personal interests and potential with a variety of specialisations: International Business with specialisations in China, the Spanish or French-speaking world, Business Psychology, Business Law, or in combination with Engineering.

Internal link opens in the same window:More about the Faculty IV HFU Business School

As a university of applied sciences, our mission is not only to provide excellent teaching, but also to generate innovations in the field of research. 

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