Admissions
Ready to apply? Here’s how the admissions process works.
Application process
There’s a two-step application process for MIBAS:
Step 1: Apply to have previous studies outside of Germany recognized. During this process, your GPA is converted to the German grading scale and your degree is confirmed as equivalent to a German degree.
Step 2: Apply for the MIBAS program itself.
If your previous studies took place outside of Germany, you must submit both of these applications in order to successfully apply for MIBAS!
If you completed your bachelor’s degree in Germany, you can apply directly for MIBAS without having your previous studies recognized as an extra step.
Both applications are submitted in STiNE, UHH’s online application portal.
Application period
There is one application period per year, from February 15-March 31, for studies starting in October. It is only possible to apply for the program during this period, but you can apply to have your previous foreign studies recognized at any earlier time as well.
Entry requirements
To be admitted to MIBAS, you’ll need to meet a variety of eligibility requirements, including a bachelor’s degree, completed coursework in certain fields, and proof of English proficiency.
See Entry requirements for a full overview of the requirements.
Recognition of studies from outside of Germany
Applicants with a first university degree (bachelor’s degree) from outside of Germany must have their foreign education officially recognized at University of Hamburg. This recognition must be applied for in addition to your application for MIBAS. The deadline for both applications is March 31.
On UHH’s central Application and Admissions website, you’ll find all the details about how to apply, including what documents are needed from many specific countries. Applications from China, India and Vietnam will need to include an APS certificate.
This process is completely free of charge. If you have previously had your bachelor’s degree evaluated by another German institution (e.g. Uniassist), contact the team to see if that evaluation can be accepted, or if UHH will need to do its own recognition process.
With questions, contact UHH’s central Application and Admissions Team.
Application documents
You’ll need to collect the following documents to submit with your online application for MIBAS to prove that you meet the entry requirements for the program. For details on the various eligibility requirements, see Entry requirements.
- First degree (e.g. bachelor’s) certificate/diploma (if not yet available, submit your current transcript of records)
- Transcript of records/official overview of grades including grade point average from your first degree
- Proof of background knowledge in business administration (15 ECTS) and research methods (12 ECTS): Clearly highlight these courses in your transcript. Our Admissions team will only consider highlighted courses in your transcript! If your university did not use ECTS credits, please include information on the credit system, so that the conversion of credits to the ECTS credits system is verifiable.
- Course descriptions: include course descriptions for all courses that you would like to have recognized as meeting the background knowledge requirements.
- For applicants holding a degree from a university outside of Germany: recognition of your foreign educational qualification (if already completed; if not, simply make sure to submit your application for recognition by the deadline)
- Written justification (i.e. personal statement) motivating why you’d like to join MIBAS and what makes you a good fit for the program
- Proof of English language skills (see Entry requirements for details)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV), in English
Please note the following formatting recommendations:
- Please submit documents with several pages as one file.
- Degree certificates and transcripts of records must be submitted in German or English. Please submit your original documents plus certified translations if original documents are not issued in German or English.
- Please upload documents as PDFs.
- Only one file can be uploaded per upload category in the online application form.
Each year, hundreds of applications are rejected due to not documenting that they meet the entry requirements. Applicants who do not document that they meet all of the entry requirements are not considered for admission. In other words: submitting complete and correct documentation is very important!
With any document-related questions or concerns, please contact mibas-application.wiso"AT"uni-hamburg.de
Personal statement (“Written Justification”)
A personal statement, called a written justification, is an important part of your application. Your written justification should include answers to the following questions, in English:
- What is your personal motivation for applying for the "Master of Science Innovation, Business and Sustainability" (MIBAS) at Universität Hamburg?
- Which experiences – as part of your first degree and your job experience – contribute to your qualifications for the MIBAS program?
- Which program components have triggered your specific interest in MIBAS, which aspects of the program are most appealing to you?
- Reflecting on the MIBAS program, to what extent and why do you think that firms have a responsibility to the society and not to their shareholders only? Which aspects are of particular relevance and why?
Please use the designated template (PDF) for your answers and save the PDF file to your computer before filling it in. If you have technical problems, you can submit your statement using another word-processing program, but still saved as a PDF.
The written justification should not exceed three pages and should include answers to all the questions above.
Apply online
Applications can be submitted online during the application period, February 15-March 31. To apply, you’ll need to create an account in STiNE, UHH’s online application portal. After creating your account, simply follow the steps in STiNE to complete and submit your application.
Apply here: STiNE online application portal
Please note:
- Applications and documents submitted after the deadline will not be considered!
- Please do not submit any hard copies of documents – you only need to submit your application and documentation online