Application

University degree

Proof of a first university degree in socioeconomics or an equivalent degree in social sciences, economics and business administration or law. Graduates from other degrees can be admitted if they can prove sufficient expertise in business administration.

Applicants who did not specialise in business administration must prove successfully completed examinations accounting for at least 12 ECTS altogether from at least 4 of the following areas:

• business administration at an undergraduate level,
• accounting,
• financing,
• investment,
• marketing,
• management,
• controlling,
• HR,
• organization,
• information systems,
• production,
• taxation.

You will be asked to indicate the relevant courses during the online application procedure.

Students who have not yet received their bachelor's certificate can apply for a master's program at Universität Hamburg. Please hand in a confirmation from the examination office / the academic office, which states that you are able to finish your studies until the beginning of the master's program. However, final formal admission will only be granted, if the certificate is submitted by the end of the first semester (31 March). As long as the certificate remains outstanding, students will only be enrolled provisionally.

Language skills

When enrolling at Universität Hamburg, all prospective students must submit proof of adequate English proficiency. The following tests are accepted as proof of your English language skills:

• a university degree in an academic study program taught in English
• TOEFL paper and pencil test: 580 points with a score of 45 in the essay (TWE score)
• TOEFL internet-based test: 92 points with at least 22 points per skill (listening, writing, speaking, reading)
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE): Results A, B, C
• proof of at least five years of English lessons at a German school,
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Academics: Band 6,5, Good Competent User, with at least 6,0 per skill,
• proof of English proficiency with the Level B2 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) from a recognized institution

TOEFL ITP and TOEIC are not accepted.

Acceptance of other than the above-mentioned language certificates remains subject to approval by the admissions board.

Applicants, who haven't received their test results yet when applying can hand in one of the accepted English language certificates later upon matriculation at Universität Hamburg. Please plan and prepare for your English examinations well before you apply!

You do not need a German language certificate, as the Master's Program is taught in English language!

Applications have to be submitted online during the application period.

• All documents required for admission process can be uploaded within the online application form.
• Applicants do not have to send any hard copies of documents (diplomas, degree certificates, transcripts, etc.) to Universität Hamburg within the application period. 
• In case of admission to the MIBAS program, applicants will be asked to deliver certified copies of degree certificates, transcripts, etc. for the purpose of enrollment to the program.
• For applicants holding a first degree from a university outside of Germany, legalized copies will still be a requirement for the process of preliminary review documentation by uni-assist e.V..

To apply for the program, please follow the instructions in the STiNE online application form provided by the admissions office of Universität Hamburg.

Please fill in the online application form, upload all required application documents in the last section of the form, and submit your application electronically by March 31. Any information or documents submitted after the due date cannot be considered!

During the application process, you will be asked to upload the following documents in the online application form:

• Scan of the first degree certificate (if  not yet available, a current transcript of records suffices, see below)
• Transcript of records / official overview of grades including grade point average
• Proof of background knowledge in business administration: e.g. a transcript prving at least 12 ECTS in business administration
• In case of foreign education qualification: preliminary documentation form from uni-assist (see below)
• Written justification of your choice of degree (see below)
• Proof of English language skills
• Curriculum Vitae (CV), in English

 Please note the following recommendations for the document upload. This helps us processing your application.

• Please merge documents with several pages (e.g. your degree certificates) to one file.
• Documents have to be submitted in German or English. Please submit certified translations if original documents are not issued in German or English.
• Please upload preferably PDF documents. Thus, it is ensured that your documents can be opened and displayed correctly.
• Only one file can be uploaded per upload category in the online application form.
• In case of technical problems regarding the documents, please contact: mibas-application.wiso"AT"uni-hamburg.de

Please hand in a written justification of your choice of degree. This will be part of the selection process. We expect you to justify your choice of program on the basis of the points listed:

1. What is your personal motivation for applying for the "Master of Arts in International Business and Sustainability" (MIBAS) at Universität Hamburg?
2. Which experiences – as part of your first degree and your job experience – contribute to your qualifications for the MIBAS program?
3. Which program components have triggered your specific interest in MIBAS, which aspects of the program are most appealing to you?
4. 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. Please save the PDF file to your PC before filling it.

Your answers (in English language) should not exceed three pages. Please comment on all mentioned points to allow us to form a detailed impression of you.

All applicants applying with a degree from a university outside of Germany, regardless of citizenship, need to have their documents checked in a "preliminary review documentation" procedure by uni-assist e. V. (University Application Service for International Students). You can find information about the procedure by uni-assist on the website www.uni-hamburg.de/assist.

It takes at least four to six weeks to process your documents. Please plan accordingly to have your transcripts reviewed by uni-assist. We recommend sending the documents to uni-assist at latest by 15 February. The processing fee is EUR 75. Uni-assist will only review the documents once they received the processing fee.

Please also refer to the FAQ section.

For the purpose of the selection process, applicants are divided into two groups:

• ‘Domestic students’ (‘Bildungsinländer’) are applicants without German citizenship who have obtained their higher education entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur) in Germany. Applicants with German citizenship are allocated to the group of ‘domestic students’ as well, regardless of the country of their higher education entrance qualification.
• ‘Foreign students’: The group of foreign students (‘Bildungsausländer’) includes all non-German applicants who have obtained their higher education entrance qualification (e.g. USA: High School Diploma, Pakistan: Higher Secondary (School) Certificate, etc.) outside of Germany.

 Each group is allocated 50% of the available places.

Applicants are ranked within their group according to the following criteria:

• grade achieved in first degree (weighted with 60%)
• written justification for chosen program (weighted with 40%)

The overall grade results from evaluation of both criteria. Places on the program are awarded according to the number of available places within each of these groups. Places not awarded within one group will be allocated to applicants from the other group.

Application results

Once all applications have been reviewed, letters of acceptance and rejection will be published in your STiNE account in the section ‘Documents’. In case of admission, a deadline for enrolment will be indicated in your acceptance letter. You will be asked to deliver certified copies of degree certificates, transcripts, etc. for the purpose of enrollment to the program. If you miss the given deadline, you will lose the place in our Master's Program.

Most questions concerning the application process are answered in the FAQ section.

Template for the written justification of your choice (PDF, please save the file on your PC before filling the form)

Link to the online application form (application is possible only during the application period 15 February to 31 March)

Satzung über besondere Zugangsvoraussetzungen für die Studiengänge der WiSo-Fakultät (07.12.2016) (PDF, Admission regulations, in German)

Satzung über Auswahlverfahren und -kriterien für die Studiengänge der WiSo-Fakultät (07.12.2016) (PDF, Selection regulations, in German)

Information about applications for Master's degree programs (Campus Center)

For queries regarding questions in the online application form please contact the Campus-Center of Universität Hamburg.

If you have technical problems with the online application form, please contact the STiNE support.

For any other queries regarding your application, the application documents, the selection process, the study program, etc. which are not answered on this website (also check the FAQ section), please contact mibas-application.wiso"AT"uni-hamburg.de.

Contact address:

Universität Hamburg, Fakultät für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften

Studienbüro Sozialökonomie, M. A. International Business and Sustainability (MIBAS)

Von-Melle-Park 9, 20146 Hamburg, Germany