Frequently Asked Questions

The program starts in the winter semester; i.e. October. There is only one intake per year. The application period runs from 15 February to 31 March.

We offer 60 study places each year.

In the past years, we received approximately 800 applications for the 60 study places available. See information about the selection criteria.

If you consider switching from another master’s program to MIBAS, you’d have to follow the regular application process. Your application will be evaluated based on the defined standard criteria. Your current master’s studies will not be considered within the admission process.

Once you have been admitted to the program and once you are enrolled as a student at the university, you may apply for recognition of external achievements.

Yes, you can study this master’s degree part-time. Detailed information about prerequisites, deadlines, the application procedure, and any exceptions is available on the university's Campus Centers website. Part-time degrees however, are not designed as evening and/or weekend programs. Our classes normally take place during the week between 8 am and 8 pm.

It is not necessary to announce that you would like to become a part-time student within the application.

STiNE is Universität Hamburg’s academic information network and is an internet-based information and communication platform for degree programs and teaching. Application procedures at Universität Hamburg are processed through STiNE. Hence, in order for your application to be successful, you must register with STiNE.

If you do not understand a question in the online application, please contact the Campus Center.

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

You don't need to prove German language skills within the application, since MIBAS is taught in English. All applicants have to prove English language proficency with one of the accepted certificates.

When enrolling for MIBAS 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
• Revised TOEFL Paper-delivered Test: at least 22 points per skill (Reading, Listening, Writing)
• 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
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Academics: Band 6,5, Good Competent User, with at least 6,0 per skill
• proof of at least five years of English lessons at a German speaking school (please hand in a copy of your Abitur-Zeugnis or the equivalent), or
• proof of English proficiency with the Level B2 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) from a recognized institution.

The TOEIC is not accepted!

Applicants, who haven't received their test results when applying, can hand in one of the accepted English language certificates when enrolling at Universität Hamburg (approximately in May). In the online application procedure you will find the dates when the results will be published. You will need to enroll once you have been admitted until the mentioned deadline.

Please plan and prepare for your English examinations well before you apply!

Yes, it is possible to apply if you did not study Business Administration in your Bachelor's.

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. A confirmation of enrolment to or participation in a course does not meet the requirements.The course has to be finalized with an examination and a grade / credits.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide any information about individual eligibility in advance. The selection committee will assess all applications after the application deadline.

No, a GMAT or GRE is not required for your application. The selection is made based on the grade achieved in your first degree and a written justification for the chosen program.

If you have recently completed a first degree but do not yet have a written confirmation of your grades and/or a degree certificate, you may still apply. To do this, you must submit a current transcript of records containing your current grade point average as well as a written confirmation from the examinations office / academic office at your institution that you are expected to have sat any outstanding examinations required for you to pass your degree prior to commencement of the master’s program.

It is possible to submit your certificate at latest by the end of the first semester.

Please first save the PDF file to your computer before filling the form.

We recommend to use the latest version of Adobe Reader: http://get.adobe.com/de/reader/

After saving the PDF file to your computer, you may open it with Adobe Reader (or equivalent software), fill the form and save it as PDF file.

If you experience serious problems saving your text in the form, you may also copy your answers to the questions to another text-processing program.

No. As of the application period in 2018, applicants have to submit all application documents online via the application portal (STiNE) to Universität Hamburg.

In case of admission to the MIBAS program, applicants will then 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..

Yes, in order to ensure that your documents can be displayed correctly, please take the following recommendations into account when uploading your application documents into the online portal:

• 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.
• Only one file can be uploaded per upload category.
• In case of technical problems, please contact: application-mibas.wiso@uni-hamburg.de.

As our capacities are restricted during the application period, we are not able to confirm the receipt or the completeness of your application documents.

No. Applications for MIBAS have to be submitted to Universität Hamburg between 15 February and 31 March. We do not accept applications after this deadline.

The letters of rejection/admission will be made available to you in your STiNE account under the menu item “Documents” together with the enrollment application. Please check your account on the dates provided by the Service for Students. After receiving your letter of admission you have to submit your completed enrollment application including the documents stated in the letter of admission to the Services for Students by the given deadline.

If you miss this deadline, you will no longer be entitled to the place you have been offered!

There is no minimum GPA required. For the selection of candidates, your GPA is only one criteria and counts for 60%, your personal motivation is weighted with 40% (please refer to the information about the selection procedure).

In the past years, we received approximately 800 for 60 study places. 

To apply to MIBAS, all applicants with a first university degree from outside of Germany need to have their documents evaluated by uni-assist e.V. (University Application Service for International Students).

Uni-assist checks your university certificates and veryfies whether your educational qualification is recognized for starting a Master’s program in Germany. Furthermore, uni-assist converts your GPA into the German grading system. Uni-assist issues a document called “Vorprüfungsdokumentation” (VPD, preliminary review documentation).

Universität Hamburg needs this information for the evaluation of your application for MIBAS.

 Information about uni-assist can be found on their website: www.uni-assist.de/en/

You apply for preliminary documentations via uni-assist's online portal.

Please note that the application via uni-assist's online portal is for the purpose of applying for preliminary documentation only. It does not replace the application for MIBAS at Universität Hamburg, i.e. after applying for preliminary documentation, you have to apply via Universität Hamburg's online application portal.

It takes at least four weeks to process your documents. Please plan accordingly to have your transcripts reviewed by uni-assist so that you can apply for the program of your choice at Universität Hamburg by the application deadline.

The recommended deadline for applying for a preliminary review documentation is 15 February.

Uni-assist usually needs at least 4 weeks to check your documents. They evaluate the applications in order of receipt. Therefore, we highly advise you to send your documents as early as possible to Uni-assist, the latest by 15 February. We cannot guarantee that Uni-assist will provide VPDs in time for applications that were handed in later.

Yes! The application via uni-assist's online portal is for the purpose of applying for preliminary documentation only (evaluation of your degree certificates and converions of your GPA). It does not replace the application for MIBAS at Universität Hamburg, i.e. after applying for preliminary documentation, you have to apply via Universität Hamburg's online application portal.

Once you have submitted your documents to uni-assist, you need to transfer your fee to uni-assist's bank account.

The processing fee is €75. For further details, please see the information under "Regulation of fees".

Please note that uni-assist will only review your documents once you have transferred the processing fee!

If you can prove that you have been registered as a refugee in your German residency permit, uni-assist checks your documents free of charge, provided certain conditions are met.

In case you have not yet finalized your first degree or you did not yet receive your degree certificates yet, please send your current transcript of records including your GPA to Uni-assist. They will use your transcript of records to issue a preliminary VPD and to transfer your GPA into the German grading system.

Uni assist confirms that your university is recognized in Germany and transfers the grade from your degree into the German grading system. If nothing has changed since last year, you can use the VPD documentation again.

Students providing an APS Certificate do not need to hand in a preliminary review documentation (VPD) from uni-assist.

 However, please bear the following in mind:

If the APS Certificate does not show your grade point average (GPA) converted to the German grading system, we strongly recommend you to have your documents evaluated by uni-assist anyway. Uni-assist converts your GPA into the German grading system.

The GPA is one criteria in the selection process and counts for 60%. If there is no GPA (converted to the German grading system) available in the application documents, this criteria will be counted with 0 points. Thus, your chances for admission will significantly decrease.