Program Outline

MIBAS students pursue the following knowledge- and skill-related goals:

• Develop expertise in the fields of innovation, sustainability in management and in finance and accounting.
• Acquire knowledge of relevant institutional frameworks and develop the ability to grasp the complex interactions that occur in an increasingly global economy.
• Develop skills required to create sustainable value for both companies and society.
• Develop skills necessary to handle ethical dilemmas and acquisition of knowledge about instruments for sustainable management.
• Learn about methods and instruments in modern management.
• Acquire knowledge of basic concepts in economic analyses.
• Acquire knowledge of fundamental methodological skills for empirical social research.

Furthermore, the program encourages students to

• develop a consciousness concerning the moral responsibility of future executives;
• establish intercultural open-mindedness via a multicultural learning environment and focus on problems in international businesses; and
• further develop leadership skills through practical courses.

Module I: Fundamentals of Innovation, Business and Sustainability (24 ECTS)

Innovation is the driver of businesses, and companies must constantly develop in order to be successful, including when it comes to sustainability. This leads to fundamental questions and challenges for management and society at large, which you will confront in this module. Generally, the module is comprised of the following courses, which are offered regularly. The range of courses may be supplemented. A selection of courses that may be taken as part of the module will be announced at the beginning of course registration.

Courses 2024-2025 (6 ECTS each; choose 4)

• Innovation Management
• Organizational Development and Change
• Financial and Management Accounting
• (International) Finance and Investment
• Sustainability and Management
• Business Ethics: Managing CSR in the Age of Globalization
• Entrepreneurship and Sustainability

Module II: Research Methods (18 ECTS)

The concept of doing sustainable business demands new ways of thinking - but you’ll still need basic knowledge of empirical research methods for social sciences and the central methods of critical data analysis. This module will provide you with a solid foundation in research methods that will also be helpful for your master’s thesis in the fourth semester. Generally, the module is comprised of the following courses, which are offered regularly. The range of courses may be supplemented. A selection of courses that may be taken as part of the module will be announced at the beginning of course registration. 

Courses 2024-2025 (6 ECTS each; choose 3)

• Quantitative Research Methods – I
• Introduction to Econometrics
• Reading and Understanding Academic Articles
• Introduction into Philosophy of Science
• Advanced Econometrics
• Qualitative Methods of Empirical Research
• Decision Theory
• Open topics - Research Methods

Module III: Innovation, Sustainability and Knowledge Exchange in Management (18 ECTS)

This module gives in-depth knowledge of topics related to innovation and knowledge transfer from a management perspective. This involves developing extensive theory-based skills in the areas of innovation and transfer. You’ll gain knowledge about how to deal with innovation processes and address questions about the exchange of knowledge between society and science. Questions about founding a company are also addressed. After this module, you’ll be able to examine central aspects of innovation and transfer from a sustainability perspective and to assess and critically reflect on their theoretical and practical implications. Generally, the module is comprised of the following courses, which are offered regularly. The range of courses may be supplemented. A selection of courses that may be taken as part of the module will be announced at the beginning of course registration.

Courses 2024-2025 (6 ECTS each; choose 3)

• Managing and Organizing Innovation
• Consumer and Management Decisions
• Science Innovation (SCB)
• Organizational Behavior and Design: Trends in Empirical Research
• Knowledge Exchange and Innovation – Concepts
• Knowledge Exchange and Innovation – Methods
• Open Topics

Module IV: Sustainability in Management (18 ECTS)

This module addresses sustainable management, developing extensive, theory-based skills in the areas of international corporate management and sustainability. This includes addressing questions of ethics and the sustainable use of natural resources. You’ll learn to examine central aspects of management from a sustainability perspective and to identify, assess and critically reflect on the theoretical and practical implications of sustainable management. Generally, the module is comprised of the following courses, which are offered regularly. The range of courses may be supplemented. A selection of courses that may be taken as part of the module will be announced at the beginning of course registration.

Courses 2024/2045 (6 ECTS each; choose 3)

• Strategic Management and Sustainability in the Digital Age
• Industrial Ecology
• Applied Business Ethics
• Case Study on Sustainability (Shell)
• Corporate Transition Toward Sustainability
• Innovative Organizational Design
• Open topics

Module V: Sustainable Finance and Accounting (18 ECTS)

This module covers topics central to finance and accounting from an innovation and sustainability perspective. First, you’ll study central theories in-depth and learn how to apply theoretical concepts to specific entrepreneurial challenges. This includes issues like international accounting in multinational corporations, the financing of social transformation and the role of innovation in this context. You’ll learn to understand complex issues within sustainable financing, reflect critically on them and work to solve them. Generally, the module is comprised of the following courses, which are offered regularly. The range of courses may be supplemented. A selection of courses that may be taken as part of the module will be announced at the beginning of course registration.

Courses 2024/2025 (6 ECTS each; choose 3)

• Sustainable Finance: ESG and Capital Markets
• Sustainable Accounting: International CSR Reporting
• Sustainable Corporate Governance
• Sustainable Finance & Business Strategy
• Transfer and Innovation in Sustainable Finance and Accounting
• Impact Investment
• Open topics

Module VI: Electives (12 ECTS)

In order to tailor your studies to your interests, you can select two courses for the electives slot. These can be filled with additional courses from the MIBAS modules, with selected courses from other master’s programs at the faculty that are open to MIBAS students, or with business foreign-language courses (language courses with a focus on business content).

Master’s Thesis (30 ECTS)

After completing three semesters of coursework, the master’s thesis awaits. Here, you’ll use the knowledge and research skills that you’ve developed on the program to dive deep into an area that interests you, conduct independent research and present the results.

You’ll formulate a research question (i.e. choose a topic) together with your supervisor and complete your project from start to finish: develop a plan, conduct in-depth literature research, collect and evaluate data, analyze literature and sources, and write up the results in a thesis paper.

You must have earned at least 60 credits in order to register for your thesis and have six months to complete it after registering.
Further information about the master’s thesis can be found on the Academic Office's service section on final theses.