Bachelor´s of International Business Studies

This Bachelor's degree program is an interdisciplinary program. On the one hand, the courses provide a basic education in economics, on the other hand, you acquire intercultural skills and thus a gain in personality development as well as language and country knowledge.

English spoken courses are compulsory within the program. Optionally, French or Spanish language can be further developed or improved.

The scientific orientation will enable you to successfully enter professional life. You will be able to handle complex workflows in all sectors of business and administration. Furthermore, with your degree, you will gain the qualification to take up a postgraduate scientific master's degree.

The course is offered in six semesters as a full-time study. 

Semesters 1-3: Basics

In the first three semesters, you will learn the basics of business. These are divided into the areas of business administration and economics, language and intercultural competence as well as methodological foundations.

In the second semester, there is a linguistic differentiation according to the chosen foreign languages English, French or Spanish. The acquired language and cultural skills are intensified in the third semester with courses on regional studies and negotiation training.

Semesters 4-5: Semester abroad

In the fourth semester, you set your individual accents. You choose one of the above-mentioned Study focuses and an English-language elective module, e.g. European Studies, International Marketing, Applied International Economics or Business Process Simulation.

The semester abroad is compulsory and can take place either in the fourth or fifth semester.

Semester 6: Company Internship and Bachelor Thesis

At the end of the sixth semester, there is a company internship and the bachelor thesis followed by a defense, which can be done in either German or another language.

Study Focus 1: Retail

Retail is one of the biggest economic branches in Germany. This branch is characterized by a huge diversity of different types of retail companies. Furthermore, Internationalization of Retail proliferates and plays a huge role in the students’ education.

The specialization in Retail has a broad and practical approach, which shows students the wide and diverse range of Fields this branch includes. Students have the possibility to acquire aside from current specialists knowledge, professional skills, methodological competencies and problem solving competencies.

Study Focus 2: Accounting and Finance

Accounting and finance are closely related business areas that can be found in one form or another in every company and in every other economically active organization.

The Accounting and Finance major offers students a practical, broadly based study program that emphasizes the interrelationships between these sub-disciplines. Accounting and Finance represents a holistic approach, which meets both, the demands of medium-sized companies for qualified employees for a wide range of tasks and the wishes of large companies for broadly deployable employees who think and act beyond single subject boundaries of large companies.

The objectives of the study program in Accounting and Finance are twofold. Conveying up-to-date and qualified specialist knowledge as well as general competencies of applying business methods and problem-solving technics.

Study Focus 3: Logistics

In Germany, the logistics sector is the third largest economic sector behind the automotive industry and the health sector, with an annual turnover of more than € 290 billion.

Logistics is a cross-sectional business function and thus occurs in almost every area of a company. Developments and optimizations in logistics consequently have far-reaching consequences for the entire company. Therefore, students in this concentration acquire a broad knowledge of the logistics sub-disciplines by discussing basic logistics issues and using relevant terminology. Care is taken to ensure that the various aspects are taught in a practice-oriented manner, with seminar-style teaching predominating and various case studies and exercises being used.

Study Focus 4:  Cultural, media and leisure industries

Musicals, media diversity, events, adventure parks, trend sports - the culture, media and leisure industry is developing dynamically. This is where the study focus Culture, Media and Leisure Industry (KMF) positions itself.

In the study focus, problem-solving applications and creative ideas are developed and promoted. A key to this is the close cooperation with partners in the economy, especially from culture, media and leisure industries. Leading personalities from well-known companies are available as lecturers and complement the teaching content of the focus with illustrative case studies from practice.

Students of the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences have the opportunity to get to know a foreign country and foreign cultures, to attend courses at a partner university abroad and to improve their foreign language skills.

The Department of Business has a number of university cooperations, most of which are financed within the framework of the EU's ERASMUS PLUS education program.

The professional fields of activity of graduates of the degree program "International Business Studies" are similar to the possible applications of the "Business Studies" degree program.

They will be able to face the high demands associated with mastering complex work processes in a dynamic and collaborative working environment in all sectors of business and administration. Areas of application are e.g. in sales, PR, purchasing, logistics, marketing and corporate management.

In addition, intercultural know-how, good language skills and stays abroad will qualify you especially for internationally active companies. The knowledge from one of the four study focuses enables graduates to start their careers in almost all functional areas and industries.

After obtaining the Bachelor's degree, there is the possibility to follow a Master's program. At the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences, the following consecutive Master's degree programs would be suitable:

Management M. A.

Accounting and Controlling M. A.

Service Management M. A.

With a successfully completed master's degree, there is the possibility of a doctorate (acquisition of the doctorate) at a university.