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Full-time Bachelor's, Master's & MBA study programmes

  • A broad selection of management programmes

  • English and German taught study programmes

  • Cooperation with 800 renowned partner companies

  • Work experience through national or international internships

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Full-time Bachelor's, Master's & MBA degrees in Germany

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Full-time studies at CBS in Germany: 

Full-time studies are the classic study model and are normally highly recommended. Full-time courses are based on the assumption that you are fully committed to your studies and can attend lectures, seminars, and events at any time. Whether Bachelor's, Master’s, or MBA, we have the right degree programme for you in our comprehensive full-time programme.

What does a full-time study mean?

A full-time study programme is comparable to a full-time job; the time required is measured in terms of semester hours per week, which you attend in the form of lectures or seminars. In addition, there is the daily preparation and follow-up of the study content. The structure is also similar to the working world when it comes to attendance studies: Lectures are usually held on weekdays, i.e., from Monday to Friday. In exceptional cases, there may be block courses at weekends. In the case of full-time studies, therefore, the studies take up most of the day. The full-time degree programmes offered at the CBS are all attendance study programmes. This means that you attend lectures, seminars, and courses on campus during the semester. In addition to the time spent on campus, you have to plan extra time for studying at home, from lecture revision to writing papers and homework to preparing for exams. A full-time course, therefore, requires a certain amount of self-organisation - even more than a full-time job with regular working hours and a fixed finishing time. In return, you have the opportunity to create some free time for yourself: An early start to the weekend on Friday? Do university sports in the mornings during the week? These great freedoms are simply part of student life, and they build character because you have to handle this flexibility responsibly.

Are you ready for the next step? We have put together an overview of our full-time degree programmes for you here. You can also find an overview of the CBS campuses where you can start your full-time studies here.

Full-Time programmes at CBS

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What is the workload of a full-time degree?

In Germany, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (Kultusministerkonferenz) has determined that a full-time course of study requires a total of about 32 to 39 hours per week over 46 weeks per year. A full-time Bachelor`s degree at the CBS is designed to encompass 180 ECTS points, distributed over six semesters. In the first four semesters, that is 30 ECTS points per semester. An eight-week compulsory internship in which10 ECTS points are earned, is required once. The fifth and sixth semesters, in which you complete the semester abroad, for example, and of course finally write the Bachelor's thesis, each bring 25 ECTS points.

The full-time Master`s degree comprises 120 ECTS credits and runs over four semesters. In the first two semesters you collect 30 ECTS points each. The internship and the third semester comprise a total of 36 ECTS points. In the fourth semester, which you can optionally spend abroad, you acquire the last 24 ECTS points through the Master's thesis.

How SWC, ECTS, and workloads relate to each other?

Using the first semester of the Bachelor's degree in International Business as an example, we explain how 30 ECTS points can be distributed, namely among eleven subjects: six typical basic business subjects with three ECTS each, two specialist subjects with three ECTS each and three soft skills subjects with little preparation and follow-up work that bring you 2 ECTS point each. As a rule, subjects with three ECTS have two semester hours per week (SWS), which corresponds to one double hour of 90 minutes. In the first semester, you will have about eleven double hours on your timetable, which means a net attendance of 16.5 hours in lecture halls and seminar rooms. Each hour on campus requires about two hours of additional self-study. The amount of work can vary individually depending on the student.

Is a full-time course suitable for me?

Studying full-time is the classic option. If you don't want to do an apprenticeship alongside your studies or don't want to work full-time, a full-time study programme is right for you. A full-time Bachelor's degree lasts three years, a full-time Master's degree two years. During this time, you invest in your education and your future career, which may well last 40 years or more. Most full-time students study directly after leaving school, after a gap year or after vocational training. About half of the students move to another city for this purpose, thus ushering in a completely new phase of life.

What are the requirements for a full-time degree?

The general higher education entrance qualification (Allgemeine Hochschulreife or Fachhoschulreife) is required for full-time Bachelor`s studies at the CBS, i.e., Abitur or Fachabitur. If you have not acquired your school-leaving qualification in Germany, we will check whether this qualification is recognised as a higher education entrance qualification. In most cases, this is a mere formality. At the CBS we have a limited number of study places so it is clear that we cannot accept an unlimited number of students. To accepted at the CBS, it is not the numerus clausus that decides. Instead, with us, you go through an application procedure. Of course, a solid knowledge of English is required for admission to the English-language study programmes.

If you are interested in a Master's degree, you should be able to prove that you have a basic knowledge of economics from your Bachelor's degree. For career changers from the humanities or natural sciences, we offer a preparatory study programme so that you can close gaps in your business knowledge and enter the Master's degree of your choice after one or two semesters. Alternatively, you can also complete an MBA with us!

Should I study full-time or part-time? What is the difference?

With full-time studies, you can expect 40 hours of work per week - mainly from Monday to Friday. With part-time studies, the lectures are divided differently, and a lot takes place at the weekend. At the CBS, we have part-time study programmes that will work perfectly alongside your vocational training or career. Lectures, for example, take place biweekly on Friday evenings and on Saturdays. In return, the semesters are longer, and the lecture-free period is shorter. A part-time Bachelor's degree is spread over eight semesters instead of six.

Check out our part-time degree programmes

What are the advantages of studying full-time?

Full-time study is and remains the fastest way to graduate, as you can concentrate completely on your studies. Studying is fundamentally different from school, vocational training, or working. In particular, the distribution of the workload is not the same every week. So, you'll be working independently, and that clashes with parallel commitments like working in a salaried job. Not to be underestimated is life on campus: the exchange with your fellow students helps you to better understand learning content and to compare your learning progress. And you will also make friendships that will last a lifetime.

Is it possible to work and study full-time?

Working while studying full-time? Many students use this opportunity to gain work experience and earn their own money. When choosing a job, make sure that time flexibility is possible - especially during exam periods. In addition, the times of your lectures change every semester. A full-time job and full-time studies are not compatible. Your top priority should be your studies. Therefore, hourly part-time jobs or home office jobs with flexible deadlines are advisable. Or you can use the lecture-free period for classic holiday jobs. Student jobs in particular give you the opportunity to combine theory and practice. Working students usually work 10-15 hours a week during the lecture period, and an increase is possible during the lecture-free period.

This is What Our Students Say

Philip Kollmann
Project Manager
Wayne´s Coffee

"Especially the soft skill courses have been of great help for my performance in job interviews. Through my work in the Finance and Business Club I have built up a broad network and acquired project management skills that have enabled me to score points with companies."

Katrin Rieger
Bereichsdirektorin Reisevertrieb Deutschland / Vice President Sales
HanseMerkur Krankenversicherung

"The practical learning in small groups prepared me optimally for today's project and team work. The CBS provided me with the decisive soft skills and current knowledge from the world of business."

Christopher Rosenbaum
Manager
Ernst & Young GmbH
Wirschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

"The Management Studies programme prepares you thoroughly for the tasks of a consultant. In particular, the development of presentation techniques as well as analytical thinking is of enormous importance in the everyday life of a consultant."

Oliver Kiderle
EMEA Regional Product Expert
Google Inc.

"The focus on internationality and practical skills have had a very positive influence on my development at Google. Especially the structured and very versatile project work, which is often found at a private school, was extremely helpful."

Kalle Kenkel
Commercial Excellence Manager
GE Healthcare

"My studies at CBS prepared me for a career in today's dynamic, global work environment. As one's origin and physical location become less and less decisive, it has become increasingly important to have a multinational network and adapt quickly to various cultures and environments."

Neil Jordaan
Global Digital Content Manager
Elanco

"Many professors shared their professional business experience with us in class and were able to illustrate dry theory with practical examples. I also enjoyed the international atmosphere on campus."

Patrick Stein
Head of Human Resources
Boston Consulting Group

"The strongly practice-oriented studies and the international orientation of the CBS, as well as the lectures held in English, were an absolutely necessary basis for starting a career with a renowned, international company."

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Where can I study full-time? Full-time degree programmes in Cologne, Mainz, Potsdam, Aachen & Neuss in Germany

You can find full-time study programmes at our campuses in Cologne, Mainz, Potsdam, Aachen und Neuss.

Studying in Cologne is a good option if you live in the greater Cologne area and would like to start your study adventure at the campus there. Cologne is half an hour from Bonn and three-quarters of an hour to an hour from Düsseldorf. Approximately 1,600 students from over 75 nations study at the Cologne campus. You can easily find a working student job in the greater Cologne/Düsseldorf area.

The Mainz campus is located directly in the old town of Mainz, close to the Südbahnhof (South Station). From here, you can reach Frankfurt or Darmstadt in three-quarters of an hour by S-Bahn (overground train). You can reach the campus from the entire Rhine-Main region in a very short time. Frankfurt Airport is only 20 minutes away. Here you study with around 400 students directly on the banks of the Rhine in Mainz. There are plenty of student jobs in Mainz, Wiesbaden, Frankfurt, or Darmstadt.

The newest CBS campus is located in Potsdam. Here you can study and work in the direct vicinity of the German capital Berlin. The campus is integrated into co-working spaces and has state-of-the-art equipment. You can easily reach jobs in the Potsdam region or Berlin by public transport. The surrounding landscape with many beautiful lakes invites you to relax after lectures.

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The 10 CBS campuses

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Campus
Aachen
Icon_Berlin
Campus
Berlin
Icon_Neuss
Campus
Düsseldorf/Neuss
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Campus
Cologne
Icon_Mainz
Campus
Mainz
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Campus
Solingen

Download a brochure & learn more about us

Would you like to learn more about our Bachelor's and Master's programmes at home in peace? Download the CBS brochure for an in-depth look at our business study programmes.  

We hope that you enjoy getting to know more about our school, study programmes and what we stand for. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook, get to know us at one of our Information Events, or Contact our student advisors to get more info.

Mirjam Zimmermann

Mirjam Zimmermann

Study advisory: Campus Mainz
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone: 0800 931 8099
WhatsApp: Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail: study@cbs.de
Giulia Balzan

Giulia Balzan

Study advisory 
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone: 0800 931 8099
WhatsApp: Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail: study@cbs.de
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