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Part-Time courses in Germany

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Part-time courses: Study part-time at CBS in Germany

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Study part-time and work on your career at the same time

Work and advance in your career and earn an academic degree at a top business school at the same time! At CBS, you can complete a part-time master's degree, while working. The part-time courses are adapted to the needs of working professionals: The lectures do not take place during the day in the week, but at the weekend. This means you can work full time and flexibly divide up the remaining time on the weekdays to study. CBS offers a wide range of part-time bachelor's & master’s business degree programmes, both taught in English and German, from general study courses to more specialised ones. In order for you to be able to balance work and study, the part-time degree programmes are structured a little differently than the regular full-time study programmes at CBS. Compulsory internships are excluded- after all, you are working and you have enough work experience. The duration of studies is slightly longer compared to full-time courses: The part-time bachelor’s course lasts eight semesters and the part-time master’s course lasts five semesters. The lecture times and the lecture-free periods are also specially adapted to the needs of part-time students. You can find the current semester dates here.

What does it mean to study part-time?

In a part-time degree course at a university, your job is the priority, and the study programme, therefore, accompanies your job. During a part-time course, you can work full time, whereas in a regular full-time study programme you can only a part-time job would be possible. In order for you to be able to continue working full-time, the lectures during part-time studies at CBS are completely shifted to the weekends. This is a difference to some other part-time degree courses, where only semester hours are reduced, but lectures take place during regular office hours - making it almost impossible to pursue a full-time job. So, be rest assured that the part-time courses at CBS in Germany are really intended for working professionals.

Part-time courses at CBS

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How does a part-time degree course work?

The lectures during a part-time programme take place every fortnight, on Friday evenings (virtually) and all day on Saturdays (On-Campus) for part-time studies at CBS. The winter semester begins with a block weekend in September and runs until February. After the exam phase in February, the summer semester starts. The second exam phase follows in July and August is then lecture-free. 

In addition to lecture times, you should plan enough time for studying. So, it may be worth considering to reduce your working hours if possible. Some employers find such further qualifications particularly good and support part-time studies, for example by subsidising the tuition fees, by offering the possibility to reduce the weekly working hours, or by offering additional unpaid leave. 

A part-time course gives the students the opportunity to incorporate the content from the course directly into professional practice, which increases the learning effect.

How long does a part-time degree course take in Germany?

Since both part-time and full-time bachelor’s and master’s degrees have the same study content, the duration of part-time degree courses is a bit longer. 

Part-time studies at CBS take 8 instead of 6 semesters, i.e., 4 years, to complete a bachelor’s degree. A part-time master’s programme lasts 6 instead of 4 semesters, i.e., 3 years. 

Experience shows that these moderate extensions make sense and make it easier for students to successfully complete their courses. 

The relatively short duration of the part-time courses at CBS is possible because the support is intensive. You take part in face-to-face lectures in small groups, you can exchange ideas with fellow students, and also use the many student services offered by CBS. You are therefore far less on your own than with pure distance learning. We are always there to support you.

Who are part-time study courses aimed at?

A part-time degree course is aimed at people who are successful in their profession. Those who take up such studies do not want to give up their current job. Either because the position is extremely attractive or because they love their jobs or because they are involved in the family business etc...

You can also use the part-time courses offered at CBS in Germany - as a purely part-time variant, without having a job alongside. This model is often used when pursuing a full-time degree is not possible. For example because of having to take care of children or relatives or having other obligations that do not allow participation in lectures during the day. You do not have to prove that you have a job in order to apply and be admitted to part-time degree courses at CBS. 

The greatly reduced attendance phases, which are shifted to the weekends, also make it possible to live further away from the campus. This could save you the trouble of having to move to another city. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Part-time study programmes?

Part-time courses have many features that can be interpreted as an advantage or disadvantage at the same time - so it is a matter of personal preferences. For example, the longer duration of studies is superficially a disadvantage, but at the same time it is an advantage because it enables parallel work in a full-time or part-time position. The situation is similar to the lecture-free periods: In part-time studies at the CBS, the "semester break" is in August and is thus noticeably short. This does not correspond to the cliché of typical student life, but the aim of part-time studies is to obtain a degree while working in the shortest possible time.

Should I study Part-time or full-time: how to decide?

There are borderline cases where both studying full-time and part-time are possible. This is the case, for example, if the current job is neither particularly enjoyable nor particularly attractively paid. In this case, the combination of full-time studies plus a student trainee job can be quite interesting. This is  relatively common among bachelor's students. With the part-time master’s programme, a lot depends on the phase of life you are in. Since you already have a bachelor’s degree and are perhaps already working in an exciting job, a part-time master’s degree is often the more interesting choice. The situation is different if your current job offers few prospects and you want to qualify for more interesting professions with a master’s degree. The same applies if your employer doesn't like your plans to study part-time and the accompanying reduction in commitment to your job that comes with itit. In that case, a combination of full-time studies and a part-time job would be more interesting. Remember: Your personal goal is to graduate. Think about how you can best get there. If you are unsure: Our study advisors will be happy to help you make a decision!

Studying part-time in Germany: What are the requirements?

The same admission requirements apply for part-time studies as for full-time studies. For a bachelor’s degree, the university entrance qualification is required, for a master’s degree, a first university degree in the appropriate subject area. As CBS is a business school, previous economic knowledge is required for the master’s programmes. You also need the appropriate language skills, especially for the English-language study programmes.

What if you want to study a business administration master’s degree part-time at CBS, but your bachelor’s degree contained little or no business administration knowledge? In this case, we can put together a preparation programme for you so that you have the necessary qualifications when you start your studies. An intensive course during the summer months may be sufficient. Have your documents checked by our study advisory teams and we will put together a programme for you. A fast-track MBA in 3 trimesters can also be an exciting alternative to part-time study.

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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Part-Time Master's degree in Germany

With a part-time master's degree at CBS in Germany, you can simply work and study at the same time. You attend the lectures in the evening or on the weekend, you can find the time model of the respective CBS campuses here. We offer a variety of part-time master's degrees taught in German and English. Show your employer your full potential and get ready for the next career step. 

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Part-time courses in Cologne, Mainz, Aachen, Brühl, & Neuss in Germany

You can study part-time at CBS Campus Cologne, Mainz, Aachen, Brühl or Neuss. On all campuses, the possibilities consist of English-language and German-language part-time master`s degree courses.

For part-time studies, the accessibility of the place of study from home is often an essential criterion. Both Cologne & Mainz is known to be easily accessible by all means transport, the CBS campus in Mainz is within walking distance of the Südbahnhof (South Station) with many excellent connections to the Rhine-Main region. 

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The 10 CBS campuses

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Campus
Aachen
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Campus
Berlin
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Campus
Düsseldorf/Neuss
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Campus
Cologne
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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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