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    Business Psychology - Everything at a glance

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    Business Psychology: study contents, requirements and professions

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    Understand the markets - Study Business Psychology

    Business psychology studies the subjective experience and human behavior in the economy in connection with social contexts. In the study of business psychology, you will learn about two thematic areas: One is psychology and the other is economics.

    What is business psychology?

    Business psychology examines the subjective experience and human behavior in the economy in connection with social contexts. During your studies you will learn about two thematic areas: One is psychology and the other is economics. The fields of activity of business psychologists include, for example, market research, personnel development, coaching, management consulting, advertising, sales or development.

    Why study business psychology?

    When you study business psychology, you deal with interesting questions about how people behave in an economic environment from a social point of view. You will research important questions such as how people make certain purchasing decisions and which criteria are used as a basis here. Furthermore, you will develop concepts on how products should be designed to appeal to potential customers. To do this, you analyze and examine behaviors and situations using scientific criteria, from which you can then develop optimization concepts and problem solutions. With psychological target group analyses, you can then identify suitable target groups for products and companies. Then you plan and conduct relevant surveys for market research. You can then use these results to develop marketing campaigns. If you work in a human resources department after graduation, you will select employees and also take care of training measures, for example.

    This versatile applicability after graduation makes this course of study extremely attractive. You can work in advertising agencies or management consultancies. But you can also work as an independent coach or consultant or be employed by an opinion research institute. You have a wide range of tasks at your disposal after graduation, which makes the study programme itself very attractive.

    What can you expect from a business psychology degree programme, and will it suit you?

    When you study business psychology, you examine how people behave in an economic environment, also from a social point of view. In business psychology, human behavior is analyzed according to scientific criteria. This is then used to develop concepts for optimizing and solving problems. After your studies you can work in marketing, market research or human resource management.

    In your business psychology studies you will deal with topics such as:

    • Psychology

    • Developmental psychology

    • Economics

    • Biopsychology

    • Intrapersonal processes

    • Market research

    • Social psychology

    • Personality psychology

    • Business administration

    • Interpersonal processes

    Below you’ll find criteria presented that you need in order to decide whether a business psychology degree program is right for you.

    Studying Business Psychology at the CBS is suitable for you if you:

    • have an interest in business

    • are interested in psychology

    • have an understanding of numbers

    • have analytical thinking skills

    • have logical thinking skills

    • are communicative and open-minded

    • are interested in scientific work

    • are able to work under pressure

    • are empathic

    Business psychology study programmes at CBS

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    What are the contents of a business psychology degree? What do you learn in a business psychology degree?

    The contents of the programme depend on whether you want to take up a bachelor's or a master's programme. For this reason, the content is presented separately below.

    Bachelor’s

    First, you will be taught general economics content. This consists of the following components:

    • Basics of business administration

    • Accounting

    • Accounting

    • Statistics

    • Mathematics

    • Investment & Financing

    • Business Operations

    • Business Law

    • Financial Accounting

    The following programme-specific course contents are also added:

    • Fundamentals of Business Psychology

    • General Psychology & Research Methods

    • Personality Psychology

    • Neuropsychology & Biological Psychology

    • History & Subfields of Psychology

    • Employment Law

    • Personnel assessment & development

    In addition, interdisciplinary competencies are taught:

    • Business English

    • Negotiation techniques

    • Self- & time management

    Master’s

    In the master's programme, you will deepen the knowledge you have acquired. First of all, you will be taught general economic contents in depth. These consist of the following components:

    • Business Economics

    • Digital Management

    • Fundamentals of economics

    • International Marketing

    • International Human Resource Management

    • Empirical Research Methods

    • Strategic Analysis & Management

    • Corporate Social Responsibility

    • Corporate Governance


    The following programme-specific course contents are also added:

    • Fundamentals of Psychology

    • Advertising Psychology, Communication & Sales Management

    • Psychological action competence

    • Business psychology research

    • Trends in applied business psychology


    In addition, interdisciplinary competencies are taught:

    • Advanced Intercultural Team Leadership

    • Creative Thinking & Innovation

    • Team & Self Management

    • Assessment Center Bootcamp

    • Language & Communication Skills

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    Procedure and duration

    The sequence and duration of your business psychology studies depend on whether you want to complete a bachelor's or a master's programme. The characteristics are presented separately below:

    Bachelor’s

    The bachelor's programme lasts 6 or 7 semesters. Lectures are available in German or English. You will finish your studies with your bachelor thesis. If you have chosen Business Psychology as a full-time study programme, then you will complete your studies in Business Psychology in English with the Bachelor of Science. If you study Business Psychology at the CBS full-time in German, then you will complete your studies with the Bachelor of Arts. You can also study Business Psychology at the CBS dual in German and graduate with a Bachelor of Arts.

    At the CBS you will be trained in the best possible way for your future job. For this reason, practical experience is included within the scope of a full-time study programme. The CBS offers opportunities you to apply your acquired knowledge in practice. For this purpose, an internship and/or a semester abroad are planned. This will enable you to put the knowledge you have learned in theory into practice. In business simulation games and business projects with real-life partners, you will quickly see what knowledge you already have available in real-life situations.

    Master’s

    The master's programme lasts 4 or 5 semesters. Lectures are available in German or English. You will finish your studies with your master thesis. If you have chosen Business Psychology as a full-time programme, then you will complete your studies in Business Psychology English full-time as a Master of Science. If you study Business Psychology in German full-time at the CBS, then your degree is the Master of Arts. Furthermore, you can also study your Master's degree in Business Psychology at the CBS part-time. If you study Business Psychology in German as a part-time programme, you will graduate with a Master of Arts.

    Since the CBS attaches great importance to the practical relevance of the knowledge you have acquired in theory, you should also plan for practical phases of your studies. An internship and an optional semester abroad are planned for the full-time study programme, so that you can put your theoretical knowledge into practice. In business projects with practice partners and business simulation games, you will then find out how well you can already apply your knowledge in practice.

    What are the prerequisites for study?

    The prerequisites needed to study business psychology depend on whether you want to take up a bachelor's or master's degree programme. For this reason, the requirements are presented separately below.

    Bachelor's

    As a personal prerequisite, you should have the general university entrance qualification or the full university of applied sciences entrance qualification. Degrees from foreign schools are also recognized, such as Matura, A-Levels, General Certificate of Education or IB Diploma. For proof of English language proficiency, you must present a certificate of proficiency that is no more than two years old. Alternatively, you can take the CBS free online English test.

    Master's

    Admission requirement for a Master's degree at the CBS is a first academic degree (Bachelor, Diplom, Magister) from a recognized German or international university, university of applied sciences or university of cooperative education with a final grade of at least "good". If this grade point average was not achieved in the first degree programme, a separate admission procedure must be completed. The first degree should have been taken in a field of economics and should comprise a total of at least 180 ECTS credits.

    All information about the application procedure and the requirements at the CBS can be found here.

    Forms of study: Alternatives to face-to-face studies

    It is common to study business psychology as a full-time, face-to-face course. This allows you to fully concentrate on the subject matter and the requirements of the study programme, which is important and takes time. However, other alternatives are also available to you in order to obtain a degree in the field of business psychology.

    You can also study business psychology part-time at the CBS, for example. The degree is then a kind of personal qualification with which you can climb the career ladder or even change jobs completely once you have successfully completed the degree. In order to provide you with sufficient time during the week for your job, the lecture times for part-time studies at the CBS are on the weekends. In terms of time, the CBS studies are completely aligned to the needs of part-time studies, so that you can also achieve all the goals you have set.

    Furthermore, you can also choose to study Business Psychology as a dual form of study at the CBS. In this form, you learn the theory of business psychology at university. At the same time, you work in your dream job and gain practical experience. Dual courses of study are usually financed by the employer. In addition, you will receive a monthly salary with which you can cover your living expenses.

    A dual study program at the CBS is very popular and is becoming more and more recognition. This is because at the CBS you acquire the knowledge of a renowned business school and at the same time gain professional experience with employers. Companies support the form of a dual study program. This is because they are interested in specialists and managers who can start their job directly after their studies without a training period. For you, the dual study program has the advantage that you are prepared for your first job right after graduation and are also optimally financially secure during your studies.

    Studying Business Psychology full-time at CBS has a time commitment that is similar to a full-time job. During your semester hours you attend lectures, courses or seminars. You also have to prepare and follow up on the learning material. Lectures are usually held from Monday to Friday. In addition, block courses are also held, which then take place on weekends. You will also have to study at home. Because papers, homework or preparing for exams will be part of your everyday life.

    Business Psychology Careers: What can you do with a business psychology degree?

    Completing a degree in business psychology opens up a diverse range of professional opportunities. The current job market for business psychology graduates is highly promising, with a wide range of fields to choose from. Compared to other courses of study, competition among graduates is also relatively low. The fusion of economic and psychological expertise offers a promising future, as these roles cannot be automated despite the rise of digitalization. In fact, people are essential in these positions.

    Potential employers include management consulting firms, banks, wholesale and retail companies, auditing firms, energy providers, pharmaceutical companies, and the automotive industry. These opportunities span across both large corporations and medium-sized companies. Insurance companies, automotive corporations, and banks highly value specialized personnel with a focus on business psychology. Even medium-sized companies seek graduates with business psychology expertise. While a job in a large corporation may offer higher pay, medium-sized companies offer diverse field experiences and unique workplace locations that may appeal to certain individuals. If you prefer entrepreneurial pursuits, a degree in business psychology can help launch your own startup, where your expertise can be utilized to develop innovative ideas.

    Further information about careers with business psychology and the tasks can be found here

    Business Psychology Salary

    The amount of your first salary depends largely on your first job. Large corporations usually pay very high salaries when compared to a medium-sized company. In general, however, the salary level also depends on other factors. Work experience, location, industry and any specialization play a very important role here. In the first three years, the average income is around $37,000 gross per year. In the further course of your professional career, the salary can increase to $49,000 euros per year.

    You can find more information about salaries here.

    Where can I study Business Psychology?

    CBS has several locations within Germany. The study location you can choose from always depends on the specific course of study and also on the type of degree. The Bachelor's degree programmes for Business Psychology studies are available full-time in Cologne, Mainz, Berlin/Potsdam, Aachen, Brühl, Neuss and Solingen. The master's degree programme can be completed at the CBS in Cologne and Mainz.

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    The 10 CBS campuses

    Studying in Cologne, the colourful metropolis with around 100,000 students? Studying in the economically strong city of Mainz, where students make up a fifth of the population? Or studying in Berlin, the film and science stronghold on the outskirts of Berlin? For dual studies in Aachen, Neuss, Solingen, Hamburg, Rostock, Rheine or Hannover? Take a look at the possibilities offered by the seven CBS campuses.

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

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