Wirtschaftsinformatik

Your dual background in IT and business makes you a highly sought-after all-rounder. Especially in light of current advances in AI, professionals who can combine digital capabilities with practical business experience are becoming increasingly important. This master's degree prepares you for a career as a specialist or manager, for example:

• As a consultant (in-house and at consulting firms), working, for example, on the implementation of ERP systems (with a focus that is either more technical or more functional, depending on your specialization)

In client companies across all industries and software firms as:

• System integrator, enterprise software architect

• Data Engineer / Data Analyst

• Business Process Manager

• Software developer for business applications

If you’re interested in an academic career, your master's degree will serve as the foundation for a subsequent Ph.D.

The program is designed to ideally follow a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering.

However, it is possible—and a good idea—to enter the program with a different bachelor’s degree if you see your professional development in the IT field. Perhaps you’ve also gained some initial professional experience in the IT field or in digital transformation since completing your bachelor’s degree and would like to build your knowledge in this area on a more solid and up-to-date foundation. If so, this program might be the perfect fit for you.

Students from related fields enrich the courses and interdisciplinary teams with their expertise.

The master's degree in Wirtschaftsinformatik does, however, require certain prior knowledge. This includes, above all, an understanding of software development and databases.

Depending on your prior knowledge and experience, there are several options available:

• You have a bachelor’s degree in a field where you’ve acquired sufficient knowledge in computer science and business administration. This includes, for example, the Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen program with a specialization in Computer Science or the Media and Business Plus program at Hochschule Offenburg.

• You have computer science knowledge from a previous program of study—for example, having started a degree in Computer Science—or you have sufficient knowledge of programming and other areas of Informatik through professional or other experience. This must be evident from your application materials.

In both of these cases, you can be admitted to the master’s program in Wirtschaftsinformatik without any prerequisites.

• If you have a degree, for example, in Business Administration or Industrial Engineering but lack prior knowledge in Computer Science, you may be granted admission with conditions. This means you will need to complete 1 or 2 modules from the bachelor's degree program in Business Informatics. Which modules these are will be determined on a case-by-case basis after you submit your application. Typically, these are the Software Engineering module and the Databases module (5 ECTS each). The same rule applies here: If you have relevant knowledge—for example, if you can program—you should indicate this in your application.

• A special case applies if your bachelor’s degree comprises 180 credits (this is usually the case for bachelor’s degrees from universities). In that case, you must in any event demonstrate an additional 30 credits to earn a master’s degree. You must then earn these 30 credits through modules from the bachelor’s degree program in Business Informatics (part of this can also be fulfilled through a qualifying internship).

• You have a degree with sufficient computer science knowledge but lack the fundamentals of business administration. This applies to bachelor’s degrees in Applied Computer Science or traditional engineering disciplines such as Mechatronics or Medical Technology. In such cases, the admissions committee often requires you to complete a business administration module from the bachelor's degree program, depending on your chosen specialization.

The following always applies:  

• Admission is based on a ranking process. Your bachelor’s grade and your suitability for the program (as determined by your application materials) are weighted equally.

• If admission is granted with conditions, you must fulfill these conditions by the end of the master’s program—not before! However, we recommend making up any missing prerequisites as early as possible. The grades in these modules do not count; you only need to pass them and provide proof of the credits.

• Regardless of any conditions, there may always be instances where you lack the prerequisite knowledge for a module. In such cases, all master’s students are expected to fill these gaps on their own. If you’re unsure, feel free to ask your lecturers.

• The admission regulations are legally binding.

Since bachelor’s degrees at the Hochschule Offenburg, as at most other universities of applied sciences, are structured around 210 credits, our master’s programs are correspondingly worth 90 credits. Students with a bachelor's degree worth 180 credits must therefore earn an additional 30 credits, either through courses from the bachelor’s program or a qualifying internship. More specific details are outlined in the admission regulations or individual requirements.

Start of studies: Winter and summer semesters

Application deadline: January 15 / July 15

Admission requirements:

• Successful completion of a professional degree program in Wirtschaftsinformatik or a comparable field, with a course load equivalent to at least 210 credits (according to ECTS) at a German University or a comparable institution in Germany or abroad. If fewer than 210 credits are demonstrated, the selection committee may require the applicant to make up 30 credits of specialization in business knowledge and skills relevant to the master's degree program before registering for the master's thesis. This requirement may be fulfilled through a specialization business internship, term papers and examinations from suitable degree programs at Hochschule Offenburg, or through relevant professional experience gained outside the university and the completed bachelor’s degree program. The form in which these requirements are fulfilled must be approved by the chair of the examination committee.

• A good degree (absolute overall grade of 2.5 or better) or an above-average degree (relative overall grade according to ECTS of B or better); For applicants with professional experience, the selection committee may grant a bonus of 0.2 grade points if they possess the appropriate qualifications.

• If a good grade or an above-average grade cannot be demonstrated, in justified exceptional cases it may be considered whether admission and participation in a selection interview are possible; To this end, a letter of recommendation from a professor who has evaluated the applicant during their application for a bachelor's degree must be submitted to the selection committee. The selection committee may invite additional applicants who cannot provide evidence of a good or above-average degree to the selection interview. If, following the selection interview, the selection committee deems an applicant to be fundamentally qualified with regard to the program’s subject-specific requirements, that applicant will participate in the application process with an accepted overall grade of 2.5.

• Solid knowledge and skills comparable to those demonstrated upon successful completion of the bachelor's program in Wirtschaftsinformatik or Wirtschaftsinformatik Plus at Hochschule Offenburg. For applicants with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Informatik, the selection committee may make admission contingent upon the successful completion of modules and/or the corresponding exams from the bachelor's program in Wirtschaftsinformatik.

• Good command of the German language. Applicants whose native language is German are exempt from this requirement.

• After reviewing the application materials, the selection committee will decide, based on the application materials, which applicants will be invited to a 15-minute selection interview.

You can find the detailed admission regulations here.

The team at the Zulassungsamt will be happy to assist you:

• Email: zulassungsamt@hs-offenburg.de

• Phone: 0781 205-4792 (Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–12:00 PM, Tue 1:00 PM–3:00 PM)

• In person: Room: A 007