Transition Management

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The Master's Programme "Transition Management" is an interdisciplinary study programme established by five faculties of Justus-Liebig University Giessen, which as the first university in Germany addresses the specific challenges of transition countries in international and interdisciplinary study course combining both theory and practice.

Participating faculties are:

* Law
* Economics and Business Studies
* Social Sciences and Cultural Studies
* Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics and Geography
* Agricultural Science, Nutritional Science and Environmental Management

Profile of competences The Master's Programme enables the students:

* to analyse transformation processes in the background of economic-, politic-, law-,agricultural as well as environmental relevance and to understand the correlation between these subsystems in the process of social change
* to develop decision making skills in an interdisciplinary context and to solve practical problems by using integrative management approaches with pronounced leadership skills
* to design, implement, evaluate and interpret complex interdisciplinary research projects and to give application-oriented policy recommendations
* to plan, develop and implement transformation-relevant projects and programmes and to analyse the problem situations with regard to different aspects and consequences
* to develop, negotiate and communicate solution strategies and procedures with stakeholders of different professional and cultural backgrounds

Qualification aims and educational objectives

* Advanced knowledge in transformation, development and agricultural economics and the management of transformation processes on micro and macro levels, including business administration.
* Knowledge of fundamental methods and concepts in political and law sciences. Ability of systematical analysis of transformation processes, organization and institutions in the international, national and regional contexts.
* Methodological knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research, mathematical and statistical methods and their fields of applications in relevant areas.
* The ability to transfer subject-specific questions in models and to properly formulate such models, as well as considering different positions and opinions on a science-based fundament
* Specialization by choosing Master's thesis topic, internship and profile modules within the agricultural-, environmental- and nutritional sciences
Practice-oriented knowledge in development of projects, definition of goals and results, management, modification, validation and evaluation of projects.
* Key qualifications such as organisational, communication, negotiation and leadership skills, intercultural competences and teamwork ability.

CurriculumThe study period of the Master's programme is 4 semesters. The curriculum consists of 16 modules including 1 module for internship and 1 for thesis preparation. Out of 14 teaching modules, 8 are compulsory (core modules) and 6 are optional (profile modules).

The core modules include social sciences and methodological disciplines, which make the core area of the study programme. These modules are oriented at transferring the competencies in the field of (agricultural) economics, law, and political sciences as well as providing scientifically oriented and practically applicable methodological knowledge. The profile modules give an opportunity to broaden these competence fields with further disciplines from social, technological and natural sciences with regards to the research questions in agriculture, nutrition and environment.

All modules are valued with 6 credit points in accordance with ECTS, except for the internship and thesis modules, which are valued with 12 and 24 credits respectively. The successful completion of the programme will result in a accumulation of total 120 credit points.

InternshipInternship

Students must complete an internship in an occupational or working area as a core module. Compulsory internship has a purpose to enable our students to gain an insight into the various areas of professional activity which they hope to pursue in the future.

The internship duration should be at least 8 weeks.

Start

Before starting the internship student should sign the internship permission by Study Councelor, Prof.Dr. Schmitz and hand it in to the Coordinator.

If internship is in interest of other professors, or if internship is supported by other professors, permission should be also signed by this person.

Finishing

After finishing the internship student should write a short report (5 pages) about professional experience gained. This report should be signed by the student and a responsible person/supervisor at your place of an internship.

Report (original) should be submitted to the Coordinator's Office.

Evaluation

In order to receive a grade, student should prepare and present a presentation (about 10 to 15 minutes). Participants are: Study Councelor, Managing Director of ZEU, responsible professor (if given), and Coordinator.

There are no specific days for giving presentations, the day should be determined by professor(s) and Managing Director (for this purpose please contact them directly vie E- Mail).

Master's ThesisMaster's Thesis

The fourth semester is primarily designated for writing a Master's thesis. Master's thesis shall provide evidence that a student is capable of conducting scholarly work independently. The Master's thesis consists of a written section (Thesis) and an oral presentation (Defense).

Both parts of the module must be evaluated by two examiners. If the written part is evaluated at least with the grade satisfactory, the author needs to defend the main arguments, results and methods in front of the examiners during the colloquium. The date is to be determined by the examiners.

Thesis module contains 24 credit points.

Application

In order to apply for Master's thesis, you first have to successfully complete all six of eight core modules. The thesis topic must be registered no later than one month after completion of the last module examination (excluding thesis-module), otherwise it will be considered as failed.

Please use the "Application for admission to the Master Thesis" form in order to apply for approval to write your thesis. This form you can find under link Forms.

Please submit it to the Examination Office (it is not required that you submit it in person).

Supervision and Topic

The topic of the Master's thesis must have reference to one of the core or profile modules taken. The candidate has the opportunity to suggest the topic. It is possible to choose as a first supervisor any professor from courses of study, not only from Faculty 09. The second supervisor can be found by yourself or recommended from your first supervisor.

A candidate may withdraw from a thesis topic within 8 weeks after the beginning of the time specified for completion. After the candidate has withdrawn from a topic, a new topic has to be announced. The candidate may not withdraw from completion of the latter.

On request, the chairman of the Board of examiners ensures that the candidate obtains a topic within one month.

When to start?

It is advisable to start selecting a topic for the Master's thesis as soon as possible. We advice to start writing thesis in the fourth semester. Many students, however, already start writing their thesis in the second or third semester.

Thesis

The Master's thesis must be written in English. The period in which it is produced must not exceed six months. Three copies of the written thesis must be submitted to the first supervisor within the provided timeframe.

The thesis must contain a written and signed (by a student) declaration which states that your Master Thesis was produced independently and only those sources and aids that are featured in its bibliography were consulted.

Defense

During defense the student shall present the results of the thesis (presentation 15 minutes) and then discuss these with first and second supervisors. The colloquium must be held no later than 6 weeks after the Master's thesis has been submitted. Colloquium can last between 30 and 45 minutes in total. The date is determined by examiners.

Grading

The final grade of the Masters thesis is made up of the both parts of the module. Thereby, the thesis grade is weighted by a factor of three (75%) and the oral presentation grade by the factor of one (25%). If the resulting grade is not in the range of grades, it is rounded in the direction of the grade given by the first examiner. Grading of the thesis and the oral presentation occurs in consultation with reviewer/examiner.

* Bachelor's degree in agriculture, nutrition, natural or environmental sciences, economics, law or political science with an ECTS grade of B- or higher and 180 ECTS credit points (or an officially accepted equivalent academic degree) * Language certificate. A good level of English (written as well as spoken) is mandatory. Accepted language proof is one of the following: * TOEFL score of at least 550 (PBT), 213 (CBT), 80 (iBt) or IELTS score of at least 6 (Academic Training) * Certificate of a Bachelor's degree from an English taught programme * Proof of a local University Entrance Certificate in one of the following countries: Australia, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom, South Africa English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6 TOEFL paper-based test score : 550 TOEFL iBT® test: 80

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Financial support and scholarshipUniversity of Giessen generally does not award study scholarships. However, there are various types of funding offered by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) or other organisations for a study stay in Germany. For more information please use the DAAD scholarship database and/or contact DAAD offices and information centers in your home country.

The following provides a brief overview of a foundations offering scholarships to students:

* Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is the oldest political foundation in Germany. It was established in 1925 and is committed to the basic principles of social democracy: freedom, equality, and solidarity. The foundation operates globally via political education programmes, scholarships for the gifted, research, as well as international cooperation programmes. Both German and foreign students are supported equally.
* Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom: The core responsibilities of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom include the provision of material and non-material support to talented young liberal academics. Political education is supported, and political dialogue on and research into freedom and human rights matters are facilitated. Both German and foreign students and graduates of all degree courses and universities are supported by this foundation. For more information, please consult the following website:
* Heinrich Böll Foundation: The aim of the environmentally oriented Heinrich Böll Foundation is to support professionals and future leaders people who take responsibility and apply themselves to the international political principles of the foundation: democracy, ecology, solidarity, and non-violence. The Foundation's support is aimed at students and doctoral candidates from within all subjects and types of university. The emphases are as follows: Persons with a migratory background, students from non-academic families, from technical universities, from the MINT subjects primarily ecological science, journalism, law, and economics
* Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung: The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is a foundation that fosters future leadership in the areas of politics, business, science, media, culture, and society. The foundation endorses adherence to a Christian-democratic understanding of morality and civilized values. The Foundation's support is aimed at German and foreign students and graduates of all subjects and universities.
* Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes: The Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German National Academic Foundation) is the only fully non-political and non-denominational foundation in Germany. It supports approximately 11,000 academically gifted scholars and doctoral candidates. The support programme promotes academic consolidation, interdisciplinary dialogue, international experience, and openness to all cultures of the world. he Foundation's support is aimed at German and foreign students and doctoral candidates from all subjects and universities.