International Business and Finance

The Master of International Business and Finance programme is a three-semester programme. An important element of this programme is cross-cultural exposure. Therefore, all students are required to study for one semester at a partner university.
Module descriptions in brief:
M1 Financial Market Decisions
Students acquire a comprehensive understanding of structural aspects of financial and economic decisions within an international or global framework. Topics of these lectures are financial mathematical models for key financial value drivers and parameters (e.g. share quotations, foreign currencies, interest rates, raw goods).
M2 Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
Students become familiar with the ethical dimensions of economic decisions on both business and national levels. They will study conflicting ethical concepts to learn about the benefits as well as the problems of their application. Courses focus on the social and economic relevance of efficient governance rules and its ethical dimensions.
M3 Managing People
Students become familiar with the most important theories of human resource management and acquire the knowledge needed to analyse the implicit and explicit acceptance of these theories. Thus, students are put in a position to appraise the application possibilities as well as the limitations of these leadership theories in a well-founded way and in an international context.
M4 Financial Economics, Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy
Students learn how financial markets function, the rules they follow, the role international institutions play, and the macro- and micro-economic consequences of the internationalisation of financial markets. Students also learn about the legal basis and the monetary political instruments on national and international levels.
M5 Project/Cases in Finance
Students learn to engage with their peers by elaborating a current topic of practical relevance from the range of multinational corporate finance. Project work is done with partner companies to which the results are then presented.
M6.1 - M6.5 Advanced Corporate Finance
Students learn to understand the concepts and problems of net yield and risk measurement. They also study concepts in the analysis of share and bond markets as well as business interest and currency management. Students acquire a profound understanding of the structures of current financial instruments in the context of treasury management. They acquire knowledge regarding the structuring of international strategic alliances and comprehensive knowledge for evaluating and successfully accomplishing mergers and acquisitions. Value-driven management will also be focused on extensively.
M11 - M... Modules taken abroad
Students select at most five modules at a partner university with a total of 30 ECTS credits. Our university works with our respective partner universities to select module options. The modules must be part of a Master's programme at the partner university. The modules must originate from the following subject areas:
1. Strategic Management
2. Marketing Management
3. Financial Service Management
4. Real Estate Management
5. Financial Management in various sectors
Elective modules (current programme)
The electives focus on selected highly interesting topics of global corporate finance.
M6.1 Advanced Risk Management
M6.2 Advanced M&A Management
M6.3 Investment Banking & Structured Finance
M6.4 International Treasury Management

Educational organisation

The study plan is as follows:

Semester one (30 ECTS)
Compulsory modules
M1 Financial Market Decisions
Contact hours (Con/h): 2, ECTS: 4
M2 Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
Con/h: 4, ECTS: 6
M3 Managing People
Con/h: 4, ECTS: 6
M4 Financial Economics, Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy
Con/h: 6, ECTS: 10
M5 Cases and Projects in Finance
Con/h: 2, ECTS: 4

Semester two (30 ECTS)
Modules studied abroad
Con/h: differ among universities; ECTS: 30
They are determined by agreement with the partner institution.

M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 M11
From the summer semester 2015 onwards, we offer non-European students a second semester at our university with the following modules:
M6 Corporate Strategy and Strategy Consulting
Con/h: 4, ECTS: 6
M7 Strategy Case Study - Simulation
Con/h: 4, ECTS: 6
M8 Intercultural Management
Con/h: 4, ECTS: 6
M9 Strategic Corporate Finance
Con/h: 4, ECTS: 6
M10 Insurance, Banking and Securities Regulation "International" Electives
Con/h: 4, ECTS: 6
M11 (Invited guest professors from Harvard Business School)
Con/h: 4, ECTS: 6
5 out of 6 Lectures have to be selected

Semester three (30 ECTS)
Elective modules (three out of five have to be selected)
(current programme)
M12 Advanced Risk Management
Con/h: 2; ECTS: 4
M13 Advanced M&A Management
Con/h: 2; ECTS: 4
M14 Investment Banking & Structured Finance
Con/h: 2; ECTS: 4
M15 International Treasury Management
Con/h: 2; ECTS: 4
M21 Master's thesis
ECTS: 18

Total: 90 ECTS

Study abroad unit(s)

All students are required to study for one semester at a partner university. The following universities have expressed their readiness to participate in our Master in International Business and Finance.

Switzerland, Hochschule Luzern, Luzern
Instruction Language: English

Sweden, Lulea University of Technology, Lulea
Instruction Language: English

Sweden, Karlstad Universitet, Karlstad
Instruction Language: English

Finland, Central Ostrobothnia University of Applied Sciences
(only weekend courses)
Instruction Language: English

Italy, Università degli Studi di Modena, Modena
Instruction Language: Italian

France, École Supérieure du Commerce Extérieur, Paris
Instruction Language: French

United Kingdom, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield
Instruction Language: English

United Kingdom, South Bank University, London
Instruction Language: English

United Kingdom, Napier University, Edinburgh
Instruction Language: English

United Kingdom, Aberdeen Business School, Aberdeen
Instruction Language: English

Internships

Internships are not part of the programme.

Forms of assessment

Final exams take place during the final three weeks of the semester. The exam schedule will be published on the internet. In addition to written end-of-semester exams, most modules also require presentations, individual or group projects, and other assignments as part of the graded coursework. Credits will only be awarded for courses in which the student has earned a passing grade (grade four or above). If students do not earn a passing grade, it is possible to retake the exams twice.

Course objectives

The core of the programme aims at the following areas:

Professional expertise:
Students will acquire in-depth knowledge of the complex structure of financial markets, financial communications, and corporate financial and governance issues. In turn, they will be able to make decisions autonomously.

Communication expertise:
By learning both the potential and limitations of different methods and instruments of financial communications, students are able to apply important rules and to comply with capital market regulations in everyday business.

International exposure:
First-hand, cross-cultural experience is acquired at a partner university outside Germany.

Social competence:
Through active learning, students are trained in leadership skills to manage complex tasks independently and experience team work.

Upon graduation, students will be able to advance to leadership positions in multinational and medium-sized companies. Graduates will specialise in financial and entrepreneurial fields of activity.

Language requirements

Applicants must provide proof of their English skills (TOEFL score above 85, or IELTS at least 7.0, or CEFR level B2 or above).

Academic requirements

Applicants must have completed at least a Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Economics, International Management, International Business Studies, Political Economics, Industrial Engineering, Information Management, Business Law or Law with additional economics studies, Business Mathematics, Economic Education or equivalent with a focus on business or/and finance. Interested students from "Universities of Cooperative Education" (Berufsakademie, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) are also welcome to apply.

For further information, please see http://www.hs-augsburg.de/fakultaet/wirtschaft/studium/studiengang/ibf_mast/index.html

Enrolment fees

42 EUR student services (per semester)
58.95 EUR semester ticket for public transport in Augsburg (per semester)
= 100.95 EUR in total (per semester)

Costs of living

Approx. 700 EUR per month to cover personal expenses

Job opportunities

Due to the intense nature of the programme, students will have limited time for part-time jobs.

Arrival support

The International Office provides all information needed for getting to Augsburg.

Services and support for international students

As the programme involves a small group of students (approx. 30), extensive support is provided by faculty and staff. Furthermore, the International Office provides a number of advisory and social activities.

Accommodation

The Augsburg University of Applied Sciences does not have its own dormitory or halls of residence. However, organisations such as the Student Welfare and Housing Association (Studentenwerk) provide the university with a certain number of rooms. The average rent is about 200 EUR per month.