Elective courses
Table of contents
International Marketing
ECTS: 5
Students...
- Are able to apply basic marketing knowledge in international business contexts. They understand the interrelationships and dependencies of international marketing activities. Students practice independent analysis and interpretation of international marketing problems and can develop their own solutions for these problems.
- Acquire the marketing management competences of analysis, structuring and implementation of international marketing decisions.
- Can apply general marketing management processes to questions in international contexts.
- Have the opportunity to approach specialised topics in international marketing with rigorous methodology and objectivity and overcome their complexity using analytical thinking, situation-dependent selection and systematic action.
- Have acquired skills for and awareness of problematic situations in marketing and in-depth knowledge on the development of suitable and practical solutions.
- Develop strategies for market entry and market cultivation for international marketing and can make independent decisions regarding the international marketing mix
- As a team can implement theoretical planning in a simulation under competitive conditions
- Are able to communicate the results of their work via a presentation and defend these in specialised discussions via argumentation based on appropriate and relevant content.
- Specific competences are developed in the following areas:
- Preparation and implementation analysis, principally market analysis;
- Formulation and justification of operative, medium-term and long-term marketing goals in international target systems;
- Development of decision-making and design competence for recording market developments and possible adaptation strategies.
Innovation Management
ECTS: 5
Students possess a comprehensive understanding of innovation and innovation management alongside its application in global business.
They are able to analyse and evaluate innovation processes from the following fields: research and development, product design, production process implementation and market launch of new products. They are familiar with methods employed to support creativity and understand the parameters for the implementation and management of innovation projects and innovation's strategic aspects.
Having completed the course students are able to...
- Organise, plan and coordinate innovation processes in organisations.
- Describe the possibilities and difficulties experienced in the technological life cycle of a product.
- Apply selected methods to promote creativity.
- Characterise current trends in innovation management (e.g. crowd innovation, reverse innovation).
- Plan product development projects.
- Describe the components of selected methods, employ them in complex product development projects and apply them to solving simple problems.
International Economics
ECTS: 5
Students are able to explain the theory and politics of international economic relations. They can describe the core developments of international economic relations in the past and present. With this knowledge, students are able to comprehend the consequences of international economic relations for companies and assess current processes and debates.
International Management
ECTS: 5
Learning Outcomes and Competences:
Students develop competence in the field of economic internationalisation and globalisation. They understand the terminology, conceptual basis and strategies of international management and apply these to concrete case studies. They understand the complexity of interdependent influences of various parameters in international organisations and possess knowledge of intercultural management approaches. They are able to critically analyse the current practice of internationally active companies.
Managing Organisations
ECTS: 5
Having completed this course students are able to...
- Understand the core developments of organisation theory.
- Are familiar with various approaches to designing organisational structures (especially job and department design) with their strengths and drawbacks.
- Are able to assess different span-of-control and hierarchy structuring options.
- Can understand and evaluate coordination mechanisms such as hierarchies and internal markets.
- Can design general organigrams, job descriptions and process diagrams.
- Understand the significance of process-orientated organisational design for an organisation's success and can explain the processes this involves.
- Have knowledge of current approaches to the mobilisation of staff and coordination of change processes.
- Understand the role of leadership and power in organisations and are able to describe effective leadership behaviour.
- Are able to critically reflect management behaviour and discuss its economic and ethical implications.
- Have acquired methodological knowledge required to work through case studies and present their results and recommendations.
HRM
ECTS: 5
The Human Resource Management module deals with the strategic role of human resource management and its related activities in everyday business practice. As in practice human resource management is the responsibility of both company management and the human resources department, the module takes a practice-orientated approach and covers know-how and methodological skills required for the effective leadership and collaboration of people in organisations.
Students...
- understand the interrelationship between corporate and human resources strategy and are able to discuss the implications of associated trends such as demographic shifts, globalisation and changes in employee preferences
- are able to comprehend key theories as they relate to human resource management
- can accurately assess selected approaches and instruments when developing a human resources strategy
- understand key metrics for the monitoring and control of human resource activities
- are familiar with the steps involved in quantitative and qualitative human resource planning and can apply its core methods
- are able to analyse human resource marketing concepts and assess internal and external recruiting options
- understand the personnel selection process and are able to select suitable instruments to recruit personnel
- are familiar with the concept of human resource development and able to design basic human resource development schemes
- understand the role of performance management for an organisation's success
- have basic knowledge of international human resource management and are aware of key trends
- understand various forms of organisational structuring of the human resources function
- have acquired methodological knowledge required to work through human resources case studies and present results and recommendations
Business Simulation
ECTS: 5
Students...
- are well informed regarding the diverse activities involved in holistic company leadership
- perceive the company as a complex, networked system
- are familiar with the complex interrelationships and dependencies between different company departments,
- have developed the ability to select and analyse information
- are able to constructively and critically apply theoretical principles and methodological approaches when tackling practical problems
- can handle risk in decision-making contexts
- are able to develop and successfully present concepts
- have gained experience in dealing with team members, business partners and investors
Project Management
ECTS: 5
The module equips students to independently define small projects, to understand typical challenges in terms of goals, deadlines, budgeting and capacity planning and in doing so to support a project's implementation.
They are familiar with selected project management methods and can select these to suit specific situations. Working in (intercultural) teams is an aspect of project management with which they are particularly well acquainted. Students can recognise conflict situations and develop approaches to defusing these conflicts. They are also familiar with the basic terminology of project management, which enables them to learn how to use software-based project management systems independently. The communication of basic knowledge in the use of project management software is aspired to.
German as a Foreign Language
ECTS 4:
At the beginning of the Welcome Weeks, two weeks prior to the start of the lecture period, we will offer a language test that determines the level for the ensuing two-week German intensive course.
Based on their level in the intensive course, students will then be able to enroll for one or more German language classes during the semester, lasting between 16 and 18 weeks.
Our language department offers a wide range of courses - from General German classes, focusing on the basics of grammar and conversation, to more advanced German courses with specializations in the fields of Design, Business and Technology.
More information on the German language course offering can be found here.
Interdisciplinary Additional Courses ("AWE")
ECTS: 2
Every Semester students are able to choose 1-2 AWE from a great range of general courses in order to complement their regular curriculum courses. You will be able to see the full range of optional courses during the course registration period. As not all topics are published yet at the time of the application, please simply select "AWE - General Course" on the learning agreement and then apply for your specific General Course(s) before the semester starts. Please note that "AWE" have limited places, acceptance is not guaranteed.
Some examples of General Courses taught in English from previous semesters are:
- International Standardization
- Design Thinking and Human Values
- Becoming a Global Graduate
- International Entrepreneurship
Additionally around 70-80 varying General Courses are offered in German (B2 German recommended) every semester, such as:
- Wissenschaftliches Schreiben und Präsentationstechniken
- Rhetorik
- Karrieremanagement für Frauen
- Film Workshop / Von der Idee zum fertigen Film
- Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator & InDesign