Business Administration, Specialisation in Entrepreneurship & Innovation (ENTRE) Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt

The Entrepreneurship & Innovation specialisation in our Master's programme in Business Administration prepares budding entrepreneurs and innovators who want to work in organisations with the skills required to succeed in business and society. Our students are equipped with business know-how, practical skills and a deep appreciation for responsibility towards society, the environment and the economy.

We enable our students to have careers at national and international companies, in a professionally competent manner, with social responsibility. In addition, our students acquire knowledge and skills for starting a business. We take pride in their innovation and entrepreneurship abilities as well their strong ethical foundation.

Action learning and experiential learning are core foundations of this Master’s programme. In cooperation with Bayer Cares Foundation (BCF), which regularly awards social impact start-ups with the Grants4Impact or ASINA award, our students participate in a boot camp, working in teams that collaborate with BCF laureates and subsequently working with them for two semesters. Based on concepts such as business model development and market creating innovations, students analyse their partner organisation and propose actionable recommendations. Additionally, they conduct a thorough social impact analysis and – supported by a local consultant company – design a social media campaign for their social-impact start-up partner.

Further building students’ action learning abilities, there is a mandatory course, "From Idea to Innovation: Start-Up School", in which student teams work on their original ideas for a new venture and pitch it to experts in the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, both regionally and internationally. Through this process, they receive valuable feedback on how to successfully secure funding for their new venture ideas and how to develop their ideas further in the marketplace. Students benefit from experiential learning in the mandatory "Innovation and Creativity in Individuals, Teams and Organisations" course, which includes an Open Innovation competition in collaboration with a multinational company, innovation simulations, team creativity workshops, exposure to innovation hubs, and weekly team challenges.

Other mandatory courses, including "Entrepreneurial Networks and Start-up Management" and "Service Management", provide critical knowledge and skills required for students to succeed. These courses also feature speakers from industry and entrepreneurs who provide excellent exposure to the real world.

Students can choose from a rich variety of elective courses from multiple disciplines in business and economics to round out their education. The Master's thesis component further cements their strong conceptual and practical knowledge gained in the programme.

The programme includes required modules, required electives and elective modules. The six required modules, "Advanced Business Ethics", "Service Management", "From Idea to Commercialisation: Start-Up School", "Entrepreneurial Networks and Start-Up Management", "Innovation and Creativity in Individuals, Teams and Organisations" and "Social Innovation I", are offered during the first two semesters. They lay the foundation for a variety of electives, which allow a focus on one or more specific topics. Of these, seven need to be chosen from a list of modules in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation, e.g. "New Product Development" or "Change Management," and five can be chosen freely from the other specialisations of the Master's programme in Business Administration: Market-oriented Corporate Management, Finance, Accounting, Controlling and Taxation, Business Analytics & Operations Research, or among the list of modules belonging to the specialisation in Entrepreneurship & Innovation itself.

All required courses are taught completely in English. In the required electives and elective modules, students can choose modules in German or English.

Course types:

• Lecture
• Lecture and exercises
• Practical Course
• Project
• Seminar
• Tutorial
• Workshop

Winter semester: The application deadline for individuals who have obtained their university degree within the European Union extends from 1 April to 15 June.
For those who have obtained their university degree outside the European Union, the application deadline ends earlier, on 15 May.

Summer semester: 1 December to 15 January for all applicants

Prerequisites

A first qualifying degree in the field of business studies, business administration, economics or a very similar field obtained at a university in Germany or abroad. 

Proof of prior knowledge in the following:

• English and German language skills (details below)

Number of study places

Open to all students who pass the aptitude procedure
This is based on the Bachelor’s degree grade, specific previous knowledge of the chosen specialisation and relevant professional experience.

Documents

• Bachelor’s degree, which must be formally equivalent to a German Bachelor. In case of doubt, first check the "anabin database" (https://anabin.kmk.org/cms/public/startseite).
• Full CV
• Original or certified true copy of your school leaving certificate as well as a German, English or French translation of this certificate
• School leaving certificate with an average grade. To convert the grade of your school into a German grade, we need to see the official grading system of your school. 
• If applicable: university entrance examination certificate from your home country
• Applicants who have completed previous periods of study in China, India, Vietnam or Mongolia: APS certificate
• Original or certified true copy of your university leaving certificate (Bachelor's degree or equivalent) as well as a German, English or French translation of this certificate
• Full transcripts of your Bachelor's studies including the average grade of your university degree. To convert this grade into a German grade, we need to see the official grading system of your university. Please prepare to upload a copy of the official grading system of your university.
• Please see https://www.ku.de/en/study-offer/business-administration-entre-msc.

Currently 88 EUR per semester, subject to change

The costs of living in Ingolstadt or Eichstätt are relatively low compared to large university cities. Rental costs in subsidised student residences (offered by the Studentenwerk Erlangen, the Canisius-Stiftung or the St. Gundekarwerk) range between 300 to 400 EUR per month depending on size and furnishing. Rental costs in privately owned residences are slightly higher and range around 750 EUR per month in Ingolstadt. In Eichstätt, rental costs are generally slightly lower. All KU students can eat in the university’s canteen at favourable prices. The price for a main dish is between 3.50 and 5.50 EUR. Health insurance costs are approx. 140 EUR per month. In total, you should plan with monthly costs of 1,000 EUR, in Eichstätt it could be less.

It is possible to find a job as a student assistant ("Hiwi") by contacting professors and university departments directly. Information on current job vacancies can also be found on the website of each chair.

There are also different offers for temporary part-time jobs outside the university, for example, in restaurants or in shopping malls. Eichstätt and Ingolstadt are the cities with the lowest unemployment rates in Germany.

The KU offers academically qualified international students in financial need a partial scholarship. Please find more information on financial issues, scholarships and prerequisites on our website.

https://www.ku.de/en/career-center/

The International Office at the KU offers a housing service. It helps international students find accommodation, and it facilitates contact between students and the future landlord or landlady. This service is free of charge. However, a housing service deposit is charged, and this will be refunded at the end of your rental contract. Please find more information on housing at the KU here.