Transition Management Justus Liebig University Giessen

Transition Management addresses the enormous economic and political transformations we observe in many transition and emerging economies worldwide. Their societies are moving from state management to a market economy, from autocracy to democracy, often at a rapid pace and at higher income and technology levels than in a typical developing country. The group of transition countries includes the successor states of the former Soviet Union and the countries of Eastern and South Eastern Europe as well as transition economies in Asia, such as China and Vietnam. The programme also provides relevant insight on emerging economies in Latin America and Africa.

The English-language Master’s programme in "Transition Management" is an interdisciplinary study programme established by five faculties of Justus Liebig University Giessen, led by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences and Environmental Management (Faculty 09). The Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU) at the University of Giessen contributes topical input and teaching modules specifically tailored to the needs of the programme.

Justus Liebig University Giessen has been the first university in Germany to address the specific problems of transition countries in an international, interdisciplinary programme that combines theory and practice.

The Master's programme Transition Management enables students to

• understand the complex processes and specific demands of transition and emerging economies,
• comprehend the different areas of transition, including economic, legal, political, social, agricultural and environmental aspects and their interrelationships,
• gain knowledge as well as practical skills in methods and strategies to enhance the transition process,
• train their soft skills by learning and working in international and interdisciplinary teams.

Graduates of Transition Management qualify for senior positions in private and public sector management, public administration, academia, and international technical and economic cooperation.

The study programme is organised in modules (courses). Each module comprises four semester hours per week and is completed with a final examination as given in the module description. The final grade of the study programme is calculated from the achieved module grades.

The course consists of eight mandatory modules (core modules), six optional modules (profile modules), a work placement (or two more profile modules) and the Master's thesis.

Having completed the core modules, the students are well equipped with a solid scientific education and ready to deepen their knowledge in specific research areas. By individually choosing their profile modules from a diverse range of study areas, students shape their individual competence profiles.

Core Modules (mandatory):

• Empirical Research Methods
• Transition in Practice
• International Law in Transition
• Theory and Practice of Economic Development
• Transition and Integration Economics
• Power and Democracy
• Economics, Organisation and Management in Agriculture and Food Industries
• Business Administration and Sustainability Management
• Global Food Markets

Profile Modules

Students tailor their individual profile by selecting six modules and the work placement module or eight modules from the entire profile module catalogue of the faculty. For example, you can choose profile modules from the following subject areas:

• Agricultural, Food and Environmental Policy
• Organic Farming with Focus on Sustainable Soil Use
• Landscape, Water and Biogeochemical Cycles
• Food Sociology
• Communication and Engagement in Agricultural, Nutritional and Environmental Sciences
• Agricultural and Food Market Analysis
• Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning
• Insect Biotechnology
• Biometry and Population Genetics
• Crop Biomass and Bioresources
• Political Science
• Industrial Organisation, Regulation and Antitrust
• International Economics
• Statistics and Exonometrics

Recommended programme schedule:

The international "Transition Management" Master's degree programme offers a voluntary work placement that enables our students to gain an initial insight into the various areas of professional activity in which they hope to pursue in the future. The work placement also enables them to collect hands-on professional experience and establish contacts with potential employers. The work placement can be conducted in various areas such as the chemical industry, agricultural corporations, the food industry, government agencies or NGOs. The variety of contacts that our faculty possesses allows us to provide expert support to students seeking a work placement.

In general, students can apply for this Master's programme if they hold a Bachelor's degree with a duration of at least three years (180 credits) or a comparable degree. The Bachelor's degree must be completed in a closely related scientific field. For example:

• Agrarwissenschaften (Agricultural Science)
• Ernährungswissenschaften (Nutrition)
• Nachwachsende Rohstoffe und Bioressourcen (Crop Biomass and Bioresources)
• Ökotrophologie (Nutritional Sciences and Home Economics)
• Umwelt und globaler Wandel (Environment and Global Change)
• Umweltmanagement (Environmental Management)
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften (Economics)
• Rechtswissenschaften (Law)
• Sozial- und Politikwissenschaften (Political Science)

Applications with a Bachelor’s degree in another scientific field or with a Bachelor’s degree from abroad will be examined individually as to whether the study requirements are fulfilled. For the Transition Management Master’s programme sufficient knowledge in the fields of economics, law and/or social sciences must be demonstrated, at least 60 CP in one of these fields. A specialist commission at JLU will then finally decide on the admission. Any information on the status of acceptance without having completed the application process is not possible.

Detailed information about the application process is provided here: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/faculties/f09/studies/general.

403 EUR (summer semester 2026, varies slightly with each semester)

The current semester contribution can be found here: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/org/admin/departments/b/5/studoffice/sc.

• Partial scholarships for international students at JLU in the closing phase of their degree: Partial scholarships are possible for three to six months and range between 300 to 450 EUR per month. More: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/international-pages/study/grants/closingphase

• DAAD scholarships for more equity and opportunity: Possible funding duration of one to six months, ranging from 300 to 450 EUR per month for students who face special challenges during their studies (a disability, a chronic illness, a refugee background, single parenting and those caring for close relatives in Germany). More: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/international-pages/study/grants/equalopportunities

Career Service and special opportunities for international students: www.uni-giessen.de/en/faculties/research-centers/zfbk/career_services/

The cost of accommodation in Giessen ranges between 400 and 500 EUR/month on average. Students usually live in halls of residence provided by the Student Union (Studierendenwerk Giessen) or in shared flats from the private housing market.

Accommodation in the halls of residence is available between 240 and 420 EUR per month. The rooms are fully furnished and equipped with gas, electricity, warm water and internet. Students may apply for a spot in the halls of residence or search for private accommodation, ideally three to four months before starting their studies.

More information via www.uni-giessen.de/en/international-pages/study/around-gi/accommodation/where-to-live-in-giessen

Founded in 1607, Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU), Germany, is a comprehensive university with a longstanding tradition which attracts around 25,000 students. JLU offers the full range of traditional and modern subjects with top-level teaching and research — extending from classical natural sciences, law and economics, social and educational sciences, linguistics and cultural studies to a unique selection of life science subjects such as human and veterinary medicine, agricultural, environmental and nutritional sciences and food chemistry. The leading personae who carried out research and taught at JLU include a number of Nobel Prize winners, such as Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901) and Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize in 2004). Since 2006, research at JLU has received continuous funding from the Excellence Initiative schemes and the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal Republic and Federal States.

With around 94,000 inhabitants, Giessen has one of the highest student densities throughout Germany. Four higher education institutions with altogether 40,000 students provide a unique university-town atmosphere. The city offers plenty of leisure options for students, such as canoeing on the Lahn river, walks and picnics in its multiple green areas, cinemas with student concession tickets, the municipal theatre with a programme consisting of plays, opera and ballet as well as swimming pools and sports facilities, and a variety of pubs, restaurants and night life venues. The great thing about Giessen is that it's an easy place to navigate and, when the mood takes you, to escape into the picturesque surrounding countryside or the metropolis of Frankfurt am Main, which is about 60 kilometres away.