Management in Non-Profit Organisations Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences

Structure of the programme:

The standard period of study of the Management in Non-Profit Organisations Master’s degree programme is four semesters. The study programme includes three theoretical semesters and concludes with the Master's thesis in the fourth semester.

Competency model

The degree programme course plan includes a nine-module comprehensive core offering (core competencies), which covers the key areas of strategic management in non-profit organisations.

The programme is supplemented by two special competencies that each include three modules. These specialisations convey the diverse idiosyncrasies and activities of non-profit organisations, especially in the Development Cooperation specialisation.

This Master’s programme is enhanced and rounded off by three modules that impart common skills and knowledge as general competences.

Electives

In the first semester, you can freely choose an in-depth specialisation (the so-called Special Competence II). This consists of three modules. The following four special competencies are offered: Development Cooperation, Change Management, Human Resources Management or Education Management and Planning in Municipalities. The Development Cooperation elective is offered and taught in English. The other three electives are offered by the faculty and are taught in German.

Master's thesis for graduation

In the fourth semester of the theoretical or practical-oriented Master’s programme, a thesis is required for graduation. There is the possibility to write this at the university or at a non-profit organisation of your choice. With the successful completion of the course, graduates acquire the Master of Arts academic degree.

Studying the Management in Non-Profit Organisations programme at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences also includes:

• small class size, close contact between students and teaching staff
• international study groups
• intensive training of social and intercultural skills
• balance between theory and practical contents
• highly qualified lecturers with profound management experience
• face-to-face lectures, seminars, project work, e-learning
• intensive and individual counselling and coaching before and during studies
• buddy system

Semester 1 (six modules):

1. Leadership and Reflection in an Intercultural Context
2. Process, Quality and Project Management
3. Organisation and Leadership for the Non-Profit Sector
4. Human Resource and Volunteer Management for the Non-Profit Sector
5. Specialisation 1 (compulsory):  Theories of the Third Sector – Management Theories, Civil Society and Governance
6. Specialisation 2 (elective): module 1 (see list below)

Semester 2 (six modules):

1. Ethics for Non-Profit Organisations
2. Marketing and Public Relations
3. Financial Management in Non-Profit Organisations
4. Elective modules:
   a. Zukunftskonzepte für den Non-Profit-Bereich – ein Praxisprojekt
   b. Future Concepts for Non-Profit Sector – international project
5. Specialisation 1 (compulsory): Spheres of Activities of Non-Profit Organisations
6. Specialisation 2 (elective): module 2 (see list below)

Semester 3 (six modules):

1. Law for Non-Profit Organisations
2. Fundraising
3. Scientific Methods & Research for Non-Profit Sector
4. Monitoring, Evaluation & Social Impact
5. Specialisation 1 (compulsory):
   Interdisziplinäre Denkwerkstatt– Soziale Innovationen
   Interdisciplinary Think Tank– Social Innovations
   Interdisziplinäre Denkwerkstatt Lobbying und Interessensvertretung
   Interdisciplinary Think Tank Advocacy
6. Specialisation 2 (elective): module 3 (see list below)

Semester 4 (Thesis)

Modules SPECIALISATION 2:

Development Cooperation (in English):
Module 1: Theory and History of International Relations / International Law
Module 2: Development Economics
Module 3: Public Policy and Governance

Change Management (in German):
Module 1: Geschäftsmodellanalyse und Transformation
Module 2: Leadership und Innovation
Module 3: Fusion, Sanierung und Development

Personalmanagement (in German):
Module 1: Aktuelle Ambiguitäten in der Arbeitswelt
Module 2: Personalmanagement und Karrieremanagement
Module 3: Konzeptentwicklung und Fallstudien 

Here you can find all module descriptions.

Non-EU applicants with a foreign degree apply via the uni-assist portal from 1 February to 1 April for the winter semester. Further information on the application process via uni-assist is available here.

EU applicants with a foreign degree apply via the uni-assist portal by 15 July for the winter semester.

1. A degree (from a university or a university of applied sciences) in one of the following areas:

• Social Sciences
• Economics and Business Administration
• another previous degree in another appropriate subject

It is up to the selection committee to decide whether the subject of your previous degree is appropriate.

2. Language skills (see below)

Approx. 380 EUR per semester

(includes e.g. a semester ticket for free public transport in Germany, reduced fees for cultural venues in Osnabrück, and a discount on meals in our student canteens)

Legally, you must prove that you have 992 EUR at your disposal per month. This amount can differ from the actual cost of living. In Osnabrück, you will need an estimated 850 to 1,000 EUR per month. Mostly, this depends on how much you will need to spend on housing.

Here's an overview:

• housing: 300 to 450 EUR
• student health insurance: 140 EUR
• savings for the semester fee: 60 EUR
• food (including meals at the student restaurant): 200 EUR
• study materials: 30 to 50 EUR
• public transport: included in your semester fee
• leisure time activities: 70 EUR
• TV fee (mandatory in Germany): 18 EUR

We offer student assistant jobs at the university. You can also find jobs through our database (PRAXIKO), where local employers look for student workers and interns.

If you speak German well enough, there are many job opportunities in Osnabrück in bakeries, supermarkets, industry, restaurants, etc.

For international degree-seeking students, the university also has a career service that assists you with application checks, contacts to companies and more. Mrs Laetitia Godineau will answer your questions around finding a job during your studies as well as about making the transition into the job market after graduation.

Important: If you need to work to support yourself, you should start looking for a student job as early as possible.

We offer around 200 Germany Scholarships to our students annually.

International students are also eligible for this type of financial support and can receive 300 EUR per month for one year.

Applications are accepted during the first two weeks of May, and prospective students are invited to apply as well.

If you are planning to apply for both our study programme and a Germany Scholarship, please send an e-mail to international@hs-osnabrueck.de for support if needed.

Our Career Service for international degree-seeking students provides you with support by offering the following:

• application checks
• workshops to advance student employability
• job shadowing for international students
• meet regional employers: events at the university and excursions to SMEs in and around Osnabrück and Lingen
• PRAXIKO job database

In addition, you can also make an appointment for individual counselling in which we will support you in finding a career that suits your area of expertise and your personal situation.

There's no doubt that finding accommodation is a challenge. The best place to start is the Studierendenwerk Osnabrück. They have shared apartments, one- or two-room apartments, and flats for families, with prices ranging from 250 to 900 EUR.

Important: Apply for accommodation as soon as you apply for a place on a programme, as you don't have to submit the university's letter of admission at the beginning of the application process. This is the best advice we can give you, and it has worked for many others.

Need more advice? Just contact the Center for International Students at international@hs-osnabrueck.de.

Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences is the largest university of applied sciences in Lower Saxony. We offer more than 100 accredited Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes that enable you to build your future and adapt your education to your needs.

Our students are very satisfied with us, as shown by our top positions in the national rankings of CHE and studycheck.de.

Our wide range of courses includes Bachelor's, Master's and continuing education programmes, from engineering, agriculture, economics and social sciences to courses such as theatre pedagogy, which are unique in Germany.  Our degree programmes provide both theoretical and project-based learning opportunities, enabling you to develop the skills that employers seek.

Our professors bring personal experience from national and international companies, preparing you specifically for your career. And if you are interested in pursuing an academic career later on, that is also possible.

At the same time, the university is a place for networking and socialising. We are closely linked to our local communities in Osnabrück and Lingen and encourage our students to look around and exchange ideas across national borders. Every study programme offers the opportunity to study abroad and we foster close relationships with more than 200 partner universities worldwide.

Osnabrück is a city in Northwestern Germany and easy to reach by plane, train, or car. Nearby cities that you can easily visit by train or car include Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf. You can also reach Amsterdam in the Netherlands within three hours by train.

Our university spreads across four campuses with their own faculties. The three campuses in Osnabrück are Westerberg, Caprivi and Haste. The fourth campus is in Lingen, about 70 kilometres West of Osnabrück.

Each campus has its own special character:

• The Westerberg campus: modern buildings such as the SL lecture theatre building, also affectionately known as the “Frog”.
• The Caprivi Campus: You'll find a lovely mix of sand-coloured barracks buildings, an underground lecture hall complex and the "Plektrum", an innovative building tailored to the needs of the Institute of Music and its students.
• The Haste campus is also known as the “green campus”. Not only is it home to study programmes in the field of landscape, food production and agriculture, but you can also enjoy a walk through its park-like grounds with its flower and plant-filled perennial garden.
• The campus in Lingen is located in a former railway repair plant. Many students there call it "the most beautiful campus in the world" – you'll have to find out for yourself whether this is really the case!

The cities of Osnabrück and Lingen offer a personal, safe, and affordable environment in which you can feel comfortable quickly. Everything you need is close by, so you can easily reach your favourite restaurant, the theatre, or the nearest student party on foot or by bike. There's plenty of nature inside and outside the city for you to enjoy, and our visitors tell us that the people here are quite relaxed and friendly! And if you just have to get out and about, you can use public transport in Germany with the Campus Card for free and take a spontaneous trip, e.g. to Hamburg, Hannover or Bremen.