Contents I School of Business and Economics II Bachelor’s Degree Program in Business Administration W elcome Why a bachelor’s degree? III General information Admissions Start of studies Changing study locations The academic degree 6 6 IV A bachelor’s degree – and then what? Prospects for graduates Master’s degree programs What about an academic career? 8 V Concept behind the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration General program objectives The Division of Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin What sets us apart – ten arguments in favor of a bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin 9 VI Structure and organization of the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration Business Administration: the core subject (Kernfach) General Professional Preparation courses (GPP) 11 15 15 16 VII The module concept 18 VIII Credits, tests, and assignments Credits – the “currency” of your studies Your bonus point account – no overdrafts allowed! Bachelor’s degree examination Bachelor’s thesis Registering for and withdrawing from modules, tests, and courses (time limits and details) Credit for prior studies, courses, and exams 20 20 21 22 22 IX Getting started at the School of Business and Economics 25 X 28 Important addresses for information XI Publisher’s legal statement 23 23 30 Study placements in the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin are highly desirable: In the 2010/2011 academic year, for example, more than 3,600 secondary school graduates applied for the approximately 195 placements available There are currently 2,061 students within the School of Business and Economics, all of whom have decided to enroll in studies at our business school and have chosen Freie Universität as the right place for them to study They include 1,136 students in the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration, 618 in the bachelor’s degree program in Economics, and 307 in the consecutive master’s degree programs offered in the fields of Economics and Business Administration Dr Ronnie Schöb, Prof Dr Thomas Mellewigt, Prof I Welcome This brochure is designed to provide you with information on our bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration – and to assist you in organizing your studies Our goal is to ensure excellence in our teaching and research activities and thereby provide you with the skills you need for the global labor market Once you have successfully completed your studies of business within our department, you will have a broad range of career prospects within your reach thanks to the professional and social skills you have gained in the program If you have questions after reading this brochure, please feel free to contact us! We look forward to assisting you during your studies A warm welcome to you from the entire School of Business and Economics at Freie Universität Berlin Dear Prospective Student: Are you interested in studying Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin – or perhaps you have already decided to begin a program within our school? Congratulations on making an excellent choice! Dr Ronnie Schöb, Professor Dean Dr Thomas Mellewigt, Professor Program Coordinator When you choose to study here, you choose to study Business Administration at a performance-oriented, highly dynamic business school Plus, you will be completing your program at Freie Universität, one of Germany’s top-performing universities The School of Business and Economics is distinguished by its broad spectrum of teaching and research activities, its international character, and its interdisciplinary focus Cooperation with other departments at Freie Universität and institutions from within academia, the business sector, and the wider society will give you the opportunity to join a broad network even before you have finished your studies We also offer a range of courses in English, to further add to our profile The fact that Business Administration consistently ranks at or near the top in nationwide higher education rankings means two things to us: first, it affirms the excellence of our educational concept, and second, it motivates us to continue in the same vein II Why a bachelor’s degree? The Ministers of Culture of the European Union met in Bologna, Italy, in 1999 and agreed to harmonize higher education programs in Europe by the year 2010 This process, dubbed the “Bologna process,” has four main goals: • to introduce an academic system of transparent degrees and diplomas that are comparable all over Europe This is intended to ensure that students have the right qualifications for the labor market • to establish a two-stage system of degrees and diplomas (bachelor’s degree programs lasting three to four years followed by master’s degree programs lasting one to two years), with the first degree earned (the bachelor’s degree) already qualifying graduates to enter a profession • to bundle academic content together into thematically related units (modules), test students on these modules while they are completing their programs, and give credits valid throughout Europe for these studies This is intended to support students in traveling to other countries in Europe to study and facilitate exchange between universities within Europe The overall objective is to support mobility and flexibility among students • to assure the quality of higher education and promote cooperation at the European level in terms of quality assurance The bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at the School of Business and Economics In the course of the Bologna process, we, like many other institutions, have reformed the structure of our academic programs The earlier Diplom programs in Business Administration and Economics, each of which typically took eight semesters to complete, have now been replaced by programs leading to the bachelor’s degree, which at Freie Universität typically take six semesters to complete, and those culminating in the master’s degree, which generally lasts four semesters chelor of Science (B.Sc.) This degree is the first level that qualifies a graduate to enter a profession What that means is that after completing the bachelor’s degree program in our school, you can apply for professional positions (for more information, please see section V, “A bachelor’s degree – and then what? Prospects for graduates”) You can also continue your studies by applying for admission to a master’s degree program at Freie Universität Berlin or another higher education institution Our school offers two different master’s degree programs in Business Administration, both of which qualify graduates for leadership positions in the business sector, administration, or public service A master’s degree is also required if you plan to pursue an academic career In that case, the master’s degree is followed by a doctorate (for more information, please see section V, “A bachelor’s degree – and then what? Prospects for graduates”) Students completing the undergraduate program in Business Administration at the School of Business and Economics of Freie Universität Berlin earn the degree of Ba4 III General information Admissions The bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration is “impacted,” or subject to restrictions on admissions The number of study placements that can be awarded is recalculated each year Placements in programs in business and economics at Freie Universität are highly desirable: For every placement in the first semester of the Business Administration program starting in the winter semester of 2010/2011, for example, we had 19 candidates apply, putting our school once again at the very top in terms of the number of applications Allocation of study placements is subject to a local limit (the Orts-Numerus Clausus); placements are not awarded centrally, by a body responsible for the entire country (such as the ZVS), but rather locally, by Freie Universität itself The selection process focuses primarily on the grades on a student’s transcript Wait times are also considered There are also special rules that apply to certain groups (international prospective students, those applying for a second academic program, special hardship cases) For more information on applying, please visit http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/studienorganisation/bewerbung/index.html enrolled in other departments In the past, however, demand for study placements in higher subject-specific semesters has typically exceeded the number of available placements • Besides availability of study placements, the studies that the student has completed thus far must be equivalent to the studies required in the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at the School of Business and Economics of Freie Universität Berlin The examinations office (Prüfungsbüro) of our school is responsible for determining whether the student’s studies are equivalent This takes place after you are granted conditional admission to the appropriate subject-specific semester by the Admissions Office of Freie Universität Berlin You need at least 24 equivalent ECTS credits for each subject-specific semester for which you wish to have credit applied toward the program (for more information, please see section X, “Important addresses for information”) The academic degree Start of studies This program culminates in the academic degree of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), which – more than other degrees – reflects the outstanding academic foundation upon which the programs in Business Administration offered at Freie Universität Berlin are based A bachelor’s degree program can only be started in the winter semester, which begins as of October of each year The school works with current students to organize an orientation week (Orientationswoche) for all new students at the start of each winter semester (for more information, please see section IX, “Getting started at the School of Business and Economics”) IV A bachelor’s degree – and then what? Changing study locations Many students who are already enrolled in an undergraduate program in business administration at a different business school wish to transfer to the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at Freie Universität This kind of transfer is permitted under certain conditions: • As a basic principle, there must be study placements available in higher subject-specific semesters (Fachsemester) This is the case, for instance, when students from our school have transferred programs and are now Prospects for graduates Once you have completed the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at our department, you are qualified to take on management, planning, analytical, and consulting positions in enterprises of all sizes Other career options open to graduates include working within non-profit organizations, in public service and international organizations, professional associations and federations, trade unions, and research and educational institutions It is up to you to determine which direction you take, by choosing your personal areas of concentration and emphasis One advantage of the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at the School of Business and Economics of Freie Universität Berlin is that you are not required to make this decision about specialization – which may have far-reaching consequences – right at the start of the program The program is designed to let you concentrate on a few areas of emphasis (such as management, marketing, business information technology, or accounting and taxation) later on, or to pursue a “generalist” program Since our school is relatively large, it offers you the chance to select from a very broad range of courses and areas of focus Master’s degree programs Once you have earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin, you are eligible for admission to various subsequent academic programs all over the world Within our own school, we offer the following academic master’s degree programs in the field of Business Administration, open to candidates who hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration: Master of Science in Management & Marketing Master of Science in Finance, Accounting, Taxation & Supplements (FACTS) A master’s degree program typically lasts four semesters These programs are primarily research-oriented and lead to the degree of Master of Science (M.Sc.) The subject-specific concentrations of the programs offered at Freie Universität are a special feature within the German higher education landscape The business specialists within the school are also involved in another graduate program: the master’s degree program in Gender & Diversity, which is offered in cooperation with the Departments of Political Science and Law In addition to the abovementioned consecutive master’s degree programs, the School of Business and Economics also offers a continuing education program for working professionals: the Executive Master of Business Marketing program This program is tuition-based and requires at least three years of professional experience The Executive Master program includes both modern marketing and sales skills and fundamentals of controlling, strategy, and management For further information, please visit the website http://www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/mbm/ earn a doctorate can also so while working as researchers or external doctoral candidates at a specific chair affiliated with a university Within the School of Business and Economics, students who hold a Master of Science can apply for a fellowship and admission to the DFG research training group “Research on Organizational Paths” (the Pfadkolleg) Participation in the Pfadkolleg is accompanied by a study program, and participants generally earn the doctorate within three years For further information, please visit http://www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/en/forschung/pfadkolleg/index.html V Concept behind the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration (B.Sc program) General program objectives The bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration within our school offers a solid education in Business Administration and an initial degree that qualifies graduates to enter a profession, all generally within just six semesters It includes: • • • • • • • the knowledge and skills needed to work and think academically extensive methodological skills familiarity with essential concepts in business administration and the ability to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each and apply them in practice the ability to identify, formulate, and communicate problems related to business administration and bring about resolutions basic knowledge of aspects of law and regulations that are important from a business standpoint key qualifications, such as foreign language skills, presentation skills, and moderation abilities or teamwork experience advanced knowledge that qualifies the student to enter a profession in the chosen area of specialization What about an academic career? Graduates of Master of Science programs at Freie Universität Berlin not only possess excellent professional qualifications, they are also eligible to apply to doctoral programs at universities in Germany and abroad In general, a doctoral program is hosted by a graduate school Students wishing to The Division of Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin Devision within the School of Business and Economics encompasses the following: • Department of Finance, Accounting & Taxation nagement (such as alliance and network management) and marketing (such as business-to-business marketing) b) Finance, Accounting, Taxation & Supplements (FACTS) The FACTS concentration encompasses various areas of focus: finance, managerial accounting, business taxation, business law, and tax advising Many career opportunities are open to students who have chosen to concentrate in the field of FACTS, ranging from positions in investment banking to auditing and tax advising, or working for the tax department of large corporations The hallmarks of this field are its orientation toward financial calculations (balance sheet, cash flow statement, etc.) and exploration of commercial, corporate, accounting, and tax law c) Production & Information Systems The research performed in this field focuses on modeling and improving business processes and on designing and implementing systems to support decision making with the same goals in mind Specific areas of focus: • • • Department of Management Marketing Department Department of Information Systems Areas of emphasis in research and teaching activities in Business Administration at the School of Business and Economics of Freie Universität Berlin a) Management & Marketing Management and Marketing is one of the traditional areas of emphasis in the research and teaching activities at the School of Business and Economics of Freie Universität Berlin This area currently encompasses fifteen professorships – more than at any other German university Key management textbooks have been written here, and leading management and marketing research journals are published by professors within the department The DFG research training group “Research on Organizational Paths” (the Pfadkolleg) receives particular support from scholars in this field One special feature of the concentration in Management & Marketing is the in-depth treatment given, in both research and teaching, to issues that transcend individual enterprises in terms of ma10 • • Systems to support decision-making: enterprises have to cope with complex decisions involving a large number of marginal factors, in terms of both strategy and tactical planning Decision makers are supported by IT applications that are often based on mathematical models and include optimization, simulation, and data mining as possible methods Web-based systems: another area of focus is Web-based, cloud-based application systems and the economic impact of using these systems Work in this area focuses on Semantic Web technologies and analyzing the potential applications of Web 2.0 and beyond As a student in this concentration, you will gain an overview of the use of state-of-theart information technologies in business applications You will learn how to analyze user requirements for an IT user system and translate them into a set of requirements specifications These specifications are then used by a team to develop a draft system that can be transformed within a development environment to yield a software system What sets us apart – ten arguments in favor of a bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin High Academic Standards When you enroll in the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration within 11 our school, we guarantee you a university education known for its rigorous academic standards – standards we embrace in everything we We expect our students to demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm, academic curiosity, and a desire to perform as they study within the program, and it is our goal to ensure that you benefit from the broad spectrum of academic opportunities offered within our school Strong Research Activities Unlike a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule), a traditional university is distinguished by the interconnectedness of its research and teaching activities At a traditional university, it is easier and faster to communicate recent research findings within teaching activities, since the researchers themselves are also the ones doing the teaching As a result, universities are primarily measured by their research performance Freie Universität has a long tradition of international research In terms of external funding for research, the School of Business and Economics includes a high percentage of projects that receive financial support from the German Research Foundation (DFG), Germany’s best-known research sponsor Strong Partners: Cooperative Arrangements Between The School Of Business And Economics And Other Institutions And Department At Ffreie Universität Berlin As Well As Research Institutions Not Affiliated With The University Cooperative arrangements with the Economics departments of the John F Kennedy Institute for North American Studies, the Institute for Latin American Studies and the Institute for East European Studies, along with the Departments of Law and Earth Sciences, which hold regular events within our school, ensure that a broad, interdisciplinary range of topics is offered Cooperative relations are maintained with research institutions not affiliated with the university, such as the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), and various Max Planck and Leibniz Institutes Freie Universität Berlin Is One Of Germany‘s Largest Universities When you study at our school, the broad range of disciplines represented at Freie Universität Berlin offers you outstanding opportunities for insight into other disciplines related to business and economics: political science and law, sociology and philosophy, history and computer science, education and psychology are just some of the areas you may encounter as you pursue your studies of business administration here The School of Business and Economics at Freie Universität Berlin comprises a comparatively large number of academic chairs and institutes As a student, this gives you the opportunity to select from a wide range of academic options within the fields of business administration and economics and combine various subjects 12 International Right From The Start Over the past several decades, the School of Business and Economics at Freie Universität has established a close-knit network that includes international enterprises and organizations in the business sector, politics, academia, and the wider society Scholars and researchers from prestigious universities in Germany and abroad visit our school to give talks, teach seminars, or work as visiting lecturers or professors Research centers such as the research training group “Research on Organizational Paths” (the Pfadkolleg), which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and hosted by the Division of Business Administration, have developed into discussion forums within the international research scene thanks to their interdisciplinary, international approach Rankings The Division of Business Administration at Freie Universität is one of the top-performing schools of economics and business at any German university It regularly appears at or near the top in various rankings The Libraries At Freie Universität Berlin With a media collection encompassing about 8.5 million volumes (2.2 million of them at the university library) and 20,000 current periodicals, the library system of Freie Universität Berlin is the largest of any university in Germany The library at the School of Business and Economics, which is part of the system, houses about 600,000 volumes, making it the largest business and economics library in Berlin Alongside a collection of textbooks, the library offers online access to the most important business and economics databases and periodicals Our students make heavy use of various features, including materials set aside by instructors for specific courses, work stations for students working on theses and dissertations, various classes, and the library information service WiWiss Alumni The Network Of Alumni Of The School Of Business And Economics At Freie Universität Berlin WiWiss Alumni is the section of the Ernst Reuter Association (ERG) where graduates of our school gather – an outstanding list of contacts for our students The Parklike Dahlem Campus A Relaxed Environment For Successful Studies The School of Business and Economics of Freie Universität is located on the university’s spacious campus in the Dahlem district, a tree-lined neighborhood of villas and open space in the southwest of Berlin The business and economics buildings are clustered around an expansive lawn area, right next door to the Department of Law, the university library, and the Henry Ford Building, where the Auditorium Maximum 13 VI Structure and organization of the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration The bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration is taught in German! The program can be divided into two segments: the core subject (Kernfach) of Business Administration (150 ECTS) general professional preparation (GPP) (Allgemeine Berufsvorbereitung, ABV) courses (30 ECTS) Business Administration: the core subject (Kernfach) Required modules in the basic portion of the program is located The Thielplatz U-Bahn station (line 3) is located within walking distance and connects Dahlem to Kurfürstendamm in 19 minutes 10 The Capital City Factor As Germany’s capital city and a major center of international academia, Berlin offers students a wealth of potential employers and internship opportunities Representatives from politics, the business sector, academia, associations, and foundations from Germany and abroad come together in Berlin to share information and ideas, which makes Berlin an outstanding environment for students to network and make connections 14 a) Focus Area In General Business Administration: This focus area consists of eight required modules In these eight modules, you will learn the fundamentals of business administration in the areas we believe are important for every graduate of a business administration program to master These include the fundamentals of business administration, along with external and internal enterprise accounting, annual financial statements and taxation, investment and financing, management, marketing, and supply & operations management b) Focus Area In Quantitative Fundamentals Of Business Administration: This focus area encompasses three required modules, which provide students with the necessary knowledge of mathematics and statistics for business professionals and critically important fundamentals of business information technology c) Focus Area In Fundamentals Of Economics: In addition to introducing students to general economics, this area also includes an introduction to the fundamentals of microeconomics and macroeconomics as a required module 15 d) Focus Area In Law For Business Students: This focus area includes the modules in public and private law Specialization through choices of advanced focus areas Aside from the required modules, students in the third semester and above focus on acquiring advanced knowledge in specific areas of business administration and economics You choose your individual areas of focus for your study program according to your own interests, inclinations, and skills – and thereby set the direction for your later career opportunities You can choose from among the following advanced focus areas: • • • • • • • • • • • • Strategy and cooperation Organization and personnel Marketing Financing Information systems Enterprise accounting Tax studies for business students Economic theory Economic policy and financial studies Statistics Econometrics Business law and tax advising Students are also offered a range of research seminars in the fields of management, marketing, FACTS, and information systems General Professional Preparation (GPP) courses To enhance the career opportunities available to university graduates, Freie Universität Berlin introduced its general professional preparation (Allgemeine Berufsvorbereitung, ABV) courses, which are required in all bachelor’s degree programs These courses help to ensure that students’ studies have a practical focus and give students both interdisciplinary and subject-related additional skills and abilities, which are becoming increasingly important to their future professional success, particularly in the light of the increasingly international nature of the labor markets Students enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration are required to earn a to16 tal of 30 ECTS in this area, in courses focusing in particular on key skills such as scientific methodology, skills at using state-of-the-art information technologies, abilities in the area of modern accounting and taxation software such as DATEV, presentation and moderation skills, foreign languages, and gender and diversity awareness skills The general professional preparation courses also require an internship Students who have completed a formal vocational training course in a commercial profession can apply to be exempted from the internship requirement This chart shows the individual subject involved: Sem Bachelor of Science Program in Business Administration (SS) Advanced focus area (FS) (SS) Bachelor’s thesis Advanced focus area Advanced focus area (FS) General career preparation (languages, user software, presentation techniques, etc.) Advanced focus area Economics: Intro to Macroeconomics Economics: Intro to Microeconomics Management Operations and Supply Management Business Information Technology Intro to Economics (SS) Fundamentals of Internal Enterprise Accounting Investment and Financing Annual Financial Statements and Taxation Statistics for Business and Economics Students Private Law (FS) Fundamentals of External Enterprise Accounting Fundamentals of Business Administration Fundamentals of Marketing Mathematics for Business and Economics Students Public Law FS = Fall semester (classes in session October–February) SS = Spring semester (classes in session April–July) For further information on the structure of the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration, please also read the following: Study Regulations (Studienordnung) Examination Regulations (Prüfungsordnung) You can find both sets of regulations (in German only) at: http://www.wiwiss.fu-berlin de/studium-lehre/bachelor/studien-pruefungsordnungen/index.html 17 As a basic principle, a module is concluded with an exam A module exam (Modulprüfung) may also be composed of multiple sections (such as a written paper, presentation, or written exam) Types of instruction and courses Modules typically consist of a combination of multiple courses with related content in various formats: VII The module concept One of the main goals of the Bologna process is to compare the content of different academic programs and the academic achievements required of students throughout Europe, thereby establishing an appropriate method for assessing these factors With this in mind, the university has developed a module concept that lends all of our academic programs, including the program in Business Administration, a clear and easily understood structure Modules are thematically and methodologically self-contained instructional and learning units, which typically consist of several courses with related content This means that you might attend a lecture first, for instance, in which a certain thematic area is discussed in detail The lecture is supplemented by accompanying courses such as tutorials (Übungen) in which the subject matter of the lecture is applied or practiced using case studies You receive credits (Leistungspunkte, or LP, elsewhere also called “credit points,” or CP), for each module you pass How many credits are awarded for a specific module is determined by the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) This is another essential step aimed at harmonizing the academic programs available all over Europe (please see section VII (1), “Credits – the ‘currency’ of your studies”) 18 • • • • • Lecture (Vorlesung) – This type of course provides an overview and imparts subject-specific knowledge and methodological skills, typically with an instructor lecturing in front of a hall full of students Tutorial (Übung) – These courses explain and further explore the subject of the lecture through discussions and group work Project group (Projektgruppe) – In these classes, students examine practical or academic problems in business administration by applying academic findings and methods Seminar – This kind of class gives students an opportunity to deepen and apply the knowledge gained in a lecture through independent academic work in small groups, with a high level of interaction between the instructor and participants e-learning unit – Electronic tools can help you acquire knowledge of various topical areas within the field of business administration The module manual (Modulhandbuch) For an overview of the required and elective modules offered within the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration, please see the Study Regulations (Studienordnung, pp – 48) at www.fu-berlin.de/service/zuvdocs/amtsblatt/2006/ab792006.pdf or visit www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/studium-lehre/bachelor/studien-pruefungsordnungen/index.html (both sites available only in German) As you read through these materials, please note the changes in the module descriptions that have occurred as a result of subsequent regulations; we recommend that you read the “reading versions” (Lesefassungen) of the study and examination regulations, which are regularly updated by the university to reflect any changes that have been made 19 VIII Credits, tests, and assignments This section provides important information on the structure of the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration in terms of evaluations and examinations The parts of this section that address the examination regulations (Prüfungsordnung) are meant to provide a rough overview only; for the full examination regulations, please see www.fu-berlin.de/service/zuvdocs/amtsblatt/2006/ab792006.pdf (in German only) Please take the time to read through the examination regulations carefully when starting your program in business administration within our school And one more important note: The examination regulations are subject to change from time to time For changes affecting published study and examination regulations, please see www.wiwiss fu-berlin.de/studium-lehre/bachelor/bwl/studien-pruefungsordnungen/index.html Credits – the “currency” of your studies The courses offered as part of the program entail different time commitments on the part of students The time required for each course is measured in credits (please also see section VII, “The module concept”) One credit is equivalent to about 30 hours of work on the student’s part, meaning both the time spent actually attending classes at the university and on self-study (preparing and following up on materials, studying for tests and exams, etc.) On average, students are required to complete 30 credits per semester; the full bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration requires 180 credits, 30 of which are taken in general career preparation courses Example: Students are required to take the module “Fundamentals of External Corporate Accounting” (Grundlagen externer Unternehmensrechnung) in their first semester The core component of this module is a lecture, which runs for 90 minutes per week during the period when classes are in session (= credits) and requires a written final exam Participants should also attend one of the discussion sections offered for this course, which also run for 90 minutes per week (= credits) Added to that figure is the time students spend individually preparing and following up on materials and studying for the final exam Six credits are awarded for the module in total The grade on the final exam is weighted according to the number of credits and counted toward the bachelor’s degree exam grade The bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration is an academically challenging full-time program and requires that students spend at least 40 hours in class, studying, and working on assignments every week 20 Your bonus point account – no overdrafts allowed! Successful completion of the program requires that you pass tests and exams As an incentive for students who earn good grades and make rapid progress in their programs, we use a flexible, modern bonus point account, which comes with a “cushion” for unsuccessful attempts at the start of your program What does that mean? When you are granted a study placement in the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration within the school, you start your first subject-specific semester with 60 bonus points (If you start at a higher subject-specific semester, for instance because you have transferred from another location, the initial bonus point total is prorated accordingly.) For every module exam on which you earn the grade of “Insufficient” (nicht ausreichend – initial attempt and repeat attempts), the number of credits applicable to that module is deducted from your bonus points If your bonus point account falls below half (30 points), you are required to attend an academic advising session This step is intended to help you clarify the reasons behind your failed attempts If your bonus point account falls to a negative value, you will be removed from the register, meaning that you will not complete the program or earn the degree (The only exception is that if your bonus point account falls to a negative number based on your first attempt to take a module exam, you are permitted to take that exam one more time.) If this happens, you will also lose your eligibility to enroll in a program in Business Administration at another German higher education institution 21 Registering for and withdrawing from modules, tests, and courses (time limits and details) Bachelor’s degree examination To complete the bachelor’s degree program, you are required to take courses adding up to a total of 180 credits (Leistungspunkte, LP), broken down as follows: 150 credits in the core subject, Business Administration (Betriebswirtschaftslehre, BWL) a) a) Focus area in General Business Administration b) Focus area in Quantitative Fundamentals of Business Administration c) Focus area in Fundamentals of Economics d) Focus area in Law for Business Students e) Advanced focus area in Business and Economics f ) Bachelor’s thesis 48 LP 18 LP 18 LP 12 LP 42 LP 12 LP For the current registration and withdrawal time limits for modules and exams, please see the schools’ website and click on “Studying and Teaching” and then “Undergraduate Programs (Bachelor)” (in German) www.fu-berlin.de/campusmanagement/N3InfoStudenten/index.html Repeating module exams If you pass an exam, you are not permitted to repeat that exam The balance in your bonus point account limits the number of times you can retake any exams you not pass on the first attempt Exam dates 30 credits in general professional preparation (Allgemeine Berufsvorbereitung, ABV) courses a) Internship module, optional LP, 10 LP oder 15 LP b) Modules from at least two of the six ABV skill areas (see section VI (2)), together totaling 15, 20 oder 25 LP A module exam can consist of a single final exam or several sections The sections may involve different types of exams (such as a written exam, paper, oral exam, or project participation) For information on the types of exams for each module and the details of those exams, please see the module descriptions in the study regulations (Studienordnung) Required courses are offered once a year, or every two semesters You do, however, have the option to take a module exam even during semesters when these courses are not offered If the module exam is offered without the corresponding module during a specific semester, the module exam serves as a repeat session That means that in order to take the repeat exam, you are required to have failed the exam on your first attempt or to have had another reason, such as illness, that prevented you from taking the first exam Written exams (Klausur type) are held during the first few weeks after the end of the period when classes are in session (about mid-July or mid-February, depending on the semester) Credit for prior studies, courses, and exams Bachelor’s thesis The aim of the bachelor’s degree thesis is to show that you are able to treat a topic from the field of business using academic methods, with guidance, within a specified time limit and to present and document the results appropriately in written form The bachelor’s degree thesis typically encompasses not more than 30 pages The amount of work necessary to write a bachelor’s degree thesis in the program in Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin is equivalent to 12 credits This means that you should plan on working full time on the bachelor’s degree thesis for nine weeks 22 If you would like to transfer from another university to the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin and have been granted a study placement within our department, you can apply to have prior studies, courses, and exams completed in the same academic program at your former higher education institution credited toward your program at Freie Universität Berlin To be given credit for prior academic activities, those activities must be equivalent to the courses and exams required in the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin “Equivalent” means that the time spent studying, coursework, and exams must largely correspond to those offered in the program at our school in terms of their content, scope, and requirements Prior studies, courses, and exams completed in other academic programs or at non23 IX Getting started at the School of Business and Economics If you have received a study placement within the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration, your first task is to enroll at Freie Universität Once you so, you will officially be a freshman (Erstsemester) – welcome to the student body of our school! The central enrollment celebration and bachelor’s program introductory event for all newly registered students within a certain class at Freie Universität Berlin is held in October of each year The school works with students in more advanced semesters to organize a weeklong orientation program for all freshmen within the School of Business and Economics at the start of each winter semester This orientation week is always held one week before classes begin, meaning in the first or second week of October Over the course of the week, we invite students who are new to our school and Freie Universität to take a look around, get their bearings, and obtain all of the important information you will need during the first few weeks of your program Orientation week details: academic higher education institutions within the area of application of the Framework Act on Higher Education (Hochschulrahmengesetz) are also eligible for credit toward the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin upon request, provided that you are able to prove equivalency If you wish to earn credit toward the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin for studies, courses, and exams completed at higher education institutions abroad, the equivalency agreements approved by the German Conference of Ministers of Culture (Kultusministerkonferenz) and the German Rectors’ Conference (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz) and agreements in the context of university partnerships must be observed The parties responsible for reviewing equivalency and granting credit for prior studies are the program coordinator and examination office of the School of Business and Economics at Freie Universität 24 Day The orientation week starts out with an introductory event at which the dean of the school or your program coordinator welcomes you to the program and the university Then all first-semester students are assigned to “mentor groups” (Mentorengruppe) The mentors are 2nd or 3rd year students at the School of Business and Economics who will work with you and accompany you during this first week to help you get off to a good start in your studies These mentors will probably be your first points of contact, and they are an excellent source of information Don’t hesitate to take the opportunity to ask your mentor whatever you want to know about studying and the program! After the group eats lunch together, the “math prep course” (Brückenkurs Mathematik) is held Participation is voluntary In general, any student who successfully took mathematics as a main subject (Leistungskurs) on the Abitur examination will not need to take the prep course Day Libraries: With a media collection encompassing about 8.5 million volumes (2.2 million of them at the extensive university library) and 20,000 current periodicals, the library 25 system of Freie Universität Berlin is the largest of any university in Germany Alongside the extensive university library (the Universitätsbibliothek, or UB) – which, incidentally, is conveniently located in one of the neighboring buildings on campus – each department has its own library with specialized literature We take you on a tour of the library of the School of Business and Economics, which houses about 600,000 volumes, making it the largest business and economics library in Berlin Library staff explain how our library works: How to find a specific book, what a non-circulating reference library (Präsenzbibliothek) is, what interlibrary lending (Fernleihe) and OPAC mean, and everything else you need to know To ensure that the library tours can take place in small groups, we offer them daily during the introductory week Regular tours of the School of Business and Economics library are also offered later in the semester After the library tour, students attend an event to introduce them to the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration At this event, you will see your program coordinator, who is already a familiar face from the event on the first day Then you will meet up with your mentor group again – since we are sure you will have new questions to ask by that point Your mentor will be happy to help you The voluntary math prep course continues on the second afternoon as well The benefits you personally can expect from Campus Management will be discussed during the introductory event for the orientation week The math prep course finishes in the afternoon of day Day After the library tours and the math prep course, a special academic advising session is held for international students This event marks the close of the orientation week – and the start of your bachelor’s degree program! We hope that by the time your orientation is complete, you will feel well equipped to tackle your studies and find your way around If you still have questions, feel free to talk to your fellow students, those in higher semesters, your instructors, and staff at the school – we will all be more than happy to help! Day The agenda for the third day is much like the second; the introductory event for the bachelor’s degree program in Economics is held after the library tour Mentor groups and the math prep course meet in the afternoon Day On day 4, as on the previous days, library tours are offered between and 10 a.m Then the “Introduction to Campus Management” course is held Campus Management is an IT service system that is unique to Freie Universität so far, so we should briefly explain: Campus Management is an SAP-supported service and communications technology that is used in connection with the Bologna process Freie Universität is the first university in Germany to utilize Campus Management to meet the goals of the Bologna process (namely, to reform the structures of academic programs and administration systems and harmonize them throughout Europe) Its participation in this pilot project means that Freie Universität Berlin is a pioneer in this regard at the European level as well The Campus Management IT system simplifies a number of bureaucratic processes for you as a student: Students use the system to register for modules and exams, for example, and it also offers access to your personal credit point account anytime You can use Campus Management to access your schedule, have certificates printed regarding your exams, or get an overview of the modules for which you are registered To enable these functions, you should request a ZEDAT e-mail account right away after enrolling 26 27 X Important addresses for information Website of the School of Business and Economics at Freie Universität Berlin: http://www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/en/index.html Website of Freie Universität Berlin: http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/index.html Current information on scheduled events: http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/studienorganisation/termine/index.html Information days for prospective students: http://www.fu-berlin.de/studienberatung/studienberatung/infutage/ Study and examination regulations for the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration (in German): www.fu-berlin.de/service/zuvdocs/amtsblatt/2006/ab792006.pdf Information flyer on subject-specific semester (Fachsemester) placement and credit for exams (in German): http://www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/institute/management/mellewigt/Bachelorberatung/ 04_Downloads/Informationsblatt_Fachsemestereinstufung_und_Anerkennung.pdf Study abroad Undergraduate students who are interested in study abroad opportunities should contact the International Students Office of Freie Universität and/or the ERASMUS representative or their department representative in charge of direct exchanges with universities in North America as soon as possible after beginning their studies: http://www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/verwaltung-service/international-office/index.html International Students Office Brümmerstr 52, 14195 Berlin Tel +49 (0)30 838 73900, +49 (0)30 838 73930 exchange@fu-berlin.de Links and articles on bachelor’s degrees and the labor market www.aiesec.de www.bdvb.de www.eco5.com www.econdoc.de www.jungekarriere.com www.wisu.de 10 Student initiatives • Fachschaftsinitiative (FSI): www.fsi-wiwiss.de.vu • WiWiss Alumni – Alumni network for the School of Business and Economics (www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/alumni/index.html) • Kritische WirtschaftswissenschaftlerInnen: www.kritische-wirtschaftswissenschaften.de • DEFO – Demokratisches Forum e.V.: web.fu-berlin.de/defo • AIESEC (biggest international students’ organization): www.aiesec.de BaFöG student aid may be available for study abroad even if the student was not eligible for aid to study in Germany (www.das-neue-bafoeg.de/gesetze_merk06.php) For more information on study programs and internships abroad, please see the section of the Student Handbook (Studienhandbuch) of Freie Universität on those topics For specific information on international internships, you can also visit the site of the CareerService of Freie Universität Berlin at http://www.fu-berlin.de/sites/career/angebot_studierende_und_absolventen/index.html 28 29 Disclaimer The information provided in this publication is intended to provide a general overview The statements made herein are not intended to be legally binding or replace applicable rules or regulations In particular, changes in academic programs are still possible at the time at which examination and study regulations are enacted Only the regulations as adopted are legally binding Publisher’s legal statement Freie Universität Berlin School of Business and Economics Garystraße 21 14195 Berlin Tel.: +49 (0)30 838 524 71 Fax: +49 (0)30 838-521 29 www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de fbverw@wiwiss.fu-berlin.de Dean: Dr Ronnie Schöb, Professor Editorial desk: Dr Rudi Bresser, Professor; Dipl.-Kffr Adeline Thomas; Dr Jochen Hundsdoerfer, Professor Photos: David Ausserhofer DTP & layout: Freie Universität Berlin, Center for Digital Systems (CeDiS) June 2007, revised January 2011 30 ... http://www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/en/forschung/pfadkolleg/index.html V Concept behind the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration (B.Sc program) General program objectives The bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration within... in an undergraduate program in business administration at a different business school wish to transfer to the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration at Freie Universität This kind... students in the bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration, 618 in the bachelor’s degree program in Economics, and 307 in the consecutive master’s degree programs offered in the fields