Business Administration and Honourable Leadership (MBA) - HSBA

Business Administration and Honourable Leadership (MBA)
Part-time MBA degree programme with specialisations in
Marketing, Finance or Entrepreneurship
MBA
1

Contents
Welcome 3
Business Administration and Honourable
Leadership MBA programme 4
The course 5
Guiding principles 6
Module structure 7
Course contents (modules) 8
Specialisations 10
Mentoring programme 15
Lecturers 17
Study conditions 18
Hamburg as a location 19
Course fees 20
Admissions and application
HSBA Hamburg School of
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Business Administration 22
Photos: Michael Zapf, Roland Magunia, Karin Rose,
Werner Gritzbach, Stefan Malzkorn.
Last updated: October 2012

Welcome
Improving career opportunities
HSBA’s MBA programme offers high-quality course contents with a focus on internationality, business ethics and
governance. Participants on the course, who already have previous work experience, benefit from excellent study
conditions and a strong network in business and society.
“With its MBA programme, HSBA provides a tailored
offering for personnel development in companies. The
concept of studying part-time combines a high-quality
degree in business and economics with practical incompany
training and opens up outstanding career
opportunities for its graduates. The high share of case
studies ensures that the course is always based on
real-life scenarios and prepares future managers for
the diverse challenges they will face in business.
The course is based on the model of the “honourable
merchant”, which promotes a focus on long-term
business success. The high quality of HSBA’s course
offering is reflected in its leading position in the CHE*
ranking and the institutional accreditation by the
German Council of Science and Humanities.”
Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Schmidt-Trenz,
President of HSBA
“We wish to offer our students excellent conditions for
their master’s degree programme and give them the
best career opportunities possible. A high level of
organisational quality and the development of a global
network are especially important to us.”
Dr. Uve Samuels,
CEO of HSBA
* Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung (Centre for University Development)
“For hundreds of years, the credibility of the Hamburg
merchant has been an international trademark for
Hamburg as a location. The members of the Versammlung
Eines Ehrbaren Kaufmanns zu Hamburg e.V.
(VEEK) uphold and breathe life into this tradition in a
modern context. VEEK supports HSBA’s master’s
degree programme by assuming responsibility for the
patronage and the mentoring programme because we
feel particularly committed to supporting newcomers
in line with our objectives.”
Christian Dyckerhoff,
Chairman of the Versammlung Eines Ehrbaren Kaufmanns zu
Hamburg e.V., patron of the programme
“For the MBA programme in Business Administration
and Honourable Leadership, we have succeeded in
recruiting high-calibre professors and lecturers with a
range of international experience. The contents of the
MBA are divided into different modules, with the ideas
of internationality, business ethics and governance
forming a recurring theme throughout the entire
course. Applied contents with a generalist approach,
varied group work in interdisciplinary teams and case
studies prepare our graduates in the best possible
way for the challenges they will face as managers of
international companies.”
Prof. Dr. Stefan Prigge,
Head of the degree programme in Business Administration
and Honourable Leadership (MBA)
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The Business Administration and
Honourable Leadership MBA programme
Studying with other students with professional experience in different industries
InTERnATIOnAL MARKETInG, corporate social
responsibility and financing are topics that were once
relevant only for specialists and executives in companies
who had studied business or economics. But for
a long time now a large number of people with a background
in law, medicine or the humanities have been
deciding to pursue a career in business, enriching the
business environment with their diverse academic
experience. In order to respond to the constantly
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changing requirements on globalised markets and to
qualify for higher positions, however, they need more
in-depth business skills. The MBA in Business Administration
and Honourable Leadership is perfect for
practitioners from a wide range of academic backgrounds
who wish to enhance their skills profile. The
aim of the course is to allow students to acquire management
expertise, but also to enable executives to
think and act in international and intercultural contexts.

The course
Profile
The course is open to graduates from all disciplines as
long as they have at least two years of relevant professional
experience after their undergraduate degree.
The course leads to a Master of Business Administration
(MBA) after a 24-month period. The course is
taught in English. With its generalist approach, it
covers a broad range of business administration theory
as well as relevant economic and legal topics.
Students can also specialise in Marketing, Finance
or Entrepreneurship as part of the course.
In order to always ensure the relevance of the
course contents, HSBA’s teaching staff members
include professors and external speakers of international
renown from industry and academia who have
extensive teaching and professional experience. To
ensure that all participants have the same level of
basic skills in business and economics, HSBA offers a
preparatory course. Depending on the focus of their
undergraduate degree, this teaches future MBA
students the fundamentals of economic theory as well
as mathematical and statistical methods.
The part-time concept means that this course is of
interest to students and companies alike, as the students
remain integrated in the companies during the
course. This allows them to continue working while
expanding their specialist business knowledge, learning
established management concepts and developing
their personal skills at the same time. The students
can also make a rich contribution to the course with
their different academic backgrounds and experience
from their companies.
Business Administration and Honourable Leadership MBA programme
Course start: 1 October of each year
Duration: 24 months (including 4 months for the master’s thesis)
Scope: approximately 620 hours of tuition
ECTS: 90
Form: The part-time course is conducted in full-time weeks and on extended weekends
(Thursday to Saturday).
Content: Practise-based course covering business administration issues with a special focus on
internationality, business ethics and governance
Patronage: Versammlung Eines Ehrbaren Kaufmanns e.V. zu Hamburg e.V.
Mentoring programme: by the Versammlung Eines Ehrbaren Kaufmanns zu Hamburg e. V.
Qualification: state-certified and internationally recognised Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Accreditation: FIBAA (Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation)
Eligibility for progression
to doctoral studies: Yes
Size of the seminar groups: max. 24 students
Language: English
Course fees: EUR 30,000
It is possible to obtain funding through HSBA’s student support fund.
Student loans are also available from banks cooperating with HSBA.
Applicant profile: • Undergraduate degree completed with the grade “good” or several years of professional
experience after completing vocational training or the school-leaving exam (Abitur)
• At least two years of professional management experience
• Ability to complete a course of studies in English
• Letter of recommendation
• Success in the selection process at HSBA
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Guiding principles
Internationality, business ethics and governance
Business Administration and
Honourable Leadership programme
Three overarching principles that form the backbone of the course
InTErnATIOnALITy
Internationality is one of the core ideas of the course.
In each module, the topics covered will also always be
looked at from an international perspective, for example
when discussing international personnel management
aspects or the role of global financial markets.
The teaching concept consistently incorporates intercultural
aspects, helping to establish internationality as
an integral component of the course. In addition, the
students have the option to take part in a project that
is carried out abroad (for example at Andrássy University
in Budapest).
A large number of the professors and lecturers
have an international background or extensive international
experience. Our students also come from a
range of different backgrounds, adding to the course’s
multinational flair.
HSBA’s master’s programmes also have an excellent
reputation internationally. The november 2009
issue of the US business magazine Forbes, for example,
featured a select list of European business
schools that included HSBA’s master’s programmes
as a real alternative to US providers.
BUSInESS ETHICS
The course is under the patronage of the Versammlung
Eines Ehrbaren Kaufmanns zu Hamburg e.V.
(VEEK). The association promotes the concept that,
within the scope of the respective laws, the generally
accepted ethical standards and the principle of good
faith in business transactions must be observed, while
refraining from actions that are not compatible with the
idea of trust in business dealings. VEEK has assumed
the patronage for HSBA’s master’s degree programmes.
This means that in addition to personal
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mentoring, VEEK also supports the master’s programme
by taking part in the selection process,
awarding student grants and involving guest speakers
from industry (in case studies for example). The curriculum
centres on the theme of business ethics. Business
ethics aspects are always considered in any
discussion of business management issues.
GOVErnAnCE
Governance is the key concept in the research of
Elinor Ostrom and Oliver E. Williamson, the 2009
nobel Prize winners for Economics. In this context,
governance means knowing, assessing and using
different institutional and organisational alternatives.
The course is not concerned with examining an
abstract academic concept, but with looking at specific
issues from real-life business scenarios. For
example, how does eBay or Amazon manage to
establish successful governance structures that make
it possible for buyers and sellers on the internet to
trust each other although they have never even met?
How can successful governance structures be established
in banks for fixed and variable renumeration and
the liability of management board members and
executives? In the individual modules, the course
repeatedly places the focus on governance issues.

Module structure
Course structure and module structure
The structure at a glance
Sequence of the modules and structure of a typical module
90 ECTS MUST BE ACqUIRED over the course of the
MBA in Business Administration and Honourable
Leadership. The credits are spread over nine modules
and the master’s thesis.
24 months
Term 1
6
7
Term 4
Corporate Responsibility
and Corporate Communication
Financial Management
Management
1General
& Leadership
Presence
phase 1
• Introduction • Preparation for
module events
2
3
Term 2
Independent study
phase 1
Master´s
thesis
(area of choice)
Course structure:
Finance
Marketing
Entrepreneurship
Other
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9
Term 5
Decision-Making and
Economic Behaviour
International
Management
Module structure:
Presence
phase 2
• Opening exam
• Lectures
• Case studies
• Guest lectures
• Comprehensive case
study
• Reflection
Students can also specialise in Marketing, Finance or
Entrepreneurship during the second-last module on
the course. Together with the master’s thesis, this
gives students the option of focusing up to 25% of the
course on a specialisation.
Specialisation Finance
Elective Marketing
Entrepreneurship
Corporate Choice
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5
Term 3
Ethics, Compliance
& Alternative Dispute
Resolution Mechanisms
International Financial
Reporting Standards
& Corporate Governance
Independent study
phase 2
• Following up on
lectures
• Preparation for
exams
Presence
phase 3
Internationality
• End-of-module exams
Business Ethics
Governance
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Course contents
Core modules
Course modules
nine modules and then the master’s thesis
Module 1: General Management & Leadership
This first module teaches students the basics of management
and prepares them for the course. The focus
is on:
Financing and financial reporting
International economics
Human resources development on an international
scale
Leadership
Personal and social skills for executives
Module 2: Decision-Making and Economic Behaviour
Students familiarise themselves with the different concepts
in economics relating to human behaviour in
organisations and learn to evaluate different incentive
systems. The following approaches are covered:
Decision theory
Game theory
new institutional economics
Behavioural economics
Model of the honourable merchant
Module 3: International Management
The module familiarises students with the consequences
for a company of entering the international
market (also taking international and cultural differences
into account). They put what they have learned
into practise in a project on a related topic from their
company or a case study of their choice. The focus is
on the following aspects:
Intercultural communication
Procurement and management
(international management)
Marketing and customer management
(international marketing)
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Production (global logistics and supply chain management
or production and quality management)
Module 4: Ethics, Compliance & Alternative Dispute resolution
Mechanisms
The module teaches the elements of business ethics
and their significance for long-term business success.
Students learn about the following areas:
Fundamentals of business ethics philosophy
Development of a compliance organisation as a part
of risk management
Alternative out-of-court dispute resolution
mechanisms
Module 5: International Financial reporting Standards &
Corporate Governance
Students acquire knowledge of international financial
reporting and auditing standards and of their significance
for corporate governance. They additionally
learn about other important issues in relation to corporate
governance (= the totality of all matters influencing
how businesses make decisions concerning the use of
resources), e.g. incentives and monitoring of management,
shareholder versus stakeholder models or the
international development of corporate governance
structures. The module comprises the following submodules:
International financial reporting and auditing
standards
Corporate governance

Module 6: Corporate responsibility and
Corporate Communication
In this module, students acquire a basic understanding
of CR and sustainability and learn how social, ecological
and economic aspects can be used to
develop a company-specific strategy. In detail, the
following topics are covered:
Appropriate communication of CR engagements
Aspects of corporate public relations and public
affairs
Case study on the entire spectrum of CR and corporate
communication
Module 7: Financial Management
The module teaches students how to evaluate and
compare alternative investment projects or financing
options on the basis of reliable information. Accordingly,
the following topics are covered:
Markets as decision environments – as seen in
institutional economics and behavioural finance
Business valuations
Investor relations
Finance case study
Module 8: Specialisation – Elective
Students can specialise in Marketing, Finance or Entrepreneurship.
More information on the specialisations is
available on page 10 et seq.
Module 9: Corporate Choice
This module summarises the issues covered by the
course in a two-day case study. The different perspectives
from the previous modules are weighed up
against each other in order to simulate a complex
decision-making process and arrive at balanced and
realistic decisions.

Specialisations
Marketing
Marketing specialisation
Scientifically proven marketing concepts for real life
THE MARKETInG SPECIALISATIOn deals in depth
with three core aspects of marketing. In all three parts,
scientific models are introduced that serve to quantify
interrelations in marketing. Part 1 shows how to
measure consumer preferences and use the results for
the product innovation process. Part 2 focuses on the
customer, introducing students to the fundamental
concepts in value-based customer management. It
makes particular use of customer lifetime value
models.
The third part is dedicated to monitoring all marketing
activities in a company. This involves discussing
established models and new models alike and testing
their usability. The aim is to develop approaches that
contribute to better quantification of the return on
marketing.
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Our Marketing specialisation is kindly
supported by:
kempertrautmann gmbh
Scholz & Friends Brand Affairs GmbH
Otto Group
Montblanc International GmbH
Hyve AG
”In a globalised economy, marketing is
becoming more and more important. We
give our students an excellent opportunity
to explore cutting-edge marketing tools to
further develop their management skills.“
Prof. Dr. Goetz Greve, HSBA
“Understanding and creatively applying the
latest marketing knowledge is of fundamental
importance in today’s competitive markets.”
Dr. Michael Trautmann,
kempertrautmann gmbH, Managing Director

Specialisations
Finance
Finance specialisation
Focus on valuation, derivatives and
company acquisitions
THE FInAnCE SPECIALISATIOn MODULE carries on
from the Financial Management module and focuses
at an advanced level on the ability to value projects,
shares and entire companies. The first part comprises
an in-depth look at general valuation issues. The
second part explains the valuation of derivatives and
illustrates how they can be used in risk management.
The third part focuses on the purchase and sale of
companies and business divisions. The success or
failure of a company acquisition depends on many of
the aspects covered in previous modules. This allows
students to apply their knowledge from prior modules.
Last but not least, the final part of the module examines
the legal aspects of financial instruments and
financial transactions.
Our Finance specialisation is kindly
supported by:
Hamburger Sparkasse
Finanzplatzinitiative Hamburg
Hamburger Volksbank e.G.
Beiersdorf AG
Commerzbank AG
KPMG AG
Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
Hawesko Holding AG
Euler Hermes Kreditversicherungs-AG
“Identifying investment projects that
increase value and M&A strategies are
the core tasks of managerial finance.
This requires a thorough understanding
of how capital markets work and makes
knowledge of relevant (business) valuation
methods essential. Derivatives, risk
management and investor relations are
also part of the finance curriculum.”
Prof. Dr. Jens-Eric von Düsterlho, HSBA
“Superior financial, legal and tax structuring
is a key factor in economic success. It is
vital to integrate these planning activities in
your own corporate strategy. This is how
you can take the lead using an entrepreneurial
approach.”
Hans-Henning Bernhardt,
Beiersdorf AG, General Counsel
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Entrepreneurship specialisation
The lifecycle of a company from start-up to growth and succession planning
THIS SPECIALISATIOn COVERS Entrepreneurship in
a broad-based manner, starting with company startups
and the management of small and medium-sized
enterprises right through to innovation management
and the creation of new companies within corporate
groups. The business idea and the entrepreneur take
centre stage.
The first part, on Foundation of Entrepreneurship
and Business Modelling, lays the foundation for entrepreneurial
objectives and activities. These include life
cycle analysis and management and the different concepts
for business models as well as their logic and
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implementation in a business plan. The sections on
SME Management and Family Owned Businesses deal
specifically with the needs of smaller, medium-sized
and family-oriented businesses. These incorporate
aspects of management, continuous management
and succession planning, and are also viewed from a
corporate governance perspective. The Corporate
Venturing section looks at the specific circumstances
of establishing new corporate activities within an existing
group or in a separately formed entity. Legal and
financial aspects are also covered. The section on
Innovation and Growth Management examines the

new business activities of existing companies and/or
processes. It focuses among other things on safeguarding
the intangible assets created by the company,
such as brands, patents and other intellectual
property. Internationalisation strategies are also
discussed. The Change Management part examines
critical business situations that lead to downsizing,
restructuring or even business failure. In this part of
the specialisation, students learn how to handle difficult
business situations. Once again, corporate governance
aspects are also taken into account.
Specialisations
Entrepreneurship
Our Entrepreneurship specialisation
is kindly supported by:
Putz & Partner Unternehmensberatung AG
Roland Berger Strategy Consulting GmbH
“From an entrepreneurial perspective, our
students learn a lot through challenging
and complex cases on how to start up,
develop and build successful companies
of different sizes.”
Prof. Dr. Christoph Bauer, HSBA
“Entrepreneurship is one of the most
important factors for success in fastgrowing
SMEs. They are lucky enough to
have a rapidly development and dynamic
environment right here in Hamburg.”
Andreas Bartmann,
Globetrotter-Ausrüstung, Denart & Lechhart GmbH,
Managing Director
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Mentoring programme
Under the patronage of the Versammlung Eines Ehrbaren Kaufmanns zu Hamburg
The mentors
Well-known businesspeople in Hamburg provide
individual support throughout the course
STUDEnTS On A MASTER’S programme at HSBA
benefit in particular in their personal and professional
development from a special mentoring programme
involving members and partners of the Versammlung
Eines Ehrbaren Kaufmanns zu Hamburg e.V. (VEEK).
The association embodies typical Hanseatic values
that have helped merchants in Hamburg to trade and
offer services successfully for centuries and that are
still just as relevant in today’s business world. Experienced
entrepreneurs affiliated to VEEK act as
mentors, supporting and accompanying the HSBA
master’s students on their path to the management
levels of business.
The master’s students at HSBA are permanent
guests of VEEK for the duration of their course and
can attend all of its events and committee meetings.
This gives HSBA master’s students a unique opportunity
to benefit from the vast wealth of experience and
networks of Hamburg’s entrepreneurs in addition to
their excellent course of studies.
“Young people have enormous challenges ahead of them.
Experience is a good navigator in finding the right path to
success in the jungle of networks, competitive pressure, job
offers, information and media. In the mentoring process, I see
myself as a navigation device that indicates a path. But it is the
mentee who ultimately steers the course.”
Minou Tikrani,
Managing Partner of Konstruktiv Pr-Beratungsgesellschaft mbH,
mentor and VEEK member
“As a mentor for the HSBA master’s programme, I am
personally committed to passing on my experience to young
people and to supporting them in their personal and
professional development.”
reinaldo Udewald,
Managing Partner of WECO Consult GmbH,
mentor and VEEK member
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Studieninhalte
Blindtext Dieses ist nur ein Blindtext
Blindtexten Weg nach Hamburg
gefunden und tragen
Blindtex
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Lecturers
on the MBA programme
Some of our lecturers
More than 40 lecturers from academia and industry are involved in teaching on the course. They come from a wide
range of international backgrounds and have extensive professional experience. The following are just some of the
lecturers in charge of the lectures:
Prof. Dr. Stefan Prigge
(Course Head)
Professor at HSBA Hamburg School of
Business Administration
– Corporate governance
– Regulation of the financial sector
– Capital markets
– Law and economics
– Family-owned companies
Prof. Dr. Thomas Straubhaar
Director of the Hamburg Institute of
International Economics (HWWI) and
professor at the University of
Hamburg
– International economics relations
– Regulatory policy
– Education and population
economics
Prof. Dr. Washika Haak-Saheem
Assistant Professor, OB & IBM
College of Business Administration,
University of Dubai
– Cross-cultural management
– Leadership & organisational change
– Organisational behaviour
Dr. norbert Taubken
Business Director Scholz & Friend
Reputation
– Sustainability and CSR strategies
– Responsible brands and
responsible sponsorship
– Communication on corporate
responsibility
Prof. Dr. Christoph Bauer
Professor at HSBA Hamburg
School of Business Administration
– Entrepreneurship
– Internet/telecommunications
– Controlling in internet business
– Mergers & Acquisitions
Prof. Dr. Inga Schmidt
Professor at HSBA Hamburg School
of Business Administration
– Strategic and international
marketing
– Branding and brand management
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Study conditions
at HSBA
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Studying at HSBA
The campus, teaching concept and organisation of the
university
THE BRIGHT AnD FRIEnDLY atmosphere of our
Handelskammer City Campus with its state-of-the-art
technical equipment provides students with the best
possible conditions for learning. Students have access
to one of the oldest libraries for business and economics
in the form of the Commerzbibliothek, which
belongs to Hamburg’s Chamber of Commerce. Direct
access to course-relevant literature is ensured through
the specially established branch of the Commerzbibliothek
library on our City Campus.
HSBA’s teaching concept is based on a personal
atmosphere between the teaching staff and the students.
For this reason, seminars are organised in small
groups. When selecting our teaching staff, we place
great emphasis on combining academic excellence
with practical relevance. The professors at HSBA are
highly qualified experts in business and economics
who have many years of professional business experience.
In addition, practitioners and experts from our
partner firms also lecture at HSBA.
quality management is at the core of HSBA’s
organisational structure. HSBA strives for continuous
quality assurance and further development by means
of comprehensive evaluations carried out amongst our
students and cooperating companies. As a comparatively
small university, we take advantage of direct
communication channels. Our staff are always open to
questions, criticism or suggestions.

Hamburg as a location
The gateway to the world
Studying and living in Hamburg
A place with a good quality of life
HSBA IS A UnIVERSITY in the heart of the City of
Hamburg. Our university is located centrally, directly
adjacent to the city hall and Hamburg’s Chamber of
Commerce, at the hub of the city’s social and economic
life.
Hamburg is considered to be one of Europe’s
most beautiful cities. And with good reason: as a
vibrant harbour in a unique location between two seas
and with excellent leisure options, the city offers a very
good quality of life.
As a seaport, Hamburg is traditionally one of Germany’s
most important locations for foreign trade as
well as a leading financial centre. Also an important
location for industry, Hamburg ranks alongside Seattle
and Toulouse as a leader in civil aviation. In addition,
Hamburg not only has a rich publishing tradition, but
has also made a name for itself in creative advertising.
This mix of economic potential and a good quality of
life makes Hamburg one of Europe’s most dynamic
business regions.
Hamburg’s diversity and vital force is also reflected
in the city’s cultural life. From musicals, cabaret
and theatre to a vibrant club scene, local cultural centres
and galleries and museums – Hamburg has a lot
to offer. nevertheless it is easy to find a place to relax
in this green metropolis. Almost half of Hamburg is
taken up by parks and green spaces, water and
wooded areas. The city has more trees than inhabitants
and five times as many bridges as Venice. It’s
easy to feel at home in Hamburg, which is why the city
has become a popular place to live for many people
from other parts of Germany and from abroad in
recent years.
One of the factors that contribute to Hamburg’s
good quality of life is how safe it is. In an international
comparison, Germany ranks well above other European
countries such as France or the UK in terms of
safety. The identity of a cosmopolitan city like Hamburg
also encompasses ensuring the safety of all of its
residents. Every student is in good hands in Hamburg.
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Course fees
Funding and student grants
HSBA HAS SET ITSELF the goal of supporting particularly
gifted applicants who require financial assistance
in order to attend the master’s degree programme at
HSBA. Every year, HSBA awards student grants as
part of its funding scheme. Under this scheme, financial
assistance amounting to between 25 and 50% of
the course fees can be awarded to particularly needy
or particularly worthy candidates.
Further information on course fees and on the
conditions for funding is available on our website
(www.hsba.de).
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Further support is available from organisations
affiliated with HSBA. For example, several full scholarships
for master’s degree programmes are awarded
each year by Commerz Collegium zu Altona (a traditional
association of businesspeople in the Hamburg
district of Altona), VDI Verein Deutscher Ingenieure
Hamburg (the Hamburg branch of the Association of
German Engineers) and Verein der Freunde und Förderer
der HSBA (an association of HSBA sponsors).
Another option is to reach an agreement with the
employer on sharing the remaining cost of course fees.

Admissions and applications
Getting started
WITH ITS COURSE OFFERInG, HSBA is geared
toward particularly well-qualified applicants.
Acceptance onto the Business Administration and
Honourable Leadership MBA programme is subject to
the following prerequisites:
Two years of professional management experience
A completed third-level degree covering 210 ECTS
credits, of which up to 30 ECTS credits can be substantiated
by one additional year of professional
experience or academic training. The third-level
degree should have been completed with a minimum
grade “good” (2.5).
Applicants who have not completed a third-level
degree can be accepted onto the course after
passing an entrance exam
Ability to complete a course of studies in English
(minimum level: B2 of the European Framework of
Reference)
Letter of recommendation from a current or former
employer or an academic reference
Successfully completed HSBA selection process
(written application, telephone interview, admission
day).
Step 1: Written application
Applications for the MBA in Business Administration
and Honourable Leadership takes place in written
form (either postal or via e-mail to alexander.freier@
hsba.de). The application must include letters of motivation
and recommendation, a CV and copies of certificates.
Step 2: Telephone interview
After reviewing the documents, a 30-minute telephone
interview takes place to discuss the student’s motivation
and all queries surrounding the course.
Written
application
Telephone
interview
Admission
Day
Entrance
exam if
applicable
Step 3: Admission day
Admission day runs for one day and involves an
in-depth assessment of the applicant’s personal and
academic suitability. Admission day takes place once
a month in Hamburg.
Step 4: Entrance exam for applications without an
undergraduate degree if applicable
The entrance exam comprises a written paper by the
applicant on a management topic set by HSBA. The
paper must be 10 to 15 pages long and must be submitted
within four weeks. The exam also involves a
30-minute oral exam in which the applicant presents
and answers questions on the paper. The topic for the
paper is set by HSBA in agreement with the applicant
and is generally related to the applicant’s current
activities. The applicant also has to sit a two-hour written
exam on business-related topics.
Step 5: Job & master’s placement if applicable
As part of our job & master’s placement offering, we
help candidates to find a suitable company. HSBA’s
partner firms specifically use this programme to recruit
employees for a long-lasting working relationship.
Step 6: Signing the contract
A place is reserved on the course for the applicant
after he/she has signed the contract. Welcome to
HSBA!
Applications can be made at any time. Because HSBA
only awards 24 places each year, we recommend that
applications are submitted as early as possible.
Acceptance
Job & master’s
placement if
applicable
Signing the
contract
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HSBA Hamburg School of Business Administration
Who we are
your contact person at HSBA:
HSBA Hamburg School of
Business Administration
Alexander Freier
Head of Relationship Management
Alter Wall 38
20457 Hamburg
Telefon: +49 40 36 138-743
Telefax: +49 40 36 138-751
E-Mail: alexander.freier@hsba.de
Internet: www.hsba.de
HSBA’s profile
Courses offered, values and guiding principles
HSBA HAMBURG School of Business Administration
is the university for business in Hamburg. Under the
auspices of Hamburg’s Chamber of Commerce,
HSBA offers dual bachelor’s and part-time master’s
degrees in business for more than 600 students. We
have around 200 cooperating companies, which are
involved in designing and developing our courses in
order to ensure that they are constantly aligned with
business needs.

HSBA Hamburg School of Business Administration
Who we are
This means that HSBA graduates are perfectly
prepared for the requirements of business and have
excellent career opportunities.
Dual bachelor’s degrees
B.Sc. in Business Administration
B.Sc. in Logistics Management
B.Sc. in Media Management
B.Sc. in Maritime Management
Part-time master’s degrees
M.Sc. in Global Management & Governance
MBA in Business Administration &
Honourable Leadership
MBA in Shipping
High-quality education for specialists and executives,
applied research and advice round off HSBA’s offering.
Excellent ranking results, the course accreditations by
the FIBAA (Foundation for International Business
Administration Accreditation) as well as the institutional
accreditation by the German Council of Science
and Humanities testify to the high quality of our university.
HSBA is strongly influenced by the model of the
honourable merchant, whose entrepreneurial dealings
lead to success in business and who also assumes
social responsibility. Consequently, HSBA summarises
its actions under the motto of “Success through performance
– responsibility – fairness”.
HSBA’s main concern is to mould its students into
ethical, cosmopolitan people with strong professional
and methodological expertise and soft skills, who can
benefit from outstanding employment opportunities
after graduating from HSBA. In the cosmopolitan city
of Hamburg with its global orientation, the focus is
also on developing students’ international skills.
With its relevant courses, applied research and
high-quality education offerings, HSBA is endeavouring
to become one of Germany’s leading business
schools, true to its motto of:
HSBA – The Gateway to Management Excellence
In this context, “Management Excellence” stands for
dedication, performance, reliability and integrity.
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HSBA Hamburg School of Business Administration
Alter Wall 38 · 20457 Hamburg
Telefon: +49 40 36 138-711 · Telefax: +49 40 36 138-751
info@hsba.de · www.hsba.de