Corporate Management and Economics, Bachelor of Arts

Admission requirements

For detailed admission requirements, please contact the provider.

Details

The Zeppelin University demands “generalist education instead of mere ‘business school’.” Managers and entrepreneurs face demands more than ever that can no longer be solved by the classic business administration functional areas alone. Conventional management education therefore reaches its limits, as also noted by the renowned Canadian management theorist Henry Mintzberg. For the new challenges, extensions in communication and organisational theory as well as political science are necessary.
 ZU responds to these challenges with a novel entrepreneurial generalist education for German standards. The novelty lies in the connection of business and economics with cultural, communication and media studies as well as aspects of political and administrative science.  The economics programmes at Zeppelin University hold a top position in the current 2009/2010 university ranking by the “Centre for Higher Education Development (CHE).”

The fundamental Bachelor’s programme "Corporate Management & Economics (CME)" imparts the unique competence profile of a multidisciplinary management orientation.
 Course contents 

• Multidisciplinary foundational competence:
• Business and economics, law, public administration, state & politics, communication & culture
• Generalist management competence:
  Strategic & international management, human resource management & leadership, organisation & network theory, corporate finance, supply chain management
• Innovation competence:
  Marketing, technology and innovation management, entrepreneurship
• Globalisation competence:
  International and intercultural management, international economic relations, international economic and monetary policy, global studies including overseas internships and semesters abroad
• Methodological competence:
  Accounting, controlling, applied econometrics, business information systems

Course structure
 ZU is one of the first German universities to have converted to a four-year Bachelor’s programme. This way, students have more personal time for individuality, more time for excellence in experimentation, and more time for specialisation and reflection. The first two semesters of the Bachelor’s programme are called the “Zeppelin Year.” This year focuses primarily on project work, theoretical foundations in economics, media, culture, politics and law, as well as learning scientific methods. Thus, dry theories and methods become “wetter,” i.e. more comprehensible, through concrete practical or research projects – whether relating to urbanity, migration, cultural economy, market crises, or political networks. Students from all four Bachelor’s programmes at ZU (i.e. besides “Economics,” also “Cultural & Communication Studies,” “management-oriented Political & Administrative Sciences,” as well as “Sociology, Politics & Economics”) learn and study the same content during this time. If a student – as is the case with 45 per cent of all German students – has made a wrong choice in their course of study, it is therefore possible after the first year to switch easily to another programme at ZU without loss of time or examinations.  Following the Zeppelin Year is the in-depth “Major Phase” (3rd – 5th semester), during which, in addition to a few compulsory modules, each student can assemble their very own study plan with specialisations. We believe good students want to do something themselves by the sixth semester – for this, ZU offers the “Humboldt Year”: self-chosen research orientation in dialogue with a chair or one of the eight ZU research networks. The course concludes with the “Bachelor Phase” and the writing of the Bachelor thesis in the 8th semester. During the last twelve weeks, students work on their own research topic and exchange ideas in colloquia with fellow students and their supervising professor. For those so curious that they would ideally study two subjects, ZU offers the possibility to take a so-called Minor. Specifically: one studies Economics as the major subject and concurrently completes a Minor with at least three modules in Communication and Cultural Studies.
 Special forms of study
 StudentStudies
 Do you sometimes wonder why all study content is created by professors and not also by students? And why students have to memorise answers to questions they have never asked? We do too, and therefore we formulated the following thesis: Internal learning works much better with self-set questions and self-developed answers. That is why we invented StudentStudies. The principle: At least ten students define a topic, design a seminar, invite lecturers, structure literature. And study their own seminar in the following semester.
 GlobalStudies
 International experience is one of the indispensable competences. For this reason, ZU has launched the programme “Global Studies” – a course of study between continents and cultures. GlobalStudies is based on a simple formula: 1 student + 3 internships + 3 continents + 1 overseas university. The programme thus enables a tri-continental work and learning experience. Even without participation in the GlobalStudies programme, all ZU students complete an internship abroad and optionally a semester abroad at one of about 80 partner universities.
 TandemCoaching
 Alongside specialist qualification, your personal development takes centre stage at Zeppelin University: every student chooses a science coach among ZU’s teaching staff in the first semester and later a practice coach from institutions in business, culture or politics. These coaches support you throughout your entire studies with questions regarding content orientation, personal development and career perspectives. TandemCoaching lasts throughout your entire study period at Zeppelin University – and perhaps a lifetime.
 TalentCenter
 Acting as an interface between practitioners and students, the TalentCenter is basically a relationship engine. For students, the TalentCenter offers advisory services, organises training and workshops for career entry and provides tips for the application process. At the same time, it acts as a contact point for companies, organisations and institutions. More than 500 companies and organisations are members of the TalentCenter and regularly offer internships or projects and seek graduates for open positions.
 Career perspectives
 As competent generalists, graduates of the programme have attractive entry-level and career opportunities in various sectors and industries of the economy. Furthermore, Zeppelin University has arranged special entry options for its Bachelor graduates with selected auditing firms, management consultancies and financial services providers. The special profile of the programme also enables and encourages a qualified start into an entrepreneurial career in medium-sized enterprises and for business start-ups.
 Admission requirements
 The application process at ZU involves three steps: it starts with an internet-based kick-off, followed by a comprehensive written application. Two professors then decide whether the applicant is invited to the third stage: the selection day called “Pioneers Wanted!” On this day, applicants have interviews with professors, students and friends of the university. They complete a real case study in groups with other applicants as well as various tests.
 Start of studies
 ZU offers study start dates in September (fall semester) and for Bachelor’s students also in January (spring semester). Bachelor’s programmes comprise eight semesters, Master’s programmes four semesters.
Financing
Money should not be the obstacle, is the motto at Zeppelin University. Therefore, together with Sparkasse Bodensee, it offers a loan system and merit-based scholarships.
 

• Fees: The fees for the Bachelor in CME are 4,700 euros per semester. Every student can fully pre-finance their tuition fees through the Sparkasse Bodensee student loan programme. More than 60 per cent of students make use of this model.
• Loans: Sparkasse finances tuition fees for students at a significantly reduced interest rate. A personalised repayment plan over up to ten years is agreed, which begins one year after starting a career. Further degrees or doctorates are thus taken into account. Sparkasse relies on Zeppelin University’s selection process and waives the usual creditworthiness check.
• ZU Education Fund: The ZU Education Fund is an innovative model of study financing, where you do not pay tuition fees during your studies. Renowned capital providers cover your tuition fees. After completing your studies, you repay the fees based on your income.
• Bachelor scholarships: Zeppelin University annually awards full, partial and project scholarships to particularly outstanding applicants and students to reduce tuition fees and promote individual projects and travel. The scholarships are funded by partners and sponsors of the university and are tied to studying at ZU.