Can I apply for a Master's at a private university if I already have a PhD?

Hi!

Yes, you can apply for another Master’s degree even if you already hold a PhD. The doctorate does not disqualify you or create a special admission procedure. You apply under the programme’s regular admission requirements.

The university will mainly check:

• Qualifying degree: A relevant Bachelor’s, Master’s or equivalent first university degree, including the required subject credits and grade. A PhD does not automatically replace missing subject-specific requirements.
• Subject fit: Accounting is normally considered a business-related discipline and should therefore fit many management and digital-transformation programmes. The university makes the binding assessment.
• Additional requirements: Depending on the programme, these may include professional experience, language proficiency, an interview or a minimum number of ECTS credits.
• Foreign qualifications: If your degrees were awarded outside Germany, you may need to submit certificates, full transcripts, grading information and certified translations. The university may assess them itself or use uni-assist.

Examples of programme-specific requirements:

• HAM: Digital Transformation Management, M.A. – at least 180 ECTS and a relevant degree; related degrees require about 90 subject-specific ECTS.
• Hochschule Fresenius: Digital Management & Leadership, M.Sc. – 25 ECTS in business, 15 ECTS in digital media/communication and 5 ECTS in quantitative methods; an entrance test can compensate for missing credits.
• RH Cologne: Digital Business Management, M.A. – minimum grade 3.0 and 45 ECTS in business, media or communication; the part-time version also requires one year of relevant work experience.
• FHM: Digital Transformation Management, M.Sc. – a business-related degree, one year of professional experience and normally 210 prior ECTS; missing credits can be completed through an additional examination.

All four programmes are taught in German. Your Accounting background should fit the business requirements particularly well; at Hochschule Fresenius, the required media and communication credits may need closer examination.

So, your previous academic work may be recognised for individual modules, but neither the PhD nor its title results in automatic credit transfer or a shorter study period. Submit your Bachelor’s and Master’s transcripts as well as your doctoral certificate, and have them evaluated for the programme by the respective university's admission team.

In short: Your PhD is not an obstacle. Admission depends on whether your earlier studies and any required professional or language qualifications match the chosen Master’s programme. If you require a German student visa, note that university admission and the residence-permit assessment are separate procedures.

You can find and compare suitable programmes via our Studyfinder. For quick questions about a specific programme or your documents, you can use our 24/7 study-advice chat.