Frequently Asked Questions
Which study program fits me?
Studying at a university or university of applied sciences - public or private? As a private university, ISM offers practical and interactive lectures in small groups. Thanks to the intensive support, bachelor's as well as master's degrees with a wide range of specializations can be obtained. Furthermore, the university is internationally AACSB-accredited.
Questions and answers on this page:
About the ISM
ISM has locations in seven cities: Dortmund, Frankfurt/Main, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart and Berlin. Please note that not all study programs are offered at all locations.
Yes, besides the national accreditations, the ISM also received the prestigious international AACSB-accreditation and is currently the only private university of applied sciences in Germany holding this prestigious seal of quality.
You are very welcome to get to know ISM better at our regular events online (Info Sessions or free Online Lectures) or even on campus, if you are already in Germany.
Of course, you can also make an individual appointment with our study advisors for a consultation. Those appointments can also take place via Zoom, if you are not in Germany yet.
About VISA
There are a few cornerstones to have on your radar. These are:
- Health insurance
Everyone who comes to Germany for work or studies needs to register for health insurance. - Proof of graduation
You'll need to provide your high school diploma or equivalent. - Admission letter from the university
You'll need to provide proof of acceptance onto your university course. - Funding
You'll need to prove you have the funds to cover living costs for one year or the duration of your stay. - Language skills
Depending on whether you are doing a German or English-taught course you'll need to prove you have a grasp of the language. - Paperwork
e.g. Passport, biometric photos, certificate of enrollment.
Bachelor's Programs
About Application
You can apply as early as one year before you wish to start your studies beause our admission test result is valid for one year.
The online admission tests are held very often at ISM. Documents that are not yet available (e.g. school-leaving certificate for future Bachelor students) can be submitted later on, up to the start of the study program.
You are welcome to submit your most recently received certificate with your application.
If you need a study visa for Germany, the recommended applications deadlines are:
- no later than July 15 for the Spring Term starting studies
- no later than December 15 for the Fall Term starting studies.
About Your Studies
Studies are held in groups of maximum 32 students.
Some classes as well as the language classes are held in smaller groups with a maximum of 18 students and also in the last year of study the group is divided again due to the specialization modules. This guarantees optimal support by the lecturers.
Within the first few semesters it is possible to change the course of study for your Bachelor's if the respective program is offered at your campus. However, the missed study program specifics have to be made up.
The ISM does not maintain its own dormitories. Therefore, you have to look for an apartment on site yourself. Please ask your study advisor or the Öйú×ãÇò²ÊƱÊÖ»ú°æ Office for our Accommodation Guide to get valuable tips and links on how to find affordable accommodation at your campus of choice.
About Costs and Study Financing
The tuition fees are of 5,970 Euro per semester, which includes the bachelor thesis fee.
Furthermore, you have to pay an enrollment fee (one-time payment) of 600 Euro (for EU citizens) or 1,500 Euro (non-EU citizens).
The Federal German Embassy requests to open a block account with the amount of 10,236 Euro for the visa process.
This amount will be paid back in monthly instalments (853 Euro per month) during the first year of studies at ISM. We recommend to open this block account through FINTIBA or Expatrio.
Öйú×ãÇò²ÊƱÊÖ»ú°æ students have to pay a deposit (3,000 Euro) to secure their place on the study program. This is not an extra fee and will be deducted from the tuition fee of the first semester.
About Interships and Semester abroad
ISM has a network of around 190 partner universities worldwide. Our Öйú×ãÇò²ÊƱÊÖ»ú°æ Office offers assistance in choosing a partner university. Depending on your course of study, you can choose from a variety of universities and countries.
The tuition fees for the semester abroad depend on your choice of partner university: In Europe, 95% are already covered by the ISM tuition fees. There are no additional costs here.
At our overseas partner universities, things can be a little different. Especially when choosing partner universities from USA, Australia and New Zealand, additional costs will arise, as the tuition fees there are higher than at ISM.
Our Öйú×ãÇò²ÊƱÊÖ»ú°æ Office will provide you with comprehensive information about each international university you are interested in.
Master's Programs
About Application
For all students, who do not need to apply for visa, the last admission test for the fall term takes place in August, for the spring term in February. The admission procedure ends as soon as all of the limited study places have been allocated. Early application is therefore recommended. The admission test at ISM is valid for one year.
No specific grade point average is required for the application, but the final grade of the first degree (e.g. Bachelors) is included in the overall assessment. Furthermore, we check your personal suitability in a selection process at ISM. You can register online for an appointment for our admission test. You will then receive an overview of the application documents to be submitted and the questions to be answered.
You will work on this in advance at home and present your results in a Power Point presentation on your selection day when you will meet (online) with the study program director. In addition, we would like to get to know you and your study motivation in the subsequent interview. The decision on the allocation of a study place is usually made within one to two working days after the interview.
We need the following documents from you:
- Curriculum vitae (CV).
- Letter of motivation.
- School-leaving certificate (certified) copies.
Qualifying you to study at a higher education institution. The original document must be submitted by the start of the study. Alternatively, prospective students with a special educational background or a particular aptitude in their future field of study can also be recognized under the German Higher Education Act. Not sure to possess the school entry qualification? Please ask your study advisor and we will do a fast check to verify if you are eligible. - External proof of knowledge of foreign languages (if available).
To be able to choose Spanish or French as second language, you need a proof of German proficiency of at least a B2 level (e.g. TestDaf). If you have any separate certificates of achievement confirming your foreign language proficiency (e.g. TOEFL test), please also submit them to us. However, these certificates are not obligatory for your application to study at the ISM. You may hand them in until the start of your studies. - Work/internship certificates (if available).
- Copy of your national ID card.
- One digital passport photo (colored, jpg format, high resolution).
The online admission test is divided into two parts:
Part 1: Elaboration of a case study presentation (such as brief presentation of the results of your Bachelor studies or another term paper)
Part 2: Online interview with the program director on the admission test day
For part one you can suggest a presentation topic or receive from our study advisor a list of topics after your online registration for an admission test, of which you have to choose one. You will elaborate your ideas in a power point presentation (15 to 20 minutes/about 10 to 12 slides). We need your presentation two working days (latest) prior to your online interview appointment.
Within the interview, first you will present your power point and discuss your current issues afterwards. The rest of the test is a classical interview with questions about your personal career, your professional and personal goals as well as your motivation for the master program of your choice.
If you have a foreign bachelor degree, we will check whether your qualification entitles you to study in Germany before taking our admission test.
Please send a scanned copy of your curriculum vitae and transcript of records and your bachelor diploma by email to the study advisor at the campus of your choice.
About Studies
The standard period of study is 4 semesters (2 years). All consecutive study programs require a semester abroad at one of our partner universities as well as 12 weeks of compulsory internship.
With the option Fast Track the semester abroad is omitted and you shorten the work placement. This allows you to complete your master's degree in 3 semesters with 90 ECTS. You can find out everything you need to know from your study advisor.
- M.Sc. Öйú×ãÇò²ÊƱÊÖ»ú°æ Management is entirely taught in English at all seven campuses.
- M.A. Strategic Marketing Management in Munich and Berlin
- M.A. Digital Marketing in Berlin
- M.Sc. Finance in Dortmund, Frankfurt/Main, Munich and Berlin
- M.Sc. Öйú×ãÇò²ÊƱÊÖ»ú°æ Logistics & Supply Chain Management in Frankfurt/Main and Hamburg
- M.A. Luxury, Fashion & Sales Management in Munich and Berlin
- M.Sc. Business Intelligence & Data Science in Dortmund, Munich and Hamburg
- M.Sc. Psychology & Management in Dortmund
- M.Sc. Real Estate Management in Frankfurt/Main?
- M.A. Öйú×ãÇò²ÊƱÊÖ»ú°æ Business in Dortmund, Frankfurt/Main and Berlin
- Pre-Master in Dortmund, Frankfurt/Main, Berlin and Munich
A basic requirement for the admission to the Master degree courses in English is the proof of minimum B2 level of English proficiency (according to the European Framework of Reference for languages). In the case of Master of MBA programs, English language skills need to be proven via a certificate (IELTS, Cambridge, TOEFL, etc.). Ask your study advisor for more information.
Many degree programs at ISM are offered entirely in English or can be completed 100% in English.
We also have some Bachelor's or Master's degree programs in German, that include lectures in both German and English language (with a ratio of about 70:30 as regards German vs. English).
Those programs are marked specificaly in the overview pages for Bachelor's and Master's programs. You can find more detailed information on this in the respective study program description.
About Costs and Financing
Master tuition fees are of 6,480 Euro per semester (over 4 semesters) which includes the master thesis fee. Furthermore, you have to pay an enrollment fee (one-time payment) of 600 Euro (for EU citizens) or 1,500 Euro (non-EU citizens).
Please note if you require a visa for studying in Germany: The Federal German Embassy requests to open a block account with the amount of 10,236 Euro for the visa process.
This amount will be paid back in monthly instalments (853 Euro per month) during the first year of studies at ISM. We recommend to open this block account through FINTIBA or Expatrio.
All international students have to pay a deposit (3,000 Euro) to secure their place on the study program. This is not an extra fee and will be deducted from the tuition fee of the first semester.
Depending on the course of study and semester, the costs range from approx. 30-100 Euro.
About Internships and the Semester Abroad
Internships prior to your studies are not required. Nevertheless, internships that were completed after your bachelor degree and before you began your Master program may be credited to a certain extent, if applicable. The decision on actual credit is up to a case-by-case review by the Career Center. Please contact our student advisor if you have any questions.
Full-time MBA Programs
About Application
About Studies
About Costs and Financing
The tuition fee is 27,300 Euro in total incl. Master's thesis.
If you sign a study contract by January 31, you will also receive an early bird discount of 1,000 Euro.
There is no charge for the admission interview.
MBA Programms part-time
About Application
You can apply as early as one year before you wish to start your studies. You can make an appointment for your Skype interview with the responsible student advisor at campus Dortmund where we offer this program (email:
Application for the MBA General Management is possible until February 28 the year of start of your studies. A later application is possible after consultation in justified cases.
Please contact your Master & MBA study advisor at campus Dortmund (
In principle, when changing universities, it is possible to have achievements from the previous study program credited. Each individual case is examined individually. The prerequisite is that the achievements were made at a state-recognized university. Please contact a study advisor for further information.
For the MBA General Management, missing ECTS points can be compensated by relevant work experience. Please contact our study advisor (
A pre-master is not offered for the MBA General Management.
About Studies
The MBA General Management program in part-time can be started annually in the spring term in March.
Students study in groups of no more than 10 people. This guarantees optimal support on the part of the lecturers.
The MBA General Management consists of 15 modules, which are taught as a block. The blocks take place on average 1x per month from Fridays to Sundays all day. You can download the current lecture schedule from our homepage.
Several modules take place abroad in different countries. Here you will get an interdisciplinary overview of all management areas in the USA, India and South Korea.
About Costs and Financing
The tuition fee is of 28,800 Euro in total including master's thesis fee. Monthly payments are also possible.
Sign a study contract by January 31 and you will receive an Early-Bird Discount of 1,000 € on the regular tuition fee!
In principle, ISM would like to make it possible for every suitable applicant to study at ISM, regardless of their individual financial situation. Therefore, ISM supports high-achieving students through scholarships. An application can be made directly to our study advisor responsible for MBA programs (
Do you have any questions about studying? Please contact us!
Send us your questions from Monday to Friday. We'll reply from 10 am to 3 pm (CET) on weekdays. Looking forward to chat!
Please note: our WhatsApp service will not be available during the holidays (24.-26.12 and 31.12.24-01.01.25). Please use the ChatBot during this time or send us an email to
Your Bachelor Study Advisors
Campus Dortmund
Christopher Pereira
+49 231.97 51 39-43
Campus?Frankfurt
Qian Ye
+49 69.66 05 93 67-43
Campus Munich
Ana Kammerer
+49 89.2 00 03 50 - 53
Campus Cologne
Angelina Hallmann
+49 221.27 09 95-43
Campus Stuttgart
Luigi Serafino
+49 711.51 89 62-143
Campus Berlin
Marrit Koenig
+49 30.3 15 19 35-22
Campus Hamburg
Rebecca Jung
+49 40.3 19 93 39-46
Your Master Study Advisors
Campus Dortmund
Katharina R?der
+49 231.97 51 39-447
Campus Frankfurt/Main
Yosra Saleh
+49 69.66 05 93 67-49
Campus Stuttgart
Antonio Luna
+49 711.51 89 62-243
Campus Munich
Nina Weidemann
+49 89.2 00 03 50-42
Campus Cologne
Ioulia Aslanidou
+49 221.27 09 95-54
Campus Hamburg & Berlin
Jana Gripsh?fer
+49 40.3 19 93 39-42
Your Student Advisory Service
Campus Munich
Nina Weidemann
+49 89.2 00 03 50-42
Campus Berlin
Sindy Rode
+49 30.3 15 19 35-175
Your Student Advisory Service
Campus Dortmund
Katharina R?der
+49 231.97 51 39-447
Your Study Advisors for Distance Learning (online programs)
Marcella Brockerhoff
Aysenur Bektas
+49 711 51 89 62-213