Entrepreneurship – cooperative (M.A.)

This module equips students with the strategic management tools needed to run, grow, change and turn around an international company. Students learn to analyse a company's environment and resources, develop competitive advantages and decide between organic and external growth. Using real-life case studies and guest lectures from international corporations, they practise structuring complex decisions and presenting solutions to management boards. Sustainability, stakeholder value and restructuring are also covered.

Business Psychology explores how people in organisations form judgements, make decisions and can be influenced in their behaviour. Students gain in-depth knowledge of key concepts such as cognitive biases, choice architecture, persuasion and group dynamics, and learn how this research shaped behavioural economics. The module also covers consumer behaviour, the psychology of pricing and purchasing, and resilience, including how to cope with and learn from failure.

This module introduces the main theories and approaches to leadership, from small teams to large organisations. Students examine leadership styles, team leadership, group dynamics and change processes, with a focus on acting responsibly in difficult situations. A particular emphasis is on the challenges of leading and resolving conflicts in multicultural teams and global business environments.

This module prepares students to develop innovative solutions for complex problems, particularly in the context of (digital) transformation. Based on a business design approach that combines human needs, business viability and technical feasibility, students learn to create new products, services and business models. They work with a wide range of creative methods, including business model innovation, design thinking, service and experience design, ideation and LEGO Serious Play.

International Entrepreneurship sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship and international business and deals with ventures that create value across national borders from the start. Students learn what makes a convincing business plan and business model and what investors expect from founders. The module also covers how new ventures can internationalise and grow and how to develop a global entrepreneurial mindset.

In the first practical module of the cooperative programme, students get to know their partner company in depth after the first semester's on-campus phase. They prepare a company overview and compare the company's needs, for example in logistics, foreign trade or digitalisation, with the content of their studies. Together with the company and their academic supervisor, they draft a plan for the focus of the following practical phases.

In the second semester, students choose one compulsory elective module to add a personal focus to their entrepreneurship studies. The options include, for example, E-Commerce, Advanced International Controlling, Strategic Marketing and Relationship Marketing, International Supply Chain Management, and Analytics and Digital Consulting. All electives have an international focus and are taught in small groups with a strong practical orientation. The modules on offer are announced at the beginning of each semester.

This module provides an overview of intellectual property (IP) rights and their economic importance for companies. Students learn how patents, trademarks and design rights work, how they are applied for and enforced nationally and internationally, and how they can be used strategically. Further topics include the use of patent information, patent evaluation tools, alternatives to formal protection and the fight against product piracy.

This module focuses on modern financial instruments and the financial and value planning of companies. Topics include project valuation, portfolio theory, the CAPM, optimal capital structure and raising equity and debt. Special attention is given to start-up finance, including crowdfunding, venture capital, private equity, financing growth and exit strategies, as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Managing Family Businesses looks at the special features of working in and managing family-owned companies, with a focus on smaller enterprises. Students explore the strengths and weaknesses of family businesses, how conflicts arise within and between generations, and how growth and long-term planning work in this context. A particular emphasis is on succession and the transfer of the business to the next generation, including its legal aspects.

This module presents current theories and concepts in the management and marketing of innovations, with a particular focus on SMEs and the knowledge-based economy. Students learn how technological innovations are developed, protected and brought to market, and which strategies, such as first mover or fast follower, are suitable. The module also addresses how young companies can grow successfully after market entry by building a clear development strategy, effective teams and good project management.

In the second practical module, students update their plan for the practical phases based on their experience and choice of elective modules. They analyse their day-to-day work in the company in relation to the theoretical knowledge gained in the first two semesters. The results are presented and discussed in a practical report and a presentation.

During the placement semester, students spend at least 20 weeks working in a company in Germany or abroad. They take on specific business tasks, which may include project work as well as day-to-day operations in one or more departments. Students reflect on how the theoretical knowledge gained in their studies applies in practice and document their experience in a placement report.

Social Entrepreneurship is about founding and growing ventures, both for-profit and non-profit, that use innovative solutions to bring about social change. Students learn the tools and mindset needed to create economic, social and environmental value. The module covers the social economy and its policy framework, key success factors of social enterprises and ways of measuring impact, such as the social return on investment.

Corporate Entrepreneurship examines how established organisations can foster entrepreneurial thinking and acting from within. Students learn how companies create an intrapreneurial climate built on innovation, ownership, creativity and openness to change. The module explores how organisations can encourage new ideas, experimentation and responsibility in order to stay competitive in a fast-changing environment.

In the master's thesis, students independently investigate a complex, ideally practice-related management problem using scientific methods. They apply the knowledge and problem-solving techniques acquired during their studies and relate their findings to current research. The thesis is written over five months and concluded with a colloquium in which students present and defend their results.