Foreign Trade/International Management

Graduates of this degree course find roles in major companies and organisations in Germany and beyond, wherever having a business background with an international emphasis matters. They work across sectors and corporate functions, often either in specialist roles leading on projects and specific tasks or as coordinators with budget responsibility and strong all-round skills. They are also highly flexible in their thinking and actions.

Areas of work might include:

• International financing and management accounting
• Project management and product line responsibility in marketing departments of businesses in the domestic and international production, trade, retail and service sectors
• Organisational, HR and HR development roles
• Management and business consulting
• International logistics

This course’s seminar-based classes promote active student participation. A significant share of the teaching takes place in English.

During the first to fourth semesters of the course, students acquire a grounding in business and economics, including marketing, production, investment, financing, accounting, economics, law, business IT, mathematics and quantitative methods such as statistics. During this period, students successively gain competencies in specific subjects such as international finance and international marketing, alongside cultural studies, social sciences, and international economics.

In their fifth semester, students undertake an international internship in line with their chosen focal area. There follows a period, in semesters 6 and 7, of in-depth study of this specialism and a Bachelor thesis, the completion of which concludes the course.

For this degree course, you should have a keen interest in business and economics in an international context, as well as good general knowledge and proficiency in spoken and written English. You’ll get the most out of the course if you’re interested in maths and quantitative methods like statistics and are a self-starter with strong interpersonal skills who enjoys working in small groups.

Interested – but not quite sure yet whether this is the right course for you? Our self-assessment test can help you make up your mind. Take it here: HAW Navigator.

Higher education entrance qualification 

You can apply directly for this course if you hold one of the following qualifications:

• Fachhochschulreife
• Allgemeine Hochschulreife  
• Fachgebundene Hochschulreife (subject-specific HE entrance qualification)
• Meister_in (vocational qualification – master tradesperson)
• Fachwirt_in (certified specialist)

Applicants who do not hold a higher education entrance qualification but have completed vocational training (Berufsausbildung) and at least three years of subsequent work experience can apply under Section 38 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act, which sets out special provisions for these applicants (Besonderer Hochschulzugang für Berufstätige).

Find out more at Admission requirements for a Bachelor's degree.

You will also need to demonstrate proficiency in English at the C1 level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in order to be accepted on the course. You can do this in one of the following ways:

1. If you have a German Fachhochschulreife or allgemeine Hochschulreife (Abitur), your final English grade needs to be at least ‘gut’ (min. 11 points) in an advanced course (Leistungskurs) or enhancement course (Erweiterungskurs). The grade will be calculated using the average grade for each of the last four semesters and the final exam. The examination grade will count for 50 per cent of this grade average. If your certificate of qualification (Zeugnis) does not contain a final grade for English, the grade average will be calculated using the partial English grades listed in your Zeugnis.
    
2. Alternatively, you can present proof of having passed one of the following recognised language tests:
   • A valid TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), ITP or iBT
   • IELTS (International English Language Testing System – Academic Training)
   • Cambridge Certificate:
     – CAE (Certificate in Advanced English) or
     – CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English)
   • TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication)
   • BEC (Business English Certificates)
   • Linguaskill General
   • PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic
   • TELC English
3. A third alternative is to present proof of achievements attained abroad which demonstrate the required proficiency level. This must be one of the following:
   • A higher education entrance qualification attained at a school in an English-speaking country (as defined by the Federal Agency for Civic Education) or at an English-language school
   • Proof (in the form of an official transcript or a letter/certificate of confirmation from the university or college) of having spent at least two years studying successfully at a higher education institution in an English-speaking country (as defined by the Federal Agency for Civic Education)
   • Suitable proof of at least two years of professional experience in an English-speaking country (as defined by the Federal Agency for Civic Education) or an English-language company following graduation
4. A certificate for an achievement attained in English in an English-speaking country (as defined by the Federal Agency for Civic Education) that is equivalent to those listed above

Self-testing procedure
As part of the application process you will need to demonstrate that you have used the self-testing tool.

Pre-course experience

We do not require you to have completed pre-course experience for this course. Experience shows, however, that you are likely to find it easier to access the course content if you have previously gained some practical experience in a setting appropriate to the field.

International applicants

If you completed your schooling outside Germany and want to study here for a Bachelor’s degree, you need to hold an academic school-leaving qualification which entitles you to admission to higher education; that is, it needs to be comparable to a German Abitur or Fachhochschulreife. The organisation uni assist will check your certificates from school and any degree-level studies to establish comparability. Please note that you are also required to have proof of German at level C1 – for example, in the form of a TestDaF certificate – in order to apply for all Bachelor's degree courses (except Information Engineering).

You can find more information about HAW Hamburg’s application criteria at International applicants.