Study content

Our vision is: «For tomorrow's managers - more than just specialists». With this OST Master, you will be ready for demanding management functions.

The master’s program in Corporate/Business Development prepares students for top management positions with overall entrepreneurial responsibility. True to our motto «For tomorrow's managers - more than just specialists», we develop junior managers who can look beyond the confines of their current position, are able to integrate knowledge from a holistic management perspective, and derive effective strategies from this. Our graduates can implement innovative solutions and thus move companies forward. As sought-after managers, our graduates shape the future and make a difference.

«Specialization Corporate/Business Development»

The specialization Corporate/Business Development enables students to shape entrepreneurial change in a proactive and opportunity-oriented manner. Managers must be able to achieve effective results at different stages of corporate development. However, their action strategies are always dependent on the context, which is why the curriculum distinguishes between three key development phases. In each development phase, the typical challenges are highlighted and in turn viewed from a strategic/market-related perspective, a financial and a personnel/organizational perspective.

Start-up and Growth Management

This development phase deals with the typical challenges of young or fast-growing companies. Students learn to start companies or to competently manage those in strong growth. This subject includes the following modules:

Entrepreneurship and Business Creation
Venture and Growth Financing
Entrepreneurial Leadership and Organizational Growth

Business Development and Reinvention

This development phase deals with business development in mature or saturated markets. Prudent management with ongoing innovation and new business models can ensure sustainable success. This topic includes the following modules:

Digital Business Models and New Marketing
Corporate Financial Management
Organizational Learning and Development

Crisis and Turnaround Management

In times of crisis, managers are particularly challenged. With the necessary know-how the turnaround can succeed, and the crisis can be successfully overcome. This topic includes the following modules:

Turnaround Management and Crisis Communication
Financial Crisis Management
Human Resources Management and Change Management during Crises

International Corporate and Business Development

This module develops intercultural management competence. The core element is a study trip with lectures at a host university and project work on site. (Students may choose between two destinations.)

Compulsory Elective Module

Further in-depth study in the area of strategic management/corporate management (elective option).

«Advanced Management Competencies»

The objective of these modules is to provide students with fundamental management competencies that are essential for successful management work. They will thus be empowered for effective problem-solving and effective action.

In the module «Data Analytics», students learn basic concepts, tools and methods of Data Science and receive an application-oriented introduction to as well as an overview of the potentials of data-based decision-making and business management.

In the «Design Thinking» module, students learn to create innovative business models, products and/or services. In this way, the conceptual and creative skills of the students are promoted.

in the typical everyday life of a manager, countless decisions have to be made. The module «Decision Making» prepares students to make effective decisions in complex situations and under time pressure.

In the module «Sustainable Management», students are taught essential areas of sustainable management. Sustainable management is future-oriented and can provide a basis for new business models.

The module «Digitalization and Business Process Engineering» examines the opportunities offered by digitalization and enables students to effectively design a company's business processes.

«Applied Research and Scientific Practical Projects»

In the modules on scientific work, students are taught in-depth knowledge for the sound scientific processing of practice-oriented tasks. In the two-semester scientific practical project, students apply the methods and tools they have learned in the context of a current management problem.

«Master's thesis»

The Master's thesis is a scientific paper in which the acquired skills and knowledge are applied to a specific practice-oriented research question.

Career and professions