Details of the dual degree programme for Master’s students in the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics

Applications and specific requirements

To apply for the dual programme, please contact the Viadrina International Student Affairs division. Further information on the application procedure and deadlines can be found under Application.

Entry requirements:

• By the time of your departure for Córdoba, you must have studied for at least two semesters at Viadrina.
• You must have sufficient knowledge of Spanish.

Language skills

The language of instruction is Spanish, so you must have sufficient Spanish language skills to take part in the programme (at least B1). To make your studies easier, the university offers Spanish courses for exchange students.

Semester dates

Winter semester: August – December.
Summer semester: March – July.

Please refer to the UCC website for the exact semester dates.

When planning your studies, please bear in mind that the academic calendar at Argentine universities differs significantly from that of German universities. As a student on the dual degree programme, your semester at the UCC begins in March. You will spend one year there.

Course selection / Teaching format

Master’s programme in “Business Administration”: The MBA is a part-time programme; accordingly, teaching takes place in the form of block seminars exclusively in the evenings and at weekends. In total, you must take 14 courses, which you can choose from business-related subjects such as Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources and so-called ‘Complementary Areas’ (Ethics, Social Responsibility). The majority of coursework (seminar papers, presentations) is carried out in groups. The master's thesis is completed individually.

Please note: Further information on the courses will follow shortly.

Recognition of academic achievements

General information on the recognition procedure can be found on the website of the Viadrina International Affairs division under the heading Recognition.

To obtain a degree at Viadrina, you must complete all the specified modules in your study course. To this end, you can have the courses you have taken abroad as part of the dual degree programme recognised for credit. To ensure that these courses are recognised by Viadrina, your course selection should be agreed with Torsten Glase.

To obtain the Argentine degree, you must send your degree certificate from Viadrina or your full Transcript of Records (usually a printout from the HIS portal) to the UCC. The UCC will then issue you with a degree certificate.

Master’s Thesis

The Master’s thesis is written and supervised in Spanish at the UCC.

Useful information: insurance, accommodation, travel, etc.

Semester off: You cannot take a leave of absence during the semester in which you are writing your master's thesis, as the final thesis cannot be assessed during that period. You may apply for a leave of absence in the first semester, but in that case, the credits earned during that leave of absence cannot be recognised by Viadrina.

Health insurance: Please find out in good time about the cover and options offered by your health insurance provider for a prolonged stay abroad outside Europe. There are no compulsory vaccinations for Argentina; however, if you would still like to find out about the latest recommendations regarding malaria prophylaxis and vaccinations, we recommend that you contact the Berlin Institute for Tropical Medicine.

Accommodation: The UCC does not have its own student halls of residence (this is not common practice in Argentina). However, the Departamento de Intercambio (International Office) is happy to help you find a room and often offers accommodation options in shared flats or student halls of residence even before your arrival. You have the option of staying with a host family, getting a room without meals, or staying in an aparthotel (with or without meals).

Getting there: Direct flights to Córdoba are available.

Cost of living: Approx. €600–€700.

Visas: As a rule, you will need a residence permit to study in Argentina for more than 90 days. Please check the website of the Argentine Embassy for information on visa requirements.

Application and specific requirements

To apply for the dual programme, please contact the Viadrina International Student Affairs division. Further information on the application procedure and deadlines can be found under the heading Application.

Entry requirements:

• By the time of departure, you must have studied at Viadrina for at least one year.
• You can complete your studies in English or French. Courses can be taken in both languages or exclusively in one.
• You must have sufficient language skills.

Language skills

To be eligible for the programme, you should have sufficient proficiency in English or – if you choose to study in French – in French. NEOMA Business School requires appropriate language certificates, which must be submitted before the start of your period abroad:

• English: B2 or TOEFL 85, IELTS 6.0, CAE min B.
• French: B2 or TCF 400, TEF 500, DELF B2.

Semester dates

Winter semester: Early September – mid/late December.
Summer semester: Early January – late May.

You can find the exact semester dates on the website of Neoma Business School.

The dual programme commences exclusively in the winter semester. You will spend one year on site.

Course selection / Teaching format

Course selection: During your period of study at NEOMA Business School, you must earn a total of 60 ECTS credits. There are three specialisations with different tracks: ‘Marketing’, ‘Finance & Accounting’ and ‘Business and Management’. You choose a track with specified courses, which are then compulsory. Recognition of these credits must therefore be agreed in advance with Torsten Glase .

Teaching format: Courses usually consist of around 25 students and are concluded after three weeks with presentations, assignments and exams.

Work placement: In addition to the university programme, there is also the opportunity to undertake a work placement (stage). NEOMA Business School supports students in finding a work placement.

Recognition of academic achievements

General information on the recognition procedure can be found on the website of the Viadrina International Affairs division under the heading Recognition.

To obtain a degree at Viadrina, you must complete all the specified modules in your study course. To this end, you can have the courses you have taken abroad as part of the dual degree programme recognised for credit. To ensure recognition at Viadrina, your choice of courses should be agreed with Torsten Glase.

To obtain the French degree, you must send a transcript of your results (an extract from the HiS portal in English) to NEOMA Business School after completing your studies at Viadrina. NEOMA Business School will then issue you with a degree certificate.

Master’s Thesis

The Master’s thesis will be written and supervised at Viadrina upon your return.

Useful information: insurance, accommodation, travel, etc.

Leave of absence: You cannot take a leave of absence during the semester in which you are writing your master's thesis, as the final thesis cannot be assessed during that period. You may apply for a leave of absence in the first semester; however, any credits earned at NEOMA during that semester cannot be recognised by Viadrina.

Health insurance: If you are covered by statutory health insurance with a German health insurance provider and hold a European Health Insurance Card, this provides basic health cover for other European countries. If you do not yet have a European Health Insurance Card, you should apply for one from your insurance provider. Furthermore, we recommend that you take out supplementary insurance for the duration of your stay abroad.

Accommodation: NEOMA Business School has halls of residence. However, you are free to find private accommodation. As a rule, the ‘taxes d’habitation’ (council tax) is already included in your rent. Do, however, check this carefully when signing a tenancy agreement, as otherwise you may face high additional costs.

Housing allowance: As an exchange student in France, you are entitled to a housing allowance, which you can apply for at the Caisses d’Allocations Familiales (CAF).

Getting there: Accessible by plane and bus via Paris.

Cost of living: Approx. €600–€1,000.

Visas: If you are an EU citizen, a valid passport or identity card is sufficient. If you are a non-EU citizen, please check the visa requirements on the website of the French Embassy.

You can find further useful information here.

Semester dates

Winter semester

• Lecture period: mid-September/early October – December
• Examination period: January, February

Summer Semester

• Lecture period: February – May
• Examination period: May, June, July

You can find the current academic calendar at here.

Course selection / Teaching format

Whilst studying at UniMC, you will be enrolled on the ‘International Economic Relations’ track. You must contribute 64 ECTS from UniMC and take the following modules:

• Foreign Language (8 ECTS)
• Development Economics (8 ECTS)
• International Business Strategy (8 ECTS)
• International Trade Law (Modern Theory + Applied) (8 ECTS)
• Elective Courses (8 ECTS)
• Extracurricular Activities (8 ECTS)
• Final Thesis (including academic writing) (12 + 4 ECTS)

Recognition of academic achievements

General information on the recognition procedure can be found on the website of the Viadrina International Affairs division under the heading Recognition. The information provided there also applies to students on the dual degree programme. You must discuss your course selection with Torsten Glase to ensure they are recognised by Viadrina.

To obtain a degree from Viadrina, you must complete all the specified modules on your study course. To this end, you may, subject to agreement, have the courses taken abroad as part of the dual programme recognised for credit.

Recognition in accordance with the agreement with UniMC under the dual programme:

• The two courses “Development Economics” (8 ECTS) and “International Trade Law (mod. Theory + Applied)” (8 ECTS) can together be recognised as 3 courses, each worth 6 ECTS, in FINE at Viadrina. The course “International Business Strategy” is recognised for M&M, equivalent to 6 ECTS at Viadrina.
• The course “Electives” is recognised by us as an equivalent course (6 ECTS).
• “Extracurricular activities” can be recognised for (6 ECTS) in the non-economics module at Viadrina.
• The master's thesis, including the course “Academic Writing”, is recognised as 24 ECTS at Viadrina.

Master's thesis

• Students may complete their master's thesis at Viadrina or UniMC and select supervisors accordingly.
• Students must adhere to the procedures and deadlines of the institution at which they are completing their final thesis.
• The supervising institution grades the final thesis according to its own standards, and the partner institution recognises the master's thesis in accordance with its own grading system.
• Students must write the final thesis in English.
• The host institution will issue the diploma to visiting students once all the conditions of this agreement have been met. UniMC will issue the diploma only upon payment of the fees for its issue and dispatch.

Useful information

Accommodation
UniMC offers both ‘on-campus’ and ‘off-campus’ halls of residence, for which students must apply within a certain deadline; further information is available at here.

There are also private accommodation options, which UniMC provides information on. Further information is available here.

Insurance
All students must hold proof of health insurance valid in Italy for the entire duration of their stay in the country. This applies to both EU and non-EU citizens. You will also need the Codice Fiscale, which you must also apply for in order to study in Italy. Further information on the Italian healthcare system can be found here.

Getting here
There are several airports from which you can reach Macerata. The nearest airports are:

1) Ancona - Falconara Airport (only 70 km from Macerata) http://www.anconaairport.com/

2) Pescara Airport http://www.abruzzoairport.com/web/guest/home

3) Rimini Airport: http://www.riminiairport.com/

4) Rome Airports (Fiumicino or Ciampino):

• Fiumicino: http://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en-/pax-fco-fiumicino
• Ciampino: http://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en-/pax-cia-ciampino

5) Bologna Airport: http://www.bologna-airport.it/uk/?LN=UK

For further information on transport options from the airport to Macerata, please see here.

Application / specific requirements

You should apply for the dual programme via the Viadrina International Affairs Division. Detailed information on the application procedure and deadlines can be found at Application.

As part of your application, you will be invited to an interview attended by staff from Viadrina as well as colleagues from SGH.

Entry requirements:

• Open only to students on the Master’s programme in International Business Administration at Viadrina.
• Please also note the information under the heading ‘Language skills’.

Language skills

English:

• CEFR B2 (equivalent to Unicert II),
• CAE (C),
• TOEFL iBT 79,
• IELTS 6.0,
• LCCI Level 3 (Pass),
• TOEIC – 750 or
• confirmation from the Viadrina Language Centre that you possess the necessary language skills.

Polish: Knowledge of the language is welcome, but not a prerequisite.

Semester dates

Winter semester: End of September – mid-February.
Summer semester: Mid-February – end of June.

Please refer to the SGH website for the exact semester dates.

We recommend starting at the SGH in the winter semester. You will stay there for one year.
If you attend the SGH in the summer semester and your stay extends into the 5th subject semester, fees are payable per ECTS credit in the 5th subject semester (the amount varies, approx. 150 PLN per 1 ECTS).

Course selection / Teaching format

Course selection: During your study period at SGH, you can choose from the following fields of study at SGH, depending on your specialisation at Viadrina (track):

• Finance and Accounting Track
• International Business Track
• Management and Marketing Track

You must complete courses at SGH totalling at least 60–63.5 ECTS. These may be recognised by Viadrina subject to agreement. Most courses at SGH are worth only 3–4.5 ECTS, so two courses at SGH must be combined to count towards your Viadrina degree. The courses you need to take vary depending on the field of study you choose at SGH (see fields of study).

Teaching format: This is similar to that at Viadrina. The courses tend to be small, with a maximum of 30–40 participants. For courses with a lower number of ECTS credits, the workload is correspondingly lower.

Recognition of academic achievements

To obtain a degree from Viadrina, you must complete all the modules specified for your study course. To this end, you may, subject to agreement, have the courses taken abroad as part of the dual degree programme have them recognised .
To obtain a degree from SGH, you must complete the prescribed courses on site, depending on your chosen field of study. Credits earned at Viadrina are also recognised by SGH.

Master’s Thesis

From the 2021/22 winter semester onwards, the master's thesis will only be written and defended at the SGH. Your master's thesis will be awarded 20 ECTS credits at the SGH and recognised as 21 ECTS credits at Viadrina. The final thesis should be written in English.

The defence at SGH counts towards 3 ECTS at Viadrina. During the oral examination, you will also be required to answer general study-related questions. You will be provided with a list of approximately 91 questions for this purpose.

Useful information: insurance, accommodation, travel, etc.

Leave of absence: You cannot take a leave of absence during the semester in which you are writing your master's thesis, as the final thesis cannot be assessed during that period. You may apply for a leave of absence in the first semester; however, the credits earned during this leave of absence semester at the SGH cannot be recognised at Viadrina.

Insurance: If you are covered by statutory health insurance with a German health insurance fund and hold a European Health Insurance Card, this provides basic insurance cover for other (European) countries. You are free to take out additional insurance for your stay abroad.

Accommodation: There are two halls of residence near the campus, which are arranged through the SGH. Double rooms are available for approx. 400 PLN per month. Accommodation costs for privately arranged accommodation amount to approx. 800–1,600 PLN per month.

Getting there: The best way is by train on the Berlin–Warsaw Express (approx. 5.5 hours). If you book in advance, the fare is around €30 and you can take as much luggage as you like.

Cost of living: Around €600–€800 per month.

Visas: If you are an EU citizen, a valid passport or identity card is sufficient. If you are a non-EU citizen, please check the visa requirements on the Polish Embassy’s website.

Applications and specific requirements

To apply for the dual programme, please contact the Viadrina International Affairs division. Further details on the application procedure and deadlines can be found under Application.

Entry requirements:
The dual programme is open exclusively to IBA Master’s students enrolled in Marketing and Management or the General Track.
By the time of your departure for Vaasa, you must have already studied for at least two semesters at Viadrina.
You must have earned at least 50 ECTS credits by the time of your departure for Vaasa.
You must have sufficient language proficiency.

Language skills

To take part in the programme, you should have sufficient English language skills. The University of Vaasa requires appropriate proof of this, which must be submitted before the start of the exchange programme:

• CEFR level B2, e.g. UNICERT II or equivalent.

Knowledge of Finnish is welcome, but not a requirement.

Semester dates

Winter semester: early August – late December.

You can find the exact semester dates on the University of Vaasa website.

When planning your studies, please bear in mind that the academic calendar at Finnish universities differs from that at German universities. As a student on the double degree programme, your semester at the University of Vaasa begins in August or January. You will spend one year there.

Course selection / Teaching methods

Course selection: During your period of study, you must earn a total of at least 60 ECTS credits. Please consult the University of Vaasa’s website for course lists. In the first semester, you will complete all the required courses. The second semester is reserved for the Master’s seminar (MS) and the final thesis.

Information on the courses on offer and their recognition at Viadrina can be found on the following pages:

• Start of studies in the winter semester

Teaching methods: Please be prepared to complete assignments and presentations in addition to sitting exams. There is also a significant amount of group work.

Recognition of academic achievements

General information on the recognition procedure can be found on the website of the Viadrina International Affairs division under the heading Recognition. The information provided there also applies to students on the dual degree programme. You must discuss your course selection with Torsten Glase to ensure they are recognised by Viadrina.

To obtain a degree from Viadrina, you must complete all the specified modules in your study course. To this end, you may, subject to agreement, have the courses you have taken abroad as part of the dual degree programme recognised.

To obtain a degree from the University of Vaasa, you must send a transcript of your results (HiS Portal extract) to the University of Vaasa after completing your studies at Viadrina. The University of Vaasa will then issue you with a Master’s degree certificate.

Master’s Thesis

You will write your master's thesis during the second semester of your stay at the University of Vaasa. The final thesis is recognised by Viadrina as being worth 20 ECTS credits, meaning you do not need to write a second final thesis. The master's thesis must be written in English.

Please note: You cannot take a leave-of-absence semester for your second semester in Finland, during which the master's thesis is written.

Useful information: insurance, accommodation, travel arrangements, etc.

Sabbatical semester: You cannot take a sabbatical semester whilst studying abroad at the University of Vaasa, as credits earned abroad cannot be recognised if you take a leave of absence.

Insurance: If you are covered by statutory health insurance with a German health insurance provider and hold a European Health Insurance Card, this provides basic insurance cover for other European countries. If you do not yet have a European Health Insurance Card, you should apply for one from your insurance provider. Furthermore, we recommend that you take out supplementary insurance for the duration of your stay abroad.

If you are privately insured, please check what is covered and whether you have adequate insurance cover whilst in Finland. It is also advisable to take out supplementary insurance if necessary.

Accommodation: There are several halls of residence available, which are arranged through VOAS (Student Housing Foundation). Please note that some halls of residence are a little further away from the campus. Costs range from €190 to €300 per month. We would also be happy to put you in touch with students who have already completed a study period abroad at the University of Vaasa. Please send us a short email.

Getting there: You can travel by plane, train or bus. There are currently no direct flights to Vaasa. Usually, you’ll fly from Berlin to Helsinki and then continue on a connecting flight or by train.

Cost of living: Approx. €600 per month (food approx. €250, transport €30, accommodation €190–€300).

Visas: If you are an EU citizen, a valid passport or identity card is sufficient. If you are a non-EU citizen, please check the visa requirements on the website of the Finnish Embassy