International Business Administration (B.Sc.)

We are a university where everything is within easy reach and where personal interaction is key: you’ll study in close contact with your lecturers and in small, manageable study groups. The Viadrina Language Centre is your point of contact for language courses and exams. Throughout all stages of your studies, you’ll have access to a comprehensive range of advisory and support services, including a targeted Student Advisory Service, a supportive Centre for Teaching and Learning and a well-connected Career Center, which supports you on your path to a professional career whilst you are still studying. The Viadrina Start-up Center supports you if you wish to set up your own business. Through the Alumni Network, as a graduate, you can access important information, events and job vacancies.

On the English-taught IBA programme, you will enhance your international profile. An integrated semester abroad, the option of an international double degree and foreign language training throughout your studies will prepare you for the global job market – ideal conditions for successfully taking on responsibility in internationally active companies.

You will benefit from the university's unique location at the crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe, which offers you a one-of-a-kind pan-European perspective. You will have the opportunity to take the compulsory elective module ‘Business & Economics in Central and Eastern Europe’ and thus gain an in-depth understanding of economic development in Central and Eastern Europe.

On the IBA programme, you will acquire a grounding in economics, the ability to conduct academic research and the practical skills needed to launch your career in international business.

Through internships undertaken alongside your studies and practice-oriented seminars, you will gain insights into the corporate world. The international environment at Viadrina and the wide range of study abroad options offer you the opportunity to build your personal and professional international network whilst you are still studying.

With a degree in IBA, a wide range of career paths are open to you both in-country and abroad. Business management expertise is in demand in almost every sector – from international companies and start-ups to small and medium-sized enterprises, non-profit organisations, hospitals and public institutions.
Depending on your interests and areas of specialisation, you could, for example, work in the following fields:

• International Management
• Marketing and Sales
• Finance and Controlling
• Production and Logistics Management, Supply Chain Management
• Management Consultancy
• Tax Consultancy
• Auditing
• Project Management

The specialist, analytical and intercultural skills acquired during your degree will equip you for positions of responsibility in an international working environment, whilst also providing an excellent foundation for a future management role or a subsequent Master’s programme.

To enrol in the Bachelor’s programme IBA, you will need:

• a general or subject-specific university entrance qualification,
• a university of applied sciences entrance qualification, or
• a comparable school or educational qualification from Germany

If you did not obtain your university entrance qualification in Germany, you will need foreign qualifications that entitle you to enter higher education in Germany. 

Language requirements

English is the primary language of instruction and examination during the first three semesters. You must demonstrate proficiency in English at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The following certificates are accepted:

• Cambridge Advanced or Proficiency: at least 176 marks
• IELTS (Academic): a minimum of 6.5
• TOEFL (iBT only; TOEFL ID Code: 4782): a minimum of 4.5 (from 21 January 2026) or a minimum of 80 (until 20 January 2026)
• UNIcert II

You do not need to provide proof of German language proficiency when enrolling; however, they are an advantage when choosing from the range of German-taught courses. If you are unable to provide proof of German language proficiency, you must take German as a foreign language as part of the integrated foreign language programme.

Further information on language requirements in later semesters

If you wish to commence your studies in a later semester, you must meet the following German language requirements:
• for the 2nd semester = Council of Europe level A1,
• for the 3rd semester = Council of Europe level A2,
• for the 4th semester = Council of Europe level B1,
• from the 5th semester onwards = Council of Europe level B2.

You don’t need to be a maths expert to study IBA. However, maths is an important tool for understanding economic relationships and making informed decisions. You will come across it, for example, in the fields of market research, management accounting, finance and economics.

To get off to a good start with your studies, it helps if you have an interest in mathematical problems and possess a basic school-level understanding of the subject. This includes, in particular:

• structuring complex problems and developing suitable approaches to solving them,
• solving equations with variables,
• understanding and deriving functions, as well as
• solving simple optimisation problems

At Viadrina, the mathematics module at the start of the degree programme systematically revises and consolidates the most important fundamentals.

Admission to this study course is unrestricted. You will be offered a place on the study course if you meet the requirements and enrol within the deadlines.

Enrolment for the first subject semester is possible in the winter semester.

If you obtained your school-leaving qualification abroad, you are classified as an educational foreigner. In this case, your eligibility for admission will be assessed by uni-assist e.V. and shorter deadlines apply. Our step-by-step guide will help you with your application. Once uni-assist has reviewed your application, your documents will be forwarded to us. You will receive your login details for our viaCampus portal and further information on enrolment from the Admissions Office.

If you have obtained your school-leaving qualification in Germany or hold German citizenship, you enrol online directly in viaCampus. There, you will upload the required documents.

Enrolment for a higher subject semester is possible in viaCampus for both the winter and summer semesters. Please note that you will need a placement certificate to enrol in higher subject semesters. You can find information on the classification confirmation here. If you have any questions regarding credit recognition or planning your studies, your Student Advisory Service will be happy to assist you. For further information on enrolment, please visit our website Application and Enrolment.

If you are coming to Viadrina as a visiting student for a semester abroad, or if you have decided to complete your entire degree programme at Viadrina, you will find additional information for incoming students here.

Admissions Office: Advice on the application and enrolment process
Central Student Advisory Service: further advice on starting your studies (housing, financing, arriving)
Viadrina International Affairs: specific information and advice for prospective students from abroad

The foundation course (Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Grundlagenausbildung) is designed to provide guidance and equip you with the basics for your further studies. It comprises the following twelve compulsory modules, each worth six credits:

• Business Informatics

• Business Taxation
• Finance & Investments
• Financial Accounting
• International Management
• Macroeconomics
• Management Accounting
• Marketing
• Mathematics
• Microeconomics
• Production & Logistics
• Statistics

We recommend that you complete the modules in this area within the first three semesters.

As part of your specialisation, you will choose up to three of the following compulsory-elective module groups. In the additional elective area, you will study further economics modules in greater depth or take courses at neighbouring faculties. This allows you to tailor the focus of your degree programme to your interests and strengths.

Compulsory-elective module groups (min. 18, max. 36 credits)

Accounting: You will learn to systematically record, process and analyse company information, as well as to apply national and international accounting standards with confidence. Furthermore, you will develop an understanding of how financial information is used to manage companies and as a basis for strategic decisions. This will qualify you for demanding roles in the fields of accounting, management accounting, financial reporting, Wirtschaftsprüfung, tax consultancy and management consultancy.

Banking & Finance: You will acquire in-depth knowledge in the areas of corporate finance, capital markets and risk management. You will analyse complex financial issues and develop solutions to current challenges in the national and international financial sector. Courses are predominantly taught in English and prepare you for careers in banking, asset management, corporate finance, investment banking, financial consultancy and risk management.

Business & Economics in Central and Eastern Europe: You will gain in-depth knowledge of the economic structures, developments and specific characteristics of Central and Eastern Europe. The focus is on transformation processes, regional markets, economic policy frameworks and the region’s integration into international economic structures. With this regional and international expertise, you will be well-equipped for careers in internationally active companies, in corporate development and international project management, as well as in economic development and at international organisations.

Economics: You will learn to analyse and evaluate economic interrelationships and decision-making processes in a globalised economy. In doing so, you will acquire in-depth knowledge of the behaviour of businesses, consumers and governments, as well as the effects of economic policy measures. Your analytical and economic policy skills will open up a wide range of career prospects in companies, government departments, international organisations, research institutions, consultancy firms and professional associations.

Information & Operations Management: You will learn to successfully tackle management challenges across the entire value chain. You will focus on the planning, control and optimisation of production, logistics and business processes, as well as the digital transformation of organisations. Practical case studies will equip you with the ability to develop efficient solutions at the interface between management, IT, production and logistics. This will qualify you for roles in operations management, supply chain management, process management, management consultancy and digitalisation.

Marketing, Management & Entrepreneurship: You will learn to think entrepreneurially, recognise market potential, weigh up risks and develop innovative strategies for businesses.  You will discover how new products, services and business models are successfully established in the market. This opens up a wide range of career opportunities in marketing, product management, innovation management, consultancy, corporate development, as well as in start-ups and international companies.

Quantitative Methods: You will acquire the ability to tackle empirical questions independently, and to systematically collect, analyse and interpret data. In doing so, you will apply modern statistical and mathematical methods to economic problems. Your analytical expertise will particularly qualify you for roles in data analytics, business intelligence, market research, data science, management consultancy and controlling.

Taxation: You will acquire in-depth knowledge of national and international corporate taxation. You will learn to analyse the tax implications of business decisions and to develop practical solutions. This will qualify you for careers in tax consultancy, Wirtschaftsprüfung, tax compliance, and in the tax, accounting and finance departments of national and international companies.

Elective modules: The elective modules offer you the opportunity to tailor your degree programme to your individual needs and set your own academic priorities. You may take further economics modules outside your chosen specialisations or modules from other disciplines totalling up to 18 credits. Options include courses from the Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences and the Faculty of Law at Viadrina, as well as modules from other universities. Language courses, soft skills courses and work placements do not count towards your degree.

Options for structuring your specialisation (PDF)

The extracurricular and interdisciplinary qualifications include:

• Foreign languages (compulsory)
• Academic work (compulsory)
• Internship
• Other soft skills

Further information

In the second stage of your studies – once you have completed the modules in the foundation programme – you will undertake at least one integrated semester lasting a minimum of three months at one of our more than 290 partner universities worldwide (study period abroad).

Our International Office will assist you with the planning, organisation and recognition of credits for your time abroad.

You also have the option of completing the IBA study course as an international double degree. You will study at Viadrina and spend one year abroad, and will receive your degree from both universities.

We offer double degrees with the following partner universities:

• Universidad Católica de Córdoba (Argentina)
• University of Vaasa (Finland)
• ICN École de Management, Nancy (France)
• Toulouse Business School (France)
• SGH Warsaw School of Economics (Poland)
• V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine), online teaching

Further information

You will complete your degree with a Bachelor’s thesis and an accompanying final colloquium. In doing so, you will demonstrate that you are able to apply academic methods independently and produce texts based on sound academic knowledge.

Further information