Study Content
To cope with a globally networked business world you will be coached to develop essential competences in the domains of global business management, personal leadership and intercultural cooperation. Based on solid understanding of business fundamentals the programme offers a well-balanced mix of theoretical concepts, practical applications and personal development opportunities across all three domains.
Academic skills will be honed and practiced with an integrated approach to adopt scientific methodologies and to apply them to realworld business situations. Interdisciplinary electives afford you to engage in personal growth and international exposure.
Enhancing your international and intercultural experience
Up to half of the students originate from countries outside of the DACH region. To allow all other students to be exposed to international and intercultural conditions as well, the programme requires a short participation in one of the following options:
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A Study Trip in the elective Contextual Studies for about two weeks (e.g. to Tallin and Helsinki or to India) or Short Advanced Programmes (SAP´s) of our RUN-EU University
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A suitable short programme at one of our partner universities
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An individual programme subject or a waiver after approval
The programme is delivered exclusively in English and benefits from highly qualified lecturers with ample private sector and international lecturing experience.
Curriculum
| Course unit | ECTS | SHW |
| M1 Market and Customer Analysis | 3 | 1 |
| M1 Macro Economics and Global Market Analysis | 3 | 2 |
| M2 International Leadership | 4 | 2 |
| M2 Communication Skills Lab *PS | 2 | 2 |
| M4 International Human Resource Management *D | 3 | 2 |
| M4 International Supply Chain Management *D | 3 | 2 |
| M4 Decision Making under Uncertainty *D | 3 | 2 |
| M4 Managerial Finance *D | 4 | 3 |
| M4 Opportunity Analysis and Framing *PS | 3 | 1 |
| M5 Principles and Practices of Research | 2 | 1 |
| overall | 30 | 16 |
| Course unit | ECTS | SHW |
| M1 Digital Business Management | 3 | 2 |
| M1 Multinational Organisation and Strategy | 3 | 2 |
| M2 Leadership Skills Lab *PS | 3 | 2 |
| M2 Leading Change and Transformation | 4 | 2 |
| M2 Responsible Management | 3 | 2 |
| M3 Business Communication in English | 3 | 2 |
| K1 Contextual Studies | 6 | 4 |
| M5 Data Collection and Interpretation *PS | 3 | 1 |
| M5 Research Methods | 2 | 2 |
| overall | 30 | 19 |
| Course unit | ECTS | SHW |
| M1 Global Business Model Innovation *PS | 6 | 2 |
| M2 Organisational Behaviour | 3 | 2 |
| M2 Leadership Tools Lab *PS | 1 | 1 |
| M3 Cross Cultural Management | 3 | 2 |
| M3 Intercultural Business Negotiations *PS | 3 | 2 |
| M3 Legal Enviroment and Risk Management | 3 | 2 |
| K1 Contextual Studies *K | 6 | 4 |
| M5 Public Speaking and Presenting *PS | 2 | 2 |
| Research Semiar | 3 | 1 |
| overall | 30 | 18 |
| Course unit | ECTS | SHW |
| M1 Global Business Simulation *PS | 3 | 3 |
| Master Thesis | 25 | 0 |
| Master Exam | 2 | 0 |
| overall | 30 | 3 |
K - Contextual Studies
D | Mainly distant learning
PS | Project Skill Training
M1 - Global Business
M2 - Leadership
M3 - Interculturell Management
M4 - Business Fundamentales
M5 - Academic Skills and Business Transfers
ECTS: Credit points based on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Consistent with international standarts, 30 ECTS points ca be earned each semester.
SWS: Semester hours per week (SHW). One SHW corresponds to 15 instruction units (45 minutes each).
Learning content in detail
Study Concept
Each domain of the programme has been designed to consecutively build competences around essential managerial activities – analyse and interpret, decide and design as well as operate and learn.
Business Fundamentals:
Online classes with lectures and guided self-study delivered by experts from industry and academia will allow you to acquire necessary knowledge fast and effectively.
Global Business:
A solid understanding of the global business environment and market conditions serves as a basis to discuss options of strategic orientation in terms of organisation, business models and digital technology. Prototyping innovative ideas together with an international business simulation will test students´ managerial and leadership capabilities.
Leadership:
Contemporary leadership models and organisational theories will be discussed and offer plenty of opportunities to experience instruments and tools. They serve to develop personal as well as organisational skills needed to drive change and transformation in organisations well founded on insights about responsible management behaviour.
Intercultural Management:
The module is designed to explicitly emphasise aspects of intercultural communication in English as well as contemporary cultural models and its implications on selected business practices.
Academic Skills and Business Transfer:
Acquiring and applying scientific approaches to specific practical business problems as well as presenting results is being trained throughout the programme and will finally result in the delivery and defense of a Master Thesis.
Part-time studying
This Master’s degree programme is designed for professionals to continue their careers while offering a part-time programme compatible to the time demands of both, professional work and academic studies.
Programme features designed to help you organising your studies:
- Onsite interactive lectures are typically blocked within sessions of five to six weeks including exams
- Projects, group work and self-study options offer flexible timing with selective presence requirements
- The courses are scheduled well in advance and will be offered Fridays, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- A quarter of the course load will be delivered or available in some form of distance learning to allow for maximum time and location flexibility
- Modern infrastructure for online conferencing and collaboration is available to students and faculty
- Our library offers substantial and expanding access to electronic media (e.g., lecture notes, eBooks, journal articles).
Yet, work and study will require high commitment and discipline on your part. We therefore highly recommend the work commitment for participants in part-time study programmes not to exceed 80% of normal work hours.
Thinking ahead with Contextual Studies
The Contextual Studies at the FHV is a flexible part of your master's degree programme and a special feature among Austria's universities of applied sciences. It allows you to pursue personal questions of interest, to work independently and explore new territory: in research, in other cultures or disciplines.
Master's degree programmes at our university of applied sciences are characterised by three elements:
1. Core Studies:
The compulsory fundamental subjects in core studies establish the specialist skills and support your professional competences.
2. Specialisation Studies:
In the chosen field of specialisation, you will enhance and specialise - depending on the degree programme - your professional access based on your interests and career goals.
3. Contextual Studies:
In a selection of more than 40 courses, you cross the boundaries between:
- disciplines and schools of thought (interdisciplinarity)
- cultures, languages and countries (internationality)
- current knowledge and the future (research and development)
Your degree programme takes you through all three basic elements. This process allows you to deepen and broaden your skills while letting you incorporate your personal interests in your programme of study.