The degree program is designed as a full-time program and not as a part-time program. Courses take place throughout the week at weekly or bi-weekly intervals as well as on different days of the week in blocks - possibly also once on Saturdays. The attendance time, including preparation and follow-up work, amounts to approx. 30 credits per semester and is designed to be 40 hours per week. It is usually possible to work as a working student, but only for a few hours per week.
Upon enrolment and re-registration, a small fee for administrative costs, for the student ID card and a student body fee must be paid.
For German students, students with citizenship within the EU or the EEA and so-called educated foreigners (e.g. non-EU citizens with a German Abitur), there are no tuition fees for consecutive degree programs at public universities in Baden-Württemberg. However, for all students who have completed another Master's degree program before, a fee of €650 per semester has to be paid.
International students who do not belong to the aforementioned groups have to pay a personal contribution of €1,500.
You can find more information at: https://www.hs-pforzheim.de/studium/vor_dem_studium/bewerbung/gebuehren
No, that's not possible. It is a full-time program - please read the answer to the question "What does full-time study mean?".
The MCCM is specifically designed as an intensive three-semester program to provide you with a quick qualification.
However, as a university of applied sciences, we attach particular importance to the interlinking of theory and practice. For this reason, we welcome the opportunity for you to work as a working student alongside your Master's degree a few hours per week.
The number of credits (= ECTS points, European Credit Transfer System) indicates the workload for a course. One ECTS point corresponds to approx. 25 to 30 hours of work. An academic year (two semesters) with 60 ECTS points therefore comprises a workload of 1,500 to 1,800 hours - although the individual amount of time you need to achieve the learning objectives set out in the degree program may well deviate from this average value.
No, there is no numerus clausus (NC). If you have completed your previous Bachelor's degree with an overall grade of 2.2 (German grading system) or better, you meet the grade threshold for an application. Your application would therefore be accepted into the procedure. If you have a grade of 2.3 or worse, you will automatically be rejected.
You will need a short CV, your university entrance qualification, your (provisional) Bachelor's or diploma certificate, a letter of motivation of no more than two pages in English, proof of English (B2) and proof of your professional experience, if available (e.g. work references). Proof of German language skills is not necessary. Further information and any other documents required are regulated by the current admission regulations. You can find more information on this in the section "Application".
For applicants with an international degree, the Bachelor's or diploma certificate must be translated into English or German and uploaded in a notarised form.
Up to 100 points can be achieved in the pre-selection process, of which a maximum of 15 points can be awarded for the grade of the university entrance qualification (HZB, e.g. Abitur), a maximum of 30 points for the grade of the previous university degree, a maximum of 20 points for the quality of the letter of motivation and a maximum of 35 points for subject-specific professional or academic background that can be applied. The scoring points for subject-specific professional experience or undergraduate courses are made up of up to 20 points for relevant subjects in the field of corporate communication from previous studies (suitable subjects include corporate communication, public relations, communication management, marketing communication/advertising, journalism, market and communication research, media management or marketing), up to 5 points for a relevant thesis from previous studies and up to 10 points for relevant practical experience such as internships, verified by certificates. This and further information can be found in the admission regulations for the MCCM.
IMPORTANT: In order for us to assess the relevance of your thesis topic and the exact scope of your subject-specific practical activity, we require the proof of documents. The thesis can be taken into account for the awarding of points as soon as it has been officially registered. Please enclose a confirmation of registration from the examination office or a short, informal confirmation (e.g. email correspondence) from your first assessor stating the topic. For the assessment of your practical experience, we require internship or work certificates or references that clearly state from when to when you worked and in which area your tasks were located. Only if it is clear from the certificate or reference that it was a relevant activity can we take it into account when awarding points. The references do not have to be notarized. The requirement for certification applies in particular to school leaving certificates, bachelor's/diploma certificates and any other certificates or documents enclosed.
The first selection stage is carried out by assessing your written documents and awarding points in accordance with the admission regulations. The language certificate and proof of relevant professional experience can be submitted at a later stage up to the time of enrollment. However, if proof of relevant professional experience is not available at the time of the pre-selection assessment, the relevant criterion will be included in the first selection stage with 0 points. If the number of points is still sufficient for an invitation and ultimately for admission, admission is only granted on condition that the missing evidence is submitted later. This means that admission will expire if the evidence - in particular the language certificate - is not provided in time. We therefore recommend that you take care of all certificates in good time and submit them directly with your application. This will improve your chances of admission.
If you do not have your Bachelor's certificate by the application deadline, you can provide it by the end of your first MCCM semester. However, there is a minimum score for the application and other things to consider. The admission regulations state: "Admission to a Master's degree program can also be applied for if the Bachelor's degree is not yet available due to the absence of individual examination results and it can be expected on the basis of the course of study to date that the Bachelor's degree and the standards associated with it will be fulfilled. Applications are inadmissible if proof of examination achievements amounting to more than 30 ECTS has not yet been provided. Affected applicants take part in the selection procedure with an average grade, which is determined on the basis of previous examination results; the result of the Bachelor's degree is not taken into account. Proof of the average grade in accordance with sentence 1 is provided by a certificate from the university at which the Bachelor's degree is to be obtained. In the case of an application in accordance with sentence 1, admission shall be granted subject to the proviso that proof of the Bachelor's degree and related requirements is provided by the last day of lectures of the first semester of the Master's degree course in question. If proof is not provided by the deadline, admission will expire and the student will be de-registered. Proof of exmatriculation from the previous degree course must be submitted by the time of enrolment at the latest; otherwise admission to the Master's degree course will be revoked."
If your thesis has already been registered, it can be considered for the first stage of the selection process. In this case, please enclose a certificate of registration for the Bachelor's thesis from the Examination Office or a short informal certificate (e.g. e-mail correspondence) from your supervising first assessor stating the registered (working) title of the thesis with your certificate or provisional transcript of records. If no such proof is provided, the selection committee will award 0 points in the "relevant thesis" section.
Your English language skills should correspond to at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, usually proven e.g. by TOEFL, Cambridge Certificate, IELTS (paper-based or online), LCCI, TELC or TOEIC. Proof of a degree from an English-speaking university is also accepted as equivalent to B2 (a semester abroad is not sufficient). Alternatively, explicit confirmation of level B2 from a state-recognized German university will also be accepted as part of the application. Proof of B2 level in the Abitur certificate or Fachhochschulreife certificate as well as other proofs than those mentioned are not recognized. Especially the Duolingo English Test cannot be recognized as proof of your English proficiency. The Oxford Placement Test can only be recognized if it was verifiably taken within 60 minutes and under supervision.
Important note for TOEFL tests (or equivalent): A successfully completed TOEFL test will be accepted as part of your application process even if its two-year formal validity has already expired. This means that if you have already taken a TOEFL test, you do not need to retake it. It is still valid as part of your application for the MCCM.
These are undergraduate programs such as business administration, management, communication studies, communications, communication management, media management, marketing, marketing communication, advertising, public relations, corporate communication, journalism, market(ing) research or related fields. In the case of a bachelor’s degree in administration, courses on marketing/communications are not required; however, during the first phase of the selection process, up to 35 points out of 100 will be awarded for any relevant subject-specific professional experience or academic training in the field of communication - e.g. as a minor, as a specialization or elective.
Both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree are valid as an entry qualification. At the MCCM, we award the title "Master of Science" (M.Sc.) to express that the program combines a research perspective on communications closely linked with the applied focus of our university’s DNA . We train our students for the needs of practice - well-founded in theory, scientifically sound and based on solid methodological knowledge. Additionally, with its focus on research-oriented teaching, the Master of Science degree can facilitate the transition to a doctoral program.
The admission procedure consists of two stages. In the first stage, you submit your online application via Pforzheim University's Master's online application portal. The selection committee will then review your application on the basis of your information by evaluating the criteria set out in the admission regulations and ranking the applicants. Applicants who are ranked higher will be invited to a personal selection interview for the second stage.
In general, the digital selection interviews are held at the beginning of July. However, if a large number of applications has been submitted well before the application deadline on June 15, the selection interviews may also take place over a longer period of time, starting around as early as mid-June.
If you are invited to an interview, you will receive an e-mail to the e-mail address that you provided on the application platform.
The admission committee will review all applications as quickly as possible after they have been submitted. If you are among the top-ranked applicants, you will be invited to an interview. You will then receive an invitation by e-mail with further information and a suggested date.
We kindly ask you to refrain from making any inquiries during the selection process.
International and intercultural experience is valuable and has become a prerequisite for many jobs. Although a semester abroad is not mandatory when doing the MCCM, we recommend that you have completed at least one semester or internship abroad during your undergraduate or graduate studies. We offer MCCM students the opportunity to study abroad through our network of partner universities, which either have AACSB accreditation to ensure the proven quality of their education or are among the leading business schools in their country. We endeavor to make a good match based on preferences.
The third semester is explicitly designed as a mobility window: Instead of taking the compulsory electives in Pforzheim, you can spend the fall term abroad without extending your studies. To ensure that the coursework completed abroad can later be recognized for the MCCM, the head of degree program will develop a learning agreement with you before your stay abroad. At Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences, we support you in preparing for a semester abroad: In addition to the head of degree programme, you can contact internationalization advisors from the faculty, the International Office and - once you know which university you would like to study at - specific contact persons for the respective host country.
Please note that you must have successfully completed a TOEFL test for a semester abroad - ideally at the start of your studies.
A window for mobility means that you have a choice how to spend your third semester: You can either take the compulsory electives "at home" at Pforzheim University or spend a semester abroad at one of our partner universities around the world. A semester abroad does not result in an extension of the study period, as ECTS from abroad are counted as part of the mobility window.
No, it does not matter whether you apply with 180 or more ECTS credits. Since a Master's degree in the EU is only possible with 300 ECTS, 30 ECTS must be completed in addition to the regular 90 ECTS - usually in the form of a fourth semester. The additional 30 ECTS can be chosen individually: through additional courses at Pforzheim University, through courses as part of a semester abroad or in the form of an internship. How the credits are put together depends on your preferences. In the first weeks of your MCCM studies, you will discuss your preferences with the program director and sign a so-called "individual study agreement" (Verbindliche Studienvereinbarung, vSV).
The mandatory study agreement (verbindliche Studienvereinbarung, vSV) is signed between the program director and the individual student in the first weeks of your MCCM studies. This is the case if a student brings 180 ECTS credits from the undergraduate program and has to complete additional 30 points in order to receive the Master's degree.
The M.Sc. in Corporate Communication Management was accredited by AQAS in 2015 as part of a program accreditation. The national accreditation was awarded without any areas of improvement, meaning that the program is clearly aligned with the program goals and is well structured.
The international AACSB seal, which the Business School and all study programs have been awarded since 2011, is an additional certificate of recognition. For you as a student, the two accreditations stand for a high level of quality.
In the „program overview“ section, you will find detailed information on what makes the MCCM at Pforzheim University so special. In the "Content" section, we explain the structure and content of the program. If you compare these with other communication degree programs - e.g. PR/Communication Management or Marketing Communication - you will see that our approach is holistic. It is focused on corporate communication and, by being embedded in a business school, covers management and leadership in a unique way.
The MCCM is unique in terms of its content and its integration into an AACSB-accredited business school. You will find further benefits of the MCCM in the section "Career Opportunities".
There is an increasing demand for corporate communication executives who are capable of integrated planning, consulting and evaluation. Future communicators require communication and business skills. They should be able to think in a cross-disciplinary way and manage communication regardless of disciplinary boundaries.
The MCCM is also unique in the German-speaking world in terms of its content and its integration into an AACSB-accredited business school. You can find further reasons for the MCCM in the section "Career opportunities". There you will find information on current developments on the labour market and the professional fields for which the MCCM qualifies.
The MCCM is taught exclusively by professors from Pforzheim University, experienced lecturers from practice and international guest professors from abroad. The Master's program is headed by Professor Dr. Simone Huck-Sandhu and Professor Dr. Felix Krebber, two senior professors who have a professional and academic background in corporate communication and who are well connected in the field. Lecturers from the world of practice, who usually have a PhD and several years of professional experience, will give you first-hand insights into the professional field. This means that you learn at the cutting edge of communication research and practice - and decide for yourself over the course of your studies whether you would like to work on more research-oriented or more practice-oriented projects. Several of the courses are also offered by professors from Pforzheim's partner universities abroad.
Internships are not a mandatory component of the Master's program. Students who bring 210 ECTS from their undergraduate studies, can complete an internship at their own initiative during a semester off. For students whose first academic degree comprises 180 credits and who therefore still have to complete a total of 30 additional credits in order to achieve the 300 credits required for a Master's degree, this can be done via internships. Job ads can be found in the job database of Pforzheim University.
The Master's program emphasizes application-oriented research. It therefore qualifies students for research positions in companies, non-profit organizations or agencies, but also opens up the path to a doctorate. With this Master's degree, it is possible to do a doctorate at a university in Germany or abroad. Pforzheim University does not have a doctoral school in the field of communication and, thus, does not offer a Ph.D. degree program.
The business school and the study programs of engineering and management at Pforzheim University have received the AACSB accreditation in 2011. With this seal of excellence, Business School Pforzheim has made a commitment to provide high-quality management education. It thus joins the ranks of the world's most prestigious higher education institutions: The seal of the world's leading accreditation institution for business schools, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), certifies that the business school meets the highest international standards. In fact, Pforzheim University was the first university of applied sciences in Germany to be awarded this seal.
AACSB accreditation has the following advantages for students:
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Verified excellence of the courses offered
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A very good learning and teaching environment
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High level of interaction between students and professors
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Professors who are active in teaching and applied research. This means that empirical findings are continuously incorporated into teaching materials
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Close relationships with business practice
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High-quality foreign partner universities
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Excellent career opportunities for graduates
You can find more information about AACSB accreditation here.
The winter semester begins at the end of September/beginning of October and ends around mid-February. The summer semester usually begins in mid-March and ends around mid-July. This means that there are around 4 weeks without lectures between the winter and summer semesters, i.e. without courses in Pforzheim; the lecture-free break between the summer and winter semesters with around 3 months is longer.
