Business PF

International Study Program | ISP

Bachelor level business courses offered in English at Pforzheim University

Information for incoming bachelor exchange students from our partner universities

> Program Overview

 

Are you looking for a real international experience for your study abroad semester,
at a program which enjoys great evaluations* for many years?

– Welcome to the International Study Program (ISP) at Pforzheim University!

  • The ISP offers 60+ business courses taught in English** to exchange students from our partner universities as well as to our domestic students
    - As a result, you as an exchange student will quickly become a vital part of our university life.

  • With around  200 incoming students every year from over 30 countries around the world, we offer you an exciting and inspiring semester abroad with new impressions, lively discussions and rich interaction at a highly reputable business school.

  • Our Business School provides the ISP core. Courses from the Department of Industrial Engineering, which is part of the School of Engineering, increasingly extend the comprehensive ISP program.

  • ISP provides field trips to German & European firms/institutions & cooperates with our student initiatives to offer further organized visits.

 

Good reasons to choose Pforzheim University’s International Study Program for your study abroad semester:

> Studying in Germany's most innovative region - at the gateway to the charming Black Forest!  

Facts & options:

  • Many internationally renowned companies such as Daimler, Porsche, Bosch, SAP as well as powerful small and medium-sized enterprises have their headquarters in this southern German region.

  • Well over 1000 students of Pforzheim University spend one semester in a company every year; all of these mandatory internships are supervised by the university and are an essential part of the curriculum.

  • More than half of all students write their mandatory final thesis in cooperation with a company.

  • Well over 70 companies are actively recruiting on campus every semester.

  • More and more international exchange students add an internship (of min. 100 working days) to their study abroad period in Germany.
    Our school's career center & the ISP Management will provide interested candidates with further information about how to find an internship.

 

Pforzheim forms the northern gateway to the Black Forest, Germany's biggest nature park.

The city is located between Stuttgart and Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, which  is  Germany's most innovative region.

Black Forest - Kaiserstuhl vineyards Oberrotweil

 

> Enjoy high quality education!

Our commitment to quality and continuous improvement is confirmed by the accreditation of AACSB International. The Business School Pforzheim and its degree programs are entitled to display the prestigious international "AASCB-accredited" seal of approval from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). As an AACSB-accredited institution, the School of Business and Law, together with the study programs in Engineering of the university's Engineering School, is one of the best business schools internationally.

Furthermore all 13 Bachelor's programs in Business Administration have been awarded the "EFMD-accredited" seal of quality by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). This makes Pforzheim the first and only business school in the German-speaking area to hold both the EFMD accreditation and the AACSB seal of excellence.

 

 

> Get business insight!

As a university with an applied mandate, we deliver business competence, not just theory.

Our professors do not only hold Doctoral degrees – they have worked for at least for three years in the industry. Our teaching is based on research as well as on professional experience.

ISP student group on a field trip to BMW in Munich

> International diversity – enjoy a real international experience!

We welcome around 200 incoming students every year from over 30 countries around the world.

Thus, intercultural networking begins right in the classroom.

 

> Attractive range of business classes taught in English!

With over 3500 students and 97 full-time professors, our Business School is one of the largest in Germany.

As a result, every semester you will have access to well over 60 classes in Business Administration and Economics, entirely taught in English.

These course offerings are completed by contextual studies such as »The History of German Art« and »Challenges and Perspectives of the European Integration«

 

 

Robert, USA, ISP study semester & internship semester

“I like my experience at Pforzheim Business School to none other. Not only is the faculty excellent and the classes informative and interesting, but also I made valuable connections that have opened great opportunities for me in my career, including an internship semester at one of Germany’s strongest global enterprises.”

 

 

 

*Evaluations – we feel honored that our ISP program consistently enjoys great feedback from the participating students.

**Course offerings – if you are you already fluent in German, please feel encouraged to participate in our well over 200 business courses offered in the German language.

 

ISP Exchange Scenarios & Prerequisites

Exchange Scenarios

International students coming to Pforzheim University Business School do have the following options for designing their study abroad period - based on agreement of their home universities:

1) CEFR B1 in the German language is the level which is necessary to acquire the German citizenship
2) Please note, that students will apply for their internship semester in Germany by themselves

 

 

ISP-Prerequisites

Language Requirements

Exchange students should have the necessary command of either the English or the German language in order to follow lectures in the respective language (depending on the language of instruction for the courses they wish to attend).

  • To attend courses taught in English, students are expected to have earned TOEFL results of more than 87 (TOEFLiBT) or equivalent results in a comparable test.
  • To attend business courses taught in German, students are expected to have mastered Level B2 according to the Common European Reference Framework (CEFR).

General Prerequisites

  • Exchange students should have successfully completed at least one full year of study in Accounting, Business Administration or Economics at their home university.
  • All incoming students are expected to have passed courses in Analysis / Calculus, and Introductory Statistics
  • In addition, exchange students enrolling in one of our specialization offerings should be familiar with Introductory Microeconomics and Introductory
    Macroeconomics.
  • To enroll in the specializations in International Business or Marketing, students must have familiarity with Management Accounting / Cost Accounting on an introductory level.
  • Students enrolling in the specializations in International Business should have an understanding of Fundamentals of Corporate Finance.
  • Furthermore, students are kindly asked to carefully check the specific prerequisites for individual courses as indicated in the course descriptions/syllabi.
ISP field to Berlin: Students in front of the Federal Chancellery
   

“I feel very honored to have experienced Pforzheim University‘s learning environment. The open atmosphere, the multi-cooperative model of studying and the warm help of the professors have really made me grow in the past months. I am in love with the university and the city. My semester in Pforzheim will always be a great memory and have a great impact on my future studies!”

Hi there, I am Yongzong from China!

 

 

 

 

Course offerings

   

Tata, Georgia, 1-semester exchange
“People always ask me why I chose ISP: Studying at Pforzheim Business School was not just attending classes and writing exams. This school offered me much more. Our classes were so interesting that I didn’t miss any of them. I attended various field trips, games, cultural activities, that were organized by university. Today I have friends from half of the world and my year at Pforzheim University had a huge effect on my career.” 

 

 

 


ISP offers two non-degree certificates

  • The “Certificate International Study Program” issued to students who successfully complete courses with a total workload of 30 ECTS credits.
  • The “Diploma International Study Program” for students earning 60 ECTS credits within two semesters.
    Students may achieve the required number of credits by successfully passing courses with a total workload of 60 ECTS credits, or
    by combining successfully completed courses with a total workload of 30 ECTS credits from the first semester of study,
    with an one-semester internship completed in the second semester.

 

 

   

Julia, Australia, 1-semester exchange
“Hochschule Pforzheim is a fun and diverse place to study and meet new friends from all over the world. I have enjoyed adapting to a new, German culture including beer, brezels and curry wurst. Pforzheim is full of hidden gems which are perfect to relax in on a sunny afternoon with friends. HS PF has been very welcoming and flexible with the needs of the international students. I loved all of the ‘meet and greet’ type events at the beginning of the semester which helped us meet new people from both Germany and other countries. The ISP and Gemini excursions had been fantastic as well.”