If brands are your passion, then the MCM is right for you.
The MA in Creative Communication & Brand Management (MCM) is designed for BA/BSc graduates in the areas of Design and Business Administration. The programme brings students from those two different backgrounds together and develops them into Master’s graduates able to solve complex brand marketing problems at the local and global level.
The program is mainly taught in German. Applicants whose first language is not German should be fluent in German (level C1 is required).
Who is this Master’s program suitable for?
Through the combination of marketing communications, brand management and design, MCM students learn all necessary skills to solve complex brand communications problems at the intersection between marketing and design/creativity. If brands are your passion, then the MCM is right for you.
How long would I study for an MCM and how is the program structured?
The MCM is taught over three semesters. During semester 1, students with a marketing BA/BSc degree take classes on the fundamentals of design in our School of Design. Meanwhile, students with a design BA/BSc degree lay a foundation in marketing in our Business School. All students then spend the final two semesters together learning the theory of creative communications and branding on a national and global level. They also work in interdisciplinary teams on industry projects from a range of companies with which we cooperate – also in the luxury sector.
What kind of roles in industry does the MCM prepare students for?
MCM graduates take up positions such as brand managers in industry players and account executives in communications and digital communications agencies. Graduates of the programme are currently working at companies such as SAP, Bosch and Hugo Boss. Meet some of our alumni by clicking here.
How can I find out more about the MCM?
Application procedures are described in the German website.
Contact us: mcm(at)hs-pforzheim(dot)de
What does the MCM offer you?
In the overview you can see all the courses you will take on your way to our Master's degree.
On the following pages you will find our General Study and Examination Regulations.
"Luxury becomes science" at Pforzheim University, wrote the FAZ. Fernando Fastoso has been researching and teaching Brand Management with us since September 2020, in particular Luxury und Global Branding. There has been a great deal of excitement about the professorship. Perhaps this is because Germans have a difficult relationship with luxury, says Fernando Fastoso in an interview with “Wirtschaftswoche“. Unusual, he thinks, as many globally coveted German luxury brands such as Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Lange&Söhne, Glashütte Original and Poggenpohl are very successful internationally.
In the MCM you will learn what makes strong brands - also in the luxury and high-class sector. If this interests you, you can specialise in this area. However, you can also specialise in other areas such as digital marketing and sustainability. Take a look at the expertise of our professors in the MCM team.
During the MCM you can study abroad for a semester. We are convinced that experience abroad is a decisive advantage in today's working world. That is why we support you if you would like to go abroad during your studies. You can choose a destination for your semester abroad from a wide range of partner universities.
Below, some of our MCM students talk about their experiences during their semester abroad:
Lea Köppikus spent a semester studying at BSB Dijon. She explains:
"I really like it in Dijon, you have lots of opportunities to go out: Drinking wine, eating out, partying. The area around Dijon is also very beautiful and you can experience a lot. I chose Dijon because of the university and the courses in luxury management and innovation, but also because I have a great interest in wine."
Constanze Fraundorf spent a semester at the University of Wyoming in the USA. She tells us:
"Living and studying in the USA is well worth the experience! You can experience a lot besides studying: National Park, football games, swing & line dancing, daily events at the university - you never get bored. I chose the UW to improve my English and experience the typical American college life... and I love it! ;)"
Vanessa Stelle studied for a semester at the Universita Degli Studi di Trento. She explains:
"I really like it in Trento and I'm surprised at how much the city and region have to offer. The university is very well organised and the lectures are super exciting. You usually have four hours per week per subject: two hours of theory and two hours of practice. This means you learn the theory much faster. What I enjoy most here is the food and the beautiful nature."
"I completed my bachelor's degree in fashion at the design faculty in 2019 and returned for my master's degree. So I've known Pforzheim for five years now and have lived in all kinds of different neighbourhoods. I think it's great that so many different fields of study come together in this city and inspire each other. It's especially nice to have a barbecue by the Nagold in summer."
Klara, MCM 2nd semester
"For me, Pforzheim is like love: you don't always fall in love at first sight, sometimes it just takes a little time. That's how I personally felt about Pforzheim. The city is small but has a lot to offer and so the bond between the students is very strong. Everyone is happy to accept you into their "group" and is willing to share the beautiful, hidden corners."
Chiara, MCM 2nd semester
"I did my Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design in Pforzheim and really enjoyed the exchange with other students back then. Even now in the Master's programme, it's great to have so many students around me. The Nagold and the Schmuckpark are particularly nice for a relaxed get-together."
Max, MCM 2nd semester
"For me, studying at Pforzheim University doesn't just mean investing in my future. I have found my second home among the students, which is why I decided to complete my Master's degree in Pforzheim again. For me, Pforzheim is more than what parents see on a short visit - I see the beautiful cafés and bars that have something to offer for every taste or Sunday walks along the River Enz. The university with its staff and students is super personal and the various initiatives regularly organise events that are an absolute must. If you let it, I think everyone here thinks back to their student days with a smile."
Constanze, MCM 2nd semester
"Even though Pforzelona often leaves a bad first impression, you can have a really good time here. For me, the many contrasts that Pforzheim offers are what make this city so special. The ugly cityscape to the beautiful corners of nature. The quaint pubs to the chic bars. The mix of people from designers and technicians to business graduates. Somehow you can find everything here and everyone finds the right environment of people and opportunities. It was easy for me to connect so that my circle of friends and acquaintances consists of a wide variety of degree programmes and groups of people. In the end, Pforzheim is what you make of it and lives for me through the people I spend time with here."
Sebastian, MCM 2nd semester
What career opportunities does the MCM open up?
The MCM offers a top qualification with excellent entry and promotion prospects to management positions. Our graduates find employment as executives or self-employed in the "classic" communication-related fields at the interface between creativity and management, e.g. in:
- Design-Management
- Brand-Management
- Digital Marketing Management
- Account Management
- Public Relations Management
- Communications Management
The MCM degree also entitles the holder to enter the higher civil service career path (e.g. secondary school teachers, vocational school teachers, higher civil service career path) and is therefore equivalent to a university degree. This qualification therefore also fulfils the requirements for admission to a doctoral programme at a university. However, the local university-specific conditions must still be observed.
On the following pages you can see which companies and organisations our alumni are working for today:
Frank Dittrich
What are you currently doing?
I am Managing Partner Client & Growth at the global creative network Ogilvy in Germany and lead the Frankfurt and Düsseldorf offices.
How did your Master's programme influence you?
Two hearts beat in my heart: strategy and creativity. So the path to Pforzheim for the MCM was clear pretty quickly, because both can be lived out there and combined with business management teaching content. The MCM is a degree programme that is in tune with the times and was already pioneering at the time. It has understood that "business creativity" makes the difference and always puts people at the centre. In addition to brand, marketing, strategy, creativity etc., soft skills training is not neglected and prepares you perfectly for your professional life.
Patricia Winterhalter
What are you currently doing?
I am Employer Brand Lead at the Haufe Group. In this role, I am responsible for the strategic direction of the employer brand and its implementation in communicative, procedural and structural measures. The main areas of responsibility are the internal networking of all people and projects that contribute to the employer brand, the strategic (further) development of the brand and the transfer to internal and external communication in every respect.
How has your Master's programme influenced you?
The Master's programme in Creative Communications and Brand Management in Pforzheim laid the foundation for my professional career. The intersections of design, brand management and marketing communication are very valuable to me today. In addition to the specialised and methodological knowledge, I am particularly grateful for the valuable soft skills courses. The degree programme always gave me the right impetus and the necessary freedom to develop professionally and personally. In Pforzheim, I learnt how to use my freedom to shape things with the necessary degree of strategic and knowledge-based orientation. Today, this enables me to successfully realise projects even with the most difficult challenges.
Timo Fischer
What are you currently doing?
I am a Senior Consultant at Capgemini Invent, a global management consultancy specialising in digital transformation. I often support companies in the area of service innovation to develop relevant products and services together with renowned creative partners and agencies from the Capgemini Group.
How has your Master's programme influenced you?
Today, we live and do business in a much more complex and international world than was the case just a few years ago. This increases the need for interface functions or people who feel at home in roles with a high degree of overlap with other specialist areas, cultures or technologies and who can turn challenges into opportunities for the benefit of all those involved. With its focus on communication, creativity, management, strategy and interdisciplinarity, the MCM provides a broad basis for all those who want to actively develop solutions for the problems of tomorrow.
Marie Rochow
What are you currently doing?
I currently work at SAP SE in the Management Office & Communications in Customer Solution Support & Innovation. My areas of responsibility include brand & project management in the areas of executive, internal & external communication & design.
How did your Master's programme influence you?
When I made the decision to move from Berlin to Pforzheim for my Master's degree in Creative Communication & Brand Management, I was often looked at with wide eyes. In hindsight, I can say that this decision and studying at Pforzheim University was one of the best decisions of my life. In particular, the interdisciplinary and practical orientation of the degree programme strengthened me in my personal and professional development.
My idea of becoming the interface between content/marketing and design in my career through the Master's programme has become a reality in my current role at SAP SE.
Application and Admission Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or equivalent first degree from a university/university of applied sciences: in design or business administration with focus on marketing or a degree program with a similar focus.
Bachelor's with first degree in business administration should have the grade 2,0 or above. Bachelor's with first degree in design should have grade 2,5 or above.
Tuition Fees
Administrative costs, fees for the student id card and a contribution to the student body. No tuition fee for German students, EU or EEA nationals and students with a German university entrance qualification. For other international students: tuition fee of 1,500 euros per semester in Baden-Wuerttemberg (more info here).
The program imparts theoretical fundamentals and practical expertise. It is based on an innovative teaching and learning concept that focuses on small groups, interactive learning and the direct application of knowledge to research or practice. Courses are taught by professors who combine their professional experience with the latest research.
Starting in the first semester, the program offers students course options. By choosing your preferences, you can leave a personal mark on your studies depending on your interest and career destination (for example the field of elective subjects, practice and research projects or experimental working). Even on an international level, if you wish: There is the option of spending the 4th semester abroad. Business School Pforzheim has a high-ranking network of partner universities around the world.
Our Business School is Germany's first AACSB-accredited University of Applied Sciences – and only one of eleven universities of any kind in Germany to be accredited. This international accreditation reflects the high quality of out teaching and research, and a culture of continuous improvement both of our internal processes and of the student experience.
