International Sustainability Management

  • Degree
    Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.)
  • Type of study
    Full-time study
  • Standard period of study
    7 Semester
  • Commencement of studies
    Winter semester (1 Oct)
  • Credits (ECTS)
    210
  • Language of instruction
    German / English
  • Department / Central Institute
    Department of Business and Economics

Degree programme

Climate change, scarcity of natural resources and living conditions in the Global South are fundamental challenges of our generation. Companies worldwide realise that they are called upon to play a major new role – that of problem solvers instead of polluters – and that the social responsibility of business goes way beyond that of increasing profits: sustainability is key now!

However, sustainable development is tricky: It is about striking a balance between environmental, economic and social effects. Managerial decisions must be based on a long-term view and should be informed by a science-based understanding of environmental and social issues.

The bachelor's degree program International Sustainability Management (B.Sc.) explores these complex interdependencies and imparts essential skills to figure out sustainable solutions to everyday or once-in-a-lifetime business decisions and to communicate the resulting effects to different stakeholders.

Professional field

Graduates of this degree program have excellent entry-level opportunities with international companies and organisations. They work in both strategic and operative management, especially in the areas of Supply Chain Management, Management Accounting, and Sustainability Reporting.

Graduates are also qualified to study a range of Master’s degrees.

Degree structure

The „B.Sc. International Sustainability Management“ is a Business Administration degree program focusing on issues of sustainability management and specialising on supply chain management.

The degree program is predominantly taught in English, a small part in German. It includes a semester abroad at one of the university's approximately 180 partner universities and an internship semester at an internationally active company.

The study program unfolds along a project-based didactic approach, in which scientific foundations are applied to frame and solve real business problems.

Key qualification modules train transdisciplinary skills such as project management, storytelling and research methodology.

Elective modules allow students to deepen their study interests both within and across subjects, e.g. by learning Spanish or Chinese or gaining insights into the Arts and Humanities.

The program combines teaching of foundational competencies in business administration with that of sustainability and methodological competencies, and key qualifications.

Sustainability competencies

  • Fundamentals of Ecosystems
  • Fundamentals of Occupational Health, Labor and Human Rights
  • Sustainability Marketing
  • Environmental and Sustainability Law
  • Sustainable Performance Management
  • Integrated Sustainability Reporting

Methodological competencies

  • Sustainable Operations Management I
  • Sustainable Operations Management II
  • Sustainable Supply Chain Management
  • Mathematics for Business and Economics
  • Statistics
  • Statistics & Applications in Data Science

Key qualifications

  • Entrepreneurial Project I: Management Skills & Project Management
  • Entrepreneurial Project II: Design Thinking & Agile Project Management
  • Entrepreneurial Project III: Entrepreneurship & Research Methodology
  • Academic Writing & Managing Complexity
  • Storytelling for Business & Business and Data Ethics

Foundational competencies

  • Fundamentals of Business Economics
  • Strategic Management
  • Human Resources and Organisation
  • Organisational Behaviour in International Companies
  • Principles of Financial Accounting
  • Principles of Corporate Finance
  • Fundamentals of Business Law

Semester abroad

  • Electives
  • Foreign languages

Internship semester

  • Academic qualifications meeting the general requirements for admission to a University or University of Applied Sciences or
  • professional qualifications allowing University admission as specified in §11 of the Law on Institutions of Higher Education in the State of Berlin (Berliner Hochschulgesetz ‑ BerlHG)
  • Proof of German language skills as specified in „Ordnung zum Nachweis deutscher Sprachkenntnisse an der Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin vom 13.12.2016“
  • Proof of English language skills at Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) B2 level.

Applicants without a German qualification need to apply via uni-assist e.V.

  • Winter semester until 15 Juli

Fees and grants

  • Tuition fees

    None

  • Semesterbeitrag

    ca. € 300 per semester (incl. local transport semester ticket)

Information for prospective students

Student Counselling Services

Admission and enrolment

Office for Applications, Admissions and Enrolment

Office hours:

Mon 14.00–16.00
Wed 10.00–12.00
Thu 14.00–16.00

Academic Directors

Prof. Dr. Eberhard Schmid

Department of Business and Economics
Prof. Dr. Eberhard Schmid
Professor of Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Department of Business and Economics
Prof. Dr. Dmitry Ivanov
Professor of Supply Chain Management