During their studies in Mainz or within the summer break between year 1 & year 2, participants apply the analytical tools learned in the first two semesters to a real-life case. Ideally, students do the applied project work in an international company in the summer break between the first and second year of studies. As students usually move from Mainz to a partner university, or vice versa, the applied project may be supervised by the partner university abroad. In exceptional cases, in particular when a student does not manage to find a company for his/her practical project, the partner university or Hochschule Mainz will assign a larger case study to the student as a practical project. After completion of the project, the learning success has to be reported back to the supervisor and  presented for a group of international students.

During the 3^rd semester of the MA.IB programme, students are obliged to take at least 25 ECTS credits (5 options) abroad. This mandatory semester abroad should be used to specialize in either a certain field of management or in a specific industry.

Generally students spend their mandatory stay abroad at one of our partner universities, who have been carefully selected. Nearly all of them offer a study programme in English language – in addition to the national language. The modules taken at the partner universities are transferred to Hochschule Mainz – University of Applied Sciences as options.

At many partner universities, MA.IB students can also spend the fourth semester (writing their Master thesis) at the partner university. In many cases, the student does not only transfer the credits back to Mainz but may also be awarded the Master degree of the partner university (double degree). In order to fulfil the double degree requirements, the student may need to earn more than 120 ECTS credits.

Hochschule Mainz – University of Applied Sciences has a wide range of partner universities (see list) to choose from. However, students enrolled in the MA.IB programme can only select a partner university from the “School of Business” (orange, “Wirtschaft). At all partner universities marked with “DD” a double degree programme is offered. Applicants should indicate their preferred (partner) universities abroad (1-3) with their application and write the motivation for this choice in their motivation letter.

Important: International Office & Programme Management MA.IB facilitate study places at the partner universities.  All students are responsible for all other organizational actions concerning their exchange period. This means e.g. that accommodation, visa, programme content, should be taken care of by the Master student him/herself.

A student can also decide to collect the 25 ECTS credits at a University which is no partner of our University, but then s/he needs to arrange acceptance to this University him-/herself too.

During their entire study period (including the semesters at the partner university), students are obliged to pay the social fee of around EUR 300.00 per semester.

Usually in their last semester (Summer/Spring or Winter/Fall), students work on their final thesis which consists of a research project on an international business issue. The Master thesis may be combined with an internship in a multinational company or be based on an independent research project. Within the Master Thesis, students are required to apply theories and tools they have learned in their studies to real-life business situations. Usually, the student’s research and analysis is based on the student’s own empirical study. Depending on the nature of the study, the length of the paper is around 20.000 words. The master thesis doesn’t need to be defended, unless the student is aiming for a double degree programme and the partner university requires a defense.

• Students with a German or international Bachelor degree: tuition free! However all students must pay a social semester  fee of approx. EUR 300,- for each semester of enrolment in the programme (also during the semester abroad). The fee is set by the student union AStA and contains a travelling ticket for a large part of the Rhine-Main area.
• Students with a German "Diplom" degree or who already hold a Master degree: tuition fee of EUR 650.00 per semester.

Tuition for the second year stay at the partner university follows the host university’s tuition rules. Therefore, tuition has to be paid at the partner university. At many European partner universities a limited number of MA.IB students are accepted tuition free based on Erasmus exchange. In some (other) countries, a limited number of MA.IB students are accepted tuition free. For further details, please check the list of partner universities.