Start-up Development (MBA)

Study requirements and application process

The Start-up Development (MBA) programme starts every year in the winter semester. The application deadline is from 15 May to 15 August each year.

Application requirements

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Prerequisite for admission to the MBA programme Start-Up Development is a first professional university degree with at least 180 ECTS credit points with a minimum average grade of 3.0. Additionally, at least one year of professional experience must have been completed in accordance with § 62 Para. 3 HG NRW.

Application deadline

The MBA programme Start-up Development starts annually in the winter semester. The application deadline is from 15 March to 15 August annualy.

If the requirements for the Master's programme are fulfilled, places are allocated via a local selection procedure (NC procedure).

Applications received after the deadline or incomplete applications will not be considered!

The number of applicants to be admitted per year is limited to a maximum of 25 students in accordance with § 62 Abs. 1 S. 5 HG NRW in order to guarantee the purpose of further education.

Documents for the application

Before starting entering data in the online application form, please check that you have all the necessary documents you need for your application. Following documents must be submitted in German:

Curriculum vitae
Meaningful letter of motivation (maximum 500 words).
University degree certificate including transcript of grades (with German or English translation in the case of foreign certificates);
Certificate of the APS, if your university degree was obtained in China or Vietnam;
Proof of German language proficiency (TestDaF 4 x 4 or DSH 2) if your degree was obtained abroad;
Proof of at least one year of professional experience after the first degree in accordance with § 62 Para. 3 HG NRW.

German language proficiency

Applicants who do not own a German university entrance qualification or a German-language degree must prove their knowledge of the German language by passing the DSH examination (DSH 2) or by passing the TestDaF examination (at least level 4 in all four categories) or equivalents in accordance with § 2 section 2 of the current regulations for the German language examination for applicants with foreign educational qualifications at the H-BRS.

Selection procedure

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Selection takes place via a so-called aptitude procedure. This is a two-stage process in which the admissions committee checks whether you meet the specific requirements (see above) for the Master's programme Start-up Development after your official online application.

In the first stage, the Bachelor's degree grade and the submitted documents (basically the letter of motivation in German as well as proof of at least one year of professional activity after graduation) are evaluated by means of a point system. Depending on the number of points achieved, applicants are either admitted immediately, rejected or, exceptionally, invited to a selection interview.

The letter of motivation and, if applicable, the interview will be evaluated in particular on the basis of the following eligibility criteria:

concrete interest in the topic of start-up or business innovation
Existence of an own start-up idea or a project idea within the company
Entrepreneurial Mindset

The letter of motivation and, if applicable, the interview is evaluated for the suitability assessment.

Stipendienprogramm Start-up-Stipendium gestartet!

Zum Studienstart im Wintersemester 2023/24 haben angehende Studierende des Studiengangs Start-up Development (MBA) die Chance auf eines von zwei Start-up-Stipendien: Das Stipendium umfasst 100% der Studiengebühren und richtet sich an (angehende) Gründer:innen, die ihr Start-up mit einer akademischen Weiterbildung verbinden möchten, jedoch nicht über die finanziellen Möglichkeiten verfügen, ihr Potential voll auszuschöpfen.

Jetzt bewerben!

Important information for participants in the H-BRS Start-up Cup Ideas Competition

Applicants who are interested in the special prize of innovation in the form of a 100% scholarship for a place on the MBA programme Start-up Development of the H-BRS Start-up Cup Ideas Competition and who at the same time fulfil the study requirements to start their studies directly in the winter semester 2023/24 must also apply online via the H-BRS application portal by 15.8.2023 for formal reasons. For easier allocation, we ask you to refer to your participation in the Start-up Cup within the letter of motivation to be submitted with the online application. If you have any questions, please contact the student advisory service.