International Business Management Certificate

In the certificate program you can select one or more modules each semester out of the following 11 modules according to your personal or professional interests. In total a maximum of 45 ECTS can be obtained.

Marketing (12 ECTS)

• Marketing as Market-Oriented Management: Integrated communication, Innovation management, Conjoint analysis on product and pricing policy, New developments in key account management, Methods in market research, Marketing of services, Marketing of productive goods, Marketing of consumer goods, Social marketing, Non-Profit marketing, Developing a marketing plan, Methods in marketing research
• International Marketing: International marketing defined, The EPRG scheme, International marketing management process, Self-reference criterion, The components and impact of culture shock, Stereotypes and underlying patterns, Global awareness, Key characeristics of a global manager, basics of international market research, International communication, Globalization vs. localization matrix, Key components of an international franchise system, The characteristics of a joint venture, Generic market coverage strategies, International branding strategies

Social Competency (10 ECTS)

• Philposophy (Ethics): Critical-rational business ethics, Ethical principles of human desicion-making and responsibility, The principle of neutrality in science and the normative infiltration of human experience
• Rhetoric: Key terms and essential concepts in rhetoric, Rhetoric of ancient Greece/ ancient Rome/ the Western World, The social psychology of speech, The grammar of speaking and writing, Preparation and planning in speaking situations, Comprehensability, Argumentation, Public speaking behavior
• Creativity: Creativity and rationality: Two sides of the same coin, The creative process, Characteristics of creative people and promoting individual creativity, Divergent thinking and lateral thought, Techniques for individuals, Techniques for groups

Management (12 ECTS)

• Strategic Management: Key terms and concepts in management, Concept and process in strategic planning, Analysis of strategic business units, Consequences from portfolio analysis, Fundamentals of project management
• Controlling: Controlling concepts, Instruments of strategic controlling, Analysis of annual financial report and liquidity and financial planning as operative controlling instruments, Contribution margin calculation, standard costing, activity-based costing, target costing, life cycle costing
• Business Simulation: The business simulation TOPSIM - General Management II is an integrated industry simulation. It encompasses all areas of a business, from the production to purchasing, human resources planning and research & development, to marketing and sales, as well as topics such as product life cycles, staff training, productivity, rationalization, environmental aspects, stock prices, and company valuation.

Logistics (4 ECTS)

• Manufacturing Logistics: Primary Requirements Planning, Reqirements Planning, Time Scheduling and Capacity Planning, Releasing Production Orders, Production Control, Concepts in Production Logistics
• Distribution & Sales Logistics: Order Processing, Organizationof Distribution Structures, Warehouse Logistics, Transportation, Spare Parts Logistics, Supply Chain Management

International Competencies (6 ECTS)

• International Market Research
• International Corporate Management
• Cross-Cultural Communication

Human Resources Management (10 ECTS)

• International Human Resources Management
• Psychology of Work and Organizational Behaviour
• Organization

Macroeconomics (2 ECTS)

• Macroeconomics I: Macroeconomics as special sociology, Introduction to Keynesian theory, The goods market, The money market, The labor market, Business cycle policy, Exports and imports, Questions of income distribution
• Macroeconomics II: Competition policy, Labor market policy, Social policy, Regulatory policy, Econimic prozess policy (business cycle policy), Structural policy, Foreign trade policy

Managerial Finance (2 ECTS)

• Investment
• Financing
• Financial markets

Law (2 ECTS)

• Legal systems: Distinguishing Criteria, Legal Systems of the World: An Overview
• Designing International Legal Relationships through Agreed-Upon Contracts: Preparing One's Own Positions, Decision and Conclusion, Techniques for Formulating Contracts, Important Points for Working with Foreign Partners

Sociology (2ECTS)

• Sociology as the science of social relationships and interaction
• Statistical principles of empirical sociological research
• Methods in sociology
• Selected contemporary sociological theories
• The sociology of work and occupational sociology, Industrial sociology and business sociology, Economic and consumer sociology
• Family, society and consumption

Scientific Theory (2ECTS)

• Theory of Science: The tasks of science, Business administration as a social science, basic research and applied science, Knowledge and practical experience, Alternative epistemological views, The consequence: Critical rationalism
• Research Methodology: Methods of data collection in empirical data research, Critical handling of findings, Transferring scientific findings into practical action, Ethics in research

For admission you must proof a completed first university degree from a university, university of applied sciences or university of cooperative education.

All applicants must hand in proof of English language proficiency on at least level B2 or higher according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The corresponding document must be no older than 5 years.

For applicants without a first university degree there is - under certain conditions - the possibility to get admission:

•  they must be in possession of a university entrance qualification according to the legal provisions in Rheinland-Pfalz or
• a completed vocational training (with a grade of at least 2.5 in the German grading system) or
• a master craftsmen or equivalent degree
• and proof relevant professional work experience of at least 3 years.

For the successful completion of each module a certificate is awarded from Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society, University of Applied Sciences. In case you later decide for the MBA program International Business Management these modules can be recognised.

This certificate program is also offered as an MBA program.

The MBA program is taught online only.  Students are attended by their instructors via an e-learning platform. The contents of the program are designed in such a way as to not only impart theoretical knowledge but also practical competencies in order to make the students able to solve problems of the professional practice.

Please note that all modules are offered in winter as well as in the summer semester.

Please ask the program coordinator, Eva Nefen (eva.nefen@hwg-lu.de) which modules would be the best to choose in order to switch to the MBA program to a later point in time.

Scientific Theory (1080 €)
Social Skills (1280 €)
Logistics (1080 €)
Law (1080 €)
Macroeconomics (1080 €)

Marketing (1480 €)
Management (1480 €)
International Competencies (1080 €)
Sociology (1080 €)
Managerial Finance (1080 €)

The program is offered by Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society, University of Applied Sciences and the zfh and is accredited by AQAS.

The program directors are Professor Dr. Fritz Unger and Professor Dr. Rainer Busch.

Watch this short video to discover the top 10 reasons to study International Business Management at the HWG Ludwigshafen.

For more information please visit the website of our partner - Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society, University of Applied Sciences.

You can find a brief overview of the programme in our flyer.

Application period:

1st October to 15th January for the summer semester and

1st April to 30th June for the winter semester.

If you would like to register please click here.