Business Administration
This website is currently being revised for the 2025 application process until expected December.
If you would like to find out about specific programme details of the Double Master's Programme in Business Administration, please click here.
Application deadline
From April until 15 May, you can apply online via the campus management system KLIPS. No documents need to be submitted by post.
- All subject and language requirements must be met by the application deadline.
- All documents must be provided in either German or English and submitted by the application deadline.
- Documents submitted after the application deadline will not be accepted.
Subject-related requirements
In order to fulfil the admission criteria for Business Administration and take part in the selection procedure, you must demonstrate the following points:
| Completed bachelor's degree | Completed Bachelor's degree programme that corresponds to the subject of the selected Master's degree programme. If you have not completed your bachelor's degree, you must have earned at least 80% of the credit points and have completed the outstanding courses by September 30 at the latest. The subject-related and language admission requirements as well as the minimum grade must be fulfilled at the time of application. | |
| Bachelor's grade | at least 2.7 (German grade) | |
Subject-related requirements specifications on the allocation of courses to the subject areas |
PDF of personal subject-related admission criteria (see application documents) | |
Language requirements
The Double Master's Programme in Business Administration is in English so it is essential that your English language skills meet the necessary requirements.
You can show your English language skills by submitting one of the following English language proofs:
Accepted proofs of English language skills: | |
|---|---|
TOEFL1 | 92 ibt TOEFL iBT® Home Edition and TOEFL iBT® Paper Edition are accepted in addition to the regular test |
| IELTS Academic1 | 6.5 Accepted in addition to the regular test: IELTS Indicator and IELTS Online |
| Cambridge2 | C1 Advanced (previously called Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, CAE) with grade A, B or C C2 Proficiency (previously called Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English, CPE) with grade A, B, C or Level C1 |
| Bachelor's degree2 | Bachelor's degree totally taught in English (Please submit a proof that your Bachelor's degree programme was completed 100 % in English: e.g. Diploma Supplement or an official letter from the university clearly confirming this). With bachelor double degree: at least one year must have been completed in an English-speaking country. |
| Master's degree2 | Master's degree totally taught in English |
| Native2 | has to be verified by school certificates |
International/ European Baccalaureate | accepted |
1 validity for two years 2 unlimited validity
Please note that the English language requirements for the regular master’s programme may differ to those of the Double Master’s Programme. If you are interested in applying to both programmes, you should check the requirements for both programmes carefully.
Application documents
The following documents must be uploaded to KLIPS as originals or as authenticated documents in German or in English. | ||
| Bachelor's certificate or proof that 80 % have been succesfully completed | mandatory | If you have not finished your bachelor studies but have passed at least 80% of the examinations (at least 144 credits in a bachelor degree carrying 180 ECTS credits), you can apply by submitting a confirmation of all credits earned so far, along with a provisional average grade computed and certified by your examination office. Please note that the remaining credits must be earned by 30 September. |
| Transcript of records | mandatory | List of all taken modules and courses, including grades and credits, along with a provisional average grade computed and certified by your examination office. |
| Transcript of semester abroad | optional | Only if examinations passed abroad should be considered for the admission criteria as well. The courses have to be recognised by the home university as part of the bachelor programme and recorded in the transcript of records. |
Subject-related admission criteria See PDF file in "subject-related requirements" | mandatory | Enter the courses you have successfully completed so far during your bachelor's degree programme in the PDF document. List only courses that you have completed at the time of application. |
| School leaving certificate | mandatory for applicants with a German bachelor's degree / optional for applicants with a foreign bachelor's degree | A-levels, High school diploma etc. |
Course catalogue
| mandatory | Official description of the content of all taken bachelor courses. Course catalogue or PDF-file with link to course description at the website of the bachelor's university. |
| Proof of English language skills | mandatory | Please note the accepted proofs of language under "Language requirements". |
| Curriculum Vitae | mandatory | The CV must be submitted in English. |
| Letter of motivation | mandatory | The letter of motivation must be submitted in English. Please explain your reasons for applying to the Double Master's Programme (approximately 500 words). Please note that we only accept self-written texts (not generated with an AI such as ChatGPT). |
mandatory for applicants with a bachelor's degree obtained outside Germany | Request a preliminary review documentation (VPD) issued for the University of Cologne from uni-assist. You can have your documents checked by uni-assist all year round, the VPD is not tied to an application semester. Read the request procedure carefully and follow the country-specific information. Experience shows that the processing time is 8 weeks. Please make sure to request a VPD at uni-assist well in advance of the application deadline in KLIPS. After you have received the VPD, create an online application in KLIPS. | |
| Admission test | mandatory: Aalto University and Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad optional: Louvain School of Management* | See details in the section "Admission test" *Note: You will not be able to submit your application if you have not uploaded a document in the "Admission test" section in KLIPS. If you are applying exclusively for the option with the Louvain School of Management and you do not submit an admission test result, please upload your "Letter of motivation" instead. |
| Additional documents for Double Master's application | optional | Upload letters of reference for internships and employment (wherever possible), which you would like to have considered in the assessment of your application. |
Admission test
Depending on the partner and the programme you are applying for, an admission test is either mandatory or optional. In the programme with the Louvain School of Management, both the TM WISO, the TM WISO English Version and the GMAT are accepted. For the programmes with Aalto University and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad a GMAT is mandatory and a minimum of points required in order to have your application considered in the further selection process. The following tests are accepted, if the results are not older than five years:
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Selection procedure
All applications fulfilling the entry requirements, will be assessed. Shortlisted applications will be invited for an online interview taking place in June.
Where an application for the Double Master's Programme is unsuccessful, it will automatically considered in the selection procedure for the standard M.Sc. in Business Administration at the University of Cologne, provided all entry requirements are fulfilled.
We can only include students to the Double Master's Programme who reach the minimum score and receive an admission to the regular programme in which the double degree option is integrated in. You can find details on how to calculate the score at the "Admission test & selection procedure" section on the application website of the M.Sc. Business Administration. In the "Admission results" section, you can also find out what the minimum score was in the last two admission rounds.
Fees & financing
Application
There are fees for the admission test. Please inquire with the test providers about the current prices. If you have obtained your bachelor's degree outside Germany, please note the handling fees for uni-assist.
Study
At the University of Cologne: You have to pay a social contribution (Semesterbeitrag) at the University of Cologne for the duration of their studies (approximately €320 per semester; including a public transport pass for the city and the surrounding area).
Students are exempted of paying tuition fees at the partner universities. The partner university might charge an administrative fee for handling the admission or to cover further administrative costs (up to €100).
Costs for rent, living expenses and learning materials must be paid by the student.
Financing and funding
You can find information on financing your studies here.
Students receive ERASMUS+ funding during their stay at Aalto University in Finland and at the Louvain School of Management in Belgium. Further information on funding possibilities when going abroad can be accessed at the website of the International Relations Center of the WiSo Faculty and the website of the Central International Office of the University of Cologne.
To apply for the Double Master's Programme in KLIPS, please select Business Administration with the desired specialisation and choose the option "I would like to apply for a Double Master's Programme".
You have further questions on the application and admission procedure? You find a detailed description on the process and how to file and application as well as FAQs here.