Faculty of Business and Economics

Master of Science (MSc) in Business Education and Human Resource Development


Please note: Reorganisation of the Master's programmes in Business Administration in the field of Management
Starting in the winter semester 2023/2024, the existing Master's programmes in Business Administration in the area of Management will be redesigned in a future-oriented manner. The Master's programme in Management (“Unternehmensführung”) will be completely redesigned and transformed into a new Master's programme in Management (German skills required). The Master's programmes in Global Business, Marketing and E-Business as well as Business Education and Human Resource Development, on the other hand, will be discontinued so that applications for these programmes are no longer possible for the winter semester 2023/2024. Students who are already enrolled can complete the respective Master's programmes by the end of the winter semester 2025/2026.

The content of the discontinued degree programmes will be incorporated into the new Master's programme in Management, in which corresponding specialisations can be selected. In addition, the new Master's programme in Management offers a variety of innovative elements with modules on problem-solving and communication skills, practical projects and career development. Applications for the new Master's programme in Management starting in the winter semester 2023/2024 are possible from 1 April 2023.


The master's programme in business education and human resource development builds on a previous bachelor's degree in business education, business administration, or a closely related discipline. After successful completion of a master's degree in business education and human resource development, you will be able to independently plan and carry out human resource development processes in organizations. You will be able to critically evaluate hiring and diagnostic tools, both in the context of selecting and conducting aptitude tests as well as for the identification of learning conditions and the measurement of learning success. You will be able to evaluate and justify the selection of appropriate tools, and can also modify and further develop those tools.

At the end of your studies, you will be able to interpret academic research on occupational and work-related learning, as well as formal and informal learning, and to compare the potential effects on human resource development and occupational learning. You will also acquire skills in the distanced reflection from procedures in (occupational) practice. This will allow you to optimize and improve human resource development processes and learning processes in the context of vocational learning and further education. Furthermore, the master's degree will allow you to apply for doctorate studies.

General Information

  • Language: German
  • The standard period of study is four semesters.


In the master's degree programme in business education and human resource development, you will gain an in-depth understanding of economics and business education knowledge. You will learn the context of your subject area and develop the ability to apply academic methods and insights in economics and business to practical education and to convey and conduct independent research.
The programme includes courses in economics and business, in particular, human resource management, including human resource law, education studies, and subject didactics in the field of business education, as well as a master's thesis. The master's degree in business education and human resource management is a four-semester-long program requiring 120 credits from the following areas:

  • Business education (education studies and subject didactics): 24 credits
  • Foundations in business administration: 24 credits
  • Human resource development, human resource management and law: 24 credits
  • Electives: 24 credits
  • Master's thesis: 24 credits


Illustration: Schematic overview of the structure of the master's programme in business education and human resource development

The Faculty of Business and Economics offers you many opportunities to study one or two semesters at an international partner university. There are three different programmes, each with different partner universities and application deadlines:

  • Erasmus+: You will study at one of the more than 60 partner universities of the Faculty in other European countries (only students of the Faculty of Business and Economics can apply for these programmes).
  • Worldwide faculty programmes: You will study at one of the numerous partner universities of the Faculty of Business and Economics abroad, e.g. in the USA, Latin America, South Africa, Japan, China, South Korea and Thailand (only students of the Faculty of Business and Economics can apply for these programmes).
  • Worldwide university programmes: You study at a partner university of the University of Göttingen, e.g. in Australia, India, the USA, Canada or China (all students of the University can apply for these programmes).

If you go abroad within the framework of one of the above-mentioned programmes, you usually do not have to pay tuition fees for studying at a foreign partner university (the University of Mississippi charges reduced tuition fees). Some programmes even receive additional financial support from the German Academic Exchange Service. Comprehensive information about the programmes, application deadlines and contact persons can be found here.

In our Database you can see which achievements/modules of other universities in Göttingen have already been recognized (in German). In order to keep your choice of course abroad as flexible as possible, we recommend that you complete modules from the elective area of your respective degree programme abroad.

If you would like to get into contact with other international and German students during your studies in Göttingen, please take a look at our Study Buddy Programme and our Exchange@WIWI events: www.uni-goettingen.de/de/613540.html. Both programmes serve to network international and local Göttingen students.

In order to apply the acquired knowledge in practice, to gain first work experience or to get to know possible relevant professional fields - the Faculty of Business and Economics welcomes students to gain practical experience during their studies. Therefore, you have the possibility to have a voluntary internship in the elective area of your studies credited under certain conditions. You can find detailed information here.
Job portal of the University of Göttingen with external job offers: Stellenwerk Göttingen (in German)
The master's programme in business education and human resource management offers numerous different career perspectives and development opportunities. You can work for companies, in administration, as well as in chambers and associations to work in management, human resource development, or instructional or teaching capacities. You can work in various academically supported roles such as human resource development or diagnostics, in vocational and further education, in education management, as well as in various areas of workplace-related teaching and learning.