Business Administration (“BWL”) encompasses, describes and analyzes the tasks and structures of companies and their functional areas, cross-functional relationships of companies and their design depending on internal and external decisions as well as interdependencies between the company system and other systems. Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin implements a high scientific standard in theory and methodology, without neglecting the practical relevance. Mathematics and statistics are used as auxiliary sciences. During the course of study, students also learn the basics of economics, law, mathematics and statistics. The focus of business administration research and teaching at the School of Business & Economics includes the areas of Management; Marketing; Finance, Accounting and Taxation; and Information Systems.

The School of Business & Economics views its studies and teaching as innovative and future-oriented: its reciprocal networking with companies, institutions and associations in the capital and the Berlin-Brandenburg region also promotes Berlin's inter/national position in the academic and research landscape. Internationality is taught and practiced through the establishment of professorships in economics at the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies, the Institute for Latin American Studies and the Institute for East European Studies.

Business Administration is organized into four departments: Finance, Accounting, Taxation (FACTS); Management; Marketing; and Information Systems. FACTS deals with the theoretical and empirical analysis of questions of accounting, financing, taxation and auditing of companies in a world with complex information problems and conflicts of interest. Management examines questions of corporate management, such as strategy development, organizational design, personnel policy and management or innovation management. Marketing conducts research into questions of business and service marketing as well as consumer behavior, market-based assets and digital marketing. Information Systems deals with the design and analysis of information systems and focuses, among other things, on decision analytics and data science approaches for sustainable mobility, digital transformation in areas such as mobility and healthcare as well as IT entrepreneurship and diversity.

The School has an International Office which, in addition to the services offered by the university-wide Student Mobility Office, provides support in the planning and preparation of studies abroad and in the search for suitable universities abroad. In addition to support during the course of study, the comprehensive support services include recruitment, orientation and introductory measures, study advice and alumni networks. The study phases and transitions from school to university and from university to work are actively managed. Offers are developed with the diversity of students in mind and are supported by the mentoring program, tutors and numerous faculty and staff members.

The mono Bachelor's degree program comprises modules in the foundation and specialization phases as well as the General Career Preparation (ABV) study area.

The foundation phase of the mono Bachelor's degree program includes compulsory modules that lay the foundation for later specializations: Introduction to Business Administration; Fundamentals of External Management Accounting; Fundamentals of Internal Management Accounting; Fundamentals of Marketing; Investment and Finance; Financial Statements and Taxes; Supply and Operations Management; Strategic Management; and Fundamentals of Human Resources Policy. In the specialization phase, students then concentrate on three of 13 elective specializations. At the end of the degree program, students will deepen and differentiate their knowledge in a selected field of study by independently working on a problem of their choice (Bachelor's thesis).

In the compulsory study area General Vocational Preparation (ABV), you can choose from a wide range of courses, set individual priorities and supplement your own skills profile with qualifications relevant to the job market and your personality. The study area includes a compulsory work placement as well as the following skills areas: Foreign Languages, Information and Media Competence, Gender and Diversity Competence, Organization and Management, Communication Skills, Sustainable Development, Research Orientation and Media Practice. The study area ABV is regulated by central study and examination regulations. In addition, the Faculty of Business and Economics has additional subject-specific study and examination regulations for the study area of General Vocational Preparation in the Bachelor's degree programs, in which further subject-related additional qualifications are offered for selection.

The study and examination regulations govern the structure and course of study. They contain detailed descriptions of the content and qualification objectives of each individual module and an exemplary study plan. It also defines the type and requirements of the module examinations and specifies the credit points for each module or course as well as the workload in hours for the entire course.

Please note: You must consult the official documents (Zugangssatzung; Studien- und Prüfungsordnung) to receive comprehensive information about the program. It is also essential to know that most Bachelor-level courses are taught in German – they demand a very good grasp of the German language, in order for students to succeed.

Bachelor's graduates have academic knowledge and practical skills that qualify them for various careers or a postgraduate degree program. The Bachelor's degree program in Business Administration at Freie Universität Berlin teaches knowledge and skills for working in the following professional fields: planning, analyzing, and consulting activities in companies of various sizes and industries, e.g. in smaller or larger companies in the production of goods, in trade, banking and credit, or in consulting firms. Business economists can also work as freelancers or in public administrations. Activities in research and teaching institutions, in associations and chambers are just as much a part of this as employment opportunities with trade unions and the media. The diversity of future career opportunities can already be narrowed down by the specialization or focus within the degree course.

A Master's degree and possibly a Ph.D.-program are prerequisites for managerial positions or employment in research and teaching. Suitable consecutive Master's programs: M.Sc. Finance, Accounting and Taxation; M.Sc. Management & Marketing; M.Sc. Information Systems

• Wolfgang Henning und Celina Henning: Studienführer Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Eibelstadt 2009