The required area of the degree program comprises five modules worth 25 ECTS credits in total. In line with the ideal study plan, it is recommended that students take these required modules right at the beginning of their studies to ensure that all students of the program acquire the same basic knowledge in all five focus areas. Furthermore, the basic studies outline the connections between the disciplines and ensure that students with prior knowledge in psychology or business and economics get an insight into the respectively other disciplines. Required modules in the program are only offered in English to enable international students to enroll in the program. 

Furthermore, the program also contains a required interdisciplinary research seminar worth 10 ECTS credits. The seminar is completed in the third and fourth semester and is offered by all professors who teach required courses in the program. Ideally, the research seminar can already have a direct connection to the Master’s thesis.

1. Business and Psychology: Joint Seminar with Tandem Projects (Studium.Pro: Pro Discourse) (5 ECTS credits)
2. Consumer Psychology and Decision Making (5 ECTS credits)
3. Psychology of Social and Economic Processes (5 ECTS credits)
4. Strategic Human Resource Management (5 ECTS credits)
5. Work and Health: Basics (5 ECTS credits) 
6. Interdisciplinary Research Seminar (10 ECTS credits)

The required elective area aims to allow students to choose their focus areas as flexibly as possible. They can choose from a wide range of offers and must include modules from both fields (business and economics, psychology) worth a total of 35 ECTS credits in their choice. Required elective modules in the program are offered from the second semester onwards so that students can spend their third semester abroad if they like. 

The elective area of the program is worth 20 ECTS credits. Here as well, the aim is to provide a broad offer both for German and international students. Elective modules, just as required elective modules, are offered from the second semester onwards.

At the end of the program, students compile a Master’s thesis in which they approach selected topics from the program in depth. This Master’s thesis is accompanied by the interdisciplinary research seminar: Usually, students start with theoretical preparations during the third semester. The fourth semester is used for working on the Master’s thesis. The Master’s thesis counts towards the degree program with 30 ECTS credits. Here as well, students benefit from the excellent support offer at the KU that enables them to approach diverse and exciting topics in their Master’s thesis in collaboration with partners from practical fields.

How is the interdisciplinary research seminar structured?

• The seminar runs over two semesters and includes the writing of your master’s thesis. In the winter semester, the theoretical basis for the master's thesis is laid. For this purpose, you will discuss texts and hold discourses on content with each other and the lecturer(s). At the end of the winter semester, you should have completed the concept for the master’s thesis. You will have to hand in an exposé during the winter semester as a formal examination requirement (see below for details).
• Between winter and summer semester, the data collection should take place or, if you do not collect own data, existing data sets should be prepared.
• The analysis of the data should take place in the summer semester. These data should be presented and discussed in the seminar during the summer semester as a formal examination requirement.
• The master’s thesis must be formally registered six months before submission.

If you spend a semester abroad in the winter or summer semester, individual solutions and schedules must be developed for this together with your supervisor.

What form and content of the exposé are expected?

• The exposé summarizes the research question and approach of the planned thesis and serves as a guideline for the preparation of the thesis.
• Contents of the exposé are: Topic or working title, concept, bibliography, time schedule.
• The concept itself should include the following contents: Introduction, theoretical background and state of research, derivation of own research question from the state of research, operationalization of the research question, research plan.
• The length of the exposé should be 5-6 pages of text plus cover page, bibliography, and appendix.

What are the master's thesis requirements?

• All master's theses should be empirical, either qualitative (e.g., conducting interviews) or quantitative (e.g., conducting own surveys / experiments, analyzing existing data sets, etc.).
• The master's thesis should be approximately 70 pages (+/- 10 percent), excluding bibliography and appendix.

How is the interdisciplinary research seminar organized?

• All professors who offer required lectures in “Business and Psychology” will offer a stand-alone ILAS course “Interdisciplinary research seminar”. Please register for the course of the lecturer with whom you have reached a supervisory commitment for the master’s thesis.
• It is also possible to get supervised by a professor who does not offer required courses in “Business and Psychology”, if this colleague offers at least one required elective or elective course in the study program (see §9(1) in the examination regulation). In this case, please register to one of the ILIAS courses “Interdisciplinary research seminar” after consulting the professor who offers this course. The respective supervisor should be invited to and attend the meetings in which your master's thesis is dealt with.

Can I call myself a "psychologist" (recognized by the BDP) if I have successfully completed the BaP Master's program ?

In general, you may call yourself this after successfully completing the BaP Master's program. The prerequisite is that you have obtained a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a relatively high proportion of psychology content, have chosen a number of psychology modules, including the diagnostics module, depending on the weighting according to the total sum and requirements in the program and have written a Master's thesis in psychology. In the context of our study advice, we will coordinate the requirements for the positive decision in the individual case by the Berufsverband Deutscher Psychologinnen und Psychologen e.V. (BdP) together with you.

• Upon request, further modules can be approved as elective modules for the master’s degree program in “Business and Psychology”, provided that their content is related to the scope of the master’s degree program. The examination board decides on such requests (see §7 (3) in the examination regulation). Students are advised to make such requests before taking the course in order to ensure that the particular course is in fact approved as an elective module.
• The following courses have already been approved:

1. “Persönlichkeit und Beruf” (“Personality and Profession”; module number: 82-021-WP06-H-0817; responsible instructor: Prof. Dr. Joachim Thomas; bachelor’s degree program in Business Administration; Major “Business and Psychology”). This course is recommended to students with an economic background who would like to improve their basic knowledge in psychology and who didn’t attend the module during their bachelor studies.
2. “Gender studies” (module number: 82-052-15-H-0612; responsible instructor: Prof. Dr. Kathrin Schlemmer; bachelor’s degree program in Education, open for all students at the KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt). This course is recommended to all students who are interested in the subject.
3. "Human Factors and Cognitive Ergonomics" (module number: 88-132-PSY05-H-0416; responsible instructor: Prof. Dr. Michael Zehetleitner; master's degree program in Psychology). This module on the part of psychology is open for the elective area of the master "Business and Psychology" according to free places.

• The following modules from the VHB program can be chosen as electives in the master's program "Business and Psychology":

1. VHB - University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) "Data collection in the Social and Behavioral Sciences"
2. VHB - University of Applied Sciences Kempten "Leadership and communication in global business"
3. VHB - University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) "Performance management in teams"

4. The VHB course "People Analytics: Data Science for Human Resources Management" offered at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) is recognized as a required elective module.

   All other VBH courses are currently (as of October 2022) not recognized as elective or required elective modules in the degree program!

• The elective module "Fundamentals of General Business Administration I" is aimed exclusively at psychology students who have not yet acquired such a foundation in their bachelor's degree program.

• The elective module "Labour Law" is aimed exclusively at students who have not yet acquired such a foundation in their bachelor's degree program.

Many “Business and Psychology” students spend a semester at a partner university and/or complete an internship abroad. You will find extensive information on the different options available on the website of the International Office. The International Office will also offer information sessions.
In order to have achievements from abroad recognised, you should clarify in advance which achievements can be credited to you.

Important notice: For a semester abroad, you will need to show that you are proficient in the language of instruction at the chosen university. Your proof of language proficiency must not be older than two years. Therefore, high school diplomas cannot be accepted as proof of language proficiency.  For Erasmus+ and faculty exchange programs, you will need at least B2 level in the language of instruction (some universities require C1 level); you can present either a CEFR certificate (Common European Frame of Reference for Languages) from the university where you obtained your Bachelor’s degree or a certificate from TOEFL, Cambridge, IELTS and others. For the worldwide exchange program, you will always need a TOEFL or IELTS (please check the additional requirements).

If you are not sure whether your proof of language proficiency will be accepted, please contact outgoing(at)ku.de as soon as possible.