Englisch 
Deutsch Who this MPA suits – and what you need to get in
This part-time MPA targets professionals who want to advance into leadership in the public sector while keeping their job. Typical profiles include: public servants or project leads in ministries, municipalities or agencies who seek formal management training; programme managers from state-owned enterprises or NGOs aiming to move into government roles; and specialists in digital administration or HR who want to broaden into public management. You can study largely online from abroad, but you must plan for 10–12 on-site seminars in Berlin scheduled on Fridays/Saturdays across the programme.
Admission requirements
To be admitted you must meet the formal entry criteria below. Intakes start in April and October; application windows are set per semester.
- First completed university degree (bachelor or equivalent).
- At least 1 year of qualified professional experience after graduation.
- Teaching language is German; applicants with foreign qualifications must provide proof of good German language skills (accepted certificates as specified by the university).
- Applications with a foreign bachelor’s degree: application period for the summer intake is 1 November to 15 January.
- No Abitur required: as a postgraduate programme, admission is based on a prior university degree, not on school-leaving certificates.
- Study format: blended distance learning with mandatory attendance at 10–12 in-person seminars in Berlin (usually Friday afternoon and/or Saturday) throughout the four semesters.
Degree scope: 90 ECTS over 4 semesters. The award is Master of Public Administration (MPA).
Personal requirements
Success in a remote, part-time master’s hinges on disciplined routines. Plan a realistic 15–20 hours per week for readings, online activities and assessments, on top of your job. You should be comfortable studying complex texts in German and communicating professionally in seminars and group work. Solid self-organisation, persistence over four semesters, and proactive communication with teaching staff will make a decisive difference.
- Time management to balance work, study and the scheduled Berlin seminar weekends.
- Reliable internet access and the ability to work with a learning platform.
- Willingness to travel for the required on-site seminars and to participate actively in discussions.
- Interest in public management, law and governance topics; readiness to apply theory to your professional context.
If you live outside Germany, budget time and costs for the seminar trips to Berlin and ensure you can attend these fixed dates. Strong planning and steady weekly progress are more important than prior specialisation—what counts is consistent effort and sufficient German for the study materials and exams.
What will you study in the Public Administration (MPA) at the Berlin School of Economics and Law?
The MPA is taught in German. You will need to provide proof of good German language skills during application; the university specifies accepted evidence. This is a part-time Fernstudium (distance-learning programme) at a German public Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences). It combines online study with compact on-site weekends and awards 90 ECTS over four semesters.
You build an interdisciplinary foundation in public management and governance. Typical modules cover administrative sciences, steering between politics and administration, and performance-oriented modernisation. A curated mix of management tools and case work helps you translate theory into administrative practice.
Law and legal implementation form a second pillar: courses address the legal framework of public administration, the hierarchy of norms, and processes of legislation and application. The focus is on how to apply legal requirements reliably within authorities.
A third strand develops leadership and communication for the public sector. You train leadership in administrations, organisational and HR development in transition, and negotiation and communication in politically sensitive contexts. Decision-making under uncertainty is practised explicitly.
Digital public sector transformation rounds off the core: expect modules on digital administrative processes, e-government, innovation management and process design to make procedures both user-centred and compliant.
Applied elements are anchored throughout: a complex simulation (planspiel) integrates content in a safe setting; the annual MPA Forum connects you with practitioners; and a study trip (e.g. to EURAC’s Institute for Public Management in Bolzano) widens your perspective. You complete the programme with a written master’s thesis and an oral master’s examination. Elective depth is offered in areas such as HR in transformation, digital administration and innovation, management and social innovation, or law-making and application.
Note on terminology: the ZFU is Germany’s state authority approving private distance-learning courses. Public degree programmes at state universities typically do not carry a ZFU number; quality assurance here is via academic accreditation.
How does the Public Administration distance programme work?
You study part-time over four semesters in a blended format: most learning happens online, complemented by 10–12 on-site seminar days in Berlin spread across all semesters. Plan roughly 15–20 hours per week and two entry points per year (April and October). This is not a purely remote programme.
Teaching language and language certificates
The teaching language is German. International applicants must provide proof of good German proficiency; the university confirms accepted evidence during admission. There is no English-track option in this MPA.
Learning format and study materials
Learning is delivered as blended learning: structured online phases via a learning platform with e-materials, readings, exercises and moderated discussion, plus compact seminars to deepen application and peer exchange. The format is designed for working professionals in public service and adjacent sectors.
Exams and whether you can take them from abroad
Assessments follow the study and examination plan and include coursework during the semester as well as a written master’s thesis and an oral examination. Because the programme includes mandatory in-person seminars in Berlin, you should not plan for a fully remote assessment path from abroad. No online proctoring pathway is communicated for replacing on-site elements.
Mandatory on-site sessions in Germany
Across the degree you attend approximately 10–12 on-site seminars, usually on Friday afternoon and/or Saturday, at the Berlin-Lichtenberg campus. Dates are distributed across semesters for predictable scheduling. Attendance is part of the learning design and cannot be waived.
Weekly workload, time model and time zones
Expect about 15–20 hours per week for reading, assignments and online activities, plus occasional seminar weekends. Any live online sessions are scheduled in Central European Time (CET/CEST). With the in-person weekends, the programme is viable alongside a full-time job but requires disciplined planning.
Visa note: purely remote German degrees do not require a study visa. This MPA has mandatory on-site days in Germany; travel arrangements are therefore necessary. Whether you need a visa for short stays depends on your citizenship and is separate from university processes.
What does the Public Administration cost?
The total tuition is €9,800 when you complete within the standard duration of four semesters. That equates to €2,450 per semester. Tuition covers enrolment, teaching, study materials, and regular examination and graduation fees, as well as programme events like the MPA Forum. An additional fee of €175 applies if you submit a work-experience portfolio for recognition of prior learning.
Payment in instalments is possible; many students spread costs across the four semesters to manage monthly cash flow. If you pay from outside Germany, international bank transfer or card-based options are typically available—plan ahead for transfer times and potential currency conversion costs. If you extend beyond the standard duration, check the current fee schedule for any extension charges before you commit to a longer timeline.
What careers and recognition does the Public Administration offer?
You graduate with a Master of Public Administration, 90 ECTS. ECTS credits and the degree level follow the Bologna framework used across the European Higher Education Area, which supports international recognition for further study or professional mobility. The programme is programme-accredited within Germany’s Accreditation Council system; the university itself is a state institution of the State of Berlin.
In Germany, the MPA provides the educational prerequisite for entry to the higher civil service (“höherer Dienst”); the formal recognition of service eligibility is always decided by the employing authority. Internationally, the MPA signals an advanced, practice-oriented management qualification for the public and non-profit sectors, comparable to professionally oriented master’s degrees at universities of applied sciences.
Typical roles after graduation include:
- Policy officer or adviser in ministries, state or municipal administrations, and subordinate authorities
- Head of unit or team lead in cross-cutting functions (organisation, budgeting, HR, legal affairs)
- Project lead for digital government, service redesign and process innovation
- HR and organisational development lead in public bodies and public enterprises
- Programme or operations manager in NGOs and non-profits interfacing with public administration
Compensation frameworks vary by country. In Germany, many positions follow public sector pay agreements (e.g. TVöD/TV-L) or civil service salary scales; internationally, pay depends on jurisdiction, level of responsibility and organisation type.
Who is the Public Administration right for – and who not?
This MPA suits professionals who want to grow into steering and leadership roles in the public sector or adjacent non-profits, while continuing to work. The blend of online learning with focussed seminar weekends supports applied learning and peer exchange.
- You already work in public administration or a public enterprise and want to formalise and widen your management skill set.
- You seek a state-recognised, accredited master’s from a German public university with 90 ECTS and a practice-oriented profile.
- You can allocate about 15–20 hours per week and plan for several Friday/Saturday seminar blocks in Berlin each semester.
- You want elective depth in areas like digital administration, HR in transition, social innovation or legal implementation.
- You value applied elements such as simulations, a professional forum and a study trip that expand your network.
Equally important: certain situations do not match this format. Use the points below to avoid a mismatch before you apply.
- You need a fully online, English-taught master’s. This programme is taught in German and includes mandatory on-site days in Berlin.
- You cannot travel to Germany several times per year for 10–12 in-person seminar days. Attendance is part of the curriculum.
- You are looking for a pathway to regulated professions outside public management (e.g. law practice, clinical roles). This is a management degree for the public sector.
- Your current schedule does not allow a sustained workload of 15–20 hours per week alongside work; progress and completion would be at risk.
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