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Germany offers a growing number of entrepreneurship programs via distance learning – from bachelor’s degrees for aspiring founders to MBA programs for experienced business leaders. All programs listed here can be studied part-time alongside work or your own startup. Costs range from 9,000 to 22,710 €. Most programs are taught in German, but the concepts and frameworks (Lean Startup, Design Thinking, Business Model Canvas) are internationally applicable.
Overview of all Courses
We have a total of 12 courses in the field of Entrepreneurship.
Corporate Leadership
Centre for Distance Learning in the University Consortium · MBA · 4 Semester
Corporate management
University of Applied Sciences Schmalkalden · M.A. · 5 Semester
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
IU International University · M.A. · 4 Semester
Growth Hacking for Entrepreneurs
IU International University · M.A. · 2 Semester
Entrepreneurship
IU International University · B.A. · 6 Semester
Entrepreneurship
SRH Distance Learning University - The Mobile University · M.A. · 4 Semester
Sustainability Management & Leadership
Fresenius University of Applied Sciences · M.Sc. · 4 Semester
Digital Entrepreneurship
IU International University · M.A. · 2 Semester
Responsible Entrepreneurship and Management
Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences · B.A. · 6 Semester
Intra- and Entrepreneurship (tech)
University of Stuttgart · MBE · 8 Semester
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
AKAD University · MBA · 4 Semester
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management
European Distance Learning University Hamburg · B.A. · 6 Semester
What can you specialize in?
| Focus | Programs | For whom? |
|---|---|---|
| Startup founding | Entrepreneurship B.A./M.A., Digital Entrepreneurship M.A. (IU, SRH) | Aspiring founders who want to start or scale a business |
| Innovation & intrapreneurship | Innovation and Entrepreneurship M.A. (IU), Intra- & Entrepreneurship tech M.Sc. (Uni Stuttgart) | Innovation managers in corporations, corporate startup builders |
| Sustainable entrepreneurship | Responsible Entrepreneurship (Tomorrow Uni), Sustainability Management (Fresenius) | Impact-driven founders and sustainability leaders |
| Leadership & MBA | MBA Entrepreneurship (AKAD, zfh), Growth Hacking M.A. (IU) | Experienced professionals moving into leadership or scaling roles |
The M.Sc. Intra- and Entrepreneurship (tech) at the University of Stuttgart is the only program at a public research university in this category.
How much does it cost?
Bachelor’s programs
| Course | University | Duration | Fees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Bachelor of Arts Distance learning program | European Distance Learning University Hamburg | 6 Semester | from 13392 € total from 279 € monthly | |
| Entrepreneurship, Bachelor of Arts Distance learning program | IU International University | 6 Semester | from 15063 € total from 259 € monthly | |
| Responsible Entrepreneurship and Management, Bachelor of Arts Distance learning program | Tomorrow University of Applied Sciences | 6 Semester | from 15500 € total from 246 € monthly |
Master’s, MBA and M.Sc. programs
For international students: Most programs are taught in German (B2 level required). Tomorrow University offers an English-language track. Financing: DAAD scholarships, Deutschlandstipendium, KfW student loans. For founders: tuition may be tax-deductible as a business expense if the degree is directly related to your entrepreneurial activity.
Do you need a degree to start a business?
No – many successful founders started without one. But an entrepreneurship degree provides what self-taught founders often lack:
- Structured knowledge: Financial planning, legal frameworks, market analysis, scaling strategies
- Network: Fellow founders, professors, university incubators, alumni connections
- Plan B: If your startup doesn’t work out, you have a degree that qualifies you for innovation management, consulting or project leadership
- Methodology: Design Thinking, Lean Startup, Business Model Canvas – learned with feedback and real projects, not just YouTube tutorials
A Yale University study found that founders with an entrepreneurship education had higher survival rates for their businesses after 5 years compared to founders without such education.
How is AI changing entrepreneurship?
AI is lowering the barriers to starting a business dramatically:
- Build MVPs in hours: AI coding tools (Cursor, Claude, v0.dev) allow solopreneurs to build functional prototypes without a development team
- Automated market research: AI analyzes markets, competitors and trends in minutes instead of weeks
- Scalable marketing: AI generates ad copy, landing pages and email sequences – one-person startups can market like a team
The result: starting a business is cheaper and faster, but competition is more intense. Founders who combine AI proficiency with strategic thinking and customer empathy have the strongest advantage.
Frequently asked questions
Yes – that’s the most common scenario in distance learning. Many programs (IU, Euro-FH, SRH) include practical projects where you work on your own business idea. At IU, you can count your own startup as a practical semester. The flexible schedule is designed for studying alongside work or entrepreneurial activity.
Tomorrow University offers tracks in English. Most other programs are taught in German and require B2-level language skills. However, the entrepreneurship concepts taught (Lean Startup, Design Thinking, Business Model Canvas) are internationally standardized and applicable worldwide.
An Entrepreneurship degree focuses on building new ventures: idea validation, business planning, scaling, fundraising. An MBA focuses on leading and managing existing organizations. Some programs here (AKAD MBA, zfh MBA) combine both – leadership skills with an entrepreneurial lens. For pure MBA programs: MBA.
Yes. All programs are accredited by German accreditation agencies and follow the Bologna system (ECTS, Bachelor/Master). The degrees are recognized across the EU and in most countries worldwide.
About the Author Christian Wolf
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