Englisch 
Deutsch Who this Master’s suits and what you need to get in
This Master’s fits professionals who want to move into leadership at the interface of healthcare and business. Typical profiles include: clinicians or allied health professionals stepping into coordination or quality roles; analysts or project managers in insurance, pharma or medtech seeking sector-specific management skills; and internationally mobile graduates working full time who want an accredited German degree delivered remotely.
Admission requirements
As a Master’s programme with 60 ECTS, entry is based on your prior university studies rather than school-leaver routes.
- First degree: A recognised university degree (e.g. Bachelor or equivalent). Degrees earned outside Germany are generally admissible if they are comparable in level; certified transcripts and degree certificates are required.
- Foreign qualifications: International diplomas are assessed for equivalence under German higher education rules. You submit official translations where needed; additional verification may be requested depending on your country of award.
- Admission without Abitur: Not applicable. For a Master’s, the decisive criterion is your prior university degree, not German school-leaving certificates.
- Language of instruction: The teaching language is German. If German is not your first language, you must provide proof of advanced proficiency (commonly C1 level). The university specifies which certificates it accepts; standard proofs at German universities include DSH, TestDaF, Goethe-Zertifikat or telc C1 Hochschule.
Personal requirements
Success in cross-border distance study depends less on your job title and more on habits. You need solid self-organisation, reliable weekly routines and perseverance over several semesters. Plan fixed study slots each week alongside work and family, keep a simple task system, and revise continuously rather than in bursts. Because materials, assessments and communication are in German, you should be comfortable reading specialist texts, writing structured arguments and participating in academic discussions in German or English as required by the course. A quiet workspace, stable internet and the discipline to meet monthly or semester milestones are essential for studying from abroad.
What will you study in the Health and Medical Management at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg?
The programme is taught in German. As an international applicant you will need certified proof of German proficiency (typically at an advanced level, e.g. TestDaF, DSH or Goethe-Zertifikat C1). It is delivered as a Fernstudium (distance learning), i.e. you study largely online alongside your job. University degree programmes are exempt from ZFU approval; the ZFU is Germany’s state authority supervising non-university distance courses.
You build a management toolkit tailored to healthcare. Expect a focus on how hospitals, insurers and life-science companies are organised and steered, and how medical decisions intersect with economics, law and quality standards. With 60 ECTS credit points, this is a compact Master designed to be completed part-time.
Healthcare systems, policy and economics: You examine how health systems are financed and regulated, health technology assessment, and cost–benefit logic in clinical pathways. Typical modules cover health economics, reimbursement models (e.g. DRGs) and health policy analysis.
Hospital and provider management: You work on strategy and operations inside hospitals and care providers: capacity planning, patient flow, process improvement, and controlling. Expect modules on hospital management, quality management and risk management in care settings.
Law, ethics and compliance: You learn the legal framework around healthcare delivery and medical products, plus data protection in clinical contexts. Modules commonly address medical law, compliance in healthcare and ethics of clinical decision-making.
Data, quality and outcomes: You connect management decisions with evidence. Topics include epidemiology basics for managers, outcomes measurement, quality indicators and reporting for boards and payers.
Electives, if offered in your cohort, typically let you deepen knowledge in areas such as digital health, pharmaceutical management or public health leadership. The programme concludes with a written Master’s thesis in which you solve a practical problem from your workplace or a partner institution.
How does the Health and Medical Management distance programme work?
You study remotely while working. Teaching is in German, so everyday study activities—videos, readings, tutorials and assessments—are conducted in German.
Teaching language and language certificates
The language of instruction is German throughout. You will be expected to provide official proof of German proficiency suitable for Master’s studies; universities commonly accept TestDaF, DSH or Goethe-Zertifikat at advanced (often C1) level. Course materials, assignments and the Master’s thesis are in German.
Learning format and study materials
As a Fernstudium (distance learning) at a public university, the programme centres on guided self-study: structured readings, recorded lectures and online learning spaces. Synchronous elements such as live online seminars may be scheduled in Central European Time (CET/CEST). Germany’s public universities do not require ZFU approval for degree programmes; ZFU (Staatliche Zentralstelle für Fernunterricht) oversees private/non-university distance courses.
Exams and taking them from abroad
Assessment at German universities typically combines written assignments, case studies, presentations and exams. Many degree programmes now allow remote submissions and online oral examinations; for any on-site written exams you would travel to Germany or an agreed exam centre. Always plan for term-end assessment periods when arranging work schedules across time zones.
On-site sessions in Germany
Distance programmes at public universities may include occasional in-person days (e.g. block seminars, workshops or exams). If on-site sessions are scheduled, attendance is usually compact and announced well in advance, making short trips feasible from abroad. A purely remote study path does not require a visa as long as you do not relocate to Germany.
Weekly workload, time models and time zones
With 60 ECTS over four semesters, you budget roughly 10–15 hours per week alongside full-time work. Live sessions—where offered—follow German time zones (CET winter, CEST summer). The part-time structure is designed for professionals in hospitals, insurers, pharma or medtech.
What does the Health and Medical Management cost?
The total programme cost is listed as €6,400 over the standard duration of four semesters. That equates to around €1,600 per semester or roughly €267 per month if you spread the cost across 24 months. Public universities usually invoice per semester; international students commonly pay by bank transfer from abroad.
Factor in small incidental costs for study materials and any travel/accommodation if on-site days or exams in Germany are scheduled. If you extend beyond the standard duration, universities may charge continuation fees; budget a buffer for an extra semester if you anticipate a heavier workload at your job during the thesis phase.
What careers and recognition does the Health and Medical Management offer?
This is a Bologna-compliant Master’s degree carrying 60 ECTS credits. ECTS make workload and learning outcomes comparable across Europe, supporting recognition by employers and universities abroad. The degree is awarded by a German state university (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg), which underpins international trust and credential verification.
Career-wise, the programme targets leadership and specialist roles at the interface of medicine and management. Graduates typically move into:
- Hospital and clinic management roles (e.g. quality management, controlling, patient flow, process improvement)
- Health insurance and payer-side positions (e.g. care management, provider relations, benefits management)
- Pharmaceuticals and medtech (e.g. market access, health economics/outcomes research, compliance)
- Public health agencies or NGOs (e.g. programme management, policy analysis, health services planning)
Salaries vary by country and sector. In Germany, experienced hospital managers and payer-side specialists commonly earn mid five-figure to low six-figure annual salaries before tax; roles in pharma/medtech tend to sit in the upper range due to industry pay scales. Your prior clinical or business background significantly influences entry level and progression.
Who is the Health and Medical Management right for - and who not?
This Master is designed for working professionals who want to step into management in hospitals, insurers or the life-science industry without pausing their career. The distance format offers structure and academic backing while staying compatible with shift schedules and full-time roles.
- You work in healthcare (clinical or administrative) and want a formal management qualification.
- You prefer a compact Master with 60 ECTS you can complete part-time over four semesters.
- You are comfortable studying and writing academic texts in German.
- You value a degree from a German state university for international recognition and employer trust.
- You need remote learning you can follow from abroad, with clear time budgeting alongside your job.
There are also clear limits. Some candidates will be better served by a different programme or format.
- You do not speak German at an advanced academic level and cannot provide a recognised language certificate.
- You need a programme guaranteed to be 100% online with no on-site days; public universities may require attendance for selected seminars or exams.
- You seek a clinical qualification or access to regulated professions (e.g. physician, psychotherapist, nursing licence); this is a management degree, not a clinical training.
- You need a 120 ECTS Master for specific doctoral tracks or country-specific credential rules; this programme comprises 60 ECTS.
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