Englisch 
Deutsch Who this B.A. in Health Management fits – and what you need to bring
This programme suits working adults who want to step into management roles across the healthcare sector. It is designed as a part-time, live-online degree with fixed class times and a yearly on-site weekend in Germany. You study in German and earn a full 180 ECTS Bachelor of Arts.
- Healthcare employees in hospitals, insurers or care providers who want to move into quality, process or project roles alongside a full-time job.
- Professionals trained in social insurance or healthcare business administration seeking an academic upgrade to access leadership tracks.
- Career changers already employed in the sector who need structured, live teaching plus the flexibility of self-study.
Admission requirements
Because this is a structured “Aufbaustudium”, admission combines a higher education entrance qualification with a specific vocational background:
- University entrance: German general or subject-restricted higher education entrance qualification ((Fach-)Hochschulreife) or a recognised equivalent international school-leaving certificate.
- Mandatory prior vocational training: completed apprenticeship as a Sozialversicherungsfachangestellte/r (Social Insurance Specialist) or as Kaufmann/Kauffrau im Gesundheitswesen (Management Assistant in Healthcare).
- Admission with foreign qualifications: your secondary school certificate and vocational qualification must be recognised as equivalent; submit officially certified copies and translations. The university decides on equivalence case by case.
- Admission without Abitur: not offered for this programme due to its “Aufbaustudium” structure.
- Language of instruction: German. You must be able to follow live lectures and complete assessments in German; for international applicants, a formal proof of German at approximately C1 level is typically required (e.g. TestDaF, DSH, Goethe-Zertifikat C1). Check exact proofs accepted for your application.
Format and attendance: teaching is delivered live online on Fridays, Saturdays and one evening per week; there is one compulsory on-site weekend per year in Germany.
Personal requirements
Studying remotely from abroad demands strong self-management. Expect around 14–15 hours of live sessions in teaching weeks, plus self-study for readings, assignments and exam prep. Plan for a realistic total of 18–25 hours per week during intensive phases. You will need:
- Reliable time planning to balance fixed live sessions with flexible self-study.
- Perseverance and accountability – the format combines scheduled teaching with independent work.
- Confident academic German for lectures, exams and group work; everyday English helps with literature but is not sufficient on its own.
- Stable internet, a quiet study setup and the ability to travel to Germany once per year for the on-site weekend.
If you thrive with clear schedules, can maintain steady weekly study habits and have solid German skills, you are well placed to complete this degree successfully while working full time.
What will you study in the Health management (B.A.) at the University of Applied Sciences for SMEs?
This programme is taught in German. If you do not already speak German at an advanced level, you will need a recognised certificate such as TestDaF, DSH or Goethe-Zertifikat C1/C2 to follow classes and pass assessments. The degree comprises 180 ECTS and combines management, health sciences and digital transformation in healthcare.
You build a foundation that blends health sciences with sector-specific economics. Typical modules include the structure and key players in the healthcare system, fundamentals of biomedicine and medical specialities, so you can understand clinical processes well enough to manage and optimise them from an organisational and economic perspective.
Operations, quality and care pathways form a second pillar. You cover prevention and care management, quality management and medical documentation, plus reimbursement and data protection. The focus is on measuring care processes, ensuring compliance and improving outcomes within regulated systems.
A third block centres on digital health and data. You study E-Health & telemedicine, AI in theory and practice, as well as business plan development and digital business models. The aim is to plan feasible digital projects in hospitals, insurers and care providers that create measurable value.
The management toolkit completes the profile: business administration and accounting, healthcare law, agile project management, marketing and customer relationship management, leadership and team skills. You will also work on academic skills, an empirical research project and practice-oriented assignments that mirror workplace tasks.
Electives let you specialise: choose between “Administration & performance management” (e.g. social law and administrative processes) or “Integrative care processes & organisation” (e.g. integrated pathways and steering organisations in regulated systems). Prior vocational learning in Germany can be credited toward selected modules, shortening your path to the full 180 ECTS where applicable.
Key German terms you may see: Fernstudium means distance learning; classes here run live online with fixed slots. The University of Applied Sciences for SMEs is a Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences) with a strong applied-practice focus. The ZFU is Germany’s state authority overseeing distance-learning courses; if a ZFU admission number is stated for a course, it confirms formal approval of its distance format.
How does the Health management distance programme work?
You study in a working-professional, live-online format with fixed weekly sessions plus self-study. Live classes run in German on Fridays, Saturdays and one evening during the week. There is one mandatory on-site weekend in Germany per year. Most assessments are embedded in the modules and designed for people in full-time work.
Teaching language and language certificates
Teaching is in German. To succeed, you should have advanced German (typically C1). Commonly accepted proofs include TestDaF, DSH or Goethe-Zertifikat C1/C2. Course materials, live sessions and assessments are conducted in German.
Learning format and study materials
This is a virtual live programme: you attend interactive online lectures and seminars and complement them with guided self-study using digital materials and recordings. The model is designed so you can remain at work during regular office hours while studying in structured slots.
Exams and taking them from outside Germany
Assessments are organised throughout the programme and vary by module (for example written assignments, presentations, project work or exams). The setup suits working professionals and can generally be completed from abroad where formats are online. No fixed exam-centre network is required for regular coursework. A small number of activities happen during the annual on-site weekend in Germany.
On-site sessions in Germany
There is one compulsory on-site weekend per calendar year at an FHM location in Germany. Plan for travel and accommodation. Because the programme is otherwise remote, you do not need a German study visa; for short in-person weekends, typical short-stay entry rules for Germany/Schengen apply.
Weekly workload, time models and time zones
Expect roughly 14–15 hours of live teaching in lecture weeks: Fridays 16:00–19:45, Saturdays 08:30–17:00, plus one evening per week 18:00–20:15. Times are given in German time (CET/CEST). One weekend per month is lecture-free. Add flexible self-study on top; the exact volume varies by module. The standard duration is 24 months with an October start each year.
Note on ZFU: where a ZFU admission number exists, it is typically listed in programme facts. For this course, no ZFU number is stated publicly. A purely remote study path does not require relocation or a residence visa.
What does the Health management cost?
The university charges €545 per month for 24 months plus a €500 final assessment fee, bringing the total to €13,580. For a private, working-professional bachelor’s with structured live-online teaching, this sits in the typical market range in Germany.
Budget for incidental costs: annual on-site weekends in Germany mean travel and accommodation once per year. Study materials are provided digitally; specialist literature or optional resources may add small extras at your discretion. Tuition is billed monthly; from abroad you should ensure you have a payment method that works for international or EU transfers.
If your employer supports professional development, partial or full sponsorship is common in healthcare-related roles. Extensions beyond the standard duration may incur additional tuition; confirm any extension terms with the university before you plan for a longer timeline.
What careers and recognition does the Health management offer?
You graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (180 ECTS) aligned with the Bologna framework. The University of Applied Sciences for SMEs is state-recognised in Germany; quality assurance follows the German Accreditation Council system via agencies listed in EQAR (European Quality Assurance Register), such as FIBAA. For employers abroad, this signals a formally recognised, credit-bearing European degree that is portable for master’s admission and international job applications.
Career paths are broad across providers and payers in the health sector. Typical roles include:
- Healthcare manager or coordinator in hospitals, clinic groups or outpatient centres, working on process control, capacity and digital projects.
- Quality and process manager in healthcare, handling QM systems, audits, documentation and continuous improvement.
- Health insurer roles in performance or case management, using data to steer care and costs within legal frameworks.
- Corporate health management (BGM) in companies, from needs analysis to programme design and evaluation with HR.
- Consulting or project management focused on pathway design, reimbursement, E-Health and change implementation.
Salaries vary widely by country, organisation type and experience. In Germany, entry roles in these fields are typically mid-range professional salaries, with progression to team lead or departmental responsibility after several years of experience and strong project results.
Who is the Health management right for - and who not?
This programme is built for working professionals who want a structured, interactive online format and a German-taught degree with a clear healthcare management focus. Fixed live slots provide accountability and peer exchange while keeping weekdays largely work-compatible.
- You work in the health sector and want to move into management, quality, process or digital health roles.
- You value live online teaching at predictable times, plus flexible self-study between sessions.
- You want a European bachelor’s with 180 ECTS that can open master’s options later on.
- You are interested in E-Health, telemedicine and data-driven improvement of care pathways.
- You prefer an applied, practice-oriented approach typical of a Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences).
There are also clear deal-breakers you should consider before applying. These relate to language, scheduling and travel requirements that are non-negotiable in this study model.
- You do not speak German at an advanced level and cannot provide a recognised certificate (e.g. TestDaF, DSH, Goethe C1/C2). The entire programme runs in German.
- You need a fully asynchronous format. Here, fixed live sessions take place every Friday, Saturday and one weekday evening (CET/CEST).
- You cannot travel to Germany at all. One mandatory on-site weekend per year is part of the curriculum.
- You are seeking entry into regulated clinical professions (e.g. physician, nursing licensure). This is a management degree and does not grant access to clinical licensure.
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