Requirements for enrollment

The Public Law and Management program at the Schmalkalden University is designed for students who have already obtained a university degree and wish to expand their knowledge and career opportunities.

Admission requires a completed university degree or a degree from a college of public administration or business school. In addition, you must demonstrate relevant professional experience of at least one year.

Furthermore, you can also be admitted without a first university degree. For this, you will need to take an aptitude test. For details about the aptitude test, please contact the student advisory service at the Schmalkalden University.

Study Contents, Modules, and Specialization Options

This part-time distance learning course at the state university Schmalkalden is specifically designed for employees in the public administration who aspire to a career in the senior civil service. Over the course of 5 semesters of distance learning, you will engage with topics such as economics, contract law, and personnel management. Additionally, you will delve into subjects like risk management or infrastructure and energy. Within the standard study period of 5 semesters, you will acquire 90 ECTS.

The structure of the course is as follows:

• 1st Semester: Basics of Economics, Legal Fundamentals, Business Management Fundamentals, Scientific Research Methods, and Soft Skills
• 2nd Semester: Public Contract Law, Tendering Law and Public-Private Partnerships, Security and Liability
• 3rd Semester: Personnel and Organisational Management, Financial Management and Controlling, Marketing Management
• 4th Semester: E-Government, Elective Module I, Elective Module II
• 5th Semester: Master's Thesis

In the 4th semester, you will choose your 2 elective modules from this pool of topics: Compliance and Risk Management, Real Estate Management, Infrastructure and Energy, Quality Management in Public Administration.

Face-to-face Sessions and Practical Experience

What sets the distance learning program at Schmalkalden University apart are the intensive face-to-face sessions and block seminars on-site in Schmalkalden (Thuringia), at the Dual University of Applied Sciences Gera-Eisenach in Gera, and in Berlin. During these face-to-face sessions, you can exchange ideas with your fellow students and teachers about the learning content.

Throughout the first 4 semesters, you will complete a total of 14 face-to-face sessions. These sessions are organised to be easily manageable alongside your job - typically taking place over a duration of 3-4 days, including weekends.

If you have already obtained 180 ECTS in your initial studies, you can acquire the additional 30 ECTS through an accompanying internship. For example, you can complete the internship at your company.

Tuition Fees

At Schmalkalden University, you pay the tuition fees for the part-time study program on a semester basis, always at the beginning of the semester. The tuition fees for the Master's in Public Law and Management are 2360,- Euros per semester.

In addition, there are semester fees amounting to approximately 54,- Euros (without a semester ticket) or approximately 100,- Euros (with a semester ticket).

In total, you will pay around 12000,- Euros for the entire course.