Requirements for Enrollment

A Higher Education Entrance Qualification is required for admission, such as general university entrance qualification (the Abitur), subject-specific university entrance qualification, or university of applied sciences entrance qualification (the Fachabitur).

A Master's certificate or a successfully completed advanced training such as the state-certified technician or the state-certified business administrator also qualify as a Higher Education Entrance Qualification.

In addition, you can also be admitted to the distance learning course in Business Law at the Schmalkalden University without a Higher Education Entrance Qualification:

• You have completed a vocational training.
• Following your vocational training, you have been employed for at least 3 years.
• Your vocational training and employment should match the field of Business Law. If your vocational training is not relevant, you can be admitted through an entrance examination.

The standard period of study for the course is 8 semesters. If you have relevant vocational training and corresponding professional experience, these can be recognized. Then you can complete your distance learning alongside your job in just 6 semesters!

Study Contents, Modules, and Specializations

This distance learning course combines legal expertise with solid knowledge from the field of business administration. Within 8 semesters of regular study time, you will acquire 180 ECTS credits.

The course of study is as follows:

• 1st Semester: Fundamentals of Law, Introduction to Economics, Accounting and Financial Reporting in English
• 2nd Semester: Civil Law I, Constitutional and European Law, Labor and Social Law I, Key Qualifications, Financing and Investment
• 3rd Semester: Civil Law II, Corporate Law I, Contract Design, Quality Management, IT and Project Management
• 4th Semester: Civil Law III, Corporate Law II, Restructuring and Insolvency Management I, Tax Law
• 5th Semester: Business Taxation, Corporate Law III, Data Protection and Compliance, Administrative Law, Economic Criminal Law and Legal Enforcement
• 6th Semester: Elective Area I and Elective Area II
• 7th Semester: Practical Project
• 8th Semester: Practical Project (Continuation), Bachelor's Thesis, Colloquium

In the elective area, you choose 2 out of a total of 4 possible specializations: The options include Energy and Environment (Energy Law, Environmental Law, and Planning Law), Business Practice Law (Contract Negotiation and Conflict Management, Legal Advice in Companies), Labor and Social Law, Human Resource Management (Human Resource Management, Labor and Social Law II), and Financing and Restructuring (Financial Management, Restructuring and Insolvency Management II).

On-Site Sessions in Schmalkalden

One of the unique aspects of distance learning at Schmalkalden University is the intensive on-site sessions and block seminars in Schmalkalden (Thuringia). During these in-person phases, you can exchange ideas on the learning content with your fellow students and teachers.

Over the course of the first 6 academic semesters, you will complete 4-5 on-site sessions per semester. These sessions are organized to be compatible with part-time work - the events typically take place over 3 days on weekends.

Practical Project in the 7th and 8th Semesters

For the 7th and parts of the 8th semester of the distance learning programme, a practical project is planned, which you can complete in the form of an internship. The practical project accounts for a total of 30 credit points and requires a time commitment of 15 hours per week in the company.

If you are professionally employed during your studies, you may have the practical project credited, reducing the regular study time by one semester.

Tuition Fees

At Schmalkalden University, you pay tuition fees for the part-time study programme on a semester basis, always before the start of the semester. The tuition fees for the Bachelor of Laws in Business Law are 1980,- euros per semester.

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

In total, you will pay approximately 15840,- euros plus semester fees for the entire course. By having your relevant professional training and your accompanying work experience recognized, you can complete the programme in 6 academic semesters, resulting in a total cost of approximately 11880,- euros plus semester fees.

You may be able to claim tax deductions for the tuition fees. For information on funding opportunities, please contact the study coordinators at the Continuing Education Centre at Schmalkalden University.