Sustainable Design Management, BA Full-time
Charakter Fresenius Hochschule · Cologne, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
Nachhaltiges Design Management (B.A.) verbindet Nachhaltigkeit, Design und Management in einem praxisorientierten Bachelorstudium mit starkem Projektbezug. Das Studium richtet sich darauf aus, Gestaltung und Managementkompetenzen zusammenzuführen, damit du Transformation in Unternehmen und der Gesellschaft nachhaltig mitgestalten kannst.
Das Studium wird in Kooperation durchgeführt und findet am ecosign-Standort in Köln statt. So lernst du Themen rund um Nachhaltigkeit und verantwortungsvolle Gestaltung mit konkreten Projektaufgaben aus der Praxis.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Foundation in sustainable management, design thinking, and business basics for the Sustainable Design Management approach
- Preparation for project-based learning that starts early in the degree structure
- Design practice seminars support early development of design and creative process skills
- Semester projects with a project management process from task definition and research through concept development, sustainability assessment, implementation, and presentation
- Sustainability seminars covering design and design management in the context of the biosphere and circular value creation
- Management by Design seminars building competencies for sustainable corporate governance, brand and product development, and sustainable communication
- Design practice seminars (early semesters) in areas such as communication design, product design, illustration, or photography
- Profilbildung (professional profile development) supported throughout the programme to prepare for the bachelor thesis
- Choice modules (Wahlfachbereich) supporting an individual profile via flexible selection from a broad range of competencies
- An application-oriented research track (Anwendungsorientierte Forschung) where students develop a practice-oriented research question that serves as the basis for the Bachelor project
- Focus on integrating sustainability, management, and design competencies into a coherent thesis topic
- Bachelor project (Bachelorarbeit) developed from the student’s self-defined, application-oriented research question
- Praxisorientiertes Projekt work integrating learning from projects, sustainability seminars, and Management by Design seminars
- Final academic work centered on Sustainable Design Management
Curriculum
ECTS/CP module-level credit table for Sustainable Design Management, BA (Full-time) at Charakter Fresenius Hochschule was not published in the official sources accessible during this research pass; only program-level accreditation information about Bachelor thesis credit (12 CP) was confirmed, so per-module and per-semester credit values cannot be reliably extracted.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS / CP | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 |
Career outcomes
- You are trained to become the interface between creativity, sustainability, and business, so you can take on roles that translate sustainable concepts into practical organizational decisions.
- Through repeated semester projects (often with real external partners), you graduate with project-management experience that fits how employers work in sustainability and innovation projects.
- Your Management by Design learning supports career paths in sustainable corporate governance, sustainable brand and product development, and sustainable corporate communication.
- You build a professional profile during the degree, which helps you position yourself confidently for responsibilities such as design management and CSR/ESG-related management roles.
- You gain applied research foundations that support moving into advanced studies (for example, a related master pathway) or taking on more specialized responsibilities faster.
Employability rate
Graduates in sustainability- and design-management related fields in Germany typically see an employability rate of around 86% and an unemployment rate of about 14%, reflecting steady hiring for sustainability, CSR/ESG, and innovation-oriented roles.
Together, these figures point to a generally stable career outlook, especially for graduates who can demonstrate practical project work and applied sustainability competencies.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Higher education entrance qualification (foreign equivalent) | International applicants need a higher education entrance qualification comparable to German Hochschulzugangsberechtigung to study a Bachelor degree. If your foreign qualification does not directly meet German university entrance requirements, the admission process may require completing a university entrance examination (Feststellungsprüfung) at the Hochschule Fresenius. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Design & Management (with sustainability focus) | Direct match | The program is oriented to sustainable design management and expects applicants to demonstrate relevant motivation and interest during the admission interview. Where a foreign education does not directly cover required competencies, the admissions process may clarify this during the selection process. |
Language requirements
As an international applicant to this program, you must meet the language requirements stated by the Hochschule/esign admission process. For this Bachelor program, the teaching language at ecosign is German, so you need proof of German language skills before starting your studies.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 0 / per year | Official programme page redirects to ecosign and does not publish tuition for this specific BA programme on the accessible page content. |
| Semester fee | EUR 0 / per semester | Official semester contribution figures are published on other Fresenius documents, but the exact semester fee for this BA programme campus/intake is not confirmed on the programme page content available. |
Proof of financial resources
You are responsible for proving you can cover the tuition and living costs for studying in Germany. Use your own bank records and any official financial guidance for your visa process, and prepare for the program’s monthly study fees and the separate semester contribution.
- Proof of sufficient funds for Germany visa/residence purposes (based on official embassy or immigration guidance for your case).
- Budget for monthly study fees in addition to the semester contribution, as published by ecosign.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | September - Winter intake | March - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | September 01, 2026 | March 01, 2026 |
| Application deadline (final submit) | September 30, 2026 | March 15, 2026 |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A | N/A |
| Semester begins | October 01, 2026 | April 01, 2026 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | September - Winter intake | March - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | September - Winter intake | March - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A | N/A |
🎓 Scholarship
| Provider | Scheme name | Coverage | Eligibility notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAAD | EPOS — Development-Related Postgraduate Courses | Tuition fees, monthly stipend, travel allowance, health insurance | DAAD EPOS supports applicants from developing countries for development-related postgraduate study at selected German universities. This BA programme is an undergraduate degree; eligibility for EPOS depends on whether the DAAD course list includes the exact programme and whether it matches the scheme’s postgraduate scope. |
📝 How to Apply
Apply online and submit your documents
Submit your application online through the ecosign application process and ensure you meet the formal admission conditions for this Bachelor program. After your application is received, the team checks whether your documents meet the required criteria. If the formal check is positive, you will be contacted to arrange the next step in the process.
Complete the admission interview (Aufnahmegespräch)
Successful participation in a personal admission interview is required for admission to this program at ecosign. The interview is used to get to know you and to assess your motivation and interest in sustainability and design approaches in management contexts. The interview is free of charge and can also be arranged as an online option in line with the program’s interview format.
Receive your offer and complete enrollment documents
After the admission interview, you will learn whether ecosign can offer you a study place. If you receive an offer, you will receive the contract/enrollment documents promptly for the next steps. Complete the required enrollment paperwork according to the instructions you receive from the institution.