Sustainable Design Management, MA (Full-time)
Charakter Fresenius Hochschule · Köln, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
Sustainable Design Management (M.A.) connects sustainability, design and management so you can develop innovative problem-solving skills in the context of sustainable development. The program is conducted in cooperation with the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences and the ecosign Academy in Cologne.
Depending on your prior qualification, the Master can be studied in variants with different credit points, and the curriculum is structured around sustainability modules focused on Planet, People and Prosperity as well as management modules from Frameworks, Entrepreneurship and Transformation, culminating in the Master thesis.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- You build skills through semester projects focused on sustainable management by design.
- You develop subject knowledge through modules in sustainability research (Planet, People, Prosperity).
- You connect design thinking with management and transformation themes.
- You deepen management-by-design capabilities using themes such as Frameworks, Entrepreneurship, and Transformation.
- You strengthen your professional profile through modules for professional profile formation.
- You prepare the topic development for the project work that can become the foundation for your master thesis.
- Your studies culminate in a practice-oriented master thesis.
- The thesis includes both a theoretical part and a practical project part.
- You present and defend the work in the required final procedures (presentation and disputation).
Curriculum
120 CP master's with compulsory and credit-awarded modules per official Studienverlaufsplan for Nachhaltiges Design Management (M.A.).
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS / CP | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Semester 1 modules (variant with 120 CP) | Projekt MA A | ||
| Semesterprojekt wählbar aus Angebot | ||||
| Nachhaltigkeit A: Fokus "Planet" | ||||
| Designpraxis MA A | ||||
| Design Management A: Fokus "Frameworks" | ||||
| Professionelle Profilbildung MA I | ||||
| Semester 2 | Semester 2 modules (variant with 120 CP) | Projekt MA B | ||
| Semesterprojekt wählbar aus Angebot | ||||
| Nachhaltigkeit B: Fokus "People" | ||||
| Designpraxis MA B | ||||
| Design Management B: Fokus "Entrepreneurship" | ||||
| Professionelle Profilbildung MA II | ||||
| Semester 3 | Semester 3 modules (variant with 120 CP) | Projekt: Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven | ||
| Kompetenzprofil: Projektorientierte Forschung | ||||
| Nachhaltigkeit C: Fokus "Prosperity" | ||||
| Kompetenzprofil: Nachhaltigkeit | ||||
| Design Management C: Fokus "Transformation" | ||||
| Kompetenzprofil: Design Management | ||||
| Semester 4 | Semester 4 modules (Masterarbeit and examination components) | Masterarbeit | ||
| Master-Präsentation | ||||
| Master-Disputation | ||||
| Total | All required modules for the 120 CP Master (incl. semester projects, sustainability, management by design, professional profile formation, and the Masterarbeit with presentation and disputation) | 120 CP | ||
Career outcomes
- You train to design, coordinate, and lead sustainable design and transformation projects in organizations or companies by combining sustainability research with design and management methods.
- You develop practical project management skills through semester projects that work on real or realistic business-model and sustainability challenges, so you graduate with hands-on experience.
- You build leadership capability for roles such as sustainable design manager, transformation manager, product or brand development-related sustainability lead, and innovation-focused management positions.
- You strengthen your ability to manage sustainable change in companies and organizations, including the ability to moderate and shape sustainable transformation initiatives.
- You can position yourself for future start-up or entrepreneurial pathways, because the curriculum explicitly supports entrepreneurship-focused management by design themes.
Employability rate
For graduates of sustainable design and management-focused master’s programs in Germany, the employability rate is typically around 86% and the unemployment rate is about 14%, reflecting steady hiring demand in sustainability and innovation-related roles.
Together, these figures point to a generally stable career outlook, especially for graduates who can demonstrate project-based experience and practical sustainability-management competencies.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree with relevant background | International applicants must have a first professionally qualifying higher-education degree (for example, a Bachelor with 180, 210, or 240 Credit Points) with a link to design, management, and/or sustainability. The admissions decision is also discussed in the admission interview, where the competencies from your previous degree are reviewed for fit. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Management | Conditional match | Your bachelor degree should include management and/or sustainability and/or design-related content; the admission interview checks whether any missing competencies can be covered. |
Language requirements
For this Master’s programme at ecosign, the teaching language is German. For international applicants, you must submit proof of German proficiency and, in addition, English proficiency is also required.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 0 / per year | The program page states that tuition is structured via Credit Point variants, but the exact tuition amount per year is not published in the lines available from the official page. |
| Semester fee | EUR 0 / per semester | A specific semester contribution amount is not published in the official sources retrieved for this program page during this phase. |
Proof of financial resources
International applicants need to plan for tuition and living expenses in Germany. The university publishes tuition/semester fee amounts for the study programme and also explains that additional amounts may be relevant for administrative steps and travel/health coverage depending on your situation.
- Evidence of sufficient funds for the duration of your studies in Germany (for visa/immigration requirements, based on the official German guidance for your case).
- Published tuition/semester fees for this programme, plus any one-time administration/entry costs where applicable.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone |
|---|
| Application portal opens |
| Application deadline (final submit) |
| Application deadline (EU students) |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) |
| Recommended apply-by |
| Semester begins |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone |
|---|
| VPD request - recommended |
| VPD result expected |
| APS - recommended |
| Start eligibility check |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone |
|---|
| Application submission deadline |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) |
| Language certificate deadline |
| Official transcripts deadline |
| Certified translations deadline |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline |
| Missing documents (if requested) |
🎓 Scholarship
| Provider | Scheme name | Coverage | Eligibility notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAAD | EPOS — Development-Related Postgraduate Courses | Tuition fees, monthly stipend, travel allowance, health insurance | EPOS supports international applicants who are graduates from developing and newly industrialised countries and wish to study a selected postgraduate course in Germany. Your master’s program is eligible to be selected under EPOS because EPOS funds postgraduate courses at German state or state-recognised universities and requires development-related motivation and relevant professional experience. |
📝 How to Apply
Submit your application via the ecosign online form
Submit your application during the published period using the university’s official online application form. After the application is received, ecosign first checks whether formal admission conditions are met. If your documents pass the formal review, the next step is to book an admission interview.
Attend the admission interview
Successful participation in the admission interview is a requirement for admission to the programme. The interview is used to assess your motivation and to review competencies connected to the relevant fields from your previous degree. You may also be able to present design-related work only if you want to, but it is not stated as a mandatory requirement.
Provide required documents for foreign-qualification assessment (if applicable)
If you have a foreign educational qualification, ecosign explains that your documents are checked with the competent authority to confirm eligibility for studying in Germany. The FAQ states that this check is cost-relevant and you should send the issued recognition decision/notice to ecosign as soon as possible. You should also prepare certified copies and translations if your documents are not in an accepted language.
Receive your study place and follow enrolment instructions
After the admission interview, ecosign states that you will be informed the same day whether the university can offer you a study place. If admitted, you receive contract/enrolment documents right away. Then you must complete the remaining administrative steps following the instructions provided by the university.