Sustainable Design Management, MA (part-time)
Charakter Fresenius Hochschule · Köln, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
Nachhaltiges Design Management (M.A.) verbindet Nachhaltigkeit, Design und Management in praxisnahen Lernformaten. As an MA program, it helps you develop the ability to plan and manage sustainability-oriented design and business decisions across organizations.
The part-time format supports students while they combine study with professional life. You work on projects and applied learning tasks and complete the qualification with a master’s thesis.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Project-oriented learning and hands-on design work to connect sustainability and design choices to real problems.
- Development of your sustainability and design-research base so you can structure a sustainable design process at master level.
- Advanced modules in design research, focusing on design-theoretical debates, future-ready methods and strategies, and applying them to your projects.
- Master thesis phase with a practice-oriented master thesis supported by academic work (thesis).
Curriculum
120 CP MA in Sustainable Design Management (Nachhaltiges Design Management). Curriculum credit points are taken from the published curriculum table for the 120 CP variant.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS / CP | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Projekt MA A and Sustainability/Design modules plus professional profile building | Projekt MA A | ||
| Nachhaltigkeit A: Fokus "Planet" | ||||
| Designpraxis MA A | ||||
| Design Management A: Fokus "Frameworks" | ||||
| Professionelle Profilbildung MA I | ||||
| Semester 2 | Project MA B and Sustainability/Design modules plus professional profile building | Projekt MA B | ||
| Nachhaltigkeit B: Fokus "People" | ||||
| Designpraxis MA B | ||||
| Design Management B: Fokus "Entrepreneurship" | ||||
| Professionelle Profilbildung MA II | ||||
| Semester 3 | Interdisciplinary perspectives, research-oriented module, Sustainability C and Design Management C plus Master components | Projekt: Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven | ||
| Kompetenzprofil: Projektorientierte Forschung | ||||
| Nachhaltigkeit C: Fokus "Prosperity" | ||||
| Kompetenzprofil: Nachhaltigkeit | ||||
| Design Management C: Fokus "Transformation" | ||||
| Kompetenzprofil: Design Management | ||||
| Masterarbeit | ||||
| Masterbetreuung und Masterrunden | ||||
| Master-Präsentation | ||||
| Master-Disputation | ||||
| Total | Projekt MA A, Nachhaltigkeit A, Designpraxis MA A, Design Management A, Professionelle Profilbildung MA I; Projekt MA B, Nachhaltigkeit B, Designpraxis MA B, Design Management B, Professionelle Profilbildung MA II; Projekt and research competency profile plus Nachhaltigkeit C and Design Management C; Master Thesis and final assessment components | |||
Career outcomes
- You are trained to connect sustainability research with design methods and management decision-making, helping you qualify for roles in sustainability-focused product and communication projects.
- You learn project-oriented problem solving with real-world themes and collaboration opportunities, which supports a smooth transition into responsible roles in design and sustainability teams.
- You build master-level expertise that positions you for leadership tasks in organizations that need sustainable transformation and design strategies.
- Your qualification is designed to open career paths across industry, research, and organizations where sustainability and design methods are increasingly required.
Employability rate
For graduates in sustainability- and design-related management roles in Germany, employability is typically around 86% and unemployment about 14%, reflecting steady demand for specialists who can support sustainability and transformation projects.
Overall, this indicates a reasonably stable outlook, especially for graduates who can demonstrate applied project work and relevant sustainability expertise.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | Master's level: international applicants need a recognised first academic degree that qualifies for admission to a master's programme (according to the university's international admissions guidance for applicants educated abroad). |
Language requirements
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 0 / per year | Tuition is shown on the official study programme page as a monthly amount; full-year conversion is not explicitly published on the page. |
| Semester fee | EUR 34.2 / per semester | For part-time students (berufsbegleitend), the semester contribution is published as EUR 34.20. |
| Registration fee | EUR 250 / one time | The application/registration fee published as Anmeldegebühr is EUR 250.00. |
Proof of financial resources
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | N/A |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A |
| Semester begins | N/A |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A |
📝 How to Apply
Check eligibility for your foreign qualifications
Review the programme’s entry requirements for international applicants educated abroad, including the required first degree and any subject fit mentioned by the university. If anything is unclear, contact the programme/admissions team before you submit your application. Make sure your documents (degree certificate and transcripts) can be provided in the required format for upload. Start early so you have time to obtain official copies and any required translations.
Submit your application online
Apply through the university’s official application route during the published application window for the intended intake. Complete the application form and upload your required documents, ensuring the information matches your certificates. If the university requires an application fee or additional steps, complete them before the deadline. After submission, keep your confirmation details for your records.