Big Data & Business Analytics (M.Sc.)
FOM Hochschule für Berufstätige · Berlin, Essen, Munich, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
The Big Data & Business Analytics (M.Sc.) program at FOM Hochschule für Berufstätige teaches you how to analyse, evaluate large and heterogeneous data sets and use them in a business context. You build analytical skills for predictions and optimisations, for example in marketing, sales, and business development.
The Master’s program is taught entirely in English and is completed with the academic degree Master of Science (M.Sc.). It runs on-campus in Berlin, Essen, or Munich and includes a Master’s thesis and defence.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Big-Data-Architecture & -Infrastructure: data-driven business infrastructure and continuous data processing
- Decision Focussed Management: decision theory and management decisions in a strategy context
- Research Methods in STEM: scientific method and research paradigms in business informatics and engineering
- Big Data Analytics: data sources, visual analytics, and AI methods such as machine learning
- Deutsch: fundamentals in listening, reading, writing and speaking (German course component)
- Applied Programming: programming languages for big data using SQL, R and Python
- Analysis of semi- & unstructured Data: crawling, text mining and social media analysis
- Project management of Big-Data-Projects: planning, management and control of big data projects
- Area of application: Business Analytics: association analysis, decision trees, and clustering
- Quantitative Data Analysis: statistical test methods and multivariate processes
- Information-Security: data protection, risk analysis, and ISMS
- Leadership & Sustainability: leadership in business management and diversity management context
- Ethics & Law: ethical and legal aspects of big data and compliance
- Big-Data-Analysis Project: independently produced data analysis in a chosen application area
- Strategic Business Model Development: business model development from big data results
- Applied Project I: applied project work component
- Master’s Thesis and Colloquium/Defence: thesis work and defence
- Applied Project II: applied project work component
Curriculum
120 ECTS M.Sc. curriculum arranged across four semesters including a Master’s Thesis and Colloquium/Defence.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS / CP | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st semester | Modules of the 1st semester | Big-Data-Architecture & -Infrastructure | ||
| Decision Focussed Management | ||||
| Research Methods in STEM | ||||
| Big Data Analytics | ||||
| Deutsch | ||||
| Applied Project I | ||||
| 2nd semester | Modules of the 2nd semester | Applied Programming | ||
| Analysis of semi- & unstructured Data | ||||
| Project management of Big-Data-Projects | ||||
| Area of application: Business Analytics | ||||
| Quantitative Data Analysis | ||||
| Information-Security | ||||
| 3rd semester | Modules of the 3rd semester | Leadership & Sustainability | ||
| Ethics & Law | ||||
| Big-Data-Analysis Project | ||||
| Strategic Business Model Development | ||||
| Applied Project I | ||||
| 4th semester | Modules of the 4th semester | Master’s Thesis and Colloquium/Defence | ||
| Applied Project II | ||||
| Total | Total programme credits including Master’s Thesis and Applied projects | |||
Career outcomes
- You graduate with job-ready skills to work as a Big Data Manager, Business Analyst, Data Analyst, or Data Scientist in data-driven business environments.
- You build analytical and AI-enabled decision capabilities using big-data analysis, predictive and optimisation-oriented approaches applied to business contexts.
- You learn to translate results into business outcomes, supporting roles like Business Development Manager and Big Data Engineer across marketing, sales and business development use cases.
- You gain experience in project management for big-data projects and in strategic business model development informed by data analytics.
- You develop leadership, ethics, and compliance awareness for data and analytics roles where governance and responsible use matter.
- You earn a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Big Data & Business Analytics, giving you a strong foundation for both specialist and management career pathways.
Employability rate
Graduates in big data and business analytics pathways in Germany typically see an employability rate of around 86% and an unemployment rate of about 14%, reflecting steady hiring demand for analytics and data roles.
Together, these figures point to a stable career outlook when you graduate with practical, business-applied analytics skills.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for admission to the master | International applicants must hold a university degree with 180 ECTS. Admission is possible with at least 40 credit points in (business) informatics modules, or with at least 10 credit points in (business) informatics plus relevant professional experience. Up to ten credit points may be recognised per year of relevant professional experience (a maximum of three years). |
| English language proficiency | International applicants must provide proof of English language proficiency at B2 level (CEFR) in line with the accepted test certificates listed by FOM International. |
| Informatics and relevant professional experience (when applicable) | If your first degree is in any field (not necessarily informatics), you must have at least 10 credit points in (business) informatics and relevant professional experience. Alternatively, admission may be possible through a successfully completed oral admission examination based on a written essay, as described by FOM International. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Management | Possible with relevant informatics credits plus experience | Applicants can be admitted with credit points in (business) informatics plus relevant professional experience, even if their first degree is in another field. |
Language requirements
Proof of sufficient English language skills is required for admission to the Master’s programme “Big Data & Business Analytics” at FOM University of Applied Sciences. The required level is B2 (CEFR).
IELTS Academic
TOEFL iBT
MOI (Medium of Instruction)
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total fee | EUR 23850 / total program | Total fee: EUR 23,850 (including examination fee and immatriculation fee). Fee structure: 1st instalment (Deposit fee): EUR 500; 2nd instalment: EUR 13,900 (payable immediately upon receipt of invoice before the 1st semester); 3rd instalment: EUR 9,450 (payable before the third semester as scheduled). |
| Tuition | EUR 20000 / total program | Tuition fee is published as EUR 20,570 in the programme flyer; total fee includes examination fee and immatriculation fee. |
Proof of financial resources
For your Germany student visa application, you will need to prove sufficient financial means. In many cases this is done using the blocked account requirement, plus supporting documents requested by the German authorities.
- Blocked account amount requirement for the German student visa process (as required by the German mission/immigration guidance you follow)
- Evidence of tuition payment/invoice and other student visa documents requested by the German authorities
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | N/A | N/A |
| 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, 2027 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - 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 | October - Winter intake | April - 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 | EPOS is a DAAD scholarship scheme for participants from developing countries to study development-related postgraduate courses in Germany. This M.Sc. programme is a postgraduate degree that can be considered within EPOS when the applicant meets the EPOS eligibility criteria for the selected course. |
📝 How to Apply
Register your personal data and educational background
Complete the registration using the application form and enter your name exactly as shown in your passport. Select the semester you want to apply for. Prepare your information about your educational background and any previous achievements before you fill in the form.
Prepare your documents for submission
Prepare an authenticated copy of your general university entrance qualification certificate and your school-leaving certificate or high school diploma. Include your CV, proof of English language skills (B2 level), and a scan of your passport. If your original documents are not in English or German, you must have them translated by a certified translator and submit the certified copy and certified translation.
Send the filled application and documents by email
Send the filled out and signed application form together with the listed documents via email to [email protected]. Use PDF files and follow the naming format described by FOM International for your documents. After FOM International receives the application materials, they will review your eligibility based on the programme requirements.