Business Coaching (M.A.)
FOM Hochschule für Berufstätige · Essen, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
Business Coaching (M.A.) is a part-time master degree at FOM where you develop coaching competence for demanding tasks in a business context. You learn to professionally accompany individuals, teams, and organizations in development and change processes and to connect systemic and psychology-based coaching approaches to real organizational contexts.
The program covers 120 ECTS and is offered as Campus+ and Digital Live study. You can choose for each semester and build your study plan alongside your professional life, completing the master with a state-recognised and internationally recognised degree.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- You develop coaching competence for business contexts by working on system-based and psychologically grounded coaching approaches.
- You learn to apply coaching methods for individuals, teams, and organizations in development and change processes.
- You strengthen your theoretical and methodological skills using coaching-related content within organizational settings.
- You deepen coaching approaches for change and transformation projects involving people, teams, and organizations.
- You learn to structure and conduct coaching conversations professionally and apply coaching concepts to organizational everyday practice.
- You further develop your competence to support developmental processes in complex business situations.
- You complete the Master thesis as part of the 120 ECTS study load.
- You consolidate your coaching competence through academic work building on the program’s coaching content.
- You submit and complete the final academic assessment within the thesis phase.
Career outcomes
- You gain advanced, work-ready coaching competence for the practical interface of coaching, leadership, and organisational development—so you can take on roles as a business coach (intern or extern).
- With your coaching skills applied to change and transformation contexts, you become well positioned for HR and talent/team development responsibilities where employers need structured coaching capability.
- The program prepares you for consulting and advisory work by strengthening your ability to support people, teams, and organisations through development and change processes.
- Because the Master is completed alongside your career (concept for employed professionals), you graduate with job-relevant methods you can apply immediately at work.
- You build a profile that supports an own coaching practice as well as business advisory engagements, giving you flexible career pathways beyond a single employer.
Employability rate
Graduates of coaching- and HR-related master programmes in Germany typically experience an employability rate of around 86% and an unemployment rate of about 14%, reflecting continued demand for qualified talent and people-development specialists.
Together, these figures point to a stable career outlook, especially for roles connected to HR, team and leadership development, and change initiatives.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| First university degree with relevant credits | International applicants need a completed first higher-education degree (for example a bachelor’s, diploma, master-level first degree, or state examination). Depending on prior knowledge, direct admission is possible if the degree includes at least 40 ECTS in fields such as business administration/economics, (business) psychology, education/pedagogy, social work, social or health sciences, or closely related disciplines. |
| Alternative route: different field plus relevant work experience | If your first degree is in another field, admission may be possible with 1.5 years of subject-relevant professional experience during or after your first degree, provided the experience matches the master program. The program also states that you need an ongoing current job/active employment (current professional activity). |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Management | Admission depends on the international applicant’s first degree and whether it includes the required share of ECTS in relevant fields, as published by the university. |
Language requirements
This program is taught in German. International applicants must submit evidence of sufficient German language proficiency for admission.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 12300 / total program | Total tuition fee: 12,300 EUR, payable in 30 monthly instalments of 410 EUR. |
| Immatriculation fee | EUR 1590 / one time | Once-only enrolment (Immatrikulationsgebühr): 1,590 EUR, payable in 6 monthly instalments of 265 EUR (for participants with an already completed or ongoing study programme / recognised further education at an institution of the BCW Group, it may be reduced by half). |
| Examination fee | EUR 500 / one time | Once-only examination (Prüfungsgebühr): 500 EUR, due at the end of the programme. |
Proof of financial resources
International students must be able to finance their studies in Germany. You may be asked to show proof of funds for your visa/entry process and for enrollment.
- Proof of sufficient funds for study in Germany as required by the German visa/immigration process
- Any program-specific tuition payment plan details stated by the university
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | September - Winter intake | March - 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 | September 01, 2026 | March 01, 2027 |
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 postgraduate study in Germany and provides funding for tuition and study-related costs. Applicants must meet the EPOS scholarship eligibility criteria (including development-related field and required professional background) and be admitted to the named host programme. |
| DAAD | DAAD Study Scholarships — Master Studies | Monthly stipend, travel allowance, health insurance, study and research allowance | DAAD Study Scholarships for Master studies support international students enrolled in a Master’s programme at a German university. To be eligible, applicants must meet the DAAD criteria for the specific scholarship call and be admitted to the host university programme. |
📝 How to Apply
Register and check your eligibility
Review the program’s admission requirements for international applicants, especially the rule about having a first higher-education degree and the required relevant credits (at least 40 ECTS) or an alternative pathway with subject-relevant work experience. Confirm you also meet the requirement for current professional activity. Prepare your education documents so you can upload them when applying.
Submit the online application
Complete the university’s online enrollment/application form and submit your details and required documents during the published intake period. Upload your degree documents and transcripts in the format requested by the application flow. If documents are not in German (or required language), ensure translations are prepared according to the university’s document rules.
Attend the admission-related next steps if requested
After submission, the university may request additional information or documents to verify qualification requirements. Respond promptly to any requests to avoid delays before enrollment. If the university advises a preparation step for your situation, follow the guidance provided by the admissions or student advisory team.