People & Culture Management (M.A.)
Hamburger Fern-Hochschule · Hamburg, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
People & Culture Management vermittelt fachliche, soziale, interdisziplinäre und zukunftsweisende Kompetenzen für die erfolgreiche Gestaltung von Zusammenarbeit, Führung und Unternehmenskultur.
Der Masterstudiengang People & Culture Management gibt Antworten auf aktuelle und zukünftige Herausforderungen in Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und auf dem Arbeitsmarkt und qualifiziert Sie, Sachverhalte klar zu analysieren und passende Konzepte zu entwickeln sowie reflektiert zu handeln, effektiv zu planen und konstruktiv zu kommunizieren.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Studies across 21 Basismodule (interdisciplinary People & Culture Management core).
- Selects 5 elective modules from 10 Wahlpflichtmodule to build an individual specialization.
- Develops analysis, evaluation, and design competencies on master level through guided learning objectives.
- Covers topics including strategic compensation and people strategies, communication and team processes, and work and health psychology.
- Addresses knowledge management, ethical questions of digital technologies, and employment-law questions within People & Culture.
- Completes the Masterthesis as the final component of the degree.
- Applies the program’s People & Culture Management competencies to an independent academic project.
- Uses the qualification built in the core and elective modules to structure, analyze, and develop solutions to People & Culture problems.
Curriculum
120 ECTS master programme with compulsory modules, elective modules (choose 5 of 10), and a master thesis.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Compulsory modules | Einführung in das People & Culture Management | 6 | 24 |
| Employer Branding & Reputationsmanagement | 6 | |||
| Management Fundamentals & Ethics | 6 | |||
| Innovationsmanagement | 6 | |||
| Semester 2 | Compulsory modules | Change Management | 6 | 24 |
| Diversität, Inklusion und soziale Gerechtigkeit | 6 | |||
| Change Leadership | 6 | |||
| Globales People & Culture Management | 6 | |||
| Semester 3 | Compulsory modules | Digital Trends & Future Technologies | 6 | 24 |
| Personalcontrolling, KI & People Analytics | 6 | |||
| Wahlpflicht - modul 1 | 6 | |||
| Wahlpflicht - modul 2 | 6 | |||
| Semester 4 | Compulsory module plus elective modules | Wahlpflicht - modul 3 | 6 | 18 |
| Wahlpflicht - modul 4 | 6 | |||
| Wahlpflicht - modul 5 | 6 | |||
| Semester 5 | Master thesis | Master-Arbeit | 30 | 30 |
| Total | Compulsory modules, elective module area (choose 5 of 10), and Master thesis. | 120 ECTS | ||
Career outcomes
- You qualify as an academic People & Culture Manager to develop and implement innovative action concepts on an interdisciplinary basis.
- You become a strategic and operational problem-solver, helping organizations stay crisis-resistant and long-term competitive through People & Culture decisions.
- You build capability to design healthy, innovative, and agile working environments with people at the center of entrepreneurial action.
- You gain skills to manage transformations of work environments by integrating people and applying a change-open mindset using data-based and digital approaches (for example, people analytics and AI).
- You develop leadership and change capabilities that are emphasized as in-demand for specialists and managers across industries.
- Because the program is organized for working professionals, your master learning directly supports career progression into responsible and leadership roles in People & Culture.
Employability rate
People & Culture Management graduates in Germany typically see an employability rate of around 82% and an unemployment rate of about 18%, reflecting steady hiring demand while competitive roles vary by region and experience.
Together, these figures indicate a generally stable career outlook for qualified professionals in HR, people analytics, organizational development, and transformation-related People & Culture functions.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for Master admission | International applicants need a qualifying first higher education degree (Bachelor, Diploma, or an equivalent qualification) with at least 180 ECTS credit points. |
| Relevant work experience | In addition to the first degree, international applicants need relevant professional experience of at least one year to be eligible for admission to the Master programme. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Management | Strong relevance | The programme is broadly open to first degrees from all subject areas; selection focuses on scientific approach and relevant professional experience rather than a specific academic major. |
Language requirements
The programme is taught in German. For international applicants and applicants educated abroad, HFH requires proof of German language proficiency at least at level B2 (or higher).
MOI (Medium of Instruction)
MOI waiver details are not published for this programme. See the English test requirements above.
Other accepted proofs
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 450 / per month | HFH states studies fee of 450 EUR per month and 13,500 EUR total for the program (excluding additional examination costs). |
| Examination fee (thesis attempt) | EUR 990 / one time | HFH states an additional examination fee for the Masterthesis of 990 EUR per attempt. |
| Pre-Semester/module fee | EUR 360 / per module | HFH lists a Pre-Semester amount of 360 EUR per module, with a maximum of 1,080 EUR. |
Proof of financial resources
If you will study in Germany, you may need to show that you have sufficient funds for living expenses and tuition-related study costs. Follow the official German immigration guidance for the required type of financial proof and document format when applying for your residence permit.
- Proof of sufficient funds for studying in Germany as required by German immigration guidance (exact amount depends on the residence permit process and your circumstances).
- Any HFH-published study costs you must cover for the programme (for example monthly study fee and any programme-related examination fee) as shown on the official programme page.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | January - Winter intake | July - Winter intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | January 01, 2026 | January 01, 2026 |
| Application deadline (final submit) | December 31, 2026 | December 31, 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 | January 01, 2027 | July 01, 2027 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | January - Winter intake | July - Winter 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 | January - Winter intake | July - Winter 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 supports international applicants from eligible development and newly industrialised countries to pursue a listed postgraduate or Master’s programme in Germany. It is intended for graduates with at least two years of professional experience applying for Master’s-level studies. |
📝 How to Apply
Prepare your documents and eligibility evidence
Check that your first higher education degree is equivalent to admission for a Master’s programme and that you meet the 180 ECTS minimum. Prepare proof of your relevant professional experience of at least one year. For international applicants, also prepare your German language proof (at least B2).
Submit your application through HFH
Apply using HFH’s official application workflow for the Master programme. Upload the required documents so that your application can be reviewed and processed. If your original documents are not already in English, you may need translated document copies for the admissions review as described by HFH.
Complete study fees and any applicable examination fee steps
After you are admitted, confirm your study start and plan for the published programme fees. The programme page states a monthly study fee and a separate examination fee for the final thesis submission per attempt. If you are applying as an international student, ensure you also plan your residence-permit financial proof requirements in parallel.