SBE Study Plan

In order to have a comfortable yet productive study period during the exchange, each exchange student is advised to take a look at our School's course offerings and prepare an according personal study plan. During the group and personal meetings prior to the semester start, we will discuss the study plan in further detail.
 
 

 CONTENTS

General
            Set-Up
            The ERASMUS+ Learning Agreement     
 
Language and other courses at the University
           Language Courses
           Other Courses at UM
 
SBE Courses
            Overview
           COURSE DESCRIPTIONS                
           Online Course Catalogue   
           Chairs' websites    
 
Course Features

.

 

  • The SBE SP

    The SBE Study Plan (in short SBE SP), the ERASMUS+ Learning Agreement (in short LA), as well as any similar document from the home university, all aim at providing a transparent and efficient preparation for the exchange period abroad.
     

             The SBE Study Plan (SBE SP)
    General

    Incoming students shall get acquainted with the School’s course offerings and the overall course selection process, as well as be ready for the semester beginning, having prepared an individual list of courses that are suitable, available, free of timetable conflicts, and within the scope of 30 ECTS. 

    The submission of the SBE SP is mandatory for all exchange students in order to be correctly registered for courses taking place at SBE. Therefore, each exchange student enrolled at SBE will be required to submit this SBE Study Plan. All necessary information are provided during preparation meetings in March (for the summer semester)/ September (for the winter semester). The SP only entails courses offered at SBE. Courses from the language center and courses offered at other departments/ faculties other than SBE are not included in the SBE SP.          

    Differing course registration for regular and exchange students
    The reasoning for differing course registration methods between regular and exchange students: Exchange students are able to select from a unique variety of courses, including most degree courses in Business Administration, Economics, and Information Systems, however with certain constraints, too. Therefore, the official registration procedure (at our School’s examination office) differs fundamentally from the procedure that fellow regular students need to follow. Those other regular students register online via the website “Flexnow”. All exchange students, on the other hand, will be registered for all SBE courses on the basis of the final SBE Study Plan.

    Checklist: Course selection and course registration at SBE
    First draft

    First draft of  the SBE Study Plan (SP) - due March 28 (Thursday) - as a test run

    For incoming students, the first draft of the SBE SP is a test-run and shall be the first approach in order to be ready for the semester beginning, by preparing a preliminary list of courses, getting to know the different course features, checking for all schedules and the workload.

    • This draft is not binding, nor does it guarantee participation in courses. The draft simply aims to provide a first but possibly helpful preparation for the beginning of the lectures (Oct for a Winter Semester/ April for a Summer Semester).
    • It is each student’s own individual responsibility to prepare the study plan according to their own needs, prevent timetable conflicts, and pay special attention to possible prior individual application requirements. Ultimately, all courses (regardless of a prior application or not) will require to be officially registered at the examination office, which is done by the submission of the final SBE Study Plan. Only courses which are offered at SBE are included in the SBE Study Plan. Courses at the language center, or at other departments at the University of Münster, cannot be included. For SBE, the first drafts have informational and analytical purposes.

     

    • Winter Semester 2023/24:        Submission is due SEP 28
    • Summer Semester 2024:           Submission is due  MAR 28
    final SBE Study PLan

    The final SBE Study Plan serves as the official registration at SBE’s examination office, due ca. 1,5 - 2 weeks after the lectures have started (October for a WS/ April for a SS).

    • All courses an exchange student wants to take must be registered via the SBE SP. In addition to the registration via the SBE SP, SEMINAR COURSES always require a prior and individual application at the Chair directly. Different from exchange students, regular students register their courses via a website called "Flexnow". Exchange students cannot register their course selections via Flexnow. Instead, for exchange students, the submission of the "final SBE Study Plan" serves as the registration.
    • All registrations for Seminars and Term I courses are binding and final.

     

    • Winter Semester 2023/24: Submission is due OCT 18-20
    • Summer Semester 2024:    Submission is due  APR  18-23
     
    Changes

    Changes to the FINAL SBE STUDY PLAN

    Changes will still be possible for Regular and Term II courses:The examination office allows changes only for Regular and Term II courses within a certain deadline:

     

    SUMMER SEMESTER

      L/T Seminars
    Regular courses

    Deadline for changes: JUNE 17

    Deadline APR 23

    No Changes possible
    Term I courses

    Deadline APR 23

    No Changes possible

    Deadline APR 23

    No Changes possible
    Term II courses Deadline for changes: JUNE 17

    Deadline APR 23

    No Changes possible

     

     
     

     

     

  • The ERASMUS+ Learning Agreement (LA)

    The ERASMUS+ Learning Agreement (LA) or ERASMUS+ Online Learning Agreement (OLA) are official documents within the exchange across the European Union, setting up a study plan agreement between the three parties of the sending institution (= home university), the student, and the receiving institution (= SBE).
    [ Additonal information from the EU Commission]
     
     
    Filling out the ERASMUS+ Learning Agreement (LA):
    • Use LA template from your home university: Please consult your home coordinator about your university's LA templates and requirements. The home university will provide exchange students with all necessary information about the LA.
    • Electronic LAs: If your University does not use electronic LAs anyway: Due to environmental reasons, we appreciate the LA being submitted electronically. In the near future, we will be switching to the Online Learning Agreement (OLA) along with the EU Commission's guidelines.
    • Study cycle: Always indicate your Study Cycle by choosing "EQF level 6" = Bachelor level  OR   "EQF level 7" = Master level. Otherwise, the LA cannot be accepted if you wish to take Master-level courses.
    • Receiving Institution:
      • Name: University of Münster
      • Faculty / Department: School of Business and Economics
      • Erasmus code: D MUNSTER01
      • Address: Schlossplatz 3, 48149 Münster
      • Contact person name; email; phone: Martin Schmidt, M.Sc., incoming@wiwi.uni-muenster.de, + 49 (0)251 83 23019
    • Component titles/ codes: Titles shall be indicated in the language of instruction (i.e. German or English); Component codes are not necessary. 
     

    Changes

    A once-set and signed LA can only be changed once, only during the semester and the home coordinator's approval is required. Students need to use the Change form in the ERASMUS+ documents provided by the home university.
     

     

    Procedure for submission of the Learning Agreement (see below)

    If the home university requires a Learning Agreement / Study Plan that needs to be signed by both parties, the SBE Study Plan will serve as its basis and needs to be identical with regards to courses at SBE. Language courses and courses from other faculties other than SBE can be included but are not checked by SBE. Please note the following information below.
     
    Distinction between the SBE Study Plan and the Learning Agreement

     The LA is not mandatory. If an LA is submitted, the SBE Study Plan will serve as its basis and needs to be identical with regards to courses at SBE. More information see below.

     

 
 
 
 

  • Language Courses at Language Center of the University of Münster

    Language Courses @ the University of Münster   

    Language courses do not take place at the School of Business and Economics, but at the University's own language center:

    SBE does not oversee the availability and access requirements of language courses. Therefore, all administrative matters of registration, examinations, and transcripts then follow the rules of the respective faculty. After completing a language course, each student receives a certificate that states all essential information (course title; grade, ECTS; ... ). The certificate needs to be sent via e-mail to: here. Students can include language courses in the LA, but not the SBE Study Plan.

    ERASMUS+ students have the opportunity to take a German intensive course that is scheduled approximately 2 weeks before the start of each semester.Further information will be provided by our University's International Office after the application period.

     

     

    Language Courses @SBE

    Additionally, SBE offers certain language courses in "Business English" and "Business French": However, those are partly held in German, contain translations from and back to German, and therefore require a German level of B2 according to CEFR.

  • Other Courses at the University of Münster

     
    Other courses @ The University of Münster 
    The University of Münster (UM) offers a wide range of subjects, from archaeology to zoology. If you are interested in taking such courses, please contact the respective exchange coordinator of your faculty of choice. If a course from another department shall be included in the LA (which is not necessary, but possible), SBE does not necessarily need approval by the respective Chair (via e-mail). All administrative matters of registration, examinations, and transcripts then follow the rules of the respective faculty. This means, that after completing a course at another faculty, each student needs to ask for a certificate that states all essential information (grade, ECTS; ). The certificate needs to be sent via e-mail to: here.
     

 

 

  • Courses at SBE: Overview

    There are multiple ways to look for course offerings at SBE.

    Information on contents, knowledge requirements as well as time and place of the respective course are to be found here:
          Excel-table                                           (available courses; course features)
          COURSE DESCRIPTIONS                   (course contents)
          UM Online Course Catalogue          (up-to-date Schedules; Offerings) 
          Chairs' websites                                
     

     

    Overview: Excel-Table Course Overview
         -      Filter choices according to needs
                (language of instruction, study level, credit points,Term structure, etc.)

         -      Get general overview about courses and
                 need for registrations/ applications

     

     
     
     
    Please note: Errors may occur and only the official information
    by the Chair, the Online Course Catalogue and  Exam Office are binding.
    If you notice any unclarities, please do not hesitate to contact us.

     

 
 
 

 

  • Study Programs

    In general, students can choose from all courses of each study program:

    • B.A.:         Business Administration

    • ECON:      Economics

    • I.S.:          Information Systems

             Follow for general information on SBE's study programs

     

     

  • Study Levels: Bachelor/ Master

    Study programs at SBE and their usual study period:
    • Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Business Administration, Economics or Information Systems:
         >> Usual study period of 3 years ≙ 6 semesters ≙ 180 ECTS
    • Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Business Administration, Economics or Information Systems:
         >> Usual study period of 2 years ≙ 4 semesters ≙ 120 ECTS
     
    As a general rule for exchange students:
    • Master-level exchange students
      can choose from all offered courses (Business, Economics, Information Systems in Bachelor- & Master-level).
    • Bachelor-level exchange students
      can also choose from all offered Bachelor-level courses. Additionally, some Master-level courses are open, too: for a list please refer to the Excel-table above.
     

  • ECTS  / Course Load / Grading

    ECTS / Course Load

    The ECTS number stands for the number of credit points that are awarded if the course is passed.
    • ECTS include both class attendance hours & self-study time.
    • The usual course load for one semester comprises 30 ECTS. Provided the home university approves of the Learning Agreement/ Study Plan and in consideration of grant agreements, SBE allows every exchange student to fulfill less or more credits than the usual 30 ECTS.
    • European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System and the conversion into time:
       

       1 ECTS credit point         ≙        between 25-30 of working hours      
       

      30 ECTS per semester    ≙        40 hours work/ week             
                                                   ≙        full-time employment
      As 1 credit point shall represent about 25/30 of working hours (both class hours and self-study time), the usual course load for a regular student of 30 ECTS per semester means an 8-hour work day, or 40-hour working week, respectively.
      >> Find further information on the website of the European Commission:  >> What are ECTS?

     

                 

     

    Grading

    SBE's Institutional Grading Scale
     
    SBE Grade
    ECTS Grade
    Description
    1,0 – 1,5
    A
    Excellent
    Outstanding performance
    1,6 – 2,0
    B
    Very good
    Performance clearly above average
    2,1 – 3,0
    C
    Good
    Performance above average
    3,1 – 3,5
    D
    Satisfactory
    Performance on average
    3,6 – 4,0
    E
    Sufficient
    Performance with deficiency
    4,1 – 5,0
    F
    Fail FX/
    Performance which does not meet the requirements
     
     

     

  • Language of Instruction

    Courses at SBE are held in either English or German. Students may self-evaluate and then choose from all offered courses. In order to follow classes properly, we advise students to have at least  Level B2 according to CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

  • Semester Structure: Regular, Term I / II

    (Schematic overview of a usual semester.)
     
    Regular                               Courses are usually held throughout the whole semester (= regular courses).
     
    Term I /Term II                  Each semester consists of two periods, Term I and Term II.
                                                 Some courses are only held in either Term I or Term II of the respective semester.
                                                 Exams for Term I courses will be written in the middle of the semester,
                                                  whereas Term II exams will take place during the regular exam period.

  • Course Type: Lectures / Tutorials / Seminars

    Courses at SBE are organized as either  
         -    Lectures    (with or without Tutorials)   
               or
         -    Seminars.
     
     
    Lectures and Tutorials (L/T)
    The majority of courses are held in the mode of Lecture/ Tutorial. Lectures are commonly held by a professor and are aimed at laying a profound theoretical foundation. Lectures are usually accompanied by Tutorials (synonyms: exercises / practices / "Übungen"). 
    • Schedules:
      Tutorials usually take place separately, thus, have differing schedules (see Online Course Catalogue for schedules).
    • No PRIOR registration / No mandatory attendance:
      For both Lecture and Tutorial, there usually is NO PRIOR registration, attendance is NOT compulsory.
    • ECTS (=Credit Points))
      In order to pass the course and gain the total amount of credit points, the final examination at the end must be passed.
      Only, and only if, the final exam is passed, ECTS can be granted.
      Mere attendance in either L/T does not give any credit points.
      Caution/ Common Misconceptions: Although credit points in the Online Course Catalogue for L/T are often
      displayed separately, ECTS can only be gained as a whole and not in parts.
     
                Tutorial?
               In some instances, Lecture and Tutorial are organized in one single format, therefore, do not have
               separate schedules.
     

     

    Seminar Courses

    In a seminar course, students are expected to conduct research on an academically relevant topic and hand in the results in form of a self-written paper that holds up to scientific standards. The aim is to get acquainted with academic writing and prepare for the bachelor/ master thesis. The seminar course consists of a limited number of participants as to allow interactive group works and discussions. Therefore:

    • A PRIOR APPLICATION is always required. 
      Without the specific confirmation by the Chair, students cannot take part in a seminar course.
      Each Chair organizes the application process for itself, which means that deadlines and access methods (i.e. random principle; first-come first-served (fcfs); individual application) vary among the courses. Please check the Chair's Website for further specific information.
    • Students are graded on the written paper, often in addition to a presentation, and/ or the contributions made during the seminar. Attendance is mandatory.
    • Study Plan/ Learning Agreement
      If a seminar is included in the Learning Agreement, the course can only be regarded as preliminary and might need to be changed. Due to the limited number of places available, some seminars cannot admit exchange students as the places available need to be given to students who will graduate from SBE; therefore those courses are often booked out even before the semester start. Exchange students will get all important information on offerings and deadlines before the semester begins.
     
     
     

  • Master: Major

    Only refers to Master-level courses in the Business Administration program (MSc B.A.) and indicates the respective Major:
     
    At SBE, there are 4 possible Majors:
     
    Accounting
    Finance
    Marketing
    Management
    .
     

  • MASTER-course Availability For BACHELOR-level students

     
    • Master-level students can choose from all Master-level and Bachelor-level courses.

      Note: Seminars will always require a prior application at the Chair directly.

     

    • Bachelor-level students can choose from all Bachelor-level courses & several Master-level courses, depending on the current study level.
     
     
     
                    If you are in your 4th year of a 4-year Bachelor program and you want to pursue certain Master-level courses that are closed:
                    If you are at Bachelor's level but would like to pursue a specific Master-level course that is not available:
    SBE supports exchange Bachelor-level students to participate in Master-level courses if the necessary prior knowledge for participation in Master-level courses can be proven. As often group work is involved fellow students in the course will need to rely on each other and share common basic knowledge. Therefore, please double check if you have
    a) the necessary basic knowledge for that course, and
    b) enough time to participate in group work.
     
     
    Send an email to o incoming@wiwi.uni-muenster.de, including
    • a recent Transcript of Records - verified or verifiable.
    • highlight or list courses that show building-up of knowledge in that field of Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management
    •  include max 100 words of motivational text.

    The respective Chair needs to decide if participation is reasonable.
     

  • ACCESSABILITY: Prior Registration/ Application at Chair?

    The majority of courses at SBE can only be attended without a prior registration or application. In those cases, there is no limitation to places so everyone willing to participate is able to participate.
     

             Rule of thumb:

    • Lectures/ Tutorials:       No prior application necessary / required / possible
    • Seminars:                         Required prior application
                                                  >> See respective Chair's Website
     
    Seminars
    Due to the limited number of places available, some seminars cannot admit exchange students as the places available need to be given to students who will graduate from WWU; therefore those courses are often booked out even before the semester start.
     
     
    Group Work Involved?
    If group work is involved, fellow students in the course will need to rely on each other and share some common basic knowledge. Therefore, please double check if you have a) the necessary basic knowledge for that course, and b) enough time to participate in group work .
     

  • SCHEDULES: Times and Place

    Times
     
    • Online Course Catalogue
      Schedules  (times and places) are always kept up-to-date in the Online Course Catalogue (OCC)- in German called "Vorlesungsverzeichnis" ("VVZ").
    • Learnweb-course
      As soon as the semester begins, all courses from SBE will also have a digital course on the  WEBSITE LEARNWEB. In those courses, the Chair will commnicate with students, also about up-to-date scheduling. Therefore, make sure to enroll in all Learnweb-courses.
     
     

    Locations

     
    Additional Scheduling Questions
     
     

            Mandatory attendance?

    • For the majority of lectures and tutorials at SBE, there is no mandatory attendance. Please check the Online Course Catalogue for the particular course.
    • All Seminars, however, do have the obligation to attend.
     
     

            Select Overlapping courses?

    • Regardless of mandatory attendance or not, our experience has shown that actual attendance and the passing of a course do have a positive correlation, meaning that students attending a class have a higher probability to pass.
    • On these grounds, it is advised to not choose overlapping courses in the study plan.
     
     

             Cum tempore?

    • If not noted otherwise, courses always start cum tempore (c.t.), which is Latin and and indicates that a course will not start on the hour but 15 minutes later, and accordingly, end 15 minutes earlier.
    • For example, if a lecture is scheduled from 14-16 o'clock, the lecture will actually start at 14:15 o'clock (15 minutes later) and end at 15:45 o'clock (15 minutes earlier). Consequently, there will always be 30 minutes between two courses.
    • All times in the Online Course Catalogue are shown as c.t. times.
      The opposite of c.t. is s.t. (sin tempore). If s.t. is specifically indicated, the course does start exactly on the hour: For example, 15:00 s.t. means the course begins at 15:00 o'clock sharp.

     

  • Exam schedules

    Exam Schedules
    Examination schedules (time and place) will be published after the start of the semester by the examination office on its website.
    As the English version of the website, often, is not up-to-date, it is advised to use the information on the German website:

     

    Under the subject "Prüfungstermine", you will find 4 separate pdf-documents:

    • "Prüfungen vorgezogener Zeitraum"
      Bachelor/Master                                                             >>  Term I courses/ examinations; Seminars
    • "Prüfungen regulärer Zeitraum"         
      Bachelor/ Master                                                            >>  Regular and Term II courses / examinations

    Caution: Always check the exam schedules again before the examination takes place, as sometimes, updated documents were uploaded.

  • FINAL COURSE REGISTRATION AT EXAM OFFICE

    By submission of the Final SBE Study Plan courses will be officially  registered at the examination office:

    • mid-October for a winter semester
    • mid-April for a summer semester
    • If an SBE course is not listed in the SBE Study Plan, the course cannot be passed (or failed in that matter).
    • ALL courses taking place at SBE will require this registration (e.g. regardless of a prior registration/ application).
    • Differing course registration for regular and exchange students
      The reasoning for differing course registration methods between regular and exchange students: Exchange students are able to select from a unique variety of courses, including most degree courses in Business Administration, Economics, and Information Systems, however with certain constraints, too. Therefore, the official registration procedure (at our School’s examination office) differs fundamentally from the procedure that fellow regular students need to follow. Those other regular students register online via the website “Flexnow”. All exchange students, on the other hand, will be registered for all SBE courses on the basis of the final SBE Study Plan.

  • Course Material

    Course material: On WEBSITE LEARNWEB.

    >>
    Make sure to attend the FIRST SESSION of each course in every case, as, often, course entry is protected by a specific password/enrollment key, which is usually handed out at the first course meeting.

 

 

 

  • Consultation

    In order to have a productive consultation, make sure to:

             A:     download the Excel table as a basis
             B:     keep prior e-mails attached / below &
                      use same e-mail address

    >> Consultation hours
          >> Group Meetings before semester start (March / September)

  • Submission of ERASMUS+ Learning Agreement

    Procedures for submission of the ERASMUS+ Learning Agreement (LA or OLA)

    A once set and signed ERASMUS+ (Online) LA can only be changed once and the home coordinator's approval is required; use the Change form in the ERASMUS+ documents from your home university to document changes. See for the respective semester and its deadlines/ requirements and submit the Changes in the same way as the original LA/ Study Plan.
    Please note: Course offerings for the respective semester will be available aproximately one month before the start of the semester. Until then, please use the course offerings documents from the previous winter/ summer semester.

    ERASMUS+ Learning Agreement≫ Submit (preliminary) versions here

    Before sending make sure to go through the provided information above:        
     Pay special attention to:
               >>  possible prior application requirements
               >>  access restraints to Master-level courses
               >>  prevention of timetable conflicts

    Please note/ Disclaimer: The Study Plan / LA is no guarantee that courses will take place.
    Moreover, for courses that require an application, each student is responsible for following the Chair's Website instructions.