Study Semester "Principles of Sustainable Business"

Here you will find every information you need in a compact summary at a glance.

Compulsory Foundation Modules

• Fundamentals of Entrepreneurial Management (5 ECTS) 
  Good ideas need entrepreneurs: This module aims to raise fundamental elements of managerial competences needed in the field of entrepreneurship. Lessons will cover topics such as financing of ventures and funding alternatives, corporate financial modeling as well as areas such as marketing and cost accounting. We strive to improve the chances of entrepreneurial success for our students and their ideas for a sustainable future.
• Digitalization (5 ECTS)
  Thinking ahead of times: This module deals with in-depth aspects of digitization in national, international and intercultural contexts, how to address content to heterogeneous target groups, digital business and customer communication and the economic perspectives of companies in a global digital context. You will be able to analyze, classify and optimize various digital media in terms of language, content and economic use to design a differentiated digital business communication model in an intercultural context.
• Sustainable Development Goals (5 ECTS)
  A better and more sustainable future: The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. You will understand and reflect on the historicity and systematics as well as on the local application of these goals. In teams you will develop action portfolios as a local interpretation and implementation of a chosen SDG. Based on that concept a real or fictional application of the action portfolio in the local context of the Birkenfeld region will be conducted.
• German Language and International Business Culture (5 ECTS)
  Successful business is both global and local: As an introduction into German business culture and society, this course teaches about the 2000-year tradition of natural protection, why „quite good“ means „excellent“ and why management needs permission to let you work overtime. We will further look at intercultural perspectives and gain insights into neighboring cultures. This lays the groundwork for your visits to businesses and sites in the region where Germany, France and Luxemburg meet and where global and local business practices are forged.

Elective Modules

• Sustainable Waste and Waste Water Treatment Technologies (5 ECTS):
  Keeping waste to a minimum: Reducing the amount of natural resources consumed is one of the most important actions we can all help to follow. The module introduces you to the treatment technologies for waste reduction and recycling in Circular Economy. Wastewater disposal continues to be one of the biggest tasks of environmental protection. Get to know the innovative technical paths of Circular Water Systems and Eco Sanitation. Become familiar with pilot plants for nutrients recovery, future plastic filter options and low tech solutions for developing countries.
• Cleaner Production and Operations Management (5 ECTS)
  Reducing the environmental impact of the business: Cleaner Production tries to prevent and reduce risks to humans and the environment while increasing an overall efficiency of processes, products and services. In this module you will acquire basic knowledge about production processes, learning to understand the organization of these processes and their position within the supply chain. Learn how to analyze industry relations alongside their horizontal and vertical value-chains and get an appropriate toolkit to measure and monitor the results based on economic and ecological aspects.
• Environmental Policy  (5 ECTS)
  Considering environmental protection: Environmental problems cross national borders and can only be tackled through international cooperation. International environmen-tal policy covers many issues: Climate protection, sustainable energy policy, conservation of biological diversity, protection of forests, oceans and soils and against hazardous substances or the fight against desertification. You will discuss the political actors and their role in the political process. Examine the different views on regulatory policy and the impacts on property rights and distribution.
• Sustainability and Law (5 ECTS)
  The students will gain knowledge about the relationship of sustainability strategies and law and about the analysis of legal textual genres and legal thinking. They will recognize the difficulties of implementing sustainability in positive law and understand legal systems as part of the necessary framework for the implementation of sustainable strategies. The students understand and contextualize relevant legal norms in order to apply them to selected case studies and law projects and to discuss them critically. The acquired knowledge will enable the participants to assess and evaluate sustainable development from a legal point of view.

The elective modules from the study semester program "International Business and Digital Transformation" are also selectable.​

Compulsory Foundation Modules

• Fundamentals of Sustainable Business (10 ECTS)
  You can do well by doing good:  A growing number of organizations are integrating sustainability into their business strategy. This module serves as a natural starting point by identifying and analyzing the structure of these modern enterprises. You will be able to demonstrate the influence of external environmental conditions on the entrepreneurial process as well as identify potential ethical conflicts and social responsibility issues involving different stakeholders of the firm.
• Management of Non-Governmental Organizations (5 ECTS)
  From service organizations to human-rights advocacy: You will reflect on the status-quo of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and learn about chosen tools to manage them. Via case studies, you will interpret the given and potential development of particular NGOs. In order to expand the professional, methodical and social competences in the area of NGOs, you will elaborate reports on particular (global or local) NGOs in regard to pre-defined historical, managerial and trend-based aspects and criteria.
• German Language and International Business Culture (5 ECTS)
  Successful business is both global and local: As an introduction into German business culture and society, this course teaches about the 2000-year tradition of natural protection, why „quite good“ means „excellent“ and why management needs permission to let you work overtime. We will further look at intercultural perspectives and gain insights into neighboring cultures. This lays the groundwork for your visits to businesses and sites in the region where Germany, France and Luxemburg meet and where global and local business practices are forged.

Elective Modules

• Ethics and Society (5 ECTS)
  Harmonization of antagonistic targets: This module explains the need for modern ethical correct business modeling and sus-tainable management in companies in all major functional and managerial fields. Practical real business exercises as well as virtual examples set you into a manager role as decision maker or project leader. You identify the parallels between classical and business ethics and realize the positive outcome. Learning more about classical ethically desired and accepted behavior you understand how to change today’s established often-misleading production ways and rigid treatment of employees to a business that reduces systematically negative impacts.
• Sustainable Conflict Resolution (5 ECTS)
  The students will gain knowledge about sustainable dispute resolution strategies and restorative justice in different cultural contexts and expand knowledge about the relationship of sustainability strategies and law and about the analysis of legal textual genres and legal thinking. They will become familiar with recognized alternatives of dispute resolution and their importance for sustainable decision finding within communities. They will understand the implementation of these alternatives into legal systems as part of the necessary framework for the implementation of sustainable strategies.
• Recycling Technologies in Circular Economy (5 ECTS)
  The students will expand their knowledge in the field of Circular Economy especially sorting and recycling technologies for different waste value fractions like plastic, textiles, construction waste, electronic waste and others. Students will gain the necessary skills to analyze the sustainability contribution of recycling, to compare different technologies by ecological and economic criteria. They will be able to understand the range between low-tech solutions to high tech investments. They will be aware of innovative recycling trends

The elective modules from the study semester program "International Business and Digital Transformation" are also selectable.​

Participants in the program will study on our modern campus with over 2,500 other students of environmental business, law, sustainable science, information and media technology.

There is also the possibility of living directly on campus in one of the dormitories. All student apartments are reasonably priced. They come fully equipped and provide high-speed internet access as well as being connected to our university intranet.

The university does not charge a tuition fee for the Study Semester. Students will have to pay a 500 Euros administration fee per semester that also covers excursion costs and a general admissions fee of approx. 350 Euros per semester that also allows free rail travel in the region.

Students will enjoy the benefits of our “buddy concept”, with German students providing individual help in getting orientated and integrated in campus life. More information about the program can be found here.

Applications should be submitted by

• December 1 for the summer semester
• July 1 for the winter semester

Please note that the application forms have to be signed personally by applicants and by the responsible university referees. They have to be sent back via e-mail to posb(at)umwelt-campus.de.

Which application documents do I have to hand in?

In addition to the application form, the following documents must be included with each application:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Statement of Motivation
3. Letter of Reference
4. Most Recent Grade Transcript
5. Certificate of English Language Proficiency at level B2 CEFR or an equivalent (e.g):
   • TOEFL® Test (iBT 72)
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   • TOEIC® Test (Listening and Reading 785+ Speaking 160 + Writing 150)
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   • IELTS (band 5.5)
   • Cambridge First Certificate in English + Grade B or C (FCE)
   • B2 Certificate English of the Language Test Centre of Trier University
     
     The aforementioned proofs of English language do not have to be provided if school or studies have been completed in English, if you are a native speaker or come from a country where the official language is English.

All forms have to be filled out on computer (not handwritten). Please send all applications forms together with the other documents as one single PDF document. Handwritten forms or an incomplete application will not be accepted.

Our Study Semester program addresses enrolled (Bachelor) students from partner universities all around the world. However, in exceptional cases foreign students may carry out a semester or a whole academic year at our university, even though they are not applying as part of a student exchange but voluntarily. This can be the case if applicants have already completed a Bachelor or Master study or have not yet started studying at all.

When applying as a free mover students will not be treated as guest students, but as regular students. Hence, they have to meet the academic admission requirements for studying at German universities. A higher education entrance qualification has to be proven.

Applications should be submitted by

• December 1 for the summer semester
• July 1 for the winter semester

Please note that the application forms have to be signed personally by applicants and by the responsible university referees. They have to be sent back via e-mail to posb(at)umwelt-campus.de. 

Which application documents do I have to hand in?

In addition to the application form and the learning agreement, the following documents must be included with each application:

1. High school/college and university leaving certificates officially translated into German or English
2. A detailed resumé with your complete academic and professional career (incl. annual details)
3. Statement of Motivation
4. Certificate of English Language Proficiency or an equivalent
   • TOEFL® Test (internet-based: 79 / computer-based: 213 / paper-based: 550)
   • IELTS (band 6)
   • TOEIC® Test (Listening & Reading 750 points + Writing & Speaking 300 points)
     
     TOEFL and TOEIC are registered trademarks of ETS in the United States and other countries.

Each document has to be sent as a PDF file named accordingly.

The revision of documents by our Registrars Office in order to check your higher education entrance qualification costs 70 Euros. After we have received your application, we will send you an invoice with all further details.