Q:

Is the Master of Business Informatics (MBI) program an accredited program?

A:

Yes. All master programs by German universities must have official government accreditation. Otherwise they are not allowed to award a master's nor a bachelor's degree. The MBI program received accreditation in September 2001.

In addition, accreditation by ACQUIN, the Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute, was obtained on March 24, 2006 (ACQUIN certificate). Until this time, the MBI program was accredited by FIBAA, the Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA certificates).

 

Q:

VGU is a virtual university. What is a virtual university?

A:

A virtual university provides higher education over the Internet. Such an institution does not have classrooms and buildings in the physical sense. VGU uses technology to reach students wherever in the world they are, so it is not constrained by geography nor does it have a traditional campus. Our campus is on the Internet. Courses are based on multimedia technologies and given via Internet. This means that you DO NOT NEED to go to lecture halls on a real campus. Instead you can attend from anywhere in the world at any time over the Internet.

Q:

Is the MBI program different from programs by other virtual universities?

A:

Many colleges and universities offer online courses nowadays but the MBI program is the first complete accredited online master program in Business Informatics. It is unique in that it is a top quality comprehensive program taught by the leading experts from well-known universities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Among them are the leading academics in Business Informatics, like Prof. Dr. A.-W. Scheer from Saarland University, founder of a large consulting firm (IDS Scheer AG) and Prof. Dr. W. Stucky, president of CEPIS, the association of European computer science societies. Prof. Dr. K. Kurbel from the European University Viadrina in Germany has designed and implemented Business Informatics curricula which were adopted throughout Central Europe.

Q:

VGU has a "distributed" faculty. What does that mean?

A:

All courses are taught by a team of 17 well-known professors from reputable universities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. VGU has "unbundled" the traditional faculty roles. VGU professors monitor and discuss the curriculum, a central examination board assures that the tests and measures are accurate and effective, and teaching assistants at many locations work with students to support their learning process over the Internet.

Q:

How can I be sure that courses offered by VGU are as high in quality as those offered by "real" universities?

A:

The MBI program is based on a formal cooperation between VGU and the European University Viadrina (EUV) in Germany. The latter one has the formal responsibility for ensuring that the academic and educational standards of the program are maintained at the same level as EUV's face-to-face programs. Apart from this formal responsibility, VGU is committed to high quality standards by its mission.

Q:

What does the curriculum for MBI look like?

A:

The curriculum is made up of mandatory course, electives, a master's thesis, and an internship or a project. See the curriculum table for details.

Q:

What are the requirements for admission to the MBI program?

A:

The main formal prerequisites are:

- Bachelor's degree in business administration (or a business-related subject) or equivalent.

- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) for non-native English speakers. If you have not completed that test yet you may submit the certificate up to 6 months later. Equivalent certificates may be accepted upon request.

Q:

I have a bachelor's degree in a different area, not in business administration. Can I still participate in the MBI program?

A:

Yes, you can. Candidates with degrees in other fields may be admitted. However, they need to prove by the end of the first semester that they possess elementary business administration knowledge. There are several ways to provide this proof, for example:

1. Two years of working experience in a typical business function (e.g. marketing, controlling, finance). Certificates by your employers have to be provided.

2. You participate in the business track of the MBI program and pass the two courses Business I and II. This can be done as part of the MBI program or in addition.
   

3. Take one or more business courses provided by any higher-education institution (university level) equivalent to at least 15 credit points in the MBI program. You are advised to check with us before registering whether the courses you are considering will be accepted.

If you are in doubt whether you fulfil the formal requirements please contact the dean's office at dean-sbi(at)vg-u.de

Q:

I don't have a bachelor's degree but a ... degree. Can I still participate in the MBI program?

A:

It depends. For example, a German "Fachhochschul-Diplom" and in most cases a "Berufsakademie" degree will be accepted. Check with the dean's office at dean-sbi(at)vg-u.de.

Q:

What if I don't have a computer or no access to the Internet? Can I still participate?

A:

No, unfortunately you cannot. For participation in any VGU course you need:

• State-of-the-art computing equipment, including a Pentium PC and MS Windows 98/2000/NT/XP

• A reasonably fast Internet connection

• MS Office programs, multimedia plug-ins (e.g. Windows Media Player 7.1), Web browser (Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher), e-mail

Note that you should have at least 56 kbps Internet access or faster to participate in video courses. Less speed will suit for other courses but will be less convenient in any case.

Q:

When does the MBI program start, and how long does it take to complete?

A:

The regular MBI program starts each year in October (winter semester). Part-time students may begin in April (summer semester), too. For full-time students, it takes two years (four semesters) to complete, including one semester of internship or project. For part-time students duration is determined as appropriate depending on the number of courses taken per semester.

Q:

When do certificate courses start, and how long are they?

A:

In October and in April each year. Duration is one semester (4-5 months).

Q:

When do I have to apply for MBI?

A:

Application periods are May - August (for winter semester) and January - March (for summer semester). Exact dates and details are announced by the Admission Office on VGU's website.

Q:

When can I register for a certificate course?

A:

Registrations are invited from May to September (for winter semester) and from January to March (for summer semester). Exact dates and details are announced by the Admission Office on VGU's website.

Q:

What does part-time MBI mean?

A:

"Part-time" means that fewer than 5 courses per semester are taken. In this way, a maximum of individual flexibility is granted. In such a case the program will take longer to complete, depending on the number of courses per semester. Please note that some MBI courses are provided according to the MBI curriculum only every other semester. Tuition for part-time students is set individually.

Q:

Do I need to speak German if I want to study at VGU?

A:

No, you don't. All courses are taught in English.

Q:

How much do I have to pay for the MBI program?

A:

Tuition depends on the study mode (online, blended, full-time, part-time, internship vs. project option in the final semester). Tuition is 440 Euro pro course in semesters 1 to 3. Full-time equivalent is 5 courses. Tuition in the fourth semester is 880 Euro if the option "internship" is chosen, otherwise 1,145 Euro.
Students from countries with a low standard of living (World Bank classification) who live in such countries are eligible for reduced rates. Cost per course is 260 Euro. Closing scheme 1 (internship): 520 Euro (scheme 2 (project): 676 Euro) Discount for full-time students: 60 Euro per semester.
Administrative fee of approximately 120 Euro is to be paid to EUV every semester.
Additional expenses will occur in some courses for software licences and textbooks. However, our policy is to provide student access to software installations on our servers if the software is costly. Low-cost products are expected to be purchased by the student. Regarding books, many are available today in electronic versions for free download. However, if a course follows just one textbook then you may be asked to get a physical copy of the book, e.g. from a local or an Internet bookstore, or perhaps from your local library.

Q:

How much do I have to pay for a certificate course?

A:

Most certificate courses (individual one-semester courses) cost 600 Euro (plus VAT as applicable). Discount is 20% on the second, third, etc. course if you take more than one course.

Do you have questions which are not answered on this page?

Then please contact us. We will answer as soon as possible.