How do I enrol?
Enrolment is to be made at the Registrar´s Office of our University and is only possible on Campus Sankt Augustin, E-Building, Office Room numbers E 044 - E 049. New students must appear in person on campus site, otherwise enrolment is impossible. Any outstanding financial obligations to the University need to be paid before you can enrol. For enrolment, please note the office hours of the Registrar´s office.

When is the enrolment period?
Enrolment period for the MBA programme annually starts on 1st August. The latest possibility to enrol for new students into the MBA programme is annually the day before the welcome week kick-off date.

Which documents do I have to bring for enrolment?
In order to become fully enrolled you need to make sure that you bring everything that is listed on your pre-enrolment certificate in the e-mail that you´ll receive from the Registrar´s Office after your official admission. Before the enrolment date, you should upload your portrait picture via your personal online application account before the enrolment date in order to be equipped with your personal student ID-Card and so being able to make use of the public transportation, the dining halls and other student facilities and special offers. There are at least 6 documents that you'll have to bring (if applicable: plus other documents that are mentioned in the letter of acceptance)

three printed and signed versions of the pre-registration form, accessible via your personal online application account
letter of acceptance from the registrar's office
identity card or passport
original diploma documents (or a legalised copy of the translation)
proof of payment of the tuition fees and the semester contribution fee from a bank
proof of a German health insurance membership

When is the Welcome Week and how long does it go?
The Welcome Week is tailored to all new students of our MBA Programme and it generally starts mid of September annually and lasts one and a half weeks, however it includes first basic introductory classes of the first semester. You find the Welcome Week dates for next intake on our website MBA News & Updates.

What is the schedule of Welcome Week?
Each year, Welcome Week kicks off in mid of September. New students will receive a personal schedule upon checking in for the MBA programme. During the Welcome Week, the MBA Support team introduces new students to the MBA programme and to the University Campus. Introduction classes will start on the second day of the welcome week. Of course, there is also space for a Get Together with students from the former batches during a common BBQ on the campus. Furthermore, our students will have the honour to be welcomed at the Old Town Hall in the City of Bonn within a formal official opening ceremony. The full Welcome Week and Semester schedule is available on our Website Documents & Downloads listed under category "Semester Schedules". The latest dates within the Welcome Week can be found on our Website MBA News & Updates.

What is required to bring with me to the Welcome Week?
On your first day at our University, you´ll be equipped with all necessary materials for the first few weeks: a Welcome Week folder that includes all information on your studies and your first semester in our MBA programme. Your MBA Support team will guide you through your first days and inform you in case of required materials. Needless to say, you of course should have writing materials at hand in order to make personal notes during the Welcome Week sessions and courses.

Do I have to register for participation on the Welcome Week?
Registration for participation is not necessary, however attendance in the Welcome Week programme is mandatory for every new student in the MBA programme.

Is it mandatory to attend the Welcome Week events?
Yes, participation on the Welcome Week is mandatory for each new student in the MBA programme.

What is the consequence if I miss the Welcome Week?
Missing the Welcome Week programme equals missing your first classes. This means, you´ll miss valuable information for your studies and course material that is relevant for your Exam in "Basics of CSR & NGO Management". Exemptions from the Welcome Week (fully or partially) are only accepted by students who demonstrate Visa issuing conflicts early in advance to the MBA Support Team. The latest due date for exemption requests is two weeks before the Welcome Week kick-off day. For the exact dates, please check therefore our Website section MBA News & Updates.

Studies & Course Organization

What is re-registration period?
If you wish to continue your studies at the end of the current semester, you must re-register within the re-registration deadlines by paying the semester contribution fee and the tuition fee (4.000 EUR) for the next upcoming semester period in advance. The re-registration periods for the respective upcoming semester are as follows:
Summer semester: December 15 to January 15
Winter semester: June 15 to July 15

Which amount has to be paid for re-registration and how can I transfer the payment?
Please transfer the total amount to the bank account of the University Bonn-Rhein-Sieg within the re-registration period (see period above). The booking of the payment is decisive: for summer semester by 15 January at the latest, for winter semester by 15 July at the latest. Please transfer the payment in one amount to the University´s bank account:

Recipient: Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg
Bank Account-No.: 33000705
Bank Code: 37050299
Bank Institute: Kreissparkasse Köln
BIC: COKS DE 33
IBAN: DE69 3705 0299 0033 000705

Purpose of Payment: Student-ID number and your full name
You can check your personal status in your personal SIS-Account.

If you don’t pay the required amount in time, a late payment fee of Euro 20 EUR will be charged. This fee and the deficit have to be transferred within a certain extension period. If we don’t receive your payment before the extension deadline you will be exmatriculated from the student´s register by the end of the current semester.

What is the academic calendar like?
The academic year at almost every German public university and so at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences is divided into two semesters: The autumn semester begins yearly in October and the spring semester begins annually in April. The exact semester periods will always be announced to all enrolled students by the Department of Management Sciences.

When does the semester start?
Generally, an academic year has two regular semesters, the summer and the winter term. Each summer term starts in April with a round about 16 weeks of classes’ duration and concludes with a two weeks examination period in June/July. After exams, the summer term ends up with a summer semester break which lasts until September. Hence, the winter term annually begins in October with regular classes and ends up after round about 16 weeks with the exam period in January/February. The winter term semester break is going until end of March.

Where do I find course information / course description?
To find information about individual courses such as credit load, involved lecturers, teaching and learning methods, recommended literature and course content, please refer to the course descriptions in our Online Course Catalogue (Module Handbook).

When and how can I register for the courses?
Attendance on regular lectures is not obligatory, however the attendance will be checked before each class via checklist. Students will be provided with a fixed schedule of lecture dates at the beginning of their next respective semester. Hence, students are not required to register for their curses with one exemption: the electives classes in their third semester. Students have to choose two preferred lectures out of six theme-specific electives. The MBA Support Team will provide all students with the necessary information and registration due dates on that issue during your second semester.

What are the timings and duration of the courses?
Welcome Week (first week of the 1st semester) and Intensive Week (first week of the 3rd semester) courses generally last from 9 am in the morning and often end up at 6 pm in the evening. The course schedules will be published by the MBA support team via E-Mail and posted on the MBA in CSR & NGO Management Website. Changes might occur and will be announced early in advance. General lectures within the running semester take place during the following time period:
Fridays: course start is usually between 2-4 pm, course end is usually between 7-9 pm
Saturdays: course start is usually at 9 or 10 am, course end is usually between 4-6 pm

How much time should I plan to spend on my coursework?
How much you need to study always varies of course. A good plan is to create a schedule on your weekly calendar and plan for blocks of time to complete your coursework. Classes will mostly be on Friday afternoons and Saturdays. Students should plan a preparation of one hour for every hour they spend "in class".
For each course, students should probably estimate
- 3 hours per week of reading / preparing of the lecture content
- 6 hours per week with working on a group work or an individual homework task
- 6 hours per week repeating of the relevant course content
Please note that this is just a rough calculation on workloads and varies from lecture to lecture and from student to student.

Do I need to buy text books, class literature or study materials?
Students of the MBA programme will be provided with the relevant course material via their personal "LEA"-Account in one of the general used data format like PDF, PPT, Word, Excel, etc. There is no necessity to buy expensive course material like literature or other media sources while studying the MBA in CSR & NGO Management. The University library offers a wide range of topic oriented and general interest books, eBooks, journals, reports and online media as well as access to various scientific online libraries that can be borrowed by enrolled students of the University with their personal Student ID-Card. Borrowing books in the University Library is free of charge for students.

Where can I find theme-specific information and literature?
As the University and District Library is located on both the Sankt Augustin and the Rheinbach campuses, it provides the opportunity to borrow media, order media from the other branch, make acquisition proposals and inter-library loans which will be delivered to your own branch free of charge. The information flyer "Search & Locate" describes how to use the catalogue and how to find media in the library and furthermore depicts the different options for student members on how to use the University Library with the student log-in library code via their student library account. The Online-Catalogue of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University and District Library is available 24/7. There is also an offer to search for individual articles or book chapters via the library´s specialist databases which can be found in our Digital Library. You find the library´s working hours on the library´s website: www.bib.h-brs.de. The MBA Programme also provides exclusively to its MBA students a special reserved collection of books and other media sources in the University Library on Campus Rheinbach.

Where can I make copies, printouts and bind documents on campus?
Students have the option to make black and white printouts and copies in A4 format in each University Library on both Campuses. A debit code is required and can be purchased at the circulation desk in the respective library. More information on the print credits and the charges for printing can been seen on the library´s Website "BIB-Print". The library also offers PC workstations to make printouts of digital data possible.

Beyond that, students can make printouts (black and white and coloured) and order bounded documents (e.g. Papers, Master´s theses) at our copy shops, located in the proximity of both campuses:
Copy shop "Druckpunkt" on Campus site Sankt Augustin
Sankt Augustiner Kopiercenter (Bonner Straße 128, 53757 Sankt Augustin)
Order your printouts via www.forker.me, located 3 min walk from Campus Rheinbach
Copy Service Centre Rheinbach, located 5 min walk from Campus in Rheinbach, Deinzer Platz 36-46, Tel.-No.: 02226/5555, info@csc-rheinbach.de
Copyhouse Rheinbach, located 15 min walk from Campus in Rheinbach Centre

Further reliable copyshops for students in the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg Region:
A&M Copy-Druckhause (Lennéstrasse 22, 53113 Bonn)
A&A Digital-Print-Center (Franziskanerstraße 1, 53113 Bonn)
AV Print Express (Münsterstr. 18, 53111 Bonn)
ABC Kopie & Druck (Am Hof 9, 53113 Bonn)
Druckwelle (Siegfried-Leopold-Straße 68, 53225 Bonn-Beuel)
BCC Beueler Copy Center (Herrmannstr. 2, 53225 Bonn-Beuel)
DIN-A Siegburg (Ringstr. 62, 53721 Siegburg)
Druck Service Siegburg (Kaiserstraße 120, 53721 Siegburg)

Is it possible to arrange MBA studies with a full-time employment?
Answer coming soon.

Exams & Semester performance tests

When does the examination period start?
Examination will be conducted twice a year as per the university schedule. Once the examination timetable has been finalised, the examination information will be displayed in the "MBA studies: News & Updates" section of our MBA Website and also sent to each students personal university e-mail accounts. There is one two weeks exam period at the end of each semester before university break starts. There are no classes during the exam period. In summer term the exam period is usually in June/July. In winter term the exam period is usually in January/February. Exact period and specific dates will be announced online via "MBA studies: News & Updates" and students will be informed early in advance via e-mail to their students personal university e-mail accounts. On site exams within the MBA programme are generally offerd on offered on Fridays afternoons and Saturdays mornings.

Do I have to register for exams or will I be registered automatically?
Yes, a registration for exams is required for all sorts of performance tests, be it written exams, seminar papers, etc. Registration for examinations is possible only via the online registration system SIS-Student Account.

When and how can I register for the exams?
There is a university wide defined time frame for examination registration via SIS for students during each semester, generally six weeks in advance, before the actual exam period starts. The exact start- and end date for registration will be listed online via "MBA studies: News & Updates" and send to the students via e-mail to their students personal university e-mail accounts. Students register via their personal SIS-Student Account for the next upcoming exams. If students encounter technical problems, please inform the IT-Department: workflowentwickler@h-brs.de

I missed to register for my exams within the registration period? What can I do?
In case a student missed to register for the exams within the examination registration period due to specific reasons, registration for exams after expiration of the registration period is only possible via e-mail to the examination office: pruefungenmaster@h-brs.de

Can I de-register (cancel) an exam?
Deregistering from an exam works just like registering for it. Exam cancellation from registered exams is possible via SIS-Student Account until seven days before the actual exam date at the latest. After that week, no de-registrations from exams are possible anymore.

How often can I repeat an exam?
Students have three examination attempts per module. According to Article 15 (1) "Re-taking examinations" of the examination regulations of 2016, an examination that has not been passed as a whole under the terms set out in Article 14 paragraph 3 or Article 14 paragraph 4 may be re-taken twice.

I passed an exam but am dissatisfied with my grade. Can I repeat a passed exam in order to improve my grade in a second try?
According to Article 15 (4) "Re-taking examinations" of the examination regulations of 2016, an examination that has been awarded a final grade of ‘sufficient’ or ‘passed’ may not be retaken.

What can I do in case of illness during or on the examination date?
General Principles: Students are obligated to hand in a medical certificate with the examination office by mail or in person immediately after the decision not to participate. A medical attestation is to be handed in before the respective exam date. Otherwise the missed exam is counted as pass fail.

In case of illness, students must supply proof of illness by submitting a medical report or medical certificate form to the Examinations Office. An exact diagnosis is helpful but not necessary. The reason for the exam absence is irrelevant, however the formulation "Due to sickness, Mr.... / Ms... (Student´s name) is not able to attend today´s exam" must be noted on the medical certificate, signed by the doctor with a stamp of the medcial facility. Please note that the medical examination must be issued at the latest on the same day of the missed exam, the period of sickness must include the exam date and the original medical certificate is to be submitted until three days at the latest to the examination office. A scan of the medical attestation can be sent in advance via e-mail to the examination office: pruefungenmasterCR@h-brs.de, however the entry of the original attestation is relevant. If the Examinations Office has any reason to believe that the medical certificate is unfounded, it can require you to see a public health officer.

What is to be done in case of sickness?
1. In case of sickness, visit the doctor at the latest on the day of your examination date, in order to receive an official doctor´s medical attestation. IMPORTANT: The day or the period attested on your sickness note should cover the examination day!
2. Scan your medical attestation + the "Withdrawal from Examinations"-Form and
3. Send both attached to the E-Mail, on the fastest way to the examination office via E-Mail: pruefungenmasterCR@h-brs.de and the MBA Support Office in CC (info@mba-ngo.com). 4. Please send the original doctor´s note via post mail to the examination office, to the following address:

Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg
Prüfungsservice / Examinations Office
Ms Angelika Dierich
Von-Liebig Str. 20
53359 Rheinbach

PLEASE NOTE:
A valid withdrawal from your exam is only possible when the original medical certificate is been submitted until three days after the respective exam date (at the latest) to the examination office via post mail! Negligence of this rules result in loss of exam tries.

I failed my exam. When will be the next possibility to repeat the exam?
Examination will be conducted twice a year as per the university schedule, generally there is a first exam period in January/February and a second exam period in June/July. In case a student failed an exam in first exam period, the next opportunity to repeat the exam is in the second exam period of an academic year.

Academic (seminar) Papers & Assignments

What are the formal requirements for academic term papers?
It is strongly recommended to use the Word template (doc-file) for term papers, master´s and project theses as template for all scientific papers in the MBA programme. The Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg and the MBA Program offers a handout on the guidelines on academic writing.

How do I have to submit my papers / assignments?
Submission of academic papers usually is to be uploaded via LEA in a special created folder. The MBA Support Team will inform students

Extracurricular courses

Is it possible to participate on extracurricular classes at HBRS?
Students can take additional elective courses in their third semester.

Is it possible to learn German language at HBRS?
Enrolled students of the HBRS have the option to study additional languages alongside their required courses. Students can take elective language courses, attend the writing centre or find a tandem language learning partner in order to improve your language skills. Of course students can also take German classes for international students. At present, the Language Centre offers a wide range of different language courses. The courses are free of charge for students enrolled at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University. For any further questions regarding language courses, please contact the language centre of our university: spz.info@h-brs.de

Master´s Thesis

What are the requirements for the Master Thesis registration?
According to Article 19, paragraphs 1-4 of the Examination Regulations of 2016, Students shall be granted admission to the Master’s Thesis if they have acquired at least 30 ECTS credits through their examination performance during the first and second semesters. The Examination Board decides on students’ admission to the Master’s Thesis.

Is there a deadline for registration of the Master’s Thesis?
There is no deadline for starting and registering for the thesis. Registration for the Master Thesis can be done at any time. It is up to each student when he or she decides to start with it.

How can I register for my Master Thesis?
The Request for Admission shall be filed with the chairperson of the Examination Board in written form. The following documents must be attached to the request, unless they have been submitted at an earlier date:
1. A declaration stating which examiners are prepared to supervise the Master’s thesis
2. Details of the topic that the examiner intends to issue for the Master’s thesis

What is the process of the Master Thesis registration?
See Master registration form

How much text volume is required for the Master Thesis?
The length of the Master’s thesis shall range between 18,000 and 20,000 words, depending on the form determined by the Examination Board.

How much time of writing period do I have for my Master Thesis?
The time allotted to the Master’s thesis (i.e. the time period from the date of issue to the date of submission of the Master’s thesis) is four months. In the case of an empirical or experimental topic, previous qualifications may be acquired outside the implementation period. The chairperson of the Examination Board shall decide on whether the Master’s thesis deals with an empirical or experimental topic after having heard the examiner appointed as supervisor of the Master’s thesis. The topic and the given task must be such that students can complete the Master’s thesis within the given time period.

How can I find a subject for my Master’s Thesis?
A thesis is essentially a research project relating to your field of study. You can write about almost anything, but many students have a hard time narrowing down their choice of topics or specifically define their final topic. Here are some tips and techniques to help you choose the subject that interests you the most:

choose courses and topics that match with your interests
check out our MBA lecturers website and their respective research fields and areas of expertise and find a professor here to supervise you
check out thesis topics and projects offered on websites of external research institutions or companies
check the MBA Thesis topics list with Master thesis titles of students that already graduated from the MBA Programme
look for journals relating to your interests and check out some of the latest news and information published by other authors and scientists
ask a teacher or a professor if they have thesis topics available
for any further help, ask your MBA Support team: info@mba-ngo.com

How can I find a suitable supervisor for my Master Thesis?
Upon the student’s request, the Examination Board may also appoint a contract professor or a lecturer with particular assignments to supervise the Master’s Thesis if it is obvious that the topic cannot be supervised by a professor at the Department of Management Sciences. Possible examiners of the MBA in CSR & NGO Programme can be found on the "Lecturers of the MBA Programme" Website. For any individual request, students have to contact their prospective supervisor via E-Mail by offering first idea on their Master´s thesis topic, ask for the possibility to being supervised and request an appointment date.

Is it possible to write my Master Thesis with a company / an organization / an institute?
With the consent of the Examination Board, the Master’s thesis may be completed at a facility outside of Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University if it can be sufficiently supervised there by an external supervisor, however at least one of both examiners for the Master’s thesis must be a member of the Department of Management Sciences.

Can external persons (non-university members) supervise the Master Thesis, too?
Of course this is possible, especially when you opt to write your Master´s thesis topic with a company / an organization / an institute. The Master´s thesis can be sufficiently supervised there by an external supervisor, however at least one of both examiners for the Master’s thesis must be a member of the Department of Management Sciences. In this case, your external supervisor has to fill in a separate form "Statement on voluntary commitment in operating as external (first- or second) supervisor". The student has to submit this statement together with his or her Master´s thesis registration form to the secretary´s office on Campus Rheinbach.

What are the formal requirements for the Master Thesis?
Answer coming soon.

Are there any guidelines on the format of the Master's thesis?
See Master thesis guidelines on LEA.

May I write my Master’s Thesis in another country?
This is possible and up to each student when previously agreed by the supervisors. However, contacting the examiner might be easier if in Germany and specific circumstances like time difference and communication obstacles should be considered and the responsibility for difficult working conditions it fully to be by carried by the student.

Is it possible to extend the processing period?
Generally, an extension of the writing period is not possible. Only under particular exceptional circumstances, the Examination Board may extend the time allotted to the thesis by a maximum of four weeks; students must request such an extension prior to the deadline, specifying the reasons in written form. This application has to be handed over to the Examination Office. The supervisor’s opinion on the request shall be heard.

What can I do if I get sick during the processing time of my Master's Thesis?
If the implementation period is to be extended due to illness, a sick note must be attached to the application. Students who are unable proceed with their Master´s Thesis due to illness shall provide evidence of their illness-related inability by submitting a corresponding sick note from a doctor. If the illness takes more than four weeks, the topic of the Master’s thesis may be returned; the first try shall not be assessed as failed.

May I change the topic of my Master’s Thesis?
Students may, without stating the reasons, reject the thesis topic only once and only within the first three weeks of having been assigned the thesis. In the event of a student re-taking an examination, this procedure is only allowed if the student has not exercised the option of rejecting the topic when implementing the first thesis.

Where do I have to submit the Thesis to?
The thesis shall be bound and submitted in triplicate, along with three digital versions, to the chairperson of the Examination Board by the date specified. (The digital versions, for example, on 3 CD-ROMs, or USB-sticks, must be in file format pdf and word doc without access protection.) The submission date of the thesis shall be documented. There are two options to submit your Master´s thesis:

1. Submission on site (in person or by third person)
Please hand-in your Thesis on site at the Secretary's office on Campus Rheinbach
1st floor in B-Building, Room B 131
Office staff: Ms Heike Lösch / Ms Stephanie Schmidt
Opening hours during the semester:
Monday to Thursday: 10.00-11.30 am and 12.30-14.00 pm
Fridays: 10.00 am - 11.30 am
During the semester break from Monday to Friday: 10.00-11.30 am
Telephone number: +49 2241 865 401
E-Mail: fb01sekretariat.rheinbach@h-brs.de

Beyond the opening hours of the secretary´s office on Campus Rheinbach, please submit your Master´s thesis at the reception desk on Campus Rheinbach, 1st floor in A1-Building, information desk at the left side in the corner
Opening hours (Campus Premises)
Monday to Friday: 7 am - 10 pm
Saturdays: 7 am - 7 pm
Telephone number: +49 2241 865 598

2. Submission via post mail
In case you are out of town on submission date, you can also send the thesis by post, however, the time of delivery to the post-office is decisive. Therefore, please send the scanned copy of your consignment data as well as a pdf-version of your MT via e-mail to the secretary´s office on Campus Rheinbach: fb01sekretariat.rheinbach@h-brs.de and put the MBA support team in Carbon Copy (CC) of your e-mail: info@mba-ngo.com. For the shipping, please use the following receiving address of the university:

Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg
University of Applied Sciences
Campus Rheinbach
Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Studierendensekretariat FB01
B-Gebäude, Raum B 131
Von-Liebig-Straße 20
53359 Rheinbach
-Germany-

What exactly do I have to hand in to the examination office on the given deadline?
See above: 3 properly bound copies, plus 3 digital versions (pdf and word)

When and how will I usually receive the grade for my Master's Thesis?
The grade for the Master´s thesis will usually be announced 8-12 weeks after submission date to the students personal SIS-Account.

Is it possible to retry a Master’s Thesis, after I have failed my first Thesis (grading of 5.0)?
If a Master’s thesis has not been passed, a new Master’s thesis may be submitted once. Each student has two tries for his or her Master´s thesis.

Is there an oral exam for Master's Thesis (master's thesis defence)?
No, there is no master's thesis defence after Master´s thesis submission.