Bauhaus-Universität Weimar: Contents and course

Programme content

In the Medienmanagement (Media Management) Master's programme, you can choose from the courses offered by our professors. Here’s a brief overview of our professors’ key teaching and research interests:

Marketing and Media Research

What role do media play in marketing?
What are the special features of marketing in media markets, for media consumers, media products, media companies?
How do new media influence the brand management of companies?

Media Economics

How do media markets work?
Why are there special rules for media markets?
Why are some mergers of media companies allowed and others not?
What are sharing economy companies and what do they do differently?

Innovation Management and Media

What does media innovation mean and how do media innovations become successful?
What characterizes media business models and how do they change in times of digital transformation?
What factors influence the use of new media and the acceptance of innovative technologies?
What is special about managing products and services in the media, entertainment, information technology and telecommunications sectors?
What role does proactive decision-making play in innovation management and entrepreneurship?

Organisation and network media

What new forms of work, coordination and employment are emerging in digital media?
How are new start-ups and start-up companies changing in the media industry?
What role does data play in the management of media companies today?
How are networked media transforming collaboration in organisations?

Digital Economies

- Why and how do digital markets differ from traditional markets?
- Why do platform companies function differently than linear companies? How can you build a platform company?
- How can positive (network) externalities be exploited?
- How do users behave when their decisions have a direct impact on other users?
- Can we leave digital markets to the free play of the market or is there a need to create a framework for the digital economy?
- How can new technologies and approaches such as blockchain, web3 or metavers be used?
- How does data become knowledge and how can this knowledge be used?
- How can digitalization help to build a regenerative economy?

Modular course of studies

The course contents are divided into modules, which bring together a number of related courses and subjects.

There are three module types:

Project modules A project module generally comprises four courses (e.g. one lecture, two seminars and one colloquium), each of which is worth 3 ECTS credit points. These courses deal in detail with the same subject from a variety of perspectives. Each project module is thus worth 12 ECTS in total. In addition to the compulsory project modules Economic Theories and Applied Empirical Research from the first semester, students must also take two of the three project modules in Media Management, Media Economics and Marketing und Media.
Study modules A study module comprises two courses (e.g. one lecture and one seminar), each of which is worth 3 ECTS credit points. Each study module is thus worth 6 ECTS in total. Media Law I & II and the Master’s Colloquium are compulsory. In addition, three study modules may be selected from the following list: Media Management, Media Economics and Media in the Economy, Marketing and Media, International Management and Media and Investment and Financing of Media Enterprises.
Optional modules Further courses can be selected freely from the Faculty curriculum, as well as from various collaborative inter-faculty programmes Optional modules are worth 6 ECTS credit points each.

Further details of the programme can be found in the curricula and the course catalogue.

Primarily in the first semester, you will acquire basic knowledge of media economics, methodology and theory. In the compulsory module "Applied Empirical Research" you will acquire and deepen knowledge about quantitative empirical research. In group work, you will immediately apply the knowledge you have gained within the framework of a research project based on real problems of practice partners.

In the other modules you will learn the basics of media economics, media management⁺ and media law. The basic studies offer you the opportunity to orient yourself with regard to the choice of courses in the further studies.

_{+ Students who have not acquired any corresponding knowledge in the course of their first degree are required to take the following content, graded, as part of the module "Fundamentals of Media Management": "Introduction to Business Administration", "Introduction to Economics", "Fundamentals of Accounting & Controlling". Students who have been admitted without requirements take the module "Discourses and Practices in Media Management" in the first semester.}

Semesters two and three allow you to deepen the basic knowledge you have acquired. You have the choice in which areas you would like to specialize.

You can choose between project and study modules of the professorships: Media Management, Marketing and Media as well as Media Economics and a study module of the junior professorship. Two of the three project modules must be taken. In addition, you have the choice of three out of five study modules. In addition, you have two so-called elective modules* at your disposal in which you can attend projects and seminars from the range of Bauhaus.modules, other courses of study, departments, faculties and Thuringian universities according to your interests. Popular are e.g. the participation in the short film festival "backup", or also modules from the study "cultural management" of the University of Music Franz Liszt, which is located not far from the Media Management Villa am Horn and with which the department maintains a close contact.

Through international projects, excursions and cooperation with Central German companies, you will also be practically prepared for the professional world. Due to the possibility of completing all compulsory modules in the first two semesters, a so-called mobility window is available to you in the third semester. This should enable you to spend one semester at an international partner university without extending your study time.

The module composition varies and usually consists of lectures, seminars and colloquia. The module composition is published accordingly in the current course catalog.

_*Elective modules can be chosen freely from the range of courses for Master's students at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar or another university. Language courses are excluded. There does not have to be a connection between the content of the selected courses. The respective examinations must be completed within one semester.

In the fourth semester, after at least 84 ECTS have been acquired, the Master's module (30 ECTS) follows. It consists of the Master's thesis (incl. university public defence; 24 ECTS) and the Master's colloquium (6 ECTS), in which you are supervised and advised in individual consultations and present your progress.

Following the philosophy of the department, students generally work on topics of their own choice and use the skills they have learned during their studies to conduct research in the subject areas of the professorships.