1. Which subjects does the International University of Cooperative Education offer?
The International University of Cooperative Education (IBA) offers the following state recognised Bachelor programmes:
Business Administration
- Graduation: Bachelor of Arts – with the specialisations
- Hotel and Tourism Management
- Event, Fair and Congress Management
- Food, Beverage and Culinary Management
- Industry and Trade
- Banking and Insurance
- Taxation and Auditing
- Marketing Communication/Public Relations
- Human Resource Management and Personnel Services
- Sports Management
Business Informatics
- Graduation: Bachelor of Science
Industrial Engineering (accreditation in preparation)
- Graduation: Bachelor of Engineering – with specialisations
- Green Energy
- Systems Engineering
- Process Management
The cooperative dual system combines academic content with continuous practical experience.
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2. What distinguishes study at the International University of Cooperative Education?
The International University of Cooperative Education (IBA) offers a weekly model based on 20 hours of practical placement in the company, plus 20 hours of academic study at the IBA. This model offers students a continuous and intensive integration in the operational processes of their partner company. The IBA and partner company work together closely in order to guarantee intensive specialist and personal support of the students.
The University of Cooperative Education offers the alternation between practical and theory phases. This enables the company to continuously and intensively integrate the students into operational processes from the very outset. This flexible and practical model helps particularly small and medium size enterprises to generate and regulate jobs. An additional advantage is that it guarantees the principle of intensive personal support on two levels: companies benefit from the individual assistance in the selection of candidates, as well as from the intensive specialist and personal support of students in small groups at the IBA.
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3. How is the IBA programme structured and how long does it take?
The Bachelor programme begins each year in autumn. It is divided into six semesters, each lasting six months. The content is taught in modules and assessed on a continuous basis. After four semesters of foundation studies, the intermediate exam is taken, leading to the Betriebswirt/in IBA qualification. The advanced level offers consolidation and individual differentiation through a series of elective modules. After successful production of the Bachelor dissertation – in which scientific methods are applied to an operational topic agreed with the training supervisor at the partner company and with the lecturer – the title of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science is awarded.
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4. What experience do the IBA lecturers contribute to the programme?
Teaching staff are academically qualified and have many years’ experience. The International University of Cooperative Education employs teaching staff from the field of academic research as well as lecturers with relevant professional experience, often with companies from the region. Many of the faculty have long-standing experience of cooperative education at the IBA.
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5. What is required of an IBA partner company?
The company must demonstrate that students can be placed in all subject-relevant areas throughout their three-year training, and have access to a company contact person.
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6. What criteria must students fulfil to gain admission to the cooperative degree programme?
Applicants must provide evidence of the general/subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences, and conclude a training contract with a professionally compatible company. Furthermore, there is also a professional pathway to admission: for particularly capable employees with at least four years’ professional experience building on state recognised training and relevant continuing education, it is possible to evidence aptitude for study by successfully completing a higher education admission exam at a university in Hesse. There is currently no numerus clausus.
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7. Does the IBA refer candidates to the companies?
The International University of Cooperative Education is able to advertise vacancies on the IBA website and refer selected applications to the companies. Independently of this, applicants already working for or recruited by the company can enrol on the IBA cooperative degree programme.
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8. Does the training contract between the student and the company make provision for a probationary period?
As a rule, a probationary period of four months is agreed in the contract. The IBA recommends a familiarisation phase to be carried out before the commencement of studies, which can then contribute towards the probationary period.
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9. Is there a semester break and/or holiday?
Students are entitled to the statutory minimum holiday. This may be taken only during the practical phase and/or in the official IBA breaks (three weeks in summer, two weeks at Christmas/New Year and one week at Easter).
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10. How is the programme funded?
The funding of the programme is stipulated in the training contract. Companies and students can agree to one of the following options:
A) The company covers the cost of the tuition fees as operating costs - these are fully tax-deductable. The company also pays remuneration.
B) The company covers the tuition fees but pays no remuneration.
C) The company pays remuneration but does not cover tuition fees.
D) Students commit to continued employment with the company for a further two years following graduation.
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