Banking, Insurance and Finance

The finance sector needs professionals with a broad range of expertise, an understanding of the links between banks and insurance companies and a broad range of expertise in these disciplines. We train these experts of the future in our part-time degree programme in Banking, Insurance and Finance.

Our applicants should already have acquired initial experience in the industry and have a certain mathematical understanding and affinity with numbers. The part-time nature of the course means that students can pursue university studies in addition to having a career and family. We are always refining our methods, communication and teaching materials to offer the best possible support. This newly acquired expertise can be directly incorporated into your everyday working life.

We place a great deal of importance on interdisciplinary thinking and acting and therefore offer a wide range of subjects: the course content includes law in addition to business and analytical methods. This interdisciplinary expertise will help you develop on both a personal and professional level.

Study specialisations

Financial Management

The specialisation in Finance provides students with key knowledge and skills for understanding, analysing and managing financial processes in companies, banks, insurance companies and other institutions. The focus is on financial decision-making principles, capital market relationships and valuation and risk concepts – embedded in an increasingly data-based and globally networked environment.

Students deal with topics such as investment and financing, international financial markets, treasury and cash management, company valuation, asset management, derivatives and financial engineering as well as risk and capital management. They learn how companies and financial institutions optimise their capital structure, secure investments, analyse markets and systematically manage risks.

Regulatory conditions, volatile markets and increasing demands for transparency and sustainability make well-founded financial decisions more relevant today than ever before. This is why there is a particular focus on the ability to structure complex financial information, evaluate options for action and develop viable strategies.

Data, models & markets – fit for the digital world of finance:

Artificial intelligence & data analytics: you will learn how data-based models are used to forecast market developments, value financial instruments or assess risk – and what it means to make investment and financing decisions on this basis.

Simulations with a practical focus: Using realistic company simulations, you will experience how strategic financial decisions are affected in practice – from the structuring of a portfolio to the valuation of a company and the design of treasury strategies. As part of a team, you will take responsibility for a virtual company or financial institution and train under real-life conditions.

Banking industry

The banking specialisation provides key knowledge and skills for managing and developing banks in an increasingly regulated, digital and competitive environment. The focus is on operational and strategic issues of bank management – from lending, risk and liquidity management to overall bank management.

Students deal with topics such as credit management, treasury, bank-specific accounting, risk management, banking law and integrated overall bank management. They learn how banks safeguard their business model from a regulatory perspective (e.g. under Basel III/IV), actively manage risks and at the same time act in a customer- and growth-orientated manner.

In addition, current developments in corporate banking, digital sales management and retail banking are covered. Courses such as business simulation banking, bank-specific accounting or risk management in the bank combine economic, legal and technological aspects to create a holistic understanding of modern banking.

Practical & digital – learning through application

Top-level simulations: you take control of a virtual bank using professional simulation software. You make decisions on interest rates, risk, balance sheet structure and business strategy – and experience the effects in real time. This requires not only analytical thinking, but also entrepreneurial action.

Strategic thinking, regulatory action: You will learn how banks operate economically in a highly regulated environment – taking into account capital requirements, liquidity requirements and market risks. The focus is not only on theory, but also on the question: What does this mean for the day-to-day management of a bank?

Insurance industry

The insurance industry specialisation provides in-depth specialist knowledge about the functioning, management and future development of insurance companies. The focus is on risk-based business models, regulatory requirements and innovative product strategies – all in a market that is changing dynamically due to digitalisation, demographics and sustainability.

Students deal with topics such as insurance products, insurance business theory, insurance contract law, premium calculation, actuarial accounting, reinsurance, asset liability management and risk management in insurance. You will learn how insurance companies calculate their products, hedge risks, utilise capital efficiently and serve customer needs in a highly competitive environment.

The focus is also on questions of insurance management, for example with regard to Solvency II, digitalisation or product innovations. The close link between business management thinking and insurance-specific expertise makes this specialisation particularly practical and relevant.

Regulation, digitalisation & customer expectations – rethinking insurance

Data-based risk models & predictive analytics: You will work out how modern insurance companies assess risks, calculate rates and personalise products based on large amounts of data. Artificial intelligence, telematics and scenario analyses become the basis for innovative insurance solutions.

Simulations and practical projects: In simulations, you will guide a fictitious insurance company through market changes and regulatory requirements – always with an eye on profitability, risk and customer satisfaction.

Business administration

The business administration specialisation forms the foundation for entrepreneurial thinking and economic decision-making skills. It imparts key knowledge about structures, processes and control mechanisms in companies – from cost accounting to balance sheet analysis, from personnel management to strategic planning. Students develop a comprehensive understanding of how organisations function, are managed and react to external changes.

The focus is on both operational and strategic issues: How is a company organised efficiently? How can profitability be measured and controlled? How are budgets planned and investments evaluated? These are all core questions to which students develop well-founded answers as part of the business administration specialisation.

Broad content – with depth and practical relevance

As part of the specialisation, students deal with a wide range of business management topics, including

• Accounting & Bookkeeping
• Accounting & balance sheet analysis
• Cost accounting and budgeting
• Controlling & financial reporting
• Marketing & Digital Marketing Strategies
• Human Resource Management & Organisation
• Project management & process control
• Statistics & Business Mathematics
• IT-supported business management applications
• Business administration in practice: tax consulting & auditing

A special field of application of the business administration specialisation is tax consulting and auditing. The in-depth knowledge of accounting, company law, cost accounting and financial reporting prepares students specifically for work in these areas.

Typical content that is particularly relevant for a career in tax consultancy or auditing:

• Balance sheet analysis & annual audit
• Fundamentals of tax law & corporate taxation
• Cash flow statement and reporting in accordance with national and international standards
• Analysing operational key figures for auditing or consulting purposes
• Compliance, documentation and liability issues in day-to-day auditing

Banking, Insurance and Finance

Banking & Finance

In the Banking & Finance specialisation, you will deal with the central management and risk functions in credit institutions. Courses such as Treasury & Cash Management, Derivatives & Financial Engineering, Risk Management in the Bank, Overall Bank Management, Bank-Specific Accounting and Business Simulation Bank or Corporate Banking provide you with practical knowledge for tasks in bank controlling, treasury, risk management or corporate banking.

Insurance Management

The insurance industry specialisation gives you a deep insight into the structures and processes of insurance companies. You will deal with topics such as asset and reinsurance, premium calculation, risk management in insurance, insurance control and asset liability management, insurance-specific accounting and insurance company simulation. This qualifies you for activities in product development, actuarial calculation or strategic controlling.

Both specialisations are an integral part of the curriculum and allow you to consistently focus on your future professional specialisation – with high relevance for practice and the job market.

Soft skills

We will develop your soft skills and make you an expert in the fields of communication, team work and presentation. The banking and insurance industry is an international sector, which is why we place great value on intercultural competence. You will therefore be able to hone your soft skills in the English language too.

Practical relevance and networking

The Banking, Insurance and Finance course has a high degree of practical relevance: this is due in particular to the part-time organisation and projects involved. You will work in small groups and implement business simulations. The course also presents numerous opportunities for networking with lecturers and colleagues from other companies.