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Department Management and Business

Bank Management

My Studies
Ausstattung 2

Key areas of the Master’s degree programme Bank Management

Bank Management, Treasury and Capital Markets

The programme prepares students for central management and financing functions in banks. The programme focuses on the overall financial management of banks and credit institutions. Students acquire in-depth knowledge of corporate finance & banking, treasury and liquidity management as well as risk and capital management. This involves not only theoretical models, but also their practical application in the context of current financial market developments. This area is supplemented by project financing and investment banking – two fields that are essential for understanding complex financing structures and capital market-orientated products.

In-depth insights into international accounting (IFRS/GAAP) and the analysis of annual reports make it possible to make a well-founded assessment of the economic situation of banks and make strategic decisions based on valid financial data. Corporate governance & compliance as well as financial market regulation and monetary policy are also part of this specialisation and prepare students for responsible management positions in a regulated environment.

Retail banking, sales and digitalisation

The transformation in retail banking requires new skills in customer orientation, digitalisation and innovation. The focus is on current developments in retail banking, in particular the shift towards digital sales models and innovative products.

The courses Product Management in Retail Banking, Sales Management in the Banking Sector and Customer Journey Management deal with the question of how banks can better understand their customers, address them in a more targeted manner and retain them in the long term.

This focus is complemented by CRM, market and customer analysis in the financial sector and innovative business models in retail banking, which deal with new approaches such as platform banks, embedded finance and FinTech cooperation.

Technological expertise is built up through content such as IT management, cybersecurity, digitalisation of business processes and process management – key prerequisites for the successful transformation of banking organisations in the digital age.

General Business Administration

Strong financial decisions require a deep understanding of the big picture: How do companies work? How do strategies develop? And how do you successfully lead people and organisations through change? These are precisely the questions at the centre of the General Business Administration degree programme.

Here you will acquire the business management skills you need to understand, classify and apply financial expertise in a wider context.

You will deal with central aspects of modern corporate management – strategic, organisational and communicative. Topics include, among others:

  • Strategic management & corporate development
  • Entrepreneurship & business model development
  • Change management & agile organisational design
  • Leadership, motivation & team management
  • Business ethics, CSR & governance
  • Internal & external communication
  • Conflict management & decision-making culture
  • Sustainability & social responsibility in corporate management
Management requires attitude, structure and vision

As a future manager, you will not only reflect on business structures, but also develop a critical, responsible understanding of leadership. You will learn how to guide companies through transformations, how to inspire teams and how to combine economic decisions with social and ecological responsibility.

In practical exercises, case studies and group projects, you will strengthen your personal development, your strategic thinking and your ability to actively shape organisations – whether in a corporate group, a medium-sized company or in the financial industry.

Top management training and future skills

Leadership means more than just making decisions – it means providing orientation, taking responsibility and actively shaping the future. In the leadership and top management training programme, you will develop the skills you need to act as a manager at eye level – strategically, empathetically and responsibly.

The focus here is on people – in their role as decision-makers, team leaders, communicators and shapers of economic, social and ecological processes.

In addition, current cross-cutting topics such as digitalisation, sustainability, data analysis and cybersecurity are integrated. Students acquire the skills to actively shape change processes, make data-based decisions and integrate modern technologies into business practice in a meaningful way.

You will develop a comprehensive, practical skills profile for modern managers. The focus is on:

  • Personal Skills & Communication: Professional demeanour, clear communication, confident conflict management and convincing presentations – skills that are crucial in any leadership situation.
  • Entrepreneurship & Corporate Strategy: You will learn how to think entrepreneurially, develop new business ideas and build strategies for successful positioning in the market.
    Change Management: Change is the new constant – you will develop tools and attitudes to guide organisations through transformation processes.
  • Employee leadership & motivation: You will understand how teams work, how potential is promoted and how people are inspired – based on current leadership concepts and organisational psychology.
  • Corporate governance & compliance: Legal certainty, transparency and ethical behaviour are key management tasks – you will learn how responsible corporate governance is structurally anchored.
  • Ethical, social and environmental issues in corporate management: You will deal with sustainability, diversity, social responsibility and ethical decision-making – essential aspects for modern leaders.
Leading with vision and attitude

The content of this area of study prepares you for leadership roles in finance departments, projects, teams and entire organisational units. It’s not just about methods – it’s also about attitude. You will learn how to deal with uncertainty, balance interests and assume responsibility in a complex, networked environment.

Practice-orientated learning & methodological excellence

The programme focuses on application-oriented teaching formats that prepare students for real-life decision-making situations. Simulations and international case studies enable practical, strategic thinking at the highest level.

Simulations with professional banking and finance software: In simulation-based units, you will steer banks through realistic financial scenarios. Decisions on interest margins, risk premiums, credit risk or risk hedging have a direct impact on performance and key figures – just like in reality.

Harvard case studies & international case analyses: You will work on case studies from top international universities such as Harvard or INSEAD. You will analyse real banking situations – such as ECB interest rate decisions, lending or ESG strategies – and train your analytical and strategic thinking.

What can I specialise in during my studies?


In the Master’s study track Bank Management, you have the opportunity to specialise in the third semester – depending on your personal interests and professional goals. There are two future-oriented specialisations to choose from:

1. Bank audit management

This specialisation prepares you specifically for audit, control and auditing functions in the banking sector. You will acquire in-depth expertise in bank accounting, auditing and audit methodology as well as credit and treasury auditing. This will provide you with the ideal basis for working in internal auditing, supervision, compliance or at external audit firms. The practical orientation of the courses enables you to make a direct transfer to your everyday professional life.

The Bank Audit Management specialisation prepares students specifically for responsible tasks in the auditing, controlling and monitoring of banks – an area that is becoming increasingly important in times of strict regulation, increasing complexity and digital transformation.

The programme focuses on practical content from the areas of bank accounting, auditing and audit methodology as well as credit and treasury auditing. Students learn how audit processes are structured in credit institutions, which regulatory standards (e.g. MaRisk, CRR/CRD) must be complied with and how risks are systematically identified, assessed and documented.

The specialisation provides the necessary tools for activities in internal auditing, at supervisory authorities, in auditing companies or in the compliance area of banks and financial service providers. There is a particular focus on audit methods, control systems and dealing with digitalised processes, such as AI-supported analysis tools or automated reporting systems.

Another focus is on the responsibility and objectivity of auditors – both in their internal and external roles. The training promotes a deep understanding of economic interrelationships, but also of ethical standards and requirements for governance and transparency in the financial sector.

Learning in practice: realistic and application-orientated

Understanding and applying structured test procedures

Using specific case studies and structured audit plans, you will analyse business processes, identify weaknesses and develop proposals for optimisation – all in line with a forward-looking, risk-based audit strategy.

Focus on treasury & credit

You will deepen your knowledge in particularly audit-relevant areas such as credit processes, interest rate risks, liquidity management or the valuation of financial instruments – always with the aim of systematically recognising and controlling risks.

Fit for auditing, supervision and regulation

Whether as an internal auditor, banking audit specialist or compliance officer – with this specialisation, you are ideally prepared for a career at the interface between corporate practice, supervisory law and risk management.

2. Bank Management & Financial Services

This specialisation is aimed at students with an interest in innovative business models and strategic market development. You will focus on investment banking, innovative business models in retail banking and sales management in the banking sector. The focus is on the development of future-proof banking products, digital sales concepts and competitive strategies – both in the traditional branch business and in the context of FinTech and the platform economy.

Both specialisations offer the opportunity to tailor your studies to your own career plans – be it in auditing, management or the further development of banks and financial service providers.

The Bank Management specialisation teaches key knowledge and skills for managing modern banks in a dynamic, regulated and increasingly digital environment. The focus is on strategic, financial and organisational issues of bank management – from capital planning to sales management.

Students deal with topics such as corporate finance & banking, treasury and liquidity management, risk and capital management as well as controlling and integrated overall bank management. They learn how banks organise their business activities under regulatory conditions (Basel III, CRR, CRD), actively manage risks and remain competitive.

In addition, current developments in investment banking, project financing and retail banking are discussed. Courses such as Innovative Business Models in Retail Banking and Sales Management in the Banking Sector focus on new market strategies, digitalisation and changing customer expectations.

The focus is aimed at future specialists and managers who want to take on responsibility in bank management, financial management, sales or strategic projects – both in universal and specialised banks, in Germany and abroad.

Artificial intelligence & data-driven decisions

Learn how AI-powered forecasting models are used to analyse and evaluate yield curves, loan documents and companies.

Simulations at the highest level

The teaching goes far beyond theory: you will work with highly professional simulation software that depicts realistic decision-making scenarios – from interest rate and liquidity management to investment strategies and dynamic loan portfolio optimisation. In group projects, you take responsibility for ‘your own bank’: you analyse, manage and decide – and experience the consequences in real time. Strategies don’t just have to sound good, they also have to work.

The Financial Services specialisation provides practical know-how for designing modern financial services in an increasingly digital, customer-centric and highly competitive environment. The focus is on new digital business models as well as traditional business areas such as corporate banking, investment banking and project financing.

Students deal with key issues relating to customer relationships, product development and the strategic positioning of financial institutions. Content such as customer journey management, CRM and market analysis, sales management in the banking sector and innovative business models in retail banking prepare students for management tasks in a dynamic, rapidly transforming industry.

Complex financial solutions and financing structures are also covered: Project financing for infrastructure, property or corporate takeovers as well as insights into investment banking, including M&A, structured financing and capital market transactions. In addition, areas of responsibility in corporate banking are examined, such as key account management, cash management and individual financing strategies.

The focus is aimed at future specialists and managers who would like to take on responsibility in sales, marketing, product management or in the business customer segment – whether in banks, financial services companies, FinTechs or consultancies.

Digitalisation meets customer focus: how to learn to lead

Data-driven decision making

You will learn how modern data analyses are used to identify customer segments, understand customer behaviour and target sales strategies. The use of analysis tools and quantitative methods is an integral part of the programme.

From the idea to the digital business model

As part of case studies and project work, you will analyse market potential, develop digital products and design new business models – from the FinTech approach to the integration of embedded finance into existing customer ecosystems.

Financing strategies & simulations

With the help of simulation-based learning formats, you will experience realistic decision-making scenarios from the investment or corporate banking environment. You will develop financing solutions for companies, structure project financing and implement sales strategies – under competitive conditions and in real time.

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