Strategic management is highly relevant for companies and organizations due to digitalization, ecological and social crises, increasing competitive pressure, the dynamics and networking of markets, and the challenges associated with globalization. Strategic management is more important than ever before if companies are to be able to identify opportunities for threats in the thicket of this complexity and uncertainty. In the strategic part of the Minor, therefore, current strategic knowledge is imparted, discussed and contextual thinking is encouraged. This lays the foundation for looking through the thicket of complexity, recognizing new strategically relevant developments in time, evaluating them correctly and making them useful for the company. The Major builds on the Minor and aims to deepen and apply what has been learned in practical projects, develop problem-solving skills and promote creative and critical thinking. In addition, the knowledge gained in scientific work is deepened, its significance for management practice is conveyed and at the same time the necessary skills and competencies for writing a bachelor thesis are developed.

Market-oriented management deals with the market-oriented management of companies. It derives from the logic that a company's (potential) customers are the reason for its existence and must therefore be placed at the center of business considerations. At the strategic level, there are numerous interfaces to strategic management, which is the reason for the present study program. In the market-oriented part of the minor, students receive a basic overview of the necessary instruments of market-oriented management and their interrelationships, whereby the aspect of application orientation is always in the foreground. The market-oriented part of the Major builds on the Minor and aims to deepen the acquired knowledge in practical projects and to apply it in the context of real projects. On the other hand, however, the bachelor's thesis will deepen theories and research approaches in order to strengthen the link between marketing theory, marketing research and practice-oriented solutions.

The skills learned in this major can be applied in many ways in professional life. Accordingly, there is a wide range of potential professional fields such as marketing, sales, key account management, product management. Market research, corporate strategy, strategic communication & social media, customer relationship management, customer consulting in advertising agencies, entrepreneurship, management assistance, consulting & training and business development.

The following is an overview of courses offered as part of a major or part of as a minor.

Based on theoretical, empirical, and practical aspects, all of the courses are research-led, hands-on, and based on current, international state-of-the-art findings.

Majoring in "Strategic and Market-oriented Management"

Students majoring in this area must successfully complete a total of 14 semester hours (24 ECTS credits) consisting of six courses and a written subject area examination. In addition, there is a Bachelor's thesis seminar to help you write your Bachelor's thesis step-by-step.

Please note that some of the courses build on material taught during earlier courses and combining strategy-oriented and marketing-oriented courses is not an option. This applies to the following seminars:

•     SE Strategic and Market-oriented Management in Practice
•     SE Strategic and Market-oriented Management: Research & Theory
•     Bachelor's Seminar Strategic and Market-oriented Management

We recommend taking the "Strategic and Market-oriented Management: Research & Theory" seminar BEFORE - or IN ADDITION to - the "Strategic and Market-Oriented Management in Practice" seminar.

Depending on your personal preference, you can decide whether or not you want to focus more on strategic management or market-oriented management. To this end, we recommend attending information sessions offered by either the Institute of Strategic Management, or the Institute of Retailing, Sales and Marketing. Your decision determines under which institute you will write your Bachelor's thesis under.

Minor "Strategic and Market-oriented Management

You can also minor in "Strategic and Market-oriented Management". Earning a minor in this area requires successfully completing 8 semester hours of two basic and two advanced courses.