There is no single right degree for running a company later on. What counts is the combination of a solid business foundation, hands-on experience, and entrepreneurial thinking. In Austria, four paths fit especially well: a business administration degree (BWL, or Business & Management), a degree with a business-and-law focus, a specialist degree complemented by business training, and a program with an entrepreneurship focus.
At MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® in Innsbruck, two programs cover these paths: the part-time bachelor's program Business & Management for Professionals as a broad management foundation, and the master's program International Business & Management as a deeper step with an international perspective.
Business Administration: The Broadest Foundation
A business administration degree fits when the future industry is still open. It covers accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, and general management. In the MCI bachelor's program, 28% of the curriculum covers business and management fundamentals, 9% economics and law, 17% scientific and methodological skills, 7% social and communication skills, 21% interdisciplinary skills, and 18% the chosen track.
Business and Law: Contracts, Taxes, and Corporate Law
Anyone responsible for a company makes decisions with legal and tax consequences. The MCI bachelor's program anchors business, economics, and law in its curriculum. In addition, Management & Law and International Business & Law are separate programs with a legal focus. The master's program also offers the specialization Human Resources, Leadership & Diversity.
A Specialist Degree Plus Business Training
For founding or taking over a company in engineering, IT, or design, subject expertise can matter as much as management skills. The master's program International Business & Management is also open to graduates of other bachelor's programs, provided their studies include at least 80 ECTS in business, strategic management, marketing, accounting, controlling, human resources management, and business process management.
Entrepreneurship: Building a Company Early
For programs with a founding focus, what matters is how much practice, advising, and company contact is actually offered. MCI describes itself as The Entrepreneurial School®. Entrepreneurial thinking is an explicit learning goal of the bachelor's program and runs through courses such as Entrepreneurship (3rd semester), Forum Entrepreneurship, Integrative Business Administration, and the Integrative Project (each 4th semester), up to the practice-oriented bachelor's thesis in the 6th semester. In the master's program, entrepreneurship events give room to develop start-up ideas.
The part-time bachelor's program is designed for motivated people who want to combine work and study. It prepares students for leadership positions, entrepreneurial activity, and international career opportunities.
Content: The first semesters cover business administration, economics, law, and methodological and social-communicative skills. From the 4th semester, students choose one of two tracks:
Organization: The program combines on-campus teaching with online components. On-campus sessions take place Fridays from 2:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Attendance is generally mandatory.
Practice and study abroad: An integrative professional internship of at least 13 weeks is scheduled for the 5th and 6th semesters. Students working in a relevant job can apply for an exemption. In the 6th semester, options include a study tour, the Going Global program, a semester at a partner university (such as Stetson University in the US, ICMS in Sydney, or Laurea in Finland), or a freemover stay.
Careers: The degree qualifies graduates for market research, marketing and sales, controlling, HR management, procurement and logistics, management consulting, banking and insurance, and tax consulting and auditing. One example is David Berghamer, a graduate of the program and now managing director of Exklusiv Elektrohandel & Service GmbH.
Admission: Applicants need a university entrance qualification (Matura) for a social science, business, or law program. Without it, relevant vocational secondary school or a dual apprenticeship in a relevant field can qualify, followed by additional exams in German, English, and mathematics at MCI (€30 per subject and attempt).
The master's program leads to a Master of Arts in Business (MA) and is also aimed directly at graduates of the MCI bachelor's program in Business & Management. Its motto is “Bridging University & Business.”
Time models: Four semesters, 120 ECTS, taught in English. Options are full-time (usually Monday through Thursday) and part-time (Friday afternoon and evening, Saturday), each with one evening online class per week. The content is identical.
Specializations: In the 3rd semester, students choose two of four specializations:
Any combination is possible. Part-time students who choose a mainly full-time specialization should plan on about 14 weekdays per specialization. The specialization Human Resources, Leadership & Diversity from the master's program International Business & Law can be added.
International options: A semester abroad or the thesis at a partner university, one- and two-week programs (for example in China, Canada, South Africa, or Prague), and an optional double degree in France, Italy, or the Czech Republic, for instance with Università Carlo Cattaneo, Audencia Business School, or Prague University of Economics and Business.
Careers: Fields range from digital business, business development, and marketing analytics to start-ups, innovation management, and sustainability, as well as HR, finance, consulting, and academia. Graduates work, for example, as operations managers at Tesla Motors Austria or have co-founded companies such as Fiducation. The degree qualifies graduates for doctoral studies.
A degree provides the knowledge base, but good leadership grows from experience. Those without an industry in mind can start with a broad business degree and gain practical experience alongside it, through a job, internships, side jobs, or a small project of their own. At MCI, this is supported by the part-time study model, practice projects with companies, the internship, the Career Center, and entrepreneurship events.
Which degree fits a future in running a company?
There is no single right degree. Business and management, business and law, a specialist degree with business training, or a program with an entrepreneurship focus all fit. At MCI Innsbruck, the bachelor's program Business & Management for Professionals and the master's program International Business & Management provide a practice-oriented foundation.
Is it possible to study while working?
Yes. The bachelor's program is part-time with on-campus sessions on Fridays and Saturdays. The master's program can be studied full-time or part-time.
Is it possible to study without a Matura?
For the bachelor's program, yes, with a relevant professional qualification and additional exams in German, English, and mathematics at MCI.
Can a master's application be submitted before finishing the bachelor's degree?
Yes. The current transcript of records is submitted with the application, and the bachelor's certificate follows before the program starts.
Running a company later on does not require one specific degree, but a smart combination of a solid business foundation, an understanding of law, finance, and markets, and hands-on practice with entrepreneurial thinking. MCI Innsbruck offers the part-time bachelor's program Business & Management for Professionals as a broad entry point and the master's program International Business & Management for specialization and an international perspective. Curricula, admission requirements, and deadlines should be checked directly on the program pages. The team can be reached by phone at +43 512 2070 3100 or by email at office-wm@mci.edu.
Business & Management for Professionals | Bachelor
Business & Management | Bachelor
International Business & Management | Master
Discover the program that suits you.