The business psychology project is an application-oriented study project in the 4th semester. Under the supervision of a professor, students work on concrete questions from the operational practice of selected companies. Throughout the semester, solutions to the respective problems are developed in small groups and presented to the respective companies at the end of the semester.
In the study program of Business Psychology at the HFT Stuttgart you will learn to apply scientific findings from psychology to business management issues. How can teams work together efficiently? How do consumers make their purchasing decisions? How do you prepare a company for digital change?
Social and political changes are contributing to the fact that "the human factor" is increasingly gaining attention in the business context. In a world that is becoming increasingly dynamic and complex, intelligent economic decisions can only be made if psychological background knowledge is available.
In a close supervising relationship you will learn business and psychological contents in equal parts. Individual majors can be set in the areas of Human Resource Management, Marketing & Market Research and Consulting.
Benefit from a high degree of applicable contents at an applied state university and use our attractive partner network to realize study projects with companies from the surrounding area. Study Business Psychology in the Metropolitan Region Stuttgart!
Application deadline
15 January (summer semester)
15 July (winter semester)
Study time
6 Semester
7 Semester (Bachelor Plus)
8 Semester (Bachelor International)
Study title
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
Master study courses
The following requirements must be met for admission to the Bachelor's degree in Business Psychology:
- General higher education entrance qualification, subject-related higher education entrance qualification, advanced technical college entrance qualification or equivalent foreign educational qualification.
- As of Wintersemester 23/24 there is no perliminary commercial internship of at least 30 days' attendance required.
- Knowledge of English is necessary, as some courses are held in English. As a rule, however, no language certificates are required for application and admission. However, a special regulation applies in the case of qualified professionals.
Further information on the admission requirements can be found in the admission and selection statutes.
The allocation of study places is based on a university selection procedure, whereby the following criteria are particularly taken into account:
- Average grade of the university entrance qualification (HZB)
- Mathematics grade of 2.0 or better
- Apprenticeship in the commercial sector
Further information on our selection procedure can be found in the admission and selection regulations.
Change of university and course of study
If you are already in a Bachelor's programme at another college or university and would like to change to our programme for a higher semester, please refer to the following information sheet on changing colleges and universities and click on the following link:
In the study programme B.Sc. Business Psychology only a certain number of students can be admitted per semester. Currently, 36 study places are offered per semester.
The following figure shows the Numerus Clausus and the number of waiting semesters from previous years. It should be noted that all these numbers are indicative, as the NC and the waiting time will not be known until after the end of the admission procedure.
The waiting period is calculated from the time you acquire the university entrance qualification and only counts for the period during which you were not enrolled at a German university. This means that semesters enrolled at a German university are deducted from the waiting period.
Digitalization, globalization, Industry 4.0, but also sustainability, customer proximity and agility are topics that are currently triggering far-reaching transformation processes in companies and require a high degree of flexibility from employees and managers. Many questions that arise in connection with these challenges require practical answers at the interface between business administration and psychology. And this is exactly where business psychologists come into action!
The central qualification goal of the Bachelor's programme in Business Psychology is the application-oriented teaching of business and psychological contents. Individual priorities can be set in the areas of marketing & market research, human resources management and consulting, as these are the most important professional fields of activity for business psychologists. In addition, empirical research methods are trained and the development of intercultural as well as transdisciplinary competences is strengthened.
As of winter semester 2023/2024, students will also have the opportunity to apply for the Bachelor Plus (7 semesters) and the Bachelor International (8 semesters) within the degree programme and thus gain further competences for starting a career or continuing a Master's degree programme.
Semester
1-2
Knowledge acquisition
In the first two semesters of the programme, the basics of business administration and psychology are taught. This phase includes courses such as personality and general psychology, marketing and sales, accounting, labour law and personnel management. In addition, our students receive a well-founded training in scientific methods to enable them to independently conduct empirical research projects.
Semester
3-4
Application of methods
The third and fourth semesters are characterized by a strong practical orientation. In numerous exercises, our students learn to apply their knowledge in practice and to expand their methodical skills. Particularly noteworthy is the Business Psychology Project, which offers students the opportunity to work on an exciting consulting project in cooperation with a company.
In addition, at the beginning of the third semester, two of the three main areas of study are selected from the fields of Human Resource Management, Marketing / Market Research and Consulting. A personal profile can thus be designed according to individual interests.
In addition, courses such as social psychology, controlling, project management and industrial and organisational psychology are used to further deepen the business and psychological knowledge already acquired.
Semester
5-6
Development of competences
In the final phase of the study programme, skills and knowledge are developed into competences. A six-month internship in a company offers our students a great opportunity to try out their skills in a possible future working environment and to make valuable professional contacts.
Finally, in the sixth semester, the bachelor's thesis is written, which is usually done in cooperation with a company.
Semester
7
Bachelor Plus (optional)
The optional Bachelor Plus programme enables students to acquire further important skills for their intended Master's degree in an additional seventh semester.
In this additional semester, competences in current topics of business psychology are taught. Furthermore, the knowledge already acquired is applied and expanded in interdisciplinary projects and transfer projects. The Business Skills module completes the courses in the Bachelor Plus programme.
Earning additional credit points means that the Bachelor degree programme is completed with a total of 210 credit points, which facilitates access to suitable Master's degree programmes.
Semester
7-8
Bachelor International (optional)
The Bachelor International programme offers the opportunity to study at a partner university abroad in the extension phase (seventh and eighth semester).
This allows students to continue their chosen specialisation, choose additional subjects and expand their language and cultural skills.
The programme offers the possibility of a double degree. A total of 240 credit points are acquired.
In addition to the basic knowledge of business administration and psychology, our students receive a well-founded empirical training in methods during their studies. With a successful completion of their studies, they can develop and implement application-oriented research designs and answer empirical questions on a scientific level on the basis of statistical knowledge.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Bäumer
Dean of Studies | B.Sc. Business Psychology
Our students are able to answer relevant questions and problems with empirical methods of social research. In times of "fake news" in which trust in reliable institutions and findings is dwindling, we are consciously setting a counterpole.
Prof. Dr. Patrick Planning
Co-Founder Innovation Acceptance Lab
The Innovation Acceptance Lab deals with the human perspective of innovation: how users want to and can interact with the technology of our future. With this approach, new technologies and innovations of all kinds are analyzed, from new transportation solutions, such as air taxis, to new applications of artificial intelligence, such as digital assistants. Students can become active in research here themselves and support our research team, for example, within the framework of projects, as a student assistant or as part of a research practice![[Image: HFT Stuttgart]](/fileadmin/Dateien/Wirtschaft/_processed_/9/d/csm_Planing-Patrick_Profilbild_quadrat_907251eb75.png "[Image: HFT Stuttgart]")
Katja H.
Bachelor of Science 2019 | Business Psychology
I did my internship in operational market research at Ritter Sport. Due to the wide range of tasks, conducting my own studies and participating in large departmental projects, I have gained a very comprehensive insight into the work as a market researcher. My practical experience has been very helpful for the following lectures at HFT and I still benefit from it today.
Hannah E.
Volocopter GmbH | Event Management
The students of business psychology at the HFT Stuttgart have investigated the acceptance of air taxis for Volocopter at the airports of Frankfurt and Stuttgart. The cooperation was professional and cooperative and the study results have given us valuable insights into one of the most important factors for the introduction of air taxis in the world's major cities. From this student project, a further cooperation in the field of research has developed.
Our students have various options to go abroad:
Bachelor International: Two additional semesters (7th and 8th semester) give students the opportunity to spend an entire academic year at one of our partner universities as part of the Bachelor International programme. The individual study programme is developed together with the students in advance.
In some cases, there is also the possibility of an additional degree at the partner university. This is currently possible at Metropol University in Helsinki (Finland) and Napier University (Edinburgh). Metropol University awards the degree ‘Bachelor of Business Administration’, Napier University the degree ‘Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) Business Management’. As Napier University is a private university, tuition fees are payable.
Semester abroad on the six-semester degree programme: We also offer the opportunity to integrate a semester abroad into the six-semester Bachelor's degree programme. This can be flexibly integrated into the programme at any time. We co-operate with various partner universities worldwide, so that as a rule no tuition fees have to be paid at the university abroad (exceptions are the private partner universities).
- Short stay: These four-week language and cultural strips are usually designed as an "entry offer" to a foreign country and take place during the semester break. These summer and winter schools give students the opportunity to get to know the language and culture of a country, and company visits are usually also part of the program. Especially Russia and China have proven to be popular destinations for short stays for our students in the past. The International Office organises these services throughout the whole university.
- Internship abroad: If you would rather gain practical, work-related experience abroad, you can complete an internship abroad. In addition to the International Office, the Internship Office also helps with the search of a suitable internship. One the one hand, an internship abroad offers the advantage to experience the actual working life abroad, but on the other hand company's workforces usually have a heterogeneous age structure, which can make social integration (compared to a semester abroad) somewhat more difficult.
Seline L.
Bachelor of Science 2019
The semester abroad in Canada was definitely worth it. Not only could I improve my language and professional skills, I was also able to get to know the beautiful country Canada and many nice people. I was particularly impressed by the familiar atmosphere on the UPEI campus and by the winter months in Canada.
Matthias B.
Bachelor of Science 2020
The numerous partner universities abroad enabled me to spend a great semester at Edinburgh Napier University, which I would repeat at any time. The tuition fees were covered by a scholarship and the academic international office of the university prepared me very well.
Maja M.
Bachelor of Science 2020
The semester abroad at the Tec de Monterrey in Mexico City was the best time of my program. I learned Spanish, discovered beautiful landscapes and made friends for life. At the beginning it was a journey into the unknown, but the hospitality of the Mexicans in combination with delicious food and breathtaking sunsets quickly captivated me. On top of that the Tec is the best university in the country - what more could you ask for? ;-)
Thanks to the profound education in the two core disciplines of business administration and psychology, which are central to the success of companies, students of business psychology are given access to professional fields at almost all levels and in all areas: From private enterprises, research institutions and the public sector to consulting, the course stands for a wide range of opportunities after graduation.
Our bachelor's degree program is the best way to prepare them for a career start or an advanced master's degree program. Thisbecomes also clear by the careers of our graduates: One half of the students decide to enter working life directly after their Bachelor's degree; the other half starts a Master's degree programme.
In order to present the different career paths and perspectives in business psychology, we let our alumni tell from their experiences:
