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Full-time study programme

Sustainable Tourism Management

Tourism promotes regions, generates income and offers travellers new experiences. However, it consumes resources, pollutes the environment and can lead to social inequalities. In the Master's programme Sustainable Tourism Management you will learn to plan and design tourism in a way that enables a balance between economy, ecology and social concerns.

Shaping sustainable tourism

Successfully implementing sustainability in tourism - that is what you will learn in the Master's programme Sustainable Tourism Management. The degree programme combines interdisciplinary economic, environmental and social science content with a consistent implementation of sustainability. The aim of the study programme is to acquire knowledge of tourism management on a scientific basis with a focus on sustainable development concepts for the tourism industry at company, association and destination level.

 

The practical relevance of the degree programme was extremely important to me. As well as gaining impressions and experience, I was also able to make valuable contacts that I am still building on today. If we want to advance the twin transition of sustainability and digitalisation in tourism across the industry, these networks are essential.

 

NTM-Alumnus Simon Reuter

Simon Reuter

Senior Research Partnership Manager at Outdooractive AG, Alumni Sustainable Tourism Management 2018

March 2024 to August 2024

Dates and events

There are no events in the current view.
Study content

Individual study contents

The aim of the programme is to meet the requirements of modern tourism management with data-driven decisions in line with the 17 SDGs.

The programme covers all levels of the value chain (companies, destinations, politics) in both a German-speaking and international context. 

The programme consists of four semesters. In the first semester, we take a holistic look at tourism in the destination but also in marketing and deepen our understanding of data and sustainability and the interplay between these two focal points. 

In the second semester, we deepen our knowledge in a large applied project in direct implementation with partners from the industry and in the third semester, you can choose between a practical project or a semester abroad. The programme ends with the Master's thesis in the fourth semester.

Full-time study program
Full-time study program

Modules per semester

In the first semester, you will familiarise yourself with economic, ecological and social sustainability topics as well as marketing and management content. You will practise scientific work and familiarise yourself with data literacy.

In this module, we teach the economics of the tourism industry, introduce you to digital business models, the internet and platform economy, and the impact of digital transformation. We look at and discuss critical economic approaches as well as ethical aspects of digitalisation, economics and the tourism industry.

Basic principles of sustainable development and the application to tourism, the development and forms of sustainable tourism, basics of ecological sustainability, environmental impacts, social impacts of tourism as well as consumption patterns and the sustainability affinity of those in demand are topics of this module.

The module teaches marketing basics and specifics of tourism marketing. You will learn marketing conception, planning, positioning, communication and distribution as a strategic approach to marketing. The course addresses sustainable business management in the field of marketing from a scientific and practical perspective.

The module offers definitions of destination, destination management organisation (DMO), levels of spatial planning in Germany, EIA and impact regulation, tourism planning as a task of destination management, development of tourism concepts. You will gain knowledge on sustainability in destination development and sustainable mobility.

In the second semester, you can choose from four compulsory elective modules in addition to the compulsory module. With the Fleximodule, we also offer you the opportunity to replace a compulsory elective module with a module from other degree programmes or even other universities.

You will receive an introduction to nature conservation, conservation strategies, types of protected areas, protected area management, visitor management and infrastructure, nature and ecotourism offers, the economic importance of tourism for protected areas, UNESCO World Heritage sites, geoparks/star parks and tourism as well as national and international case studies.

In the third semester our students can choose between three options: the transfer project, the project internship or a semester abroad. Within the third and fourth semester, you will earn a total of eight ECTS points in "Special Elective Modules".

You will be prepared for the management of your project in a joint project seminar . This is followed by several individual meetings to discuss the project with the lecturer in charge of the project.

In a transfer project , students work on a project for a practice partner in a group. In doing so, they transfer knowledge from the university into practice. Transfer projects mainly take place in Brandenburg and Berlin, but can also be carried out in other regions of Germany or abroad.

You complete your project internship individually. You will also work on a project for a practice partner. Practical partners for project internships and transfer projects can be, for example, tourism companies, associations or regions. They often emerge from the diverse networks of the lecturers.

As an alternative to the project internship or the transfer project, you can also do a Semester abroad at a partner university in a comparable degree programme. For example, we have cooperation agreements with the University of Cagliari (UNICA) and the University of Sassari in Sardinia as well as the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

 

 

You can select special elective modules from our degree programme as well as from certain other HNEE degree programmes or even from our international partner universities. This includes, for example, "Regional Public Relations and Regional Marketing" from the HNEE degree programme Sustainable Regional Development - but also many others!

The fourth semester is almost exclusively reserved for writing the Master's thesis. In addition, you can take outstanding compulsory elective modules, which must result in a total of eight ECTS within the third and fourth semester. This includes, for example, the subject excursion, which offers you not only subject-specific input but also a wonderful group experience.

The colloquium deals intensively with the research process and the creation of a scientific thesis at Master's level. The preparation of your independent research as well as the corresponding report takes place in the form of a master's thesis. Finally, you will defend your master's thesis in an oral presentation.

In the fourth semester, we also offer you a subject excursion to a European country as a special elective module. During the excursion, topics from the compulsory modules of the first and second semesters are taken up and illustrated with examples in the target country. In the past, these included England, Spain, Estonia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.

FAQ study contents

The courses usually take place from Monday to Friday from 9.30 a.m. to 3.15 p.m. as block teaching. In special cases (e.g. guest lecturers), the teaching times may vary and sometimes take place at the weekend. 

We offer this degree programme as a full-time and part-time option.

You are very free to choose your internship partner and the project topic within certain guidelines (e.g. tourism and sustainability-related, technical requirements). You will be briefed by us at two information events about the internship semester and the requirements. After a successful search, the internship partner and project topic must also be informally approved by the internship semester coordinator and all three parties conclude an agreement. However, our internship semester officer and our lecturers also receive numerous offers from our partners, some of whom have been with us for many years, which they make available to you in a bundled form. If you need further help with your search, our internship semester officer will be happy to assist you. You can also find offers for practical projects on the Career Service job portal.

Yes, you can. However, we only recommend that you aim for a semester abroad if you have already gained sufficient and relevant practical experience. 

In a project internship, you are integrated into a company and complete an internship of at least 15 weeks. In a transfer project, you are not integrated into a company, but rather take on the role of a tourism consultant who develops a well-founded project for a practice partner. A transfer project lasts 17 weeks and can also be completed in a group with fellow students. 

You can spend a semester abroad at one of our international partner universities with which we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. These are currently: 

Country University study programme semester abroad Transfer project Project internship Compulsory elective modules Double degree
Sweden (Gotland) Uppsala University Sustainable Destination Development yes yes yes no no
Czech Republic Palacky University Olomouc Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies no yes yes yes no
croatia University of Rijeka Sustainable Tourism Development no no no yes no
Italy (Sardinia) University of Sassari Innovation Management for Sustainable Tourism yes yes yes yes yes
Italy (Sardinia) UNICA University of Cagliari Sustainable Tourism Management and Monitoring yes yes yes no no
Spain (Mallorca) Universitat de les Illes Baleares Master in Economics of Tourism: Monitoring and Evaluation yes yes yes no no
Dominican Republic Pontificia universidad Católica Madre y Maestra   no yes yes no no

 

With a few exceptions, the courses take place in person. 

This depends on the module and the excursion destination. If the excursion takes place within Berlin or Brandenburg, at least the transport costs are usually covered by your Eberswalde Green Card. 

Costs (usually no more than €500) are incurred for the field trip, which you can, but do not have to, take as a special compulsory elective module in the 4th semester. 

After graduation

Career prospects

With a successful Master's degree in Sustainable Tourism Management, you will have career prospects in various areas of the tourism industry or related industries such as the digital economy or development cooperation.

Specialisation options

There are no fixed specialisations. You can orientate yourself in a subject area by choosing the compulsory elective modules. The Fleximodule and Current Topics modules offer you the opportunity to choose freely between degree programmes or even university subjects and modules.

Prospects / job profiles

Most of our graduates work in the professional fields listed below:

  • Tourism associations and ministries
  • Tour operators and travel agencies
  • Research and teaching
  • Tourist destinations, often at regional or state level
  • Founding their own business
  • Nature conservation and protected area management
  • Development and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
  • Consulting companies
  • Digital economy

In my degree programme, I wanted to focus on my personal IT focus and the importance of digital processes in the context of tourism applications. I was able to apply this in various modules during the semesters and in my internship at a global software company for travel distribution software in the industry. I then wrote my Master's thesis directly at the company.

 

NTM Alumnus Robert Raback

Robert Raback

Consultant for International Accreditation at ACQUIN e.V., Alumni Sustainable Tourism Management 2014

The programme helped me to understand the complexity of tourism and sustainability and gave me the opportunity to play an active role in shaping the industry.

 

Isabell Prior

Isabell Prior

Head of Communications at Alpenwelt Karwendel, Alumni Sustainable Tourism Management 2016

Application

I want to apply...

Application deadline
Summer semester: 1.12. to 28.2. (only possible for higher semesters)
Winter semester: 1.6. to 5.9.

 

Apply now

Please create an applicant account in the online application portal. You will receive a confirmation from us by e-mail with your user name and a password. Now you can log in and start entering all the information required for the application and uploading your documents. After submitting the online application, the "Print" button will take you to a summary of your details in the online application, which we recommend you print out and check. If you have discovered an error after submitting your application, please contact us by the closing date by e-mail at studieren(at)hnee.de.

  • First professional university degree in the field of tourism (geographic or business oriented), which should comprise at least 180 ECTS credits.
  • Good English language skills at level B2 CEFR. If the proof is not yet available at the time of application, it can be submitted at the end of the re-registration period for the second semester.
  • Certificate and diploma of the university degree (alternatively proof of achievement with at least 150 ECTS and provisional average grade).
  • School and professional career (curriculum vitae in tabular form)
  • If available: Certificates, references, employer's references or proof of employment.
  • If already available: Proof of English language proficiency at level B2. Alternatively, the TOEIC can be taken during the first semester at the Language Centre of the HNEE.

Application deadline
Summer semester: 1.11. to 1.12. (only possible for higher semesters)
Winter semester: 1.4. to 1.5.

 

Apply now via uni-assist

If you have obtained your degree abroad, then - regardless of your citizenship - do not apply directly to our university, but via the application portal of uni-assist e.V. This is a service point for the preliminary examination of international study applications for many universities in Germany . The uni-assist website will inform you about the application procedure. Please also note the country information on the uni-assist portal.

If your application is complete and meets the formal admission requirements, uni-assist will forward your application to our university. After importing your application into our application portal, you will receive an email with access data to the HNEE application portal so that you can follow up on the status of your application.

  • First professional university degree in the field of tourism (geographic or business-oriented) corresponding to a 3-year German Bachelor's degree with at least 180 ECTS credit points. Proof of English language skills at level B2 CEFR must be submitted by the end of the first semester at the latest.
  • If available: Certificates, references, employer references or proof of work experience.

 

Applicants with a foreign educational biography must also provide proof of German language skills at level C1 (according to the "Common European Framework of Reference" - CEFR).

In addition, good knowledge of the English language at least at level B2 CEFR must be proven. If the proof is not yet available at the time of application, it can be submitted at the end of the re-registration period for the second semester.


You can find this information on the website of uni-assistwebsite to check whether you meet the formal requirements.

The following application documents must be uploaded exclusively via the uni-assist application portal. Please note that this list cannot be complete and further documents may be requested.

  • Copy of the university degree certificate incl. grade point average and Transcript of Records (see also Country information uni-assist)
  • Copy of the university entrance qualification
  • Other certificates relevant for the Master's entrance qualification (e.g. certificate of the Academic Evaluation Centre for applicants from China, India, Mongolia or Vietnam, proof of having passed the university entrance examination).
  • Applicants with a foreign educational biography: German language certificate B2 (according to the "Common European Framework of Reference" - CEFR).
  • If already available: Proof of English language proficiency at level B2. Alternatively, the TOEIC can be taken during the first semester at the Language Centre of the HNEE.

 

Foreign certificates must be translated into German or English by a sworn translator.

Application deadline

Summer semester: 1.12. to 15.1.

Winter semester: 1.6. to 15.7.

 

Apply now

 

As a secondary student, you can only apply for modules in the corresponding semester. You can find an overview of the respective offers here. Please note that the modules offered, their dates and contents may be subject to change.

Students who are already enrolled at a university as a main auditor can be admitted to the Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde as a secondary auditor, depending on capacity. The condition is that simultaneous studies at both universities are possible (parallel studies) and that the chosen module is a meaningful addition to the degree programme taken up.

Adjunct students are not members of the Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde. They may take part in examinations with the consent of the respective examiners and in accordance with the respective examination regulations. The scope of the examinations may not lead to a degree in a degree programme. There is no legal entitlement to take these examinations. Further details are regulated by the applicable matriculation regulations of the Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde.

Formal applicationsare to be submitted during the application period by post or e-mailto the Student Services & International Office during the application period.

There is a fee for the secondary auditorium. The amount of the fee is based on the current fee schedule of the HNEE, the AStA and the Studentenwerk Frankfurt (Oder).

 

 

Application deadline

Summer semester: 1.12. to 15.1.

Winter semester: 1.6. to 15.7.

 

Apply now

 

As a guest student, you can only apply for modules in the corresponding semester. You can find an overview of the respective offers here. Please note that the modules offered, their dates and contents may be subject to change.

As a rule, an application for guest auditor status must be submitted to the Student Services Department prior to the start of the course (Guest auditor application).

Persons who are not matriculated can be admitted to courses up to 8 semester weeks as guest auditors without proof of university entrance qualification within the scope of the available educational capacity.

As a rule, guest auditors are subject to a fee. No fees are charged to students. Guest auditors for interested persons with a refugee background are free of charge.

Participation in the courses in the corresponding teaching areas is confirmed in writing. Participation in examinations is excluded.

Formal applicationsare to be submitted during the application period by post or e-mailto the Student Services & International Office during the application period.

Detailed information on how to apply can be found at the International Office.

 

Apply now

FAQ on application and admission

Only applicants with a first professionally qualifying university degree with 180 ECTS credits or more will be admitted to the Master's degree programme. The programme is aimed at graduates of tourism management, geography or business administration-oriented Bachelor's degree programmes with a focus on tourism, tourism marketing or leisure sciences (at least 30 ECTS). 

Furthermore, applicants from environment-related degree programmes such as landscape use, landscape planning, landscape conservation, forestry, agricultural science or environmental sciences in general as well as social sciences, cultural studies, linguistics and communication sciences or ethnology can also be admitted if they can provide evidence of a leisure science or tourism course with at least 30 ECTS credit points. 

Further information on the admission requirements can be obtained from Student Services. 

We also expressly encourage interested parties with little connection to tourism to apply if the programme content appeals to them. Admission is possible if you have sufficient relevant practical experience and submit a letter of motivation. Most of our students have very different experiences and expertise. This also enables interdisciplinary learning among each other. In case of doubt, the head of degree programme will decide which degree programmes or other professional experience can be recognised. 

Applicants with higher-qualified degrees or degrees from at least four-year degree programmes, such as Diplom (FH), Magister, Diplom or 1st state examination can also be admitted. Please contact us if you are in doubt as to whether you can be admitted to the degree programme.

Bachelor's graduates with 210 ECTS credit points or 240 ECTS credit points as well as applicants with suitable Diplom or Magister degrees can be admitted to a higher semester upon application on the basis of the additional 30 or 60 ECTS credit points acquired. However, it will also be checked whether there is a corresponding sustainability reference so that the newly enrolled students have a comparable status to the students currently in the 2nd semester. 

The head of degree programme will then draw up a tailor-made study plan, which is compiled according to previous education and is binding.

If the number of applications is expected to exceed the number of available study places, a degree programme is offered with limited admission. The study places are awarded to the applicants in a selection procedure. Several ranking lists are created. The average grade or waiting period of the most recently admitted applicant determines the selection limit for the respective year.
Here you can find the selection limits for the restricted-admission degree programmes of the past year:
Selection limits for restricted-admission degree programmes of the past years

No, you can only apply for one degree programme at our university. You are welcome to consult with us at an early stage to find out which degree programme might be the most suitable for you. Please contact us via e-mail to arrange an appointment. Consultations are possible by telephone, online and in person.

If the Fachhochschulreife consists of a school-based and a practical part, an application is only possible when both parts have been completed. If, for example, the practical part ends after the application deadline, an application is only possible the following year.
If you are applying for a Master's degree programme, we require a certificate of achievement from your university showing at least 150 ECTS, the provisional average grade and the expected end of studies.

Notifications of admission, rejection or exclusion are made available in the online application portal. At the same time, information on this is sent to the e-mail address stored in the applicant account.
Notifications for degree programmes with restricted admission are usually sent out two to four weeks after the end of the application period for the respective degree programme. Further information on notifications for restricted-admission degree programmes in coordination with Hochschulstart (DOSV) can be found here.
In the case of an application for a degree programme with open admissions, the notification is sent promptly after the application has been reviewed.

Before your studies

STUDY

Information on the start of your studies

Here you will find all the important dates, all the information about the matriculation ceremony, the university library and the language centre.

LEARN MORE
LIVING & FINANCING

How can I finance my studies and how do I find a flat?

All links for orientation from scholarships, funding opportunities to finding accommodation

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Welcome Programme

Our students will help you with local orientation, enrolment, dealing with the authorities, finding accommodation and much more.

MORE INFORMATION

FAQ before starting your studies

We do not currently offer any preparatory courses for this degree programme.

If you would like to continue your education before starting the programme, we recommend that you complete Prof. Claudia Brözel's online course on Tourism Management in the Context of Sustainability at the Virtual Academy for Sustainability (currently no examinations possible). 

If you lack tourism knowledge, we recommend the UNWTO Academy's Massive Open Online Course Introduction to Tourism-Industry Management. This free online course offers the opportunity to expand your basic knowledge of management concepts in the tourism industry. 

When and how do I start my studies?

You can find the semester dates and the programme for the introductory events for first-year students here. There you will find out where to find your study plan in the campus management system EMMA and register for modules and exams, get to know the Moodle platform where all learning materials etc. can be found, get to know your contact persons and student representatives and initiatives as well as your fellow students and gain initial insights into individual subjects. So it's definitely worth taking part!

Please bring a valid ID document for the identity check and something to write down. For catering, we have a great offer in our sustainability canteen.

You can find your study plan online via the account access in our campus management system, which you will receive by e-mail with your enrolment. You can also find the plans for the introductory events here.

No, attendance is not compulsory, neither for the courses nor for the introductory week (with the exception of the identity check at the start of your studies, most exams and excursions for which you have registered). But: Regular attendance is of course highly recommended, as this not only supports learning progress, but also contributes to the positive dynamics of our rather small learning groups.

The Master's programme is designed as a full-time course. Nevertheless, we have found that some of our students pursue a part-time job. We also occasionally offer work on research projects or directly in the organisation of studies as a student or research assistant. 

Where can I get support at the beginning of my studies if I don't know my way around or have specific questions?

Most of your questions will certainly be answered during the introductory events at the beginning of the semester. If you still have questions or special needs, please make use of our advisory services, which we have clearly prepared for you here.