Programme for Excellence for especially talented students in the Management Sciences

The best

The Programme for Excellence supports especially talented students in the Management Sciences

“The Programme for Excellence is the first programme at a German institute of higher education that is explicitly dedicated to promoting excellence,” says Professor Wilhelm Schneider from the Department of Management Sciences. Since its inception, he and his colleague Anne Schaefer have been in charge of the Programme for Excellence, which supports particularly gifted and highachieving students from the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Business Management, Business Psychology and International Business. It celebrated its 15th anniversary in winter semester 2020/21.

Rigorous selection

Every year, the best 10 students are selected from approximately 300 applicants from the third semester onwards. The application process is challenging – excellent performance in school and studies is a prerequisite. In addition, the students must hold a non-scripted speech on a topic outside of their own subject area and demonstrate their general knowledge in an interview. In return, they are offered a wealth of opportunities. “I‘m inspired by the networking with other students and alumni who share their experiences from the professional world. But events where I gain knowledge beyond the content of the lectures are also super helpful,” says Caroline Bosse, a seventh-semester Business Management student and participant since 2019. The options range from meetings with experts and business professionals to excursions to companies in the region and job application seminars. “A seminar on international business etiquette was very interesting for me, and during the entrepreneurs’ afternoon with the auditing firm KPMG, I gained fascinating insight into daily work,” reports Caroline Bosse.

Alumnus stays in contact

Dominik Claßen, alumnus of the Programme for Excellence and a Business Management student at H-BRS from 2011 to 2014, works there. “I’m a manager and authorised signatory at KPMG. I still exchange ideas with Professor Schneider – it was only through him and his network that I had the opportunity to introduce myself to my current employer.” He is still involved with the programme and the university. “I’m in contact with many alumni, although they all work in different fields. I’m also a lecturer at H-BRS,” says the chartered accountant. The programme currently supports around 30 students. Since its inception, about 220 have gone through the Programme for Excellence. Many of them now hold leadership positions. From job application seminars to networking evenings: Students in the Management Sciences are optimally supported in the Programme for Excellence