ISM International School of Management GmbH
Dortmund, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
- Founded
- 1990
- Programmes
- 53
- Taught in English
- 19
About International School of Management
ISM International School of Management is a private, state-recognised university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) headquartered in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, with seven on-campus locations across Germany and an additional online campus. Founded in 1990, ISM is a business-focused institution specialising in management, finance, marketing, and data science programmes at bachelor's, master's, and MBA levels. It was the first private German university of applied sciences to receive AACSB accreditation, a distinction held by approximately 6% of business schools worldwide.
ISM enrolls students from 84 nationalities and maintains roughly 190 partner universities abroad, enabling mandatory semester-abroad components in most programmes. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:15. The institution holds unlimited state recognition from the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Science and received institutional accreditation in 2004, renewed in 2015.
All on-campus bachelor's and most master's programmes are offered in English, making ISM one of the more accessible private business schools for international students who do not yet have advanced German. The institution operates as a private, fee-charging institution - there is no tuition-free public status.
First private German university of applied sciences to receive AACSB accreditation
Seven physical campuses in major German cities plus a fully online campus
Students from 84 nationalities enrolled across all programmes
~190 international partner universities; semester abroad included in most programmes
No Numerus Clausus (NC) required - admission via interview and online test
Most on-campus bachelor's and master's programmes taught in English
Key facts
- Type
- Fachhochschulen / HAW
- Founded
- 1990
- International
- Students from 84 nationalities
- Faculties
- 6
- Programmes
- 53
Study programmes
53 accredited degrees at International School of Management, 19 of them taught in English.
Showing 1–24 of 53 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
ISM is a private institution financed exclusively through tuition fees - it is not a public tuition-free university. Specific fee amounts are not published on the public programme pages; prospective students are directed to request information or consult an advisor. Partial scholarships (25-50% of tuition, up to one year) and full scholarships (two semesters) are available on merit/financial grounds. The Deutschlandstipendium (€300/month) is also available for enrolled students with a GPA above 2.0. No semester administration contribution (Semesterbeitrag) in the public-university sense applies, as ISM is fully private.
Admission requirements
Applicants require a general qualification for German university admission (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung) for bachelor's entry, or a bachelor's degree of approximately 180 ECTS for master's entry. ISM does not apply a Numerus Clausus (NC) cut-off. The admission process includes document review, a personal consultation, and an online admission test/interview. For English-taught programmes, proof of English proficiency at B2 level is recommended for bachelor's; IELTS 6.0, TOEFL, or equivalent is required for master's if the prior degree was not taught in English. APS certificate: Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants must hold a valid APS certificate before a German student visa can be issued (consulate requirement), though ISM's own application pages do not explicitly reference APS. Applicants from those countries should obtain APS independently before or in parallel with the ISM application.
Application deadlines
Specific intake deadlines are not published on the public website. ISM operates rolling admissions with intakes typically in autumn (winter semester, October) and spring (summer semester, April). Prospective students are advised to contact the admissions office directly for current deadline information.
How international applicants apply
Not documented - direct application. ISM evaluates foreign qualifications itself within its four-step online application: own application form, document review (CV, transcripts, school or bachelor certificates, language proof), structured online selection interview with presentation, then study contract and enrolment. Its FAQ states that with an international school-leaving certificate or a foreign bachelor's degree ISM checks whether the qualification entitles the applicant to study in Germany at the time of application. uni-assist is not mentioned on ISM's admission pages and ISM does not appear on uni-assist's official member list (checked against the complete official list); third-party aggregator pages claiming ISM membership are contradicted by both official sources.
Languages of instruction
Most on-campus bachelor's and master's programmes are taught in English. A selection of bachelor's programmes is taught 70% in German with some English-language modules. Two on-campus master's programmes (Real Estate Management; Strategic Sports Management) are German-taught. Online distance-learning programmes are available in both English and German.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Scholarships at International School of Management
4 schemes run or administered by the university. Always confirm current amounts and deadlines on the official page.
Deutschlandstipendium at ISM
ISM participates in the nationwide public-private Germany Scholarship. Merit-based support of EUR 300 per month for one academic y...
Amount: EUR 300/month
bachelor, master, mba
Dortmunder-Volksbank-Foundation semester-abroad scholarship
One-off scholarship of EUR 2,500 for one term abroad, awarded each spring and fall term to ISM Dortmund campus students: 4th-term...
Amount: EUR 2,500 one-off
bachelor, master
ISM Full Scholarship (Bachelor / Master)
Full tuition waiver for high-performing beginners, awarded before the first term. Covers tuition and thesis fees for the regular s...
Amount: 100% tuition remission (tuition + thesis fees; partner-semester fees c...
Deadline: Windows: 15 May - 15 June (winter intake) and 15 November - 15 Decembe...
bachelor, master
ISM Partial Scholarship (25% - 50% tuition reduction)
Partial scholarships covering 25% to 50% of tuition fees are periodically awarded to full-time bachelor and master (incl. MBA dive...
Amount: 25% - 50% tuition reduction
Deadline: Windows: 15 May - 15 June (winter intake) and 15 November - 15 Decembe...
bachelor, master, mba
Student accommodation
What International School of Management publishes about housing. German universities do not allocate rooms themselves, so the links below are where applications actually go.
From the university
Housing assistance and dedicated German-language courses are not explicitly listed as International Office services on the official website.
Campuses & locations
Flagship campus, established 1990; ~900 students; Otto-Hahn-Straße 19, 44227 Dortmund
Since 2007; ~900 students; Mörfelder Landstraße 55, 60598 Frankfurt
Since 2009
Since 2010
Since 2014
Since 2016
Since 2019
100% online distance-learning programmes
Living in Dortmund
Dortmund, ISM's founding location, is North Rhine-Westphalia's third-largest city and one of Germany's major logistics, technology, and services hubs. Once known for coal and steel, the city has undergone significant economic transformation and is home to a large student population, a lively cultural scene, and the Technologiepark, where ISM's main campus is situated - approximately 15 minutes from the city centre.
Student life & support
ISM's International Office, led by Vice-President Carolin Krabs, provides incoming international students with support on visa applications, orientation, and access to study-abroad and scholarship programmes. Campus coordinators are present at each of the seven physical locations. The International Office also facilitates semester-abroad placements at roughly 190 partner universities and assists with double-degree options for master's students. Events and social programmes are organised for international cohorts. Housing assistance and dedicated German-language courses are not explicitly listed as International Office services on the official website.
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