ISM International School of Management GmbH

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.

Key facts

Founded: 1990
International: Students from 84 nationalities

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

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

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.

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.

Campuses & locations

Dortmund

Flagship campus, established 1990; ~900 students; Otto-Hahn-Straße 19, 44227 Dortmund

Frankfurt/Main

Since 2007; ~900 students; Mörfelder Landstraße 55, 60598 Frankfurt

Munich

Since 2009

Hamburg

Since 2010

Cologne

Since 2014

Stuttgart

Since 2016

Berlin

Since 2019

Online Campus

100% online distance-learning programmes

Living in Nordrhein-Westfalen

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.

International Office: International students page →

Accredited Programmes

Master

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus