9 February 2026

A joint meeting at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences marked the official start of a new co-operation between the university and leading regional credit institutions. The partners are Kreissparkasse Eichsfeld, Kyffhäusersparkasse, Sparkasse Unstrut-Hainich and VR Bank in Thuringia. Together, the partners are developing a practice-integrated degree programme format in the field of business administration with additional components from banking and finance. The programme is scheduled to start in the 2026/27 winter semester.

University President Prof Dr Jörg Wagner and Prof Dr Marcus Schäfer, Professor of Business Administration with a research focus on portfolio management, risk management and option valuation, as well as representatives of the participating banks took part in the kick-off meeting.

Response to increasing demand for practical study formats

Dual study programmes with a strong practical orientation have been gaining in importance among young people for years. More and more school leavers are looking for study models that closely combine academic training and professional practice and open up clear career paths at an early stage.

Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences recognised this development early on and has consistently developed its range of courses in recent years. With the new cooperation model in the field of business administration with banking & finance components, another attractive format has now been created that specifically addresses the needs of the labour market and the realities of young people's lives.

The planned study model combines a sound business administration degree with specialised content from the finance and banking sector. Practical phases at partner banks and savings banks are an integral part of the concept. This gives students an early insight into real work processes, regulatory requirements, risk assessment, financial products and customer advice.

At the same time, the participating banks benefit from early contact with qualified junior staff and can promote and retain them in a targeted manner.

University President Prof. Dr Jörg Wagner emphasises the strategic importance of the new offer:
„Practice-orientated study formats are a central key to successfully guiding young people into qualified professions. With the cooperation in the field of banking and finance, we are creating a programme with high relevance for the regional labour market and excellent prospects for our students. The close collaboration with strong partners from the region is a great benefit.“

Professor Marcus Schäfer emphasises the professional added value: „The combination of business management theory with concrete finance and banking practice enables an exceptionally deep development of skills. Topics such as risk and portfolio management or modern valuation methods are not only taught academically, but can be experienced directly in an application context. This significantly increases the quality of the programme.“

The new specialisation offers school leavers in particular an additional, attractive option for a structured and practical entry into the financial sector. The programme is aimed at anyone who wants to understand economic relationships, shape financial processes and take on responsibility at an early stage.

Further details on the programme format and application modalities will be published later this year. The first intake is scheduled to start in the winter semester 2026/27.