ISM is a private university, so unlike most German public universities it is not tuition-free for anyone. The same tuition applies to EU and non-EU students alike, because there is no state exemption to draw a line between them: full-time Bachelor's programmes cost 5,970 EUR per semester and full-time Master's programmes cost 6,480 EUR per semester (the Master's fee includes the thesis fee, across the standard four semesters).

On top of tuition, every student pays a one-time enrolment fee – 600 EUR for EU citizens, 1,500 EUR for non-EU citizens – and a 3,000 EUR deposit after signing the study contract, which is not an extra cost, it is deducted from the first semester's tuition. Monthly payment of tuition is possible on request.

Real tuition is only part of the cost of studying in Germany. For the student visa you still need to show about 11,904 EUR for the year in a blocked account, and that money has to be transferred months before the semester starts.

These are the deadlines ISM itself recommends for applicants who need a student visa for Germany, and they fall earlier than the flexible, no-visa timeline open to EU, EEA and Swiss applicants, who can generally apply until around the end of August for the fall intake. Because ISM runs a rolling admission process with limited places, applying at or near the deadline still carries the risk that places for your programme are already filled.

Through ISM's own admission process, run by campus study advisors rather than uni-assist. There is no uni-assist account and no uni-assist processing fee, but the process is more hands-on: it includes a personal eligibility check, an admission test or case study, and an online interview, rather than a single document upload.

Open the international applicants FAQ at en.ism.de

ISM runs 26 degree programmes fully in English, spanning management, finance, information systems, data science and analytics, logistics and supply chain, marketing, and international business, concentrated at Master's and MBA level. Four Bachelor's programmes (International Management, Finance & Management, Information Systems, and Applied Data Science & Business Analytics) are also taught entirely in English. You can study the English-taught programmes without German, though everyday German still helps with housing, part-time work and the authorities.

ISM asks for a minimum B2 level of English generally for Master's admission, with a certificate required specifically for MBA programmes. The exact requirement can vary by programme, so check the programme page before booking a test.

ISM's Fall intake typically begins in September and its Spring intake typically begins in March, in line with the general German academic-year framework.

A private, state-recognized university of applied sciences founded in Dortmund in 1990, now AACSB-accredited (one of only around 6% of business schools worldwide to hold that accreditation) and teaching over 3,000 students across seven German campuses. Its focus is business and management, with strengths in international management, finance, logistics, marketing and data science, taught in small groups (class sizes capped at 32, language classes at 18) with lecturers drawn heavily from industry.

A semester abroad and a compulsory internship are built into most full-time programmes through ISM's network of around 190 partner universities, and the practical, career-facing model feeds directly into the post-study period: ISM states that more than 90% of its graduates find work within six months of graduating.