MASTER PROGRAMME: QUADRIGA HOCHSCHULE, BERLIN

Quadriga University Berlin is incorporated in Quadriga Hochschule Berlin GmbH and is a full subsidiary of the depak-Presseakademie GmbH (Deutsche Presseakademie), Berlin.

The field of public affairs encompasses the management of a wide range of influential and advisory-based relationships existing between organisations and government. It comprises the articulation, legitimation and assertion of interests on the basis of transparency and openness.

The field requires skilled managers who can handle tasks in PR and com­mu­ni­ca­tion just as professionally as they can manage the conditions and specifics of the political system and its processes. In addition, well-founded knowledge of economic relationships and backgrounds is indispensable for any successful lobbyist. The MBA Public Affairs & Leadership programme unites all of these requirements in a compact, targeted academic programme.

The MBA Public Affairs & Leadership is aimed at successful professionals working in companies, associations, NGOs, political parties, agencies or other organisations. They already have experience working in the field of politics and communication; however, they still lack more in-depth knowledge and/or managerial experience. Typical careers for these professionals include consulting positions, generally in a com­mu­ni­ca­tion field, after completing a humanities or social sciences degree. However, many other career paths and positions can lead to the Public Affairs & Leadership programme. For example, the programme also targets employees of members of the German Federal or State Parliaments, as well as members of the political party structure.

The MBA programme trains students for managerial roles in political com­mu­ni­ca­tion at companies and associations, as well as at public affairs and full-service agencies. Graduates of the programme head the corresponding departments and are responsible for com­mu­ni­ca­tion with the legislative and executive branches. The MBA programme unites precise knowledge of the political system, the political decision-making and legislative processes, and lobbying with in-depth education in com­mu­ni­ca­tion and management topics as well as economic and managerial skills.

Curriculum

The MBA Public Affairs & Leadership programme is composed of eight modules and the thesis:

1. Economics and Management I (Basics): Familiarises students with the fundamentals of economic thought. The module teaches students how the economy functions and how it behaves.
2. Communication Circle: Introduces students to the world of communication management; makes process accessible and backgrounds clear. In Communication Circle module, participants learn the social and psychological mechanisms of communication management and strengthen their communication skills.
3. Management II (Organisation & Leadership): Prepares participants to head a public affairs department or division. Students gain insights into principles of leadership, organisation, management and human resources.
4. Politics: Covers, in detail, the legal foundations of legislation in Germany and the formal and informal processes associated with it. This provides the students concrete facts to back up their work in the political arena. At the European level, politics and lobbying conform to their own set of regulations. This module gives the participants an overview of the legislative process, treaties and relevant actors in the European Union.
5. Management III (Law, Accounting and Finance): Introduces students to the sensitive areas of business of which lobbyists must have a firm grasp in order to make the necessary arguments or to take an accepted position in a company: Economic Law, Accounting, Investing and Finance. Also highlights some economic aspects.
6. Representation of Interests and Public Affairs: This module gives an overview of the various actors involved in lobbying and provides details of processes involved in that area. The students learn about political parties and important political associations, and they become familiar with the wide range of lobbying tools. Altogether, the module combines the skills and knowledge important to a PA manager: factors for success, mechanisms, methods and backgrounds of strategic lobbying. It demonstrates how to be a strong performer in the socio-political sphere.
7. Management IV (Corporate Strategy and Marketing): Public affairs managers must have a strong working knowledge of many disciplines in their field. A comprehensive approach requires a practice-oriented grasp of corporate strategy and marketing, particularly political marketing.
8. Strategy and Campaigning: Planning and implementing communication strategies and demonstrating success: in this module, participants learn the strategic foundations of successful campaign management and begin applying them directly.