Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin (Fachschule) für Controlling/Bachelor Professional in Wirtschaft

This advanced training (Weiterbildung) takes place at technical colleges (Fachschule) and other educational institutions. Learning locations include classrooms and computer rooms.

Occupation type: Advanced training profession (Weiterbildungsberuf): Bachelor Professional. Type of advanced training: Advanced training at technical colleges (Fachschule) (regulated by state law). Duration of advanced training: 2-4 years (full-time/part-time). Tasks and activities: Controlling business administrators (Controlling-Betriebswirte) prepare sales, cost, and profit analyses, conduct economic feasibility studies, and contribute to budget and liquidity planning. They also perform and evaluate weakness and bottleneck analyses and propose solutions. They further develop the internal controlling system and optimize existing information, decision-making, planning, and reporting systems. To react to changes in competition, they observe and analyze markets and conduct industry comparisons. Additionally, they participate in quality management. Work areas and locations: Controlling business administrators are employed in companies across all economic sectors.

Full-time: 2 years. Part-time: 3-4 years.

Distribution of hours (example): Compulsory area. Cross-disciplinary learning area: Vocational and work pedagogy: 40 teaching hours. German/Communication: 120 teaching hours. Foreign language: 240 teaching hours. Social studies: 80 teaching hours. Business management: 120 teaching hours. Total cross-disciplinary learning area: 600 teaching hours. Subject-specific learning areas: Business administration: 80 teaching hours. Computer science: 160 teaching hours. Accounting: 200 teaching hours. Law: 200 teaching hours. Economics: 160 teaching hours. Business mathematics/Statistics: 200 teaching hours. Total subject-specific learning areas: 1,000 teaching hours. Focus-specific learning areas: Marketing: 80 teaching hours. Foreign trade: 80 teaching hours. Controlling: 320 teaching hours. Logistics/Transport: 80 teaching hours. Materials management/Production management: 80 teaching hours. Organization/Technology: 80 teaching hours.

Advanced training (Weiterbildung) at state technical colleges (Fachschule) is generally free for students. Private technical colleges, however, usually charge course fees, and sometimes also admission and examination fees. Additional costs may arise, for example, for work materials, travel to the training institution, or external accommodation. Funding opportunities: Business administration advanced training can be financially supported according to the Advanced Training Promotion Act (Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderungsgesetz). Further information: Aufstiegs-BAföG - Aufstieg mit Förderung. Support for particularly talented young professionals: Stiftung Begabtenförderung berufliche Bildung (SBB) - Weiterbildungsstipendium.

Learning areas: Subject-specific, e.g.: Business administration, Computer science, Accounting, Law, Economics, Business mathematics/Statistics, Controlling, Tax law. Cross-disciplinary, e.g.: German/Communication, Foreign language, Vocational and work pedagogy. Additional knowledge: Schools may provide additional knowledge that enables the acquisition of instructor aptitude (Ausbildereignung) or university of applied sciences entrance qualification (Fachhochschulreife).

In-depth knowledge in the following areas is a good prerequisite for successfully passing the advanced training examination: Economics/Law: e.g., to coordinate controlling decisions of the company. Mathematics: e.g., to evaluate the numerical data of company-related accounting.

The advanced training consists of theoretical and practical lessons. Depending on the education provider, one should be prepared for the following conditions: For full-time instruction: full-day lessons on at least four weekdays. For part-time instruction: typically, career-accompanying advanced training on weekends or in the evenings. Learning format: typically, in-person events, meaning classroom instruction at the educational institution (possibly not at the place of residence).

For advanced training abroad, there are options such as: Austria: Advanced training offers from WIFI Österreich (e.g., with the search term 'Controlling'). Switzerland: Advanced training offers from wab - Die Weiterbildungsdatenbank der Schweiz (e.g., with the search term 'Controller/in'). Documentation of professional experience abroad: The Europass offers the possibility to document learning stays completed abroad. Further information on Europass is available.

Participation in advanced training is not remunerated.

The following advanced training alternatives are available for the profession of Controlling-Betriebswirt/in: Accounting and Controlling Sector: Assistant / Specialist in Accounting, Business Administrator (Fachschule) for Accounting / Bachelor Professional in Business, Certified Controller. Commonality: Taking on specialist and leadership tasks in accounting and controlling.

2020: Amendment of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and the Crafts Code (HWO): among other things, introduction of the advanced training qualifications 'Geprüfte/r Berufsspezialist/in', 'Bachelor Professional', and 'Master Professional' to emphasize the equivalence of vocational and academic education. The use of professional titles depends on the enactment of corresponding new advanced training regulations.

The school and technical college regulations of the federal states (Bundesland) govern the duration, as well as the possibilities for shortening and extending the training. Participants with a degree in another economic field or a second specialization can shorten the advanced training. Participants lacking professional experience may be able to make it up during the advanced training, which could extend its duration.

This advanced training is legally regulated only in the mentioned federal states and leads to the following qualifications: In Hessen, 'State-Certified Business Economist, Specialization in Business Administration, Focus on Controlling (Bachelor Professional in Business)'; in Rhineland-Pfalz, 'State-Certified Business Economist - Specialization in Business Administration and Corporate Management (Bachelor Professional in Business)' or 'State-Certified Business Specialist for Taxes, Accounting, and Controlling (Partial Qualification)'; in Schleswig-Holstein, 'State-Certified Business Economist (Bachelor Professional in the Field of Business)'; and in Thüringen, 'State-Certified Business Economist - Specialization in Business Administration, Focus on Accounting/Controlling'. For internally regulated advanced training, the title 'Controlling Business Economist' is used.

The State-Certified Controlling Business Economist is a professional advanced training. It is regulated by state law and takes place at technical colleges (Fachschule). The full-time training lasts 2 years, while part-time training takes 3-4 years. There are also educational offers based on internal regulations.

After completing their advanced training, Controlling Business Economists work in companies across almost all economic sectors, as well as in public administration. They can keep their specialized knowledge current, up-to-date, and expanded through adaptation training (Anpassungsweiterbildung). The range of topics extends from controlling to financial planning. Career advancement training (Aufstiegsweiterbildung), specifically designed for advanced training graduates and building on existing qualifications, can broaden and complement their competence profile. It is also common to take the examination as a Business Economist according to the Vocational Training Act (Berufsbildungsgesetz). With this advanced training qualification, Business Economists can gain access to university studies even without a general university entrance qualification, for example, to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or Business.

The advanced training is regulated by state law in the following federal states: In Hessen, by the Ordinance on Training and Examination at One- and Two-Year Technical Colleges (FS-APrVO) of 05.07.2011; in Rhineland-Pfalz, by the Technical College Ordinance for Agriculture, Design, Home Economics, Technology, and Business, proclaimed as Article 1 of the Ordinance of 30.10.2024; in Schleswig-Holstein, by the State Ordinance on Technical Colleges (Fachschulverordnung - FSVO) of 10.05.2021; and in Thüringen, by the Thuringian Technical College Ordinance for the Fields of Technology, Economy, Design, and Medical Pedagogy (ThürFSO-TWGM) of 29.01.2016. There are no state-specific regulations in the other federal states.

Technical colleges (Fachschule) typically require a qualification in a relevant recognized vocational training (Ausbildung) and professional experience. The minimum educational requirement is a Hauptschulabschluss (secondary school certificate) or a mittlerer Bildungsabschluss (intermediate school leaving certificate), depending on the respective federal state.