Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin (Fachschule) für Finanzen und Investment/Bachelor Professional in Wirtschaft

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

Occupation Type: Advanced training occupation: 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: Business economists (Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin) for finance and investment solve or assist with business administration tasks in the financial services sector. They work in financial controlling and asset management. They prepare ratings and close funds. For the establishment and management of funds, they analyze money, capital, and securities markets. They also advise clients on complex financing models or money and capital investment opportunities. In business accounting, they process various accounting cases. Work Areas and Locations: Business economists (Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin) for finance and investment are employed in companies in the credit industry, e.g., at stock exchanges or credit institutions in the insurance sector.

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

Distribution of hours (example): Cross-focus area: Business Administration: 1st year of training 6 lessons per week, 2nd year of training 4 lessons per week. Economics: 1st year of training 2 lessons per week, 2nd year of training 3 lessons per week. Organization with Data Processing: 1st year of training 4 lessons per week, 2nd year of training 0 lessons per week. Business Mathematics with Statistics: 1st year of training 2 lessons per week, 2nd year of training 2 lessons per week. Accounting: 1st year of training 4 lessons per week, 2nd year of training 0 lessons per week. Law: 1st year of training 4 lessons per week, 2nd year of training 0 lessons per week. German: 1st year of training 3 lessons per week, 2nd year of training 2 lessons per week. English: 1st year of training 3 lessons per week, 2nd year of training 2 lessons per week.

Advanced training 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, e.g., 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 - Advancement with Funding. Promotion of particularly talented young professionals: Stiftung Begabtenförderung berufliche Bildung (SBB) - Further Education Scholarship.

Learning areas: Subject-specific, e.g.: Project management, concluding and realizing legal transactions for the company, recording value flows and assessing them for VAT purposes, designing digital value creation processes in a company, planning, financing, and controlling (inter-)national procurement, production, and sales processes, making investment decisions, analyzing, controlling, assessing value creation processes and preparing annual financial statements, preparing tax declarations and creating them based on annual financial statements, planning capital requirements and making investment decisions, preparing and making financing decisions for start-ups and companies, analyzing and assessing developments in global financial and capital markets and deriving necessary measures. Cross-subject areas, e.g.: German, Mathematics, English, Politics, Economics, Law and Environment. Additional knowledge: Schools may also provide additional knowledge that enables the acquisition of the university of applied sciences entrance qualification (Fachhochschulreife).

Vocational schools (Fachschulen) may offer additional qualifications, such as Specialist Advisor for Financial Services (IHK) or Specialist for Financial Consulting (IHK).

In-depth knowledge in the following areas is a good prerequisite for successfully passing the advanced training examination: Economics/Law: for example, to advise clients on export financing or investments; Mathematics: for example, to calculate interest, costs, and revenues.

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

Participation in advanced training is not remunerated.

The following advanced training alternatives are available for the profession of Business Administrator (Fachschule) for Finance and Investment: Area of Money, Insurance, and Real Estate: Business Administrator (Fachschule) - Banking, Business Administrator (Fachschule) for Real Estate/Bachelor Professional in Business, Certified Specialist Advisor for Financial Services, Certified Bank Specialist, Certified Specialist for Financial Consulting, Certified Leasing Specialist, Certified Real Estate Specialist. Commonality: Taking on specialist and management tasks in insurance and financial services companies. Area of Accounting and Controlling: Business Administrator (Fachschule) for Controlling/Bachelor Professional in Business. Commonality: Taking on specialist and management tasks in accounting and controlling.

2020: Amendment of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and the Crafts Code (HWO): among other things, the introduction of the advanced training qualifications 'Certified Vocational Specialist', '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 vocational school regulations of the federal states (Bundesländer) govern the duration, as well as 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 can, in some cases, gain this experience during the advanced training, which may extend its duration.

This advanced training is legally regulated only in the mentioned federal states (Bundesländer). It leads to the following degree titles: In Hesse, 'State-Certified Business Administrator, Field of Business Administration, Specialization in Financial Economics (Bachelor Professional in Business)'; in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 'State-Certified Business Administrator (Bachelor Professional in Business) - Specialization in Financial Economics'; in North Rhine-Westphalia, 'State-Certified Business Administrator - Specialization in Financial Services (Bachelor Professional in Business)' or 'State-Certified Business Administrator - Specialization in Financial Economics (Bachelor Professional in Business)'; in Saxony-Anhalt, 'State-Certified Business Administrator (Bachelor Professional in Business)'. For internally regulated advanced training programs, the titles 'Financial Business Administrator' or 'Financial Economist (VWA)' are used.

State-certified business administrator for finance and investment is a vocational advanced training. It is regulated by state law and takes place at vocational schools (Fachschule). The full-time training lasts 2 years, while part-time training takes 3-4 years. There are also educational programs based on internal regulations.

Prospective business administrators for finance and investment can secure a good starting position by acquiring additional qualifications during their advanced training. For example, one can obtain the 'Specialist in Financial Services (IHK)' certificate. After their advanced training, business administrators for finance and investment work in companies within the credit sector, such as credit institutions and stock exchanges, as well as in insurance companies and investment firms. Continuous professional development (Anpassungsweiterbildung) helps keep specialist knowledge current, up-to-date, and expanded. The range of topics extends from investment consulting to banking and insurance law. With their advanced training degree, business administrators can advance their careers even without a general university entrance qualification.

The advanced training is regulated by state law in the following federal states (Bundesländer): In Hesse, by the 'Ordinance on Training and Examinations at One- and Two-Year Vocational Schools (FS-APrVO)' of 05.07.2011 (Hess.ABl. S. 323), last amended by Article 28 of the Ordinance of 16.12.2025 (Hess.GVBl. Nr. 110). In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, by the 'Ordinance on Training and Examinations at Vocational Schools (Fachschulverordnung - FSVO M-V)' of 24.02.1998 (GVOBl. M.-V. S. 341), last amended by Article 1 of the Ordinance of 21.05.2025 (Mittl.bl. BM M-V S. 58). In North Rhine-Westphalia, by the 'Ordinance on Training and Examinations in the Educational Programs of Vocational Colleges (Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsordnung Berufskolleg - APO-BK)' of 26.05.1999 (GV. NRW. S. 240, ber. GV. NRW. 2000 S. 563, GV. NRW. 2001 S. 766), last amended by Article 3 of the Ordinance of 29.01.2026 (GV. NRW. S. 130). In Saxony-Anhalt, by the 'Ordinance on Vocational Schools (BbS-VO)' of 10.07.2015 (GVBl. LSA S. 322, S. 652), last amended by the Ordinance of 17.06.2022 (GVBl. LSA S. 137).

Vocational schools (Fachschule) typically require a diploma in a relevant recognized vocational training (Ausbildung) occupation, as well as professional experience. The minimum educational requirement is a secondary school leaving certificate (mittlerer Bildungsabschluss). This varies depending on the respective federal state (Bundesland).