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

This advanced training takes place at technical colleges (Fachschule) and other educational institutions. For in-person events, the learning locations are classrooms and computer rooms. For combined learning forms (e.g., blended learning), the learning locations are classrooms and computer rooms for in-person events, and at home for online learning units.

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 administrators specializing in human resources coordinate all activities of operational human resources management. They align operational planning and personnel measures. They plan personnel deployment, hire employees or reduce positions, and promote the further development of the workforce. In doing so, they consider labor law requirements as well as business and social aspects. They also manage employee data and payroll systems. Furthermore, they prepare contracts, job descriptions, and references, and are the point of contact for topics such as working hours or maternity protection. Areas of work and locations: Business administrators specializing in human resources are employed in larger companies across almost all sectors.

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

Distribution of hours (example): Interdisciplinary learning area: German/Communication: 120 teaching hours. Foreign language/English: 120 teaching hours. Economics: 120 teaching hours. Business and Labor Law: 120 teaching hours. Total interdisciplinary learning area: 480 teaching hours. Subject-specific learning area: Business Administration: 480 teaching hours. Accounting: 240 teaching hours. Business Informatics: 120 teaching hours. Business Mathematics/Statistics: 120 teaching hours. Specialization Human Resources Management: 520 teaching hours. Additional subject Sales Management: 360 teaching hours. Total subject-specific learning area: 1,920 teaching hours. Total hours: 2,400 teaching hours.

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, for example, for work materials, travel to the training location, or external accommodation. Funding opportunities: Business administration advanced training can be financially supported according to the Advanced Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderungsgesetz). Further information: Aufstiegs-BAföG - Advancement with Funding. Funding for particularly gifted young professionals: Stiftung Begabtenförderung berufliche Bildung (SBB) - Weiterbildungsstipendium.

Learning areas: Subject-specific, e.g.: Project management. Planning, financing, managing, and controlling (inter)national procurement, production, and sales processes. Recruiting, hiring, leading, developing, supervising, and remunerating personnel. Business administration. Accounting, tax law. Business mathematics. Labor law, contract law. Designing, processing, and controlling digital value creation processes in a company. Interdisciplinary, e.g.: German/Communication. English. Economics. Commercial law. Additional knowledge: Schools may provide additional knowledge that enables the acquisition of the university of applied sciences entrance qualification (Fachhochschulreife).

Vocational colleges may offer additional qualifications, such as 'Wirtschaftsfachwirt/in' or 'Euroqualifications (IHK London)'.

In-depth knowledge in areas such as economics/law (for managing available budget) and mathematics (for calculating personnel costs) are good prerequisites for successfully passing this advanced training examination.

The advanced training consists of theoretical and practical lessons. Depending on the education provider, one should be prepared for conditions such as full-time instruction (full-day lessons on at least four weekdays) or part-time instruction (usually career-accompanying training on weekends or evenings). Learning can take place in classroom settings at the educational institution for in-person events, or through combined learning forms (e.g., Blended Learning) with both in-person events and self-directed learning or online instruction from home via electronic learning platforms.

Participation in advanced training is not remunerated.

There are alternative advanced training options for the profession of business administrator (Fachschule) for human resources. In the field of human resources and personnel services, options like 'Geprüfter Personalfachkaufmann/Geprüfte Personalfachkauffrau' or 'Geprüfter Personaldienstleistungsfachwirt/Geprüfte Personaldienstleistungsfachwirtin' involve taking on specialist and management tasks in human resources. In the field of office and secretarial work, options like 'Betriebswirt/Betriebswirtin (Fachschule) für Kommunikation und Büromanagement/Bachelor Professional in Wirtschaft' or 'Geprüfter Fachwirt/Geprüfte Fachwirtin für Büro- und Projektorganisation' involve taking on qualified administrative tasks in office management.

In 2020, the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and the Crafts Code (HWO) were amended, introducing advanced training qualifications such as 'Geprüfte/r Berufsspezialist/in', 'Bachelor Professional', and 'Master Professional'. These titles aim 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 possibilities for shortening or extending the training. Shortening: Participants with a degree in another specialization within the economic field or in a second focus area of a specialization can shorten the advanced training. Extension: Participants can partially make up for missing professional experience during the advanced training, which may extend the duration.

This advanced training is legally regulated only in the mentioned federal states (Bundesland). It leads to the following qualification titles there: Hesse: State-Certified Business Administrator (Staatlich geprüfter Betriebswirt/in), Specialization in Business Administration, Focus on Human Resources (Bachelor Professional in Wirtschaft). Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: State-Certified Business Administrator (Staatlich geprüfter Betriebswirt/in) (Bachelor Professional in Wirtschaft) - Focus on Human Resources. North Rhine-Westphalia: State-Certified Business Administrator (Staatlich geprüfter Betriebswirt/in) - Focus on Human Resources (Bachelor Professional in Wirtschaft). Saxony-Anhalt: State-Certified Business Administrator (Staatlich geprüfter Betriebswirt/in) (Bachelor Professional in Wirtschaft). Schleswig-Holstein: State-Certified Business Administrator (Staatlich geprüfter Betriebswirt/in) (Bachelor Professional im Fachbereich Wirtschaft). Thuringia: State-Certified Business Administrator (Staatlich geprüfter Betriebswirt/in) - Specialization in Business Administration, Focus on Human Resources.

A state-certified business administrator (Staatlich geprüfter Betriebswirt/in) for human resources 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 programs based on internal regulations.

Improve opportunities with additional qualifications: Aspiring business administrators for human resources can gain a good starting position by acquiring additional qualifications during their advanced training, for example, the qualification as a certified business specialist (Wirtschaftsfachwirt/in). Find the right employment: After their advanced training, business administrators for human resources work in larger companies in almost all economic sectors, as well as in public administrations. Secure employability: Through adaptive advanced training (Anpassungsweiterbildung), one can keep their specialized knowledge current, bring it up to date, and expand it. The range of topics extends from human resources to payroll accounting. Advance professionally: Building on existing qualifications, career advancement training (Aufstiegsweiterbildungen) specifically designed for advanced training graduates can expand and complement their competence profile. It is a logical step to take the examination as a business administrator (Betriebswirt/in).

School and technical college regulations: The advanced training is regulated by state law in the following federal states (Bundesland): Ordinance on Training and Examination at One- and Two-Year Technical Colleges (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). Ordinance on Training and Examination at Technical Colleges (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). Ordinance on Training and Examination 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). Ordinance on Vocational Schools (BbS-VO) of 10.07.2015 (GVBl. LSA S. 322, S. 652), last amended by Ordinance of 17.06.2022 (GVBl. LSA S. 137).

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