Lo­gist­ics Man­age­ment (M.Sc.)

The aim of the master's degree program in Logistics Management is to provide students with a research-based and practice-oriented qualification to prepare them for specialist and management positions in international logistics. On the one hand, attention is paid to practical relevance and, on the other hand, to the appropriate foundation of content approaches on a solid theoretical and methodological foundation. Systems theory and thinking in systems are at the forefront of this theoretical frame of reference. On the basis of a coherent scientific concept conceptualized in this way, students should be familiarized with topics that are primarily discursively accessible and for which different advantages and disadvantages can be deduced. This should improve students' ability to develop ways of thinking and behaving that are oriented towards handling complexity and that ensure effective handling of complicated, multi-layered and complex tasks.

From the extensive fields of activity in Logistics Management, those that require a high degree of system-related, integrative understanding of complex issues are singled out in particular. These subject areas are regularly characterized by a high degree of social and communicative competence, including intercultural competence. In order to ensure that the academic training in the Logistics Management degree program does not focus on generalities, but rather corresponds better to a specific specialization within Logistics Management, which in itself is extremely comprehensive, further content from Aviation Management is added to the content from Logistics Management.

In accordance with this overarching objective of the degree program, it is necessary for students on the master's degree program to broaden and deepen their existing knowledge. The focus is on developing knowledge on the basis of instrumental, systemic and communicative skills. These skills and competencies are taught and practiced in the master's degree program due to its curricular design and didactic characteristics. This is why, for example, Master's students are required to have a high degree of independent learning, which enables them to generate the necessary new knowledge themselves based on existing knowledge and understanding and to apply it in practice-oriented projects during their studies.

The basic admission and entry requirements for the Master's degree program in Logistics Management at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences are bindingly regulated in the statutes for the assessment procedure for degree programs with special aptitude requirements and in the program-specific annexes to these statutes.

The most important stipulations concern the following points:

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in business administration with a specialization in logistics, from a German or European university,
• Minimum grade of the Bachelor's degree for participation in the assessment procedure,
• if the admission qualifications were not obtained in the German language of instruction, proof of German language skills at least at Intermediate II level must be provided for the application and TestDaF level 4 or DSH 2 at the start of the course.

Applications for the Master's degree program Logistics Management must be submitted in full to the Department of Student Affairs at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences by the deadline of 15 July (winter semester) of each year.

After the application deadline, the selection committee decides on admission or rejection on the basis of the respective valid statutes for the implementation of the assessment procedure for degree programs with special aptitude requirements.

The master's degree program in Logistics Management comprises coursework amounting to 120 ECTS credits with a workload of 30 hours per ECTS credit. The course is divided into three semesters.

Semesters 1 and 2 each contain 3 compulsory modules (a total of 6 compulsory modules in both semesters) and 3 elective modules per semester (a total of 6 elective modules in both semesters) and serve to specialize in the professional field with regard to the teaching of scientific models and methodological concepts of in-depth training in the field of Logistics Management. In semester 1, one elective module each must be selected from the Business Studies, Economics and Business Law elective modules catalog. In semester 2, students must select one elective module from the Business Studies, one from the Economics and one from the so-called free elective modules catalog. The modules available for selection in these compulsory elective catalogs are (in-)directly related to the content of Logistics Management fields of action. The project modules in both semesters include the basics of research-based, method-oriented scientific work on the one hand and the examination of topics in the field of Logistics Management on the other. Students earn a total of 60 ECTS credits in semesters 1 and 2.

Semester 3 is available to students as a mobility semester. In this semester, students on the degree program complete an extended academic project in practice with a minimum duration of 24 weeks and a thematic focus in the field of Logistics Management. Alternatively, students can complete coursework totaling 30 ECTS credits at a foreign partner university, with a focus on logistics modules. The basis for the recognition of foreign coursework is a learning agreement to ensure a selection of modules at partner universities that are relevant to the study objective. A third option is to take modules from other master's degree programs in the Department of Economics or from other departments at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences amounting to 30 ECTS credits.

The Master's thesis and the colloquium in semester 4 complete the course of study. The Master's thesis should demonstrate that the student is able to work on a defined problem using scientific methods under supervision within a specified period of 20 weeks. Master's theses can be written either in cooperation with industrial companies (external work) or as theoretical work at the university (internal work). In either case, a logistical connection must be ensured.

The didactic concept of the degree program is based on the corresponding qualification objectives, which, in addition to imparting broad scientific and conceptual knowledge, also includes the teaching of methodological and social skills. This is supported in particular by a high proportion of interactive types of instruction and group work. The Master's degree program is offered as a full-time program. The classes include lectures, case studies, labs, project work, seminars, business games and excursions.

The skills taught are aimed at enabling graduates to start their careers in middle management positions and senior specialist positions in the field of Logistics Management in companies - also in an international context - or in the field of air transport companies and air transport-related logistics service providers. Interesting prospects are also likely to open up for graduates in cooperation with management consultancies. Graduates also have the opportunity to pursue a doctorate.

With regard to the development of decision-making skills for logistical problems, emphasis is placed on the fact that "right" or "wrong" decisions can only be made in the field of logistics if narrow (often model-based) assumptions or frames of reference are available. In the majority of cases, however, it is likely to be shown in practice that the significance of a "good" decision is rather to be seen in how comprehensively a decision for a logistical problem can be justified discursively - i.e. by weighing up the advantages and disadvantages. In this respect, the key competence of decision-making skills is linked to improved problem-solving skills. True to the postulate "There is nothing more practical than a good theory", it is therefore important that students learn to act not in units of thought of "black vs. white", but against the background of a "continuum" of alternatives to be weighed up. Linked to this is the realization that there is often no single best way to solve a problem, but that students and graduates should be able to formulate one of several possible approaches. From the perspective of scientific theory, however, this does not postulate a constructivist view, but rather underpins a fundamentally critical-rational understanding.

Summer semester 2017

Prof. Dr. Bernd Madauss

Winter semester 2016/17

Regine Büttner (Executive VP, DHL Express)
Matthias Quandt (Airbus Defence & Space)

Summer semester 2016

Ulf Weber (Managing Director, Aerologic)
Riccardo Kämpf (DHL Hub Leipzig)
Mark Stelse (DHL Hub Leipzig)
Fabrizio Ubiali (DHL Hub Leipzig)

Winter semester 2015/16

Gerhard Schulz (Chairman of the Board, Kulturzentrum Schlachthof Wiesbaden)

Summer semester 2015

Justin Erbacci (Vice President, Star Alliance)

Winter semester 2014/15

Alexander Kaczmarek (Group Representative, Deutsche Bahn)
Dr. Alexander Vogt (European Parliament)

Summer semester 2014

Dr. Nizar Abdelkafi (Fraunhofer IMW Leipzig)
Prof. Dr. Frank Fichert (Worms University of Applied Sciences)

Professor Michael Maloni (Atlanta, USA) - 2016

In May 2016, Mike Maloni conducted meaningful simulations on supply chain management with current MLM students in the PC lab. At the same time, we also expanded our joint collaboration in logistics research. We would like to thank him for his input.

Professor Michael Maloni (Atlanta, USA) - 2015

Mike Maloni from Kennesaw State University (USA) worked with students of logistics subjects from the Master's degree programs in the summer of 2015 on content relating to production management and logistics with research and teaching links to innovative logistics issues. His teaching program was rounded off with excursions (BMW Munich and DHL Leipzig) and simulations in the PC laboratory.

Prof. Dr. Andrea Berzlanovich (Medical University of Vienna) - 2014

In summer 2014, students on the master's degree program in Logistics and Aviation Management and other master's degree programs in Business Studies developed approaches to various issues in the overarching topic of social skills.

Summer School in Logistics 2013

The second "Summer School in Logistics" for students at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences took place in the 2013 summer semester. From September 23 to 28, 2013, 18 students worked on issues relating to modern international logistics. The focus was on air transport and air freight on the one hand and rail freight transport and container logistics on the other. Excursions took the participants to the Berlin-Brandenburg and Frankfurt/Main airports, Lufthansa Cargo, the container terminals in the Port of Hamburg and the DB Mobility Networks Logistics training center in Bad Homburg. The practice partners worked together with the students to identify commonalities and "transition areas" between air, rail and water-based logistics. Our sincere thanks to all speakers, practice partners and students.

International project weeks with the PNFU Perm

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Jörg Schmidt (Anhalt - Bernburg University of Applied Sciences), a German-Russian student symposium on the topic of "Logistics to, in and through Russia" took place on May 7, 2013 as part of the International Project Weeks with PNFU Perm (Russia). We would like to thank our Russian colleagues for the successful event.

Summer School in Logistics 2012

The first "Summer School in Logistics" for students at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences took place in the 2012 summer semester with the involvement of students from Departments 1 and 2. From September 24 to 29, 2012, 29 students worked on issues relating to modern international logistics. Excursions took the participants to Frankfurt/Main Airport, Halle/Leipzig Airport, DHL, Amazon, Dresden and the Deutsche Lufthansa training center on Bergstrasse in Hesse.