International Wine Business bachelor degree programme
What better place to develop business administration expertise for the international wine business than in one of Austria’s top wine-producing areas?
In-depth education covering business administration, viticultural and oenological topics means that after six semesters you are fully equipped to assume managerial responsibilities in the wine and beverage industry, including on the international stage – thanks to a programme taught in English.
This is the tuition fee for EU and EEA citizens. In addition, the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH) dues amount to EUR 22.70. Please note that different tuition fees apply for non-EU citizens.
The degree programme
Of course, wine and the wine industry are the centre of attention throughout the programme, enabling you to become an expert in the subject. This is the only bachelor degree with an exclusive focus on the wine business offered at an Austrian university of applied sciences.
Courses on various business administration and economic disciplines form the basis of the programme. This gives you an insight into company and departmental structures and processes. And this wide-ranging expertise allows you to take on a host of different duties in your day-to-day work.
The programme also stands out for its strong international focus. You will be learning with fellow students from all over the world, and you have the opportunity to spend semester 4 abroad at one of our partner universities. You can also spend your internship in semester 5 in a foreign country.
Tip
A particularly attractive option is the dual degree we offer in conjunction with the KEDGE Business School - Campus Bordeaux, France. Besides obtaining a bachelor of arts at IMC Krems, you will also be accredited with a degree from our partner institution.
Business administration – the basics
Business administration focuses on how organisations and companies are managed. In other words, it examines business processes with the aim of providing insights into the planning, implementation and evaluation of responsibility, approaches and objectives in different parts of a business.
Business administration topics include accounting and finance, marketing, human resources and logistics.
Core topics of the International Wine Business degree programme
The International Wine Business bachelor degree covers various fundamental aspects of business administration. What’s more, you’ll also take a look at the key features of the wine industry.
Viticulture aka winegrowing
Winegrowing refers to the cultivation of vines with the aim of producing wine. This is the job of the winemaker. Numerous factors influence the taste of the end product, including location, soil, climate, weather, the winemaker’s work and the vine varieties selected.
Oenology aka winemaking or viniculture
Viniculture covers all of the essential activities involved in making wine. Oenologists are responsible for cellar equipment and production of the various wine varieties. Experts are familiar with market requirements and the ways their wines will satisfy them.
Sensory analysis
This discipline is all about assessing a wine’s character using the senses. The focus is on criteria such as colour and clarity, bouquets and aromas, consistency, temperature and of course taste.
" You can design your degree in line with your personal interests. You can decide whether to spend a semester at one of our partner universities and find an internship that’s tailor-made for you. You’re also free to choose the topic of your bachelor paper. Just to give you a few ideas: organic wine production and natural wine, e-commerce and digital wine marketing, wine tourism, or specific wine markets such as the UK, China or Russia. "
Programme director Albert Stöckl
A formula for success: theoretical knowledge + practical experience
The programme is built on three pillars.
Curriculum
What can you expect from your studies? The curriculum provides an overview.
Click on the individual courses for further information.
Course SWS ECTS Accounting and Financing Accounting I 2 4 Law International Wine Law 1 2 Management Principles of Management I 2 3 Sustainability and Ethics in Leadership 1 1 International Wine Industry / International Wine Marketing Sustainability in the Wine Industry 1 2 Wine Regions of the World I 2 3 Wine Production Viticulture I 2 3 Wine Sensory Wine Tasting and Description I 2 3 Mathematics and Statistics Business Mathematics Business Mathematics - Theory 1 2 Business Mathematics - Exercise 1 2 Personality Training Group Dynamics 1 1 Scientific Methods and Tools Principles of Business Data Analysis 2 3 Foundations of Empirical Social Research 1 1 Course SWS ECTS Accounting and Financing Accounting II 2 3 Economics Microeconomics 2 3 Law Principles of Private and Public Law 2 2 Management Principles of Management II 1 2 Marketing Marketing 2 3 Wine Production Viticulture II 2 2 Wine Processing I 2 3 Wine Sensory Wine Tasting and Description II 2 2 Mathematics and Statistics Business Statistics Business Statistics - Theory 1 2 Business Statistics - Exercises 1 2 Personality Training Rhetoric and Presentation 1 1 Intercultural Competence 2 2 Scientific Methods and Tools Research Methodology 1 3 Course SWS ECTS Economics Macroeconomics 3 3 Management Procurement and Logistics 2 3 Project Management 1 2 Human Resource Management 2 3 Marketing Marketing Research 2 4 International Wine Industry / International Wine Marketing International Wine Tourism 2 4 Wine Production Wine Processing II - Theory 2 3 Wine Processing II - Practice 1 1 Wine Sensory Wine Tasting and Description III 1 1 Personality Training Communication and Negotiation Skills 1 2 Scientific Methods and Tools Computational Thinking 1 2 Software Applications 2 2 Course SWS ECTS Accounting and Financing Finance and Investment 2 3 Economics International Agriculture and Trade Policies 2 3 Law Principles of Business Law 3 4 Management Quality and Process Management 2 3 Marketing E-Commerce and E-Marketing 2 3 International Wine Industry / International Wine Marketing Wine Regions of the World II 2 3 Wine Export Markets 2 3 Wine Production Viticulture III 2 3 Scientific Methods and Tools Bachelor Seminar I 1 5 Course SWS ECTS Practical Training Practical Training 0 28 Practical Training Coaching Seminar 1 2 Course SWS ECTS Accounting and Financing Controlling 2 3 Management Strategic and Corporate Planning 2 3 Entrepreneurship 2 3 Marketing International Wine Marketing and Brand Management 2 3 International Wine Industry / International Wine Marketing Wine Regions of the World III 3 3 Current Topics in the International Wine Business 2 2 Wine Production Wine Processing III - Theory 2 2 Wine Processing III - Practice 1 1 Scientific Methods and Tools Bachelor Seminar II and Bachelor Paper 1 8 Bachelor Exam 0 2
Key features
Why should you choose our International Wine Business degree programme? Here’s an overview.
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Get additional information nowKey skills
When you graduate, you will have developed wide-ranging professional and theoretical expertise and skills, as well as strong interpersonal abilities.
During the degree you will learn about the basics of business administration, economics and law.
Understanding complex functions within organisations and the interplay between departments is another core competence. You will be aware of just how important an enduring corporate culture is, and become an advocate for strengthening the culture at your company.
You will also study the following business disciplines during your degree:
- Accounting and finance: You have all the skills required to take on bookkeeping, accounting or controlling duties. You are also familiar with various financial instruments and budgeting tools, and how to deploy them effectively.
- Marketing: You will study key marketing models, with a focus on typical marketing methods, international and strategic marketing, and market research.
- Human resource management, logistics and organisational development: You will become familiar with key responsibilities of HR managers and learn how to handle cross-cultural differences. The course also provides an overview of logistics and procurement, and teaches you how to incorporate aspects of quality assurance in your approach to work. Your extensive basic business knowledge also enables you to play a part in preparing business plans.
Microeconomics and macroeconomics are core elements of the curriculum. After completing your degree, you will have a clear understanding of major global interrelationships, which can feed into your organisation’s decision-making processes.
The programme also provides an overview of various legal topics, with an emphasis on international and European wine law.
Analysing research-related questions is an important aspect of higher education. This is why we help you to develop academic skills that allow you to understand and successfully participate in research processes.
High-quality bachelor papers stand out through their contribution to increasing academic knowledge in the subject in question, and for the significant practical benefits they generate.
Examples of topics and methods for the bachelor paper include analysing wine ranges offered by discounters, supermarkets, top restaurants and webshops; experiments such as blind tastings and shopping situations; surveys of particular consumer groups; or case studies on especially innovative or successful businesses.
Besides professional expertise, interpersonal skills will play a major role in your day-to-day work.
This is why we place a particular emphasis on soft skills. You will develop your teamworking abilities in various group work situations, as well as learning how to manage conflicts in the group. We also help you to enhance your presentation skills, put you in a position to take on team leadership functions and teach you how to use conflict resolution tools.
A stand-out feature of the degree programme is that it enables you to develop strong cross-cultural abilities, thanks to the programme’s distinctive international focus. You learn how to handle contrasting views and approaches more effectively and identify potential in teams comprising members with a variety of personal and cultural backgrounds. Put simply, in your career you’ll be able to deal expertly with business partners from all over the world.
You will pick up specific wine-related knowledge and become familiar with the basics of winegrowing and wine production, as well as with the grape varieties and wine styles found in traditional wine producing countries in Europe and overseas. You can evaluate grape growing processes, taking into account national and international economic and environmental factors.
You also have the necessary skills to carry out sensory assessment of wines, and describe and classify them. This sets you apart from graduates of typical business degree programmes.
During your degree, you will learn about domestic and international structures and the key features of the wine business. You will be in a position to analyse various wine markets, using the results as the starting point for developing business concepts for the wine, spirits and beverage industry.
You can identify ways in which the wine and tourism sectors can benefit from one another, and can put forward ideas to future employers.
Career paths
After completing the International Wine Business bachelor degree programme, you will have what it takes to assume countless different posts in the wine industry in Austria and around the world.
You have the choice of starting a career or enrolling for a full-time or part-time master degree.
A wide range of options will be open to you – at IMC Krems, for instance, you can register for the master degree programmes:
- Marketing with Major Tracks in Tourism & Service Marketing, Fashion & Lifestyle Marketing and Retail & Shopper Marketing
- Umwelt- und Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement
- International Business and Economic Diplomacy
- Digital Business Innovation and Transformation
- Management
- Management von Gesundheitsunternehmen
Alternatively, you can take a master degree in business at another Austrian or foreign university.
- Potential entry-level positions
- Marketing and advertising
- Consulting and sales, incl. export
- Purchasing assistant, incl. import
- Junior food and beverage (F&B) manager
- Sommelier, wine service, stock-keeping, staff training
- Fine wine store management in Austria and abroad
- Analysis, advice and marketing at an agency
- E-commerce: managing websites, webshops, social media pages and, where applicable, blogs
- Positions at domestic and international organisations and associations such as chambers of agriculture, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB), etc.
- Wine-related teaching and training at schools or higher education institutions
- Activities in all upstream and downstream sectors of the wine and beverage industry
- Research and development, e.g. at the Bundesamt für Weinbau, universities or universities of applied sciences
- Organising and providing tourism services related to wine and the gourmet sector
- Entrepreneurship: freelance activities and start-ups
What makes us special? We are more than happy to tell you about the aspects of our university, which we are especially proud of.
Friendly and cosmopolitan: The city attracts students from all over the world, who come to study, research and work together.
Our university has removed a host of administrative hurdles, leaving you free to concentrate fully on your studies.
Do you have questions regarding our degree programmes or the application? Contact our Prospective Student Advisory Service.
Our team
Get to know the core team of our bachelor degree programme International Wine Business.
![Prof.(FH) Dipl.-BW(FH) Dr. Albert Franz Stöckl, MA | Programme Director International Wine Business - IMC Fachhochschule Krems]()
Prof.(FH) Dipl.-BW(FH) Dr. Albert Franz Stöckl, MAProgramme Director International Wine BusinessProgramme Director International Wine Business
Prof.(FH) Dipl.-BW(FH) Dr. Albert Franz Stöckl, MA
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Prof.(FH) DI Dr. Markus Walter Eitle, MScProfessor (FH) Institute Tourism, Wine Business and Marketing![]()
Mag. Stephanie TischlerLecturer Institute Tourism, Wine Business and Marketing
Application and admissions – the next steps
You've found a course that's a perfect fit? Great – you’ve already taken the most important step! We’ve put together an overview to guide you through the next steps.
What are the admission requirements for bachelor programmes?
To qualify for admission to a university of applied sciences bachelor degree programme, you must have an Austrian school-leaving certificate or an equivalent qualification.
Do you have a school-leaving certificate issued outside Austria?
We’ll check to make sure it’s equivalent to an Austrian certificate in accordance with section 4 of the University of Applied Sciences Studies Act (FHG) when you’ve sent us all the relevant documentation via our online application tool. If it is not an equivalent, you’ll receive information on the supplementary examinations you’ll need to pass. In a nutshell, you will have the option of completing a summer school and the necessary supplementary examinations at IMC Krems or look for an external provider. In that case, you might consider our cooperation partner, the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria: It offers a one-year International Foundation Programme which provides you with all the necessary qualifications you need in order to start your studies in Krems.
What proof of your language skills is required for our English-language bachelor degree programme?
We’ll assess your English language proficiency at your interview, so there is no need to provide additional evidence of your English skills.
Important
Do you still need to complete your military or alternative service? If you’re a male Austrian citizen, we strongly recommend completing your compulsory national service before beginning your studies. This will allow you to finish your degree with no interruptions and start your career without delay afterwards.
Application interview
We would like to get to know you as a person: As part of the online application you will have to write a statement of motivation and a short essay on a topic relevant to the degree programme. Predefined questions about your motivations as well as the requirements and topics for your essay can be found in the online application. You choose one of the suggested topics, conduct research to broaden your knowledge, deal with the issues and bring your own point of view to the essay. Your answers are to be entered in the fields provided.
Your statement of motivation and your essay form the basis for your application interview. Every applicant has an opportunity to introduce themselves in a group discussion, usually with the degree programme director. In addition to the personal introduction and your motivation to study, the applicant and the interviewer discuss the topic selected and the arguments used in the essay, as well as the topic’s relevance for the degree programme.
The application interview is held in the language of instruction of the degree programme and can take place either online via Microsoft Teams or in presence.
After the application interview, your statement of motivation, the essay and your performance throughout the interview are assessed on the basis of the content-related remarks, the manner in which they express themselves and the arguments used.
Interview dates
There is usually a selection of dates to choose from, with quotas allocated for each date. You can select a preferred date and time slot for your admission interview during the online application process. In order to still benefit from the full selection of dates, we recommend that you submit your application in good time.
Get an overview of the dates for your programme.
Admission interview
26/04/202421/06/2024After you have successfully completed your online application, your application will be checked for completeness and correctness. As soon as this process is completed, we will inform you by e-mail and confirm the date for your admission interview. We will send you the Microsoft Teams Meeting Link in a separate e-mail a few days before the application interview date.
| Application deadline for EU nationals | 15/04/2024 |
|---|---|
| Application deadline for non-EU nationals | 15/04/2024 |
You've decided for one of our degree programmes? First of all: congratulations and thank you for choosing us! We’ll be happy to guide you step-by-step through your online application.
You would like to plan ahead and would like to know when your degree programme starts? Here you will find the answer!
Questions about the degree programme?
Prospective Student Advisory Service
Do you have questions regarding the entry requirements, the admission procedure and more? Our Prospective Student Advisory Service is happy to help.
Ask a Student
Join our Facebook group: Direct your questions to our students and get first-hand accounts about studying at IMC Krems.
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Ask Sebastiaan
Would you like first-hand information about the International Wine Business degree programme? Contact Sebastiaan directly, he will be happy to answer all your questions about the study programme.
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Tourism and Leisure Management
International Wine Business
