MA Entertainment Producing

The extra-occupational Master’s program Entertainment Producing enables young media professionals to deepen their practical and theoretical knowledge of the essential creative, production and market aspects of entertainment production in television and digital media. Supported by distinguished industry experts, they explore and expand existing processes and formats and develop their own innovative entertainment concepts.
The guiding principle of the new course are creative entertainment producers, who develop and produce innovative formats for a highly dynamic and competitive media market in cooperation with a creative team, and who are also able to bear economic and personal responsibility.

Core competencies for a highly dynamic market

In its two-year curriculum the MA Entertainment Producing combines four central elements:

1. Practical orientation: modules on the development, production and exploitation of entertainment formats and on process-related topics such as leadership, strategy, innovation, collaboration, management and law.

2. Project orientation: Throughout their studies, students go through several project phases. They develop format ideas from the various format genres (e.g. show, factual, reality) independently and cooperatively in the essential aspects.

3. Contextualisation: Scientific and application theory modules expand the practical content with regard to entertainment history and media transformation processes, market and media research as well as social responsibility in the entertainment industry.

4. (Self-)Presentation / Networking: Practical exercises, pitches/presentations, network events and excursions specifically promote access to the entertainment market and the expansion of your own network.

Accompanied by tutorials, students in the 4th semester develop their Master’s project up to the pitch in front of industry representatives.
You will soon find an overview of the structure of the program here (TBA).

Studying at the entertainment hub Cologne

Cologne is not only a city with a 2000-year history, but also a vibrant media metropolis. And the undisputed entertainment stronghold in Germany: well over half of all German entertainment programs are produced in Cologne and the surrounding area. The most successful TV and entertainment producers have their headquarters or an important branch here. In addition, important TV and radio stations as well as more than 70 print and digital publishers have their headquarters in the city and attract a creative and artistic audience.
The ifs is located in the up-and-coming creative and media quarter Schanzen Street in Cologne-Mülheim – in close proximity to TV production companies, studios, publishing houses, a radio station and the Schauspiel Köln (Theatre of Cologne).

Focus:
Extra-occupational, practice-oriented further education Master’s degree for members of the non-fictional entertainment industry along the creative process in entertainment production (development, production, exploitation), professionalisation (law, management, innovation, cooperation), creative leadership and social responsibility

Duration:
2 years (4 semesters)

Academic Degree:
Master of Arts (M.A.), 120 ECTS

Attendance Time:
Semester 1 – 3:
• Introductory phase at the beginning of the study of 3-4 days en bloc
• approx. 16 days per semester, i.e. approx. 6 days per month during the lecture period (3 weekends per month, Friday/Saturday)
Semester 4:
approx. 5 days accompanying the Master’s project (tutorials, colloquia, final events)

Target Group:
Ambitious members of the entertainment industry with at least one year of professional experience, e.g. editors, (junior) producers, production managers, freelance writers, or from individual trades of entertainment production (e.g. editing, directing, camera, casting etc.), as well as from related branches such as event, theatre and transmedia/online production.

Group Size:
max. 20 students

Language:
German; international contents/lecturers in English

Workload:
The MA Entertainment Producing is a four-semester extra-occupational part-time Master’s program with 120 ECTS.
There is an introductory phase at the beginning of the course with 3-4 days of attendance en bloc.
In the first three semesters, attendance time of approx. 16 days per semester is required, whereby courses are generally held during the lecture period (for approx. 3 months) on 3 weekends (Friday/Saturday) per month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.
During the fourth semester, which is dedicated to the Master’s project, an attendance time of about 5 days per semester is planned for tutorials, colloquia and final presentations.
Added to this is the time spent studying on one’s own, i.e. in particular project work. This varies, but should be planned at around 12 hours per week throughout the semester.

Professor for the MA Entertanment Producing is Jennifer Mival. As a content executive, she has extensive international leadership experience in non-fiction entertainment with a focus on program strategy, format development and production for streaming services and TV stations, and extensive expertise in the international format licensing business.

Jennifer Mival was most recently responsible at Netflix for building up the new Non-fiction Original Series programming area for the German-speaking market and Scandinavia, with stations in Los Angeles, London and Berlin. Previously, she was Executive Producer and Head of Formats at Seapoint, ITV Studios and ProSiebensat1, and Head of Programming at youth channel Joiz. More

In addition to the professor, the MA Entertainment Producing also has a large number of high-profile figures from the entertainment industry. The pool of experts of the ifs-Entertainment program includes:

Marcel Amruschkewitz, Editor-in-Chief and Head of Entertainment, VOX
As longstanding head of the Creative Unit at RTL/VOX, he is largely responsible for the large number of successful and innovative formats at the RTL Group channel. As an alumnus and lecturer of the Entertainment Masterclass, he is also very familiar with the teaching of entertainment skills.

Martin Baumann, Production Executive, Sony Pictures Film and Television Production
He has many years of substantial experience in the realisation of large show and reality formats such as »Ich bin ein Star, holt mich hier raus«, »Hell’s Kitchen« or »Das perfekte Dinner«, as well as in the fiction sector. His previous positions in the TV industry include ITV Studios (Production Director), as well as Werner Kimmig GmbH and SWR. He also has experience in the transfer of know-how through his involvement in various qualification programs.

Ute Biernat, CEO, UFA Show & Factual
In this position, she is responsible for the entertainment production of UFA in Germany and also for the adaptation of formats of the international parent company Fremantle in Germany. She has substantial experience as a producer of successful formats in an international context and is also a long-standing member of the advisory board of the Grimme Institute and long-standing chairwoman of the international format protection organisation FRAPA. She is also constantly involved in the area of qualification, e.g. as a lecturer in the Entertainment Masterclass.

Frank Bogdzinski, Production Management, Endemol Shine Germany
He has many years of experience as production and manufacturing manager in the entertainment industry. In addition, as a member of the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry committee, he is responsible for further training in the entertainment producer sector and has substantial experience in the field of training and further training himself.

Daniel Brückner, Vice President Strategic Projects, DIVIMOVE
Innovation consultant, producer and creative strategist; as Vice President Strategic Projects at DIVIMOVE, he is currently responsible for platform relations and the expansion of the content areas sports and music. Prior to this, he was an editor at UFA X, the Digital Innovation Unit of the UFA/Fremantle Group in Berlin, since 2012 and was later responsible for research and innovation management. There, he was mainly responsible for collaborative developments and productions, especially for VR/AR and branded content with a focus on user experience. He is a graduate of the HPI School of Design Thinking (Potsdam, Germany) and a trained creative leader of the Kaospiloten (Aarhus, Denmark). In addition to his work at DIVIMOVE, he is also active as a consultant, coach and lecturer (e.g. Bayer AG, SAP, Mars, Wired Campus, Entertainment Masterclass).

Christoph Fey, Partner in the law firm Von Have Fey, as well as managing director of the Entertainment Masterclass.
He specialises in international format trade and protection; among other things, he was managing director of the format protection organisation FRAPA. In addition to numerous mandates for leading industry players, he designs high-profile qualification measures in an international context (Entertainment Masterclass), and he himself is a regular lecturer.

Oliver Fuchs, Managing Director, Fabiola
Fabiola GmbH is a merger of the Belgian-Dutch production companies Woestijnvis, Lecter Media and De Mensen for the German-speaking countries. Oliver Fuchs has substantial experience in the TV entertainment industry, e.g. as head of entertainment at the ZDF, and subsequently as a producer and managing director of Eyeworks Germany (now Warner Bros. TV Germany) and Bavaria Entertainment. He also has teaching experience, most recently at the Film Academy Ludwigsburg and the Grimme Academy, among others.

Gunnar Garbe, management trainer and business coach
He has a special focus on executive development, leadership and team training, motivation training and business coaching and has been involved in the conceptual design and implementation of executive development processes since 2005 (e.g. for Fraunhofer Society, groupon.de, regiohelden.de, Warner Bros, Statista), motivation training at management and team level (e.g. for Deichmann, Cafea), team coaching at management level (e.g. Fraunhofer Society, Statista, high-tech start-up funds), and individual coaching for managers and employees (e.g. Statista, Commerzbank, Vivantes). He is also a lecturer at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences for Engineering and Economics (HTW). Previously, he worked as a strategy consultant with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), was founder and managing partner of ECS-Media GmbH, and was a radio news anchor for Radio Schleswig-Holstein. In addition to his studies in political science, sociology and psychology, he is a certified EOS-Coach (Developmental Self-Management according to Prof. Julius Kuhl), Professional Certified Coach (International Coaching Federation) and Certified Heldenreise® Leader. He has also completed numerous further training courses, including creation therapy, NLP, Consciousness Coaching and Mindfulness/Meditation.

Michael Gaul, Head of Legal & Business Affairs, Banijay Germany
He is responsible for legal advice on the development, production and evaluation of formats of the internationally positioned production group. Previously, he worked as a lawyer in a law firm with a focus on media and entertainment. In addition to his law studies, Michael Gaul also completed a Master’s degree in media law and media economics. As a classic in-house lawyer for a large production company, he has a wealth of experience in the legal support of productions and the negotiation of production and exploitation contracts.

René Jamm, Managing Director, Warner Bros. International TV Production Germany
As Creative Director in the company since 2008, he is now responsible for the company’s business and the strategic development of all units. During his studies of political science and law at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, he already worked as an editor and author for the ZDF. He has worked as a producer, executive producer and producer in many renowned international production companies and for various broadcasters. He was responsible for the fiction department and was also responsible for numerous successful light entertainment formats. He has already held several teaching positions at various institutions, including the Film Academy Ludwigsburg.

Philipp Käßbohrer, Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer, bildundtonfabrik (btf)
btf is currently one of the most innovative production companies in Germany. btf productions are characterised above all by their subversive character in that they raise particular social issues in popular form and redefine or question the genre in parts. He is a graduate of the Academy of Media Arts (KHM) and the Mediengründerzentrum NRW (MGZ).

Maximilian Klopsch, Managing Director, SevenOne AdFactory
As such, he is a proven expert in the field of TV and media marketing in the environment of a multimedia group, the ProSiebenSat1 Group. He also has substantial experience in communicating his expertise through his regular lecturing activities at the University of Applied Management and as a jury member of the Media Lab Bavaria.

Michael Kollatschny, Management Director, ZDF Digital
Previously, he was Executive Director at Endemol Shine Germany and dedicated himself to digital production for the new platforms as well as branded entertainment content. He is a proven expert in the field of digital communication (social media marketing) and production, not least due to his former executive position at Twitter and his own company in the digital sector.

Arne Kreutzfeldt, CEO, Florida Entertainment
He is responsible for the strategic, commercial and creative orientation of the young company. His previous professional positions in the TV market include Brainpool TV, Tower Prods., 3 Plus TV (Switzerland) and Spiegel TV.

Yvonne Matuchniak, Head of Casting, ITV Studios Germany
She is one of the most experienced female casting experts in the German entertainment production. At ITV, she is responsible for casting/supervision of successful, long-running formats such as »Dschungel-Camp«, »Quiz Duell« oder »Das perfekte Dinner«, as well as current successful formats such as »Love Island«.

Christian Munder, Director Comedy, Sony Pictures FFP
He is essentially responsible for successful and style-defining productions such as »The Campers«, »Lukas«, »The Office« or most recently »The Teacher«. As a trained psychiatrist, he is also particularly qualified for the topics of personnel management and team management, in general and in TV productions in particular. As a lecturer of the international Entertainment Masterclass, he also has substantial experience in conveying his special knowledge in a very entertaining way.

Stefan Oelze, Executive Board, Rosebank Holding
Previously he was Managing Director of Seapoint in Cologne, which belongs to Rosebank Holding. Earlier, he held management positions for numerous companies in an international context, including Filmpool/Tower Productions/All 3 Media, MME Moviement AG, Granada/ITV. He is also a member of the board of the NRW Producers’ Association and is strongly committed to the promotion of young talent and location development.

Nicole Offergeld, Director Entertainment, Endeavor Content
Endeavor Content is a renowned US-American artists’ agency, which has recently also been heavily involved in international format distribution. She is a proven expert in program distribution, rights exploitation and media value creation. Prior to this, she worked for many years in the sales department of the WDR Mediagroup and Red Arrow International. As an alumna of the Entertainment Masterclass, she is also very familiar with the mediation of her field of expertise.

Asita Rademacher, Business Coach and Mentor
She has substantial experience in casting, especially in the entertainment sector. Until the end of 2018, she was Head of Casting at Warner Bros. International TV Production and previously worked for the same company as Executive Producer, among others for »The Bachelorette«. She also has experience in the qualification field, for example as a lecturer in casting for the Evolo program.

Christiane Ruff, Managing Director, ITV Studios Germany
She began her career in the TV sector in 1988 at RTL as producer and head of department, first for entertainment, later in the sitcom/comedy sector. She was responsible for a total of more than 30 entertainment formats, including »Tutti Frutti«, »Die Mini Playbackshow«, »Die Traumhochzeit« and various game shows. Since 1996, she has worked as deputy managing director and head of the creative affairs department at the production company Columbia TriStar Film and TV Production (later Sony Pictures Film und TV Production). During this time, she was responsible as a producer in the sitcom/comedy sector for, among other things, the style-defining formats »Ritas Welt« and »Nikola«, for which she also received the Grimme Prize. Since 2014, she has been managing director of the ITV Studios Germany.

Hendrik Schierloh, Head of Legal & Business & Chief Business Officer, All3Media Deutschland
Before that, he was chief lawyer at the production company Endemol Shine Germany. In addition, he is responsible for legal training and further education in the group and has his own experience as a lecturer in this field.

Bernhard Sonnleitner, Vice President International Scouting & Trends, Seven.One Entertainment Group
In this function, he heads the Trend Research & International Format Scouting department for the entire ProSiebenSat.1 Group. He regularly holds lectures, presentations and further training courses, including the Entertainment Masterclass.

Sven Steffensmeier, Executive Director, EndemolShine Germany & Member of the Endemol Shine Germany Management Board
From the very beginning, he was responsible for the successful format »Kitchen Impossible«, which has received several German Television Awards and was nominated for the Grimme Prize, the cooking battle format »Ready to Beef!« and the branded entertainment series »Wine Chefs«. Sven Steffensmeier studied journalism with a focus on TV format development at the WWU Münster and started working for ProSieben in the Galileo editorial department in 1998. In 2003, he started to work for Endemol Shine Germany (ESG). During his time at ESG, he was a member of the International Creative Team at Endemol UK, Executive Producer & Deputy Head of Quiz & Entertainment as well as Executive Producer Comedy & Light Entertainment and produced formats such as »Rette die Million!«, »Unschlagbar«, »Null Gewinnt«, »Deal or No Deal« and many more.

Dietlinde Stroh, Managing Director, Tower Productions (Joint Venture between the All3Media-Group and the BBC Studios)
She is also responsible for the adaptation of BBC formats for the German market. Previously, she worked as executive producer for various production companies, including Talpa Germany, Eyeworks and Grundy Light Entertainment.

Miriam Tebert, Channel Manager WDR TV / Head of Strategy & Channel Management
She is essentially responsible for the program-strategic orientation of the WDR channels and platforms. She previously worked for WDR on numerous other stations, including the area of program controlling, and is therefore a proven expert in the processes, program requirements and strategies of the station.

Mike Timmermann, Senior Executive Producer, Talpa Germany & Site Manager Cologne/NRW
Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President Production & Development at the ProSiebenSat.1 production subsidiary Red Arrow Studios, where his previous positions included Endemol Entertainment and RedSeven Entertainment. He has over 20 years of experience in the development, sale and production of TV content and has access to a large national and international broadcasting and production network. He is also well versed in leadership and motivation and has a high affinity for technical innovation and new business models such as branded entertainment and influencer marketing. He is active nationally and internationally as a lecturer, at the ifs internationale filmschule köln as program mentor and module tutor as well as lecturer for the extra-occupational further education »Entertainment Pro«. At the EMC – Entertainment Masterclass, he is lecturer for »The Format Masterclass«, topic: Development Workshop – From Scratch to Screen, and he is an advisor for the development of a new, international further education offer for 2020.

Godehard Wolpers, Managing Director, Brainpool TV
He is primarily responsible for the area of Show & Artists Related Management and thus especially for the development and commitment of artistic talent. At Brainpool, he is responsible for productions such as the SAT.1 comedy show »LUKE! Die Woche und ich« (Luke! The Week and Me) and the SAT.1 comedy year review »LUKE! Das Jahr und ich« (Luke! The Year and Me) with Luke Mockridge, as well as collaborations with artists such as Bülent Ceylan, Eckart von Hirschhausen, Martin Rütter, Carolin Kebekus and Olaf Schubert. Since December 2017, he has also been managing director of the production company »Lucky Pics«, a joint venture between the entertainer Luke Mockridge and BRAINPOOL.

The required knowledge and proof will be tested during the application procedure. These are:

Academic Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) of at least 180 ECTS credits or a higher degree (e.g. a German Magister or Diplom degree) from a recognised higher education institution is required for admission to a Master’s program. The ifs welcomes applications from ambitious entertainment professionals who have gained degrees in subjects other than their own.
In justified exceptional cases, applicants with exceptional artistic talent who lack one or more of these formal requirements may apply to participate in this program as participants in continuing education.

Work Experience

Applicants must have at least one year’s professional experience in the entertainment industry – in production/editing or the individual creative trades of production (e.g. directing, camera, editing, casting etc.). Applications from a related practical field such as event, theatre or trans/multimedia production are also possible.

Language Skills

A good command of English is required and must be proven during the selection process. Although the degree program is mainly offered in German, English is also offered on a case-by-case basis as a group working language in project work and in events taught by international lecturers.

A good knowledge of German is essential for participants.

Tuition Fees

EU Citizens:

Tuition Fees per Semester: 2,500 euros (including the Student Education Funds)
Semester Fee TH Köln (University of Applied Sciences Cologne): approx. 280 euros (including VRS semester ticket)
One-time registration fee: 400 euros

Non-EU Citizens: 

Tuition Fees per Semester: 3,500 euros (including the Student Education Funds)
Semester Fee TH Köln (University of Applied Sciences Cologne): ca. 280 euros (including VRS semester ticket)
One-time registration fee: 400 euros

Student Loans

For financial support to cover tuition fees and/or living expenses, students can apply for an interest-free loan from the Friends of the ifs Society from the first semester onwards. The approval of the interest-free loan depends on the financial situation of the applicant and the amount of funds available. Repayment of the loan begins six months after completion of the studies.
Students are generally entitled to BAföG if they are studying for the first time. The responsible Federal Office for Education and Training Support decides on applications for a state student loan or scholarship. A prerequisite for submitting an application is enrolment at the TH Köln, the ifs’ cooperation partner (tuition fees for the winter semester 2020/2021: 280.50 euros). This scholarship includes all services provided by the TH Köln and the semester fee. Both German and foreign students are eligible to apply. International students can find out about the BAföG regulations relevant to them here.
Another way of financing your studies is to apply for a repayable loan. The following collection of links makes no claim to completeness and is only alphabetically ordered.

Education and Student Loans:

• Bildungsfonds
• Bildungskreditprogramm der Bundesregierung
• Career Concept AG
• CHE – Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung
• DAKA – Darlehenskasse der Studentenwerke im Land NRW
• Deutsche Bildung
• Deutsche Kreditbank
• Erasmus+ Master degree loans 
• KfW Bank

Scholarships

The Friends of the ifs Society awards scholarships to Master’s students with outstanding academic achievements. Beginning in the winter semester of 2021, for the MA Entertainment Producing one or two tuition fee scholarships may be awarded for a period of four semesters.

In addition to the ifs, numerous German and international study foundations offer scholarships to support tuition fees and living costs during the course of studies.
The requirements for the award of a scholarship vary depending on the scholarship provider. An overview of the scholarship programs of external foundations can be found at:

Financing and Funding Opportunities

In order to make sure that degree certificates obtained abroad meet the admission requirements of the ifs (university entrance qualification), applicants can consult the following database: http://anabin.kmk.org  
If your degree does not meet the ifs admission requirements, applicants with particular artistic talent may be invited to take part in a separate admission procedure and complete the program as a continuing education participant.

In order to obtain a residence permit, international students must prove that they have sufficient means of subsistence. The required amount corresponds to the BaföG maximum of 861 € per month. 

Citizens of member states of the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) – i.e. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein – as well as Switzerland have the same access to the labour market as German students and may work as much as they wish without the prior consent of the German authorities. However, students are advised not to work more than 20 hours per week, otherwise they will have to pay social security contributions.
International students from countries that are NOT members of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland are generally allowed to work 120 full days or 240 half days per year if they hold a valid residence permit for Germany. Students who wish to work more days per year must obtain the approval of the Foreigners Authority and the Federal Employment Agency.

What is the regular tuition fee per semester?

Fees for EU citizens
Tuition fee per semester: 2,500 euros including study fund
Semester fee at TH Köln: 280.50 euros (including the ticket for local public transportation)
One-time registration fee: 400 Euro

Fees for non-EU citizens
Tuition fee per semester: 3,500 euros including study fund
Semester fee at TH Köln: 280.50 euros (including the ticket for local public transportation)
One-time registration fee: 400 Euro

Are there any funding opportunities for the program?
To finance tuition fees and to support living expenses, students may apply to the »Friends of the ifs Society« for interest-free loans and scholarships.
Application for student loans is possible after acceptance to the program. The granting of loans is dependent on the economic situation of the applicant and the resources available. Repayment of the loans begins six months after graduation.
In addition, MA students may apply for scholarships honoring outstanding academic achievement. The regulations for these scholarships are currently being updated. You will find more information here soon.

Do I need to provide formal proof of my English language skills?
No written formal proof is required. English language skills will be checked during the selection process, usually in a personal interview.

Do I have to have a good knowledge of German? 
Good German language skills are mandatory for the participants.

Can I submit the application documents in my native language? 
The application documents must be submitted in German or English language.

Can non-EU students apply?
Non-EU students are welcome to apply for the MA Entertainment Producing. Applicants should, however, have the necessary German and English language skills.

Can I submit further documents (e.g. complete treatments, videos or letters of recommendation) in addition to the required application documents?
Yes, additional material can also be submitted. However, depending on the volume of material received, we cannot guarantee that the jurors will be able to read the additional material comprehensively.

Can I apply if I hold a German »Magister« degree?
Yes, you can apply with a Bachelor’s degree or a graduate-level diploma, which includes the Magister.

Is it possible to apply without a bachelor’s degree?
To earn the Master’s degree, you are required to hold a bachelor’s or equivalent degree. Applicants with outstanding artistic qualification may be allowed to enroll in this program without previous academic experience. In this case, no Master’s title is awarded on completion of the program.

How much practical experience in entertainment production do I need?
Practical experience in the entertainment industry corresponding to at least one year of professional activity must be proven. The experience may have been acquired in entertainment production or also in the individual creative sections of production (e.g. editing, directing, camera, casting, etc.). Proof of practical experience in a field relevant to the Master’s program, such as event, theatre or trans/multimedia production, is also possible.

Do I have to come to Cologne for the entrance examination? When do the entrance exams take place? 
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an entrance exam. The entrance examination consists of an oral interview.
Each applicant must be available for approximately one day during this period.
Because of the pandemic, the entrance exams will take place online if necessary (e.g. via Skype or Zoom) in 2021.
Further information about the format and dates of the entrance examination will be announced here on the MA Entertainment Producing website shortly.

Do I have to have my BA certificates certified? Do I have to submit a translation of my BA certificates?
Yes, you must submit a certified copy of your undergraduate degree certificates. If your certificates were issued in a language other than German or English, they must be translated into German or English, and the translation must also be certified.

Do I need to have work experience? 
Yes. Applicants must have gained relevant practical experience in the entertainment industry for at least one year.
The experience may have been gained in entertainment production or also in the individual creative sections of production (e.g. editing, directing, camera, casting, etc.). It is also possible to provide proof of practical experience in an area relevant to the Master’s program, such as event, theatre or trans/multimedia production.
If you do not have a full year of practical professional experience yet, but expect to have completed a year of experience by September 2021 (i.e. before the beginning of the study program), please indicate this in your application.
If you are unsure whether or not the type of experience you have might be deemed relevant, please check with the Entertainment Producing dept. (see CONTACT).

Will I be able to work during my studies? 
The Master Entertainment Producing is a part-time study program. Students of the Master Entertainment Producing are explicitly encouraged to pursue a professional activity within the entertainment industry during their studies. However, such simultaneous professional activity is not obligatory.
The Master’s program is expected to require an effort as follows: During the first three semesters, attendance of approximately 16 days per semester is required, with lectures usually taking place on 3 weekends (Friday/Saturday) per month from 10am to 4pm or 5pm during the lecture period (for approximately 3 months). During the fourth semester, which is dedicated to the Master’s project, attendance time of approx. 5 days per semester is planned for tutorials, colloquia and final presentations. In addition, there is the self-study time, i.e. in particular the project work. This varies, but should be planned at approx. 12 hours per week over the entire semester. At the beginning of the program, there is an introductory phase with an attendance period of 3-4 days en bloc.

Do I have to enroll at the TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences as well?
Yes, MA students at ifs are required to enroll at the TH Köln. This provides students with low-cost tickets for public transportation and the opportunity to use the TH Köln libraries, the services of the international office, student sporting facilities etc. The semester fee at the TH Köln amounts to approx. 280 euros.

How do I find accommodation in Cologne?
Students who are accepted to the program will be provided with a list of useful links.

What’s the cost of living in Cologne?
For an estimation of the average costs of living in Cologne please see here.

If you have any questions about the MA Entertainment Producing, please contact us:

Jan Lingemann
Head of Entertainment
T +49 221.920188-265
j.lingemann(at)filmschule.de

Maren Radau
Assitance Entertainment
T +49 221.920188-278
m.radau(at)filmschule.de

Janina Jansen
Student Service
T +49-221.920188-222
j.jansen(at)filmschule.de