The new MA Entertainment Producing of the ifs internationale filmschule köln is a unique course of study in the German-speaking world for the production of non-fictional entertainment formats.
The 2-year, part-time program offers media professionals from the entertainment industry and career changers from related fields the opportunity to expand and deepen their theoretical and practical knowledge in order to further qualify for management tasks or entrepreneurial activities.
Key Areas:
• Development, production and exploitation of entertainment formats
• Leadership, strategy, innovation, collaboration, management and law
• Entertainment history and media transformation processes, market and media research
• social responsibility in the entertainment industry
The Master’s program was developed at the initiative and with the support of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and in close cooperation with the Entertainment Master Class and the production industry.
Accordingly, the teaching staff is largely recruited from prominent industry representatives. The current pool of experts in the ifs Entertainment Program includes Ute Biernat (CEO, UFA Show & Factual), René Jamm (CEO, Warner), Stefan Oelze (Executive Board, Rosebank), Christiane Ruff (CEO, ITV Studios), Mike Timmermann (Senior Executive Producer, Bildergarten Entertainment) and Godehard Wolpers (Managing Director, Brainpool TV).
Degree: Master of Arts (M.A.)
Duration: 2 years (4 semesters), part-time
Approval: every 2 years
Start of Studies: September, 2021
Language: German; international contents/lecturers in English
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, cinematography, casting etc.), as well as from related branches such as event, theatre and transmedia/online production.
The application phase for the first year has already ended.
Prospective students are still welcome to contact the Department of Entertainment.
Jan Lingemann
Head of Entertainment
T +49 221.920188-229
j.lingemann(at)filmschule.de
Maren Radau
Assitance Entertainment
T +49 221.920188-278
m.radau(at)filmschule.de
Our study programs are academically accredited by the accreditation agency AQAS – Agentur für Qualitätssicherung durch Akkreditierung von Studiengängen e. V.
Cooperation partners
With their commitment, the partner companies support the study program and the future students – among other things as scholarship providers.

Advisory Board
The members of the advisory board are appointed by the ifs and exchange views with it on current developments in the entertainment industry as well as on existing and planned study and further education programs in the field of entertainment. The advisory board advises the management and the entertainment department of ifs in the field of entertainment and provides professional support and up-to-date industry knowledge.
For more detailed information on all members of the »Advisory Board Entertainment Producing« please see overview.
Statements – what the experts say:
»We want to offer our viewers the best entertainment across all channels – today and in the future. Finding talents, training them well and promoting them is an essential prerequisite for this. That’s why I’m delighted that, together with Mediengruppe RTL, we can play our part in training the next generation of entertainers in Germany and contributing to equal opportunities through our cooperation with ifs.«
Marcel Amruschkewitz, VOX Editor-in-Chief and Head of Entertainment, Contact person for the cooperation between ifs and Media Group RTL Germany
»Doing something with media is no longer enough. Entertainment must be the goal and the ‘German entertainment heart’ is beating in Cologne! That’s why the new study program of the ifs, which almost all entertainment companies here have set up with the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, is just right.«
Ute Biernat, CEO, UFA Show & Factual
»In German television, there are 100 shows but only 10 producers. That has to change. Thank you ifs!«
Godehard Wolpers, Managing Director, Brainpool TV
»NRW is the number one television location in Germany and one of the largest in Europe. The main focus of television production in NRW is on entertainment genres, accounting for a good two thirds. In this respect, I am very pleased that the importance of the “Entertainment” genre for NRW and Germany is being taken into account for the first time with this Master’s program. It is the first of its kind in Germany and we are finally drawing level with countries such as the Netherlands and Great Britain, which have been offering university courses in this field for many years.«
Stefan Oelze, Executive Board, Rosebank Holding
»The Master’s program Entertainment Producing @ ifs is a practice-oriented and unique course of study. Perfect for the training of professionals in the TV industry. We support this initiative as part of our in-house staff development and professional training measures. The feedback of our ITV studio graduates is consistently positive. Within a short period of time, they get a complex overview and are able to apply the new skills directly in practice«. (*Note: This refers to the pilot workshops that took place before.)
Christiane Ruff, CEO, ITV Studios Germany
»The recipe for good entertainment is rarely found on the side. It requires a lot of knowledge, skill and intuition. And it needs experience. So it was finally time for the Master’s program “Entertainment Producing” at the ifs. Really good entertainment cannot be left to chance.«
René Jamm, CEO, Warner Bros. International Television Production Germany
»The qualified promotion of young talents is an important building block in order to be able to continue producing first-class formats with outstanding craftsmanship at the cutting edge of our industry. I’m all the more pleased to be part of this new master’s program on the advisory board and as a lecturer.«
Fabian Tobias, Managing Director, Endemol Shine Germany
»It is long overdue that a master’s program is now also offered in the field of entertainment. There have long been various options for fiction, but the production of entertainment – in all areas, from show to factual to reality – is also based on rules of the trade and creative ideas. It’s great that the ifs now offers the corresponding academic training.«
Astrid Quentell, Managing Director, Sony Pictures Film und Fernseh Produktion
»Learning by doing is basically not wrong, because in our business, besides knowledge and intuition, execution and practical relevance are still essential success factors. But learning by doing alone is no longer enough today: The market and the opportunities are enormous, with non-fiction entertainment accounting for over 50% of production volume. Competition for talent in front of and behind the camera has long been fierce, and we all have to position ourselves strongly in terms of personnel for the future, in which more and more well-produced content will be in demand. The fact that the ifs is now innovatively responding to this market situation with the newly created course of study, and also institutionalizing the all-important topic of young talent, is not just a necessity. Rather, it is strategic foresight, networking and the transfer of knowledge, as well as the creation of an ideal combination of theory and practice. Bavaria Entertainment is happy to be a strategic partner of the ifs.«
Tom Sänger, Head of New Business & Innovation, Bavaria Entertainment
»The German entertainment industry is getting on in years. It needs new, opinionated minds that stand up for their ideas and offer new perspectives. This is where ifs will make its contribution to training future top performers.«
Arno Schneppenheim, Managing Director, Banijay Productions Germany
OVERVIEW
Content
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.
Here you can find the module handbook and the examination regulations (Only available in German language).
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. Contextualization: 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 field trips 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.
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).
Structure
Focus:
Extra-occupational, practice-oriented professional training 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, cinematography, 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.
Lecturers
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. A detailed overview of the pool of experts of the ifs entertainment program can be found here.
APPLICATION
The Master’s program in Entertainment Producing accepts new students every two years in the winter semester. Admission takes place in a two-stage procedure, the so-called Experience Assessment. It begins with the submission of a written application (first round), followed by an on-site entrance examination for preselected applicants (second round). This involves a qualitative examination and assessment of the previous professional knowledge acquired in professional practice (see application documents).
The application phase for the first year has already ended.
Prospective students are still welcome to contact the Department of Entertainment.
Admission Requirements
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, cinematography, 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 & Financing
Tuition Fees
EU Citizens:
Tuition Fees per Semester: 2,750 euros (including the Student Education Funds)
Optional Semester Fee TH Köln (University of Applied Sciences Cologne): 285,40 euros (including VRS semester ticket)
One-time registration fee: 400 euros
Non-EU Citizens:
Tuition Fees per Semester: 3,750 euros (including the Student Education Funds)
Semester Fee TH Köln (University of Applied Sciences Cologne): 285,40 euros (including VRS semester ticket)
One-time registration fee: 400 euros
Scholarships
The ifs awards seven scholarships (as of March 2021), which are donated for the MA Entertainment Producing by companies from the entertainment industry. These are usually partial scholarships that cover at least 50% of the tuition fees. More information about these scholarships and the application process will be available here soon.
In addition, 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
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 2021/2022: 285.40 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:
Information for international applicants
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.
FAQs
What is the regular tuition fee per semester?
Fees for EU citizens
Tuition fee per semester: 2,750 euros including study fund
Semester fee at TH Köln: 285.40 euros (including the ticket for local public transportation)
One-time registration fee: 400 Euro
Fees for non-EU citizens
Tuition fee per semester: 3,750 euros including study fund
Semester fee at TH Köln: 285.40 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, cinematography, 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, cinematography, 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?
Not necessarily. The enrollment of MA students of the ifs at the TH Köln is optional, not obligatory. By enrolling, students receive numerous benefits, such as 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 285,40 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.