The study programme was approved by the Senate of the University of Maribor on 25. October, 2005 and adopted by the Council for Higher Education of the Republic of Slovenia on 18 November, 2005. The study programme has received international accreditation by the European Council for Business Education – ECBE (E.C.B.E. Absl., Fortis, Avenue Louise 200, B - 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium) and in the USA by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs - ACBSP (7007 College Blvd. Suite 420 Overland park, KS 66211 USA) and AACSB (AACSB International, 777 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Suite 750, Tampa, Florida 33602 USA).

In order to advance to the 2nd year of study, the students must fulfil study requirements in the minimum of 45 ECTS points. In order to advance to the 3rd year of study, the students must fulfil all study requirements from the 1st year of study and the requirements from the 2nd year of study in the minimum of 45 ECTS points.

The programme doesn't allow for the recognition of partial completion of programme.

After successfully completing the professional higher education program the candidate may enrol into the master's study program "Economic and Business Sciences".

The graduates will acquire professional knowledge which will enable them direct employment also in the non-economic sector, state administration and various non-profit public sector organisations for the implementation of economic and business posts they can apply for on the basis of the acquired knowledge and professional competencies as Bachelors of Arts in Economics.

Additional information about the study program you can find on the website: https://www.epf.um.si/en/study-programmes/study-programmes/professional-higher-education-programme-3/about-programme/.

The methods of knowledge evaluation and assessment are regulated by the Rules on the evaluation and assessment of knowledge at UM (‘Pravilnik o preverjanju in ocenjevanju znanja na UM’), which are available at: https://www.um.si/univerza/dokumentni-center/akti/Strani/studij-na-um.aspx. The rules and course syllabi determine the methods of ongoing assessment and assessment of knowledge and thus monitoring the student's own progress in studies.

The programme was developed in such a way that it enables the achievement of the following principal aims: - transparent professional study programme with internationally comparable structure, duration of study and use of modern (active) teaching methods; - provision of fundamental economic knowledge and its upgrading within individual study fields for different functional areas alongside knowledge integration, which is enabled by the choice of elective courses in order to assure the development of interdisciplinary and multifunctional approach to solving business problems of economic practice; - fundamental economic and business knowledge is supplemented by the development of required skills and abilities which assure a ready engagement of graduates in economic practice; - programme with well rounded professional knowledge within individual study fields and graduate profiles that are appealing for the labour market; - study programme that provides adequate range of economic and business knowledge, which enables the graduates to continue their study in the 2nd cycle; - study programme that creates employable graduates; - with its range of economic and business knowledge, the study programme forms profiles of graduates that are employable in the selected areas of individual study fields; - flexible study programme enables the students to design a part of their study based on their individual needs and preferences, which consequently increases their responsibility for the creation of their own personal professional profile; - a wide range of elective courses enables the students to develop a certain level of professional competences specialization on the one hand and the expansion of knowledge to a wider field on the other, which increases their employment opportunities and mobility on the labour market; - standard credit assignment facilitates student mobility during the study and assures a simplified recognition of the knowledge acquired at other education institutions; - programme structure is based on the requirement regarding the total student workload; - the inclusion of visiting experts into the study process (business presentations, case studies, professional applied projects) forms a tight link between the acquisition of professional knowledge and its use in practice; - study programme encourages and assesses active learning and the inclusion of students into teaching process.

According to the graduates from the old FEB professional higher education programme, the far most important competence was the ability to use the acquired knowledge in practice, i.e. a general competence that requires the linkage of conceptual knowledge to its usage (i.e. solving actual business problems in various business situations). The students must develop general competences during the study of professional contents supported by the adequate way of study (learning) and utilization of the approaches to knowledge acquisition and development of competences (skills, abilities). The initial profile of professional competences of higher professional education programme graduates is conceptualized as follows: After completing the 1st cycle of study, the graduate from the higher professional education programme ‘Business Administration’ will develop abilities for an independent and creative solution of business problems in different functional areas in the economy and public sector. The graduate will be capable to perform independent professional work in a selected area of professional specialization, to critically assess the situation and decision-making particularly at the operational level of implementation and management of business processes within a business function related to his/her knowledge, competences and skills obtained during the study at a selected study field.

Subject specific competences were defined for each of the study fields. Thus, the profile of the required knowledge and skills should be developed through the learning outcomes or the study programme syllabus as well as through learning and teaching methods. The profile of subject specific knowledge is developed within study fields in a way that it guarantees the graduates a well rounded range of professional knowledge within a specific specialization field and consequently the employability in a given functional area. The profile is also interdisciplinary enough to enable the graduates to understand specific functional business issues in a wide organizational framework by taking into account the influences of a wider business environment on business processes and decisions of a business economist. In this way, individual study fields develop a relatively broad specialized profile of the graduate (business economist) for an independent implementation of professional tasks in the selected business function, management level or a selected employment area. At the same time, the graduates are flexible enough in understanding and thinking about the suitable approaches to solving professional problems. The study programme is designed in such a way that its implementation provides a close connection between the process of the acquisition of conceptual knowledge (lectures, independent study) and its utilization for solving actual business problems. Therefore, the implementation of study field courses includes a clear connection between theory and practice by discussing case studies from economic practice, by thematic lectures of visiting experts from economic and broad social practise, in the form of applied seminar projects and thematic analyses, by practice oriented diploma papers and by relevant contents of practical training of students (internship) in the work environment. Study fields enable the development of specialization and specific professional competences. For that reason the range of study field subjects (compulsory and elective courses) form a well rounded profile of knowledge in a given study field and, consequently, a specific (functional) range of professional competences. Graduate profiles for each study field developed in a way that they are linked to professional competences and consequently learning outcomes that have to be achieved by study programme ‘Business Administration’. Subject specific competences are defined in subject specifications of individual study units. The initial profile of professional competences of higher professional education programme graduates is conceptualized as follows: After completing the 1st cycle of study, the graduate from the higher professional education programme ‘Business Administration’ will develop abilities for an independent and creative solution of business problems in different functional areas in the economy and public sector. The graduate will be capable to perform independent professional work in a selected area of professional specialization, to critically assess the situation and decision-making particularly at the operational level of implementation and management of business processes within a business function related to his/her knowledge, competences and skills obtained during the study at a selected study field.

The higher professional education programme ‘Business Administration’ is open to candidates who have passed the final examination from any four-year secondary school programme, Vocational Matura or General Matura.

In case of enrolment limitations, the candidates are selected on the basis of their overall performance at final examination, Vocational Matura or General Matura (60% of the points) and overall performance in the 3rd and 4th year of study (40% of the points).

In order to complete the study of the higher professional education programme ‘Business Administration’, the students must fulfil all programme requirements for the selected study field, prepare and successfully defend the diploma thesis – they must acquire all ECTS points (180 ECTS).