Digital Business Management (MSc)

This English-taught MSc prepares you to lead digital transformation initiatives by combining management knowledge with hands-on skills in data and process analytics. The programme concentrates on Digital Management, Digital Business Models and Products, Project and Process Management, and Algorithms and Data Analytics. You will study change and project management for digital initiatives, with a strong emphasis on modern management practices, data-driven decision making and process design.

Teaching is applied and research-informed: expect interactive, face-to-face classes, seminars and company projects that develop practical project-management techniques, tools and leadership competencies. The curriculum is organised around three core pillars — process analytics & design, data analytics & algorithms, and responsible management methods — and offers a blend of core and elective courses so you can shape a specialised profile. Electives in the third semester draw from the broader Business School portfolio and allow tailoring toward strategic management, leadership or technical topics.

The programme is compact and career-oriented. It runs over three semesters including the master’s thesis, is taught in small cohorts (around 25 students), and benefits from close links to regional and international companies — case studies, practitioner lecturers and empirical projects bridge classroom learning with real business challenges. The Business School is a public institution recognised in international rankings (Eduniversal: top among German universities of applied sciences business schools; AACSB: among the top five percent of business schools worldwide), offering strong employer connections in Germany’s economically robust south-west.

Program details / requirements (facts)

• Degree: Master of Science (MSc) in Digital Business Management
• Language of instruction: English
• Duration: 3 semesters (includes master’s thesis)
• Core focus areas: Digital Management; Digital Business Models & Products; Project & Process Management; Algorithms & Data Analytics
• Three pedagogical pillars: process analytics & process design; data analytics & algorithms; responsible management methods
• Teaching format: face-to-face, interactive seminars, small cohort (~25 students), applied company projects and research-based content
• Electives: third-semester electives selectable from the Business School’s course offerings to build an individual profile
• Career orientation: strong regional industry network, case studies and practical projects to boost employability

This full-time, three-semester MSc is a 90 ECTS programme taught entirely in English. It combines management, technology and research training with applied practice: you study ten taught modules and complete a 21‑ECTS master’s thesis. Coursework balances strategic and technical skills so graduates can design digital products and platforms, lead sustainable change, handle legal and ethical issues, and carry out data-driven research and projects in international organisations.

Key learning outcomes include the ability to:

• analyse and design IT systems and digital platforms and apply digital management methods;
• develop digital business models and build minimum viable products (MVPs) using design thinking, AI-supported trend analysis and data-science tools;
• lead change with a focus on sustainability, intercultural collaboration and practical intercultural management skills;
• manage projects and processes using agile methods and contemporary digital tools;
• recognise and navigate legal and ethical challenges in digital initiatives;
• design and conduct qualitative and quantitative research and perform hands-on data analysis using R;
• apply theory to practice via a business project often carried out with a corporate partner, and complete an independent research thesis.

Program structure and requirements (concise)

• Duration: 3 semesters, full-time
• Total workload: 90 ECTS (ten modules + master’s thesis)
• Instruction language: English only
• Module breakdown:
  • Digital Management — 9 ECTS: foundations in IT systems, architecture, service management, platform economy; prepares you to analyse project requirements and apply digital management methods.
  • Modern Sustainable Leadership — 8 ECTS: change management, sustainability, interdisciplinary and intercultural competences; includes practical intercultural management training.
  • Ethics and Law in Digital Business — 6 ECTS: legal and ethical issues in digital projects.
  • Development of Digital Business Models and Products — 7 ECTS: create digital business models and products, use AI for trend spotting, and develop an MVP with design thinking and data-science tools.
  • Agile Project and Process Management — 7 ECTS: application-oriented project management methods and digital tools.
  • Research Methods, Algorithms and Data Structures — 7 ECTS: research design plus qualitative and quantitative methods.
  • Data Analytics with R — 6 ECTS: programming in R for hands-on data analysis.
  • Business Project in Digital Business Management — 10 ECTS: practical application of research methods and programme knowledge; includes projects with corporate partners.
  • Elective (compulsory) — 9 ECTS: choose from topics such as Data Science with Python, Big Data Analytics, Supply Chain Simulations, Customer Experience Management, New Digital Work, Technology Evaluation, Predictive Analytics; options may include courses at partner universities abroad.
  • Master’s thesis — 21 ECTS: independent research project integrating programme learning.

This curriculum is well suited if you want a career at the intersection of business and technology — product management, digital strategy, analytics, consulting or innovation roles — with both technical grounding (R, data and algorithms) and leadership, legal and ethical awareness.

Graduates are prepared for roles managing digital transformation initiatives, such as digital project manager, product manager for digital services, business/process analyst, data analytics specialist, or consultant in digital strategy and transformation. The programme's mix of project-based modules, data analytics training (R, algorithms), and electives (e.g., Data Science with Python, Big Data Analytics) equips students to bridge technical and managerial responsibilities.

Close cooperation with companies, optional internships, company-led projects and a strong regional industry network enhance practical experience and employability, supporting transitions into industry roles in technology firms, consultancies, and corporate digital units across sectors.