
The new master’s degree course in digitalisation, innovation and information management offers students hands-on experience of working with companies on digital challenges. There are certainly no boring lectures here.
What is the idea behind the master’s degree in digitalisation, innovation and information management?
Almost every company has heard of digitalisation by now and will have recognised the signs of the times. But does that mean that they are ready for it? Not at all – many find it difficult to integrate the growing use of digital technologies into their business, as they lack both the expertise and the skilled personnel. Many challenges are brand new, and many questions remain unanswered. The new course at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences gives students the skills they need to help these companies to make the most of the digital age.
What is so special about the course?
Digitalisation is a fast-moving field, and the aspects that are important today will be out of date by tomorrow. The course is structured with this in mind – it responds to the latest topics and conveys information in the context of current trends. Instead of lengthy lectures, it dives straight in: from the outset, students work on a practical project that lasts two semesters and represents the bulk of the course duration.
A practical project sounds good, but what does it entail?
The first group of students, who are starting in the 2017 academic year, are working with local software service provider ABAT, where they are optimising goods transports for a logistics company. ABAT supports them with expertise and advice, but the development of ideas and their implementation is down to the students. “Students pair up into ‘tandems’ and work on the task in small projects in real-world conditions. They monitor costs, budget and profitability and ensure that the solution is feasible for the company. It has to work,” Professor Legenhausen explains. He is the course leader and one of the brains behind the new degree course at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences.
Who can apply for the course?
Half of the students in each academic year are either computer science or economics graduates. The first academic year has 20 students. The benefit of this mix is that students learn to work across disciplines. “This is a vital skill in the digital age. New technologies can only be developed if everyone at the company is pulling in the same direction, irrespective of hierarchies and departments. That’s why the tandems are always mixed,” Legenhausen adds. The course is open to graduates in disciplines such as computer science, business informatics, business studies, cruise tourism management and transport/logistics.