M.A. Innovation Design Management

Innovation Design Management Master of Arts

Bringing Design Culture to Business

In its recently published study from October 2018 called “The Business Value of Design”, the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company demonstrated that companies who regard design and the employment of creativity as principal drivers in their value-generation outperform industry-benchmark growth by as much as two to one.

Comprehensive disruption through digitization, changing marketplaces, and consumer behavior has created a new professional playing field between creative design, business strategy, and IT development. Innovation-centered companies increasingly look for managers who understand how to use design as a prominent driving factor behind business decisions and how to incorporate right-brain-thinking and an artistic attitude in business, as strategic assets in the generation of innovation and sustainable consumer-value, and in the transformation of a companies’ organization and vision.

This new Master program “Innovation Design Management” is positioned right at the intersection of design and business. It wants to shape individuals who accept these complex, fast-paced challenges and who take an integrated approach with strategies that combine the best of design, business, and technology. This is, among others, accomplished through a range of intense project activities that will be held in close cooperation with leading industry professionals and actual enterprises who face these very challenges.

Graduates will be employed in highly innovation- or design-driven companies as Chief Design Officers, Design Managers, Strategic Brand Managers, or Venture Architects.

Facts:

• Degree: Master of Arts (M.A.)
• Campus: Berlin
• Language of instruction: English
• Starting semester: Winter semester: September
• Number of semesters: 2 Semesters (equals one year)
• Program type: Full-time
• Credits: 60 ECTS
• Highlights:
  • Focus on individual development in small learning groups and a personal atmosphere. Creative freedom, professional equipment, and practical projects. Teaching by renowned lecturers from the creative industry.
• Tuition Fees:
  • EU Applicants: 13,000 € for one year
  • Non-EU Applicants: 14,300 € for one year

What makes it outstanding to study at the University of Applied Sciences Europe?

The University of Applied Sciences Europe (UE) is state-accredited, has been awarded on multiple occasions and is one of the 25 best universities worldwide in international approach.

Here you study in small courses, so you get individual support and personal contact to our professors. All of our lecturers are successful experts in the world of art and design.

The wide range of programs enables you to determine the interdisciplinary courses of your studies and gives you access to the modern equipment of all areas, from photography to game design.

Studying at the University of Applied Sciences Europe in Germany

We put emphasis on internationality. That is why we were ranked among the top 25 performers in student mobility and international orientation worldwide (U-Multirank 2016). Our numerous international students come from all over the world to pursue a highly valued (state and ZEvA recognized) German degree that is entirely taught in English.

Germany, known as the country of innovators, is the perfect place to get your degree. Germany is the largest economic power and the center of high tech and automotive technologies in Europe. Additionally, Germany is a particularly safe and livable country with relatively low tuition fees and affordable living costs. Furthermore, Berlin is known as Europe's startup capital, a magnet for creatives, and "place to be" for young people and entrepreneurs.

That's why we encourage international students to come here and study with us. You can apply with your national school degree now. We will then take a look at your application and guide you through the process.

Working during your study time

We want your studies to fit perfectly into your life. That's why the courses for the Master’s degree students take place on Wednesday afternoon until Friday and sometimes Saturday afternoon during the semester. This is how part-time work and studying become compatible.

Still, in a full-time study course preparation and follow-up work are necessary and need to be considered.

The program - interdisciplinary courses, projects and more

Innovation Design Management is a one-year master's program welcoming international applicants majoring in all economics- or design-related subjects.

In this program, you will have the unique chance to acquire deep knowledge of how leading companies employ design to create innovative and more meaningful products, establish the corporate culture and deliver sustainable customer value.

Career opportunities

More and more companies are understanding the substantial value that:

• Design creates meaningful products and better development processes.
• Disruptive or radical innovations require new development processes.
• Design gives a conceptual dimension to idea-finding and concept-development.
• Design is a human-centered activity.

Therefore, the market needs experts who have a strong standing in design and in business and who can successfully organize design both as strategy and as the process. This persona is at the core of the master’s program Innovation Design Management.

Typical areas of work include leading positions in:

• Design Development & Management
• Design Research & Strategy
• Corporate Culture & Strategic Brand Management
• New Business Development
• Product & Innovation Management

Apply today at University of Applied Sciences Europe

You can apply now for the winter semester, which starts on September 1st. We look forward to meeting you!

The selection committee reviews your application and documents based on the following criteria:

1. Completed online application form.
2. Dated and signed copies of your degree papers and transcript of records including the taken seminars/ modules and credit points (in English or German).
3. An up-to-date résumé with your educational & professional background.
4. Letter of Motivation (please refer to the requirements listed below).
5. For applicants with a first degree in a design-related subject: please provide a portfolio containing 4 projects, either from your studies or from your job.
6. Proof of English proficiency or skill level (B2 CEFR or IELTS/TOEFL 5.5).

The admission procedure includes an approximately 45-minute personal interview and a conversation about your letter of motivation. Your knowledge of English will also be tested.

Key questions for your letter of motivation:

1. Choose two globally operating companies from different industries that have become world famous through design. Explain how these companies motivate you for earning a master’s degree in “Innovation Design Management”.
2. For each company, name 4 different touchpoints (online and/or offline) at which you as a consumer can interact with it. Where do you see the potential for improvement?
3. In your opinion, why are certain companies better in implementing a successful design-strategy than others?
4. Where do you see yourself professionally four years from now? Explain how the Master in Innovation Design Management would help you achieve your goal!

Please make sure to clearly demonstrate your motivation for entering the program “M.A. Innovation Design Management”. Your paper should contain about 750 words (please do not exceed 3 pages).