Details of the Innovation Engineering programme

What makes the programme special

The degree programme is based on four key areas - product/business design, engineering, management and a two-semester innovation project. The innovation project as an essential part of the study programme enables you to apply what you have learned in a small team and in a start-up-like environment in a practical way. You are allowed to independently take a product or business innovation from a blank sheet of paper to a first prototype based on an open question. In this way, you already design and go through the innovation process during your studies.

You can choose to study this degree programme with one of two specialisations.

  1. With the "Product Innovation" specialisation, you focus on innovating physical products. Here you should have a passion for technology and natural sciences, for trying things out and experimenting.
  2. If you see yourself more as a generalist and analyst and want to learn how to innovate entire companies or company divisions, then the "Business Innovation" specialisation is recommended.

Focus on Product Innovation or Business Innovation

A wide range of experts are needed during the innovation process - from marketing and development to production and service. The "Innovation Engineering" master's programme offers you two areas of specialisation. Would you prefer to deepen your knowledge in the technically oriented "Product Innovation" focus or in the business management oriented "Business Innovation" focus?

 

The weighting of the subjects in the areas of specialisation are shown below: (left: Product Innovation; right: Business Innovation)

Who would benefit from this programme

The technically oriented "Product Innovation" focus is specifically, but not exclusively, designed to enable our graduates to plan, develop and successfully place technical products on the market. It provides a meaningful extension t the bachelor's degree programme in Business Administration and Engineering, but would also suit engineers, physicists or mathematicians who want to add organisational, planning and management skills to their technical or scientific training! Prerequisites for successful study are basic engineering or mathematical/scientific background as well as computer science/programming skills.

Students who want to take on the socio-technical challenges in innovation management are best served with the business-oriented "Business Innovation" focus! This enables our graduates to plan, develop and implement innovative solutions on a small scale, as well as for entire business areas. The "Business Innovation" area of specialisation is open to all engineers as well as graduates of computer science, business information systems, computer science in media, mathematics and physics. The increasingly important IT topics are further deepened in the course of studies, therefore this specialisation also requires basic computer science or programming knowledge.

For details on the study requirements, please refer to our admission regulations. It is possible to start both in the summer and in the winter semester!

Programme structure

Curriculum
Learning outcomes

General aims

  • Product and Business Innovation and Technology Management | Graduates are experts in goal-oriented product and business innovation and technology management based on interdisciplinary engineering, organizational and management skills.

Subject-specific skills

  • Broad-based technical and business skills | Graduates have general knowledge of product development, production and the planning and design of modern business processes, enhanced by fundamental knowledge of digital processes such as AI and data management.
  • Development and innovation management skills | Graduates apply in-depth management skills in the development and innovation of technical products and industrial solutions.
  • Application-oriented scientific expertise | Graduates apply technical expertise in development and application-oriented research.

Transferable skills

  • Communicative, organizational and social skills | Graduates combine communicative, organizational and social skills.
  • Teamworking | Graduates act cooperatively and goal-oriented in teams in specialist and leadership roles.
  • Taking responsibility | Graduates are responsible for their actions towards people, society, the environment and their company.
  • Scientific methods | Graduates know and observe the rules of good scientific practice and act in accordance with scientific principles.

Employability skills

  • Development, innovation and interface management | Graduates work at the interface between application-oriented research, development and the market in innovation or production management, development or development management.
  • Ability to work independently | Graduates master demanding and extensive professional tasks independently and successfully.
  • Management skills | Graduates take on management tasks and responsibilities.
  • Technology management and innovation | Graduates work in technology management and innovation.

Note for applicants who lack German proficiency

If you are interested in this Master's programme but lack the required proficiency in German or a corresponding certificate, you can qualify for the course by attending our pre-semester Internal link opens in the same window:HFU.Prep language programme.