Programme Structure
The Master’s degree programme in Design & Product Management is designed to be completed over four semesters.
During the first two semesters, students acquire key foundational knowledge and develop interdisciplinary competencies in the fields of business, design, technology and sustainability. These subjects are integrated into practice-oriented projects focused on design, product management and business model development.
Depending on their academic background, students are offered targeted bridging courses. Students with a design background further develop their business and research skills, while those with a business-related background strengthen their expertise in design and technology.
The fourth semester is dedicated primarily to the completion of the Master’s thesis.
Attendance is mandatory for the majority of courses and classes.
The First Year of Study
In semesters 1 and 2, students can expect a selection of courses including:
- Circular Value Creation & Business Models
- Circular Design & Life Cycle Assessment
- Strategic Management
- Entrepreneurship & Business Finance
- Consumer Research (Qualitative and Quantitative)
- Project Management
- Global Competitiveness
- Anthropology and Design
- Strategic Brand Management
These courses provide a strong interdisciplinary foundation, combining business, design, innovation, sustainability and research skills.
The Second Year of Study
During the third and fourth semesters, the programme increasingly focuses on the preparation and completion of the Master’s thesis. Students select their own academically relevant and socially significant topic that aligns with the programme’s areas of expertise. In the Master’s programme in Design & Product Management (DPM), the final thesis generally combines theoretical research, design practice and business strategy, supported by various empirical research methods.
The first Master’s Thesis Seminar begins as early as the second semester, introducing students to the fundamentals of academic research and empirical methods while helping them develop initial thesis ideas. Building on this foundation, two further Master’s Thesis Seminars take place during Semesters 3 and 4. Throughout these seminars, students engage more deeply with the requirements of their thesis and, by the end of the third semester, develop a formal proposal with a clearly defined research focus.
International design workshops with universities from the DPM partner network also take place during these semesters, either on campus in Kuchl or at partner institutions abroad. These interdisciplinary and intercultural events often provide valuable inspiration for students’ Master’s thesis projects.
The fourth semester is primarily dedicated to completing the Master’s thesis. Alternatively, or in combination, students may use this semester for an international study period or an extended professional internship.
Course Selection in Semesters 3 and 4
Students can expect a range of courses including:
- Applied Leadership Competencies
- Design Leadership
- Design Research (Ethnography)
- Design, Copyright and Trademark Law
- Engineering Design
- Experience and Service Design
- Intercultural Communication
- Finance and Business Planning
These courses further strengthen students’ leadership, research, strategic and intercultural capabilities while supporting the successful completion of their Master’s thesis.