Who should study the Master's in Digital Product Management at IU?

With your Master's in Digital Product Management, you could work as a Product Owner for Data-Driven Products.

The Master's distance learning programme "Digital Product Management" at IU is aimed at professionals and graduates who want to qualify specifically for specialist and management tasks in digital product management. The target group includes individuals with a completed first degree in business, technology, or computer science, who have already gained initial work experience and want to deepen their skills in the development, control, and marketing of digital products. Strategists, product managers, innovation managers, and professionals from digital business, user experience, or data analytics who are preparing for responsible positions in innovation management, as Product Owners, or as Technical Product Managers are particularly addressed.

Admission requirements

First academic degree: For the 60 ECTS Master's programme, at least a first degree (e.g. Bachelor's) from a state or state-recognised university with a final grade of at least "satisfactory" (3.0) is required. It must comprise at least 180 ECTS.

Professional experience:

• With 180 ECTS: Proof of at least 1 year of relevant work experience (after the first degree) and additional completion of 30 ECTS from specific courses
  or at least 2 years of relevant work experience (after the first degree), then the obligation to complete additional courses is waived.
• With 210 ECTS: Proof of at least 1 year of qualified work experience.
• With 240 ECTS: No additional work experience required.

Alternative access: For applicants without a first degree, admission through relevant work experience and successful completion of a preparatory module at IU is possible under certain conditions.

• Minimum of (subject-specific) A-levels
• Completed, at least two-year vocational training related to the course of study
• At least 6 years of relevant work experience, of which at least 3 years in a leadership position or as an expert
• Completion of a preparatory module (seminar work and oral exam)

Language proficiency: English proficiency must be demonstrated for the English-language variant (TOEFL from 80 points, IELTS from 6.0, Duolingo from 95, Cambridge Certificate at least grade B or equivalent evidence). An English-language first degree or English as a native language is also recognised.

Personal requirements

• Interest in digital business models, new technologies, and innovation in product management
• Analytical thinking ability and enjoyment of numbers, data, and structured projects
• Experience or enthusiasm for agile methods, user experience, or data science
• Organisational talent, personal responsibility, and motivation for a flexible, self-directed online study
• Ability to independently acquire complex content and translate industry trends into practice
• Willingness for continuous further education in the dynamic digital environment
• Good English skills for the international Master's programme

Knowledge, Skills, and Methods: What You Learn in the Master Digital Product Management

In the Master's program Digital Product Management at IU Internationale Hochschule, the development, management, and market launch of digital products are at the center. You deepen your knowledge in a combination of economic, technical, and analytical content and sharpen your understanding of current digitalization trends.

Core Modules:

• Fundamentals of Digital Product Management
• Product Development
• Digital Business Models
• Digital Analytics and Strategies
• Digital Business Management
• Applied Research

Practice Orientation: All study contents are aimed at preparing you for work on digital, data-driven products: You learn to conceive business models for new digital products, develop strategies for developments and market launches, and apply innovative methods such as agile frameworks or User Experience Design.

Electives / Specializations: Within Electives, you can specifically set your own focuses, for example in areas such as Agile, Social and Creative Methods, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Applications, Data Science and Analytics, Growth Hacking, Digital Transformation, Internet of Things, or UI/UX Design.

Seminars & Research: Current practical issues are addressed in seminars, and the Master Thesis forms the academic conclusion of the study.

Study Organization and Process: How Your Online Studies Work

The Master's program is designed as a distance learning course and offers you maximum flexibility, both in terms of scheduling and learning location:

• Duration of Studies: You choose between full-time (12 months) or part-time variants (18 or 24 months). A switch between the models is possible at any time - even after the start of studies.
• Start of Studies: There is no fixed start of the semester. Entry is possible at any time, and the application process is completely online.
• Modular Structure: You take the modules one after the other and complete each module with an exam (written or project work, presentation) according to your own schedule.
• Digital Learning Materials: All materials are available online as PDFs, in the IU Learn App (Interactive Books with multimedia content and quiz questions), as well as in the form of podcasts and video content. You can learn anytime and anywhere.
• Virtual Lectures: Exchange with lecturers and fellow students is possible in live tutorials, online seminars, and discussion forums - purely optional.
• Examinations: You can take exams flexibly online when it suits you. Alternatively, there are examination centers in the German-speaking region.
• Artificial Intelligence: The AI assistant Syntea supports you in organizing, learning, and with content-related questions.

Career Paths after Graduation: Your Career Start in Digital Product Management

With the Master of Arts in Digital Product Management, you qualify for demanding positions in digital product management - in startups, medium-sized businesses, and international corporations, across industries:

Strategic Product Managers: Development of visions, steering innovation processes, market positioning of new products.

Product Owners Data Driven Products: Interface to development and data science, implementation of data-based solutions, agile methods, and interaction with stakeholders.

Technical Product Managers: Combination of technical and business competencies, support for Cloud, Big Data, or IoT projects.

Other Career Paths:

• UI/UX Experts
• Digital Transformation Managers
• Data Science Project Leads
• Innovation Managers

Advancement Opportunities: The degree opens up excellent opportunities for leadership positions and qualifies for roles with budget and personnel responsibility.

Costs and Financing: What to Budget for Distance Learning

The costs for the Master's distance learning course Digital Product Management depend on the chosen time model:

• Full-time Study (12 months): from 775 euros per month; total costs approximately 10,099 euros, including graduation fee
• Part-time I (18 months): from 575 euros per month
• Part-time II (24 months): from 475 euros per month
• Graduation fee: one-time 799 euros at the end of the studies

Included Services:

• Access to all learning materials (digital/print on request)
• Use of the online library, software tools, AI learning assistant Syntea
• Optional study and career coaching, tutorials, exchange opportunities
• Free extension if needed (up to 12 months), sabbatical semester

Financing: Possibility of tax deductibility (for those employed), educational funds and study loans, special discounts, and individual payment models.

Non-binding Trial Month: You can test the study for four weeks and cancel free of charge if you are not satisfied.