Master Design & Leadership (M.A.): Who is the distance learning course suitable for?

The Master's degree programme Design & Leadership is aimed at graduates of courses in graphic design, communication design, product design, visual communication or comparable fields. It is particularly directed at individuals who have already obtained a first design-related university degree and wish to further qualify for leadership roles, design management and responsible positions in the design and media industry. Applicants from related fields such as architecture or fine arts can also be admitted following a special admissions procedure. The distance learning course is ideal if you want to independently manage creative processes, lead design teams and work project-oriented – also alongside your job.

Admission requirements in detail

To be admitted to the Master Design & Leadership (M.A.), you need:

• A bachelor's degree or diploma in graphic design, product design, communication design, visual communication or a comparable course at a university, university of applied sciences or the DIPLOMA Hochschule.
• Alternatively, a recognised international degree of at least equal value in the same subject area with a standard period of study of at least six semesters.
• Proof of design qualification through a portfolio of your own work is required.
• The completed first degree must be graded at least 2.5. If the final grade is worse, an aptitude interview with the admissions committee will take place.
• Applicants from related disciplines such as architecture or fine arts may be admitted following an individual admission procedure.

On a personal level, you should bring creativity, initiative and a willingness to work in a project-oriented manner. Important skills include teamwork, communication skills and a pronounced interest in the connection between design, leadership and management. For the distance learning course, you should also have discipline for self-organised learning and the ability to reflect and develop your own design approach.

What skills and content does the Master’s in Design & Leadership provide?

In the Master’s distance learning programme Design & Leadership, you expand and deepen your competencies at the interface of design and management. The core study contents include:

• Design Management: You learn to plan, control and take responsibility for design processes – both for your own projects and as a leader in teams and companies.
• Project Development & Process Design: Acquire practical skills for developing design solutions, from the initial concept to market readiness.
• Innovation Methodology: Build your know-how in design thinking, creativity strategies and innovation processes.
• Research and Experimentation Competence: Develop your own visual language and work on experimental methods to solve complex design challenges.
• Strategy & Market Analysis: Analyse trends, customer needs as well as the economic context of design projects.
• Team Leadership and Empathy: Prepare for leadership tasks, learn to guide different experts and gain insight into responsible behaviour in a societal context.
• Fundamentals of Business Administration: Through business administration-oriented modules, you broaden your understanding of business processes and corporate management in the design sector.

The focus is on a strong project orientation: In individual and team work, you develop application-oriented and experimental solutions for real challenges from the fields of design, media and business.