Innovative and international

New Master's programme “Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management”

2020/08/04

The English-language Master’s programme “Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management” in the Department of Law and Economics will begin in the winter semester 2020/21. In this interview, Professor Dr. Alexander Kock, who is responsible for the new study programme together with Professor Dr. Carolin Bock, explains what topics the study programme covers, who it is aimed at and what career prospects it offers graduates.

Lecture on entrepeneurship with Professor Dr. Carolin Bock

What prompted you to set up the new programme?

There is increasing pressure on companies to change constantly – due to, for example, digitalisation – and the social problems of our time are becoming more and more complex. Therefore, it is necessary to give students the skills to generate and implement innovations. This is something that we have also noticed in our existing study programmes due to the strong demand for courses in the areas of entrepreneurship and innovation management. We want to offer graduates with a Bachelor degree an attractive opportunity to study these aspects in more depth in the new study programme. The study programme is also strategically important for the department because it will act as an interface between our two research pillars of “Innovation and Growth” and "Digital Transformation” and will also make a contribution to increasing the number of spin-off companies from the university.

What can students expect from the programme? Who is the study programme aimed at?

The study programme is aimed at graduates with a Bachelor degree in the fields of economics, industrial engineering, business informatics and business mathematics. They will be given the skills required to found their own company or to manage innovations in already established companies.

Are there any comparable study programmes available elsewhere in Germany?

There are one or two study programmes at technical universities that focus on either entrepreneurship or innovation management, which are often designed as fee-based postgraduate programmes. However, our research-oriented study programme is unique because it covers both of these aspects and also has an international focus.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Kock
Prof. Dr. Alexander Kock

You describe the Master's programme as being “research-oriented”. What does that mean specifically?

Maintaining close links between research and teaching is fundamentally important to us: It not only allows the latest research results to flow into the teaching courses but we are also able to closely integrate our students into our research activities in their project work and seminars – especially during the six-month period for their Master’s thesis. As graduation from the programme also entitles students to study for their doctorate, we also gain young researchers for our research pillars.

Is the study programme only suitable for students with start-up business ideas or for those who want to found their own company? Or will it also open up other career perspectives for graduates?

Naturally, it is fantastic if students already have their own ideas for business start-ups at the beginning of the study programme but this is likely to be the exception rather than the rule. Many of them will also develop plans to start their own business during the study programme, for example, in their cooperation with start-ups and other companies in the teaching courses. However, there is a much wider range of career opportunities available to graduates than just founding their own company: The skills learnt in the programme are also urgently required at the moment in established companies because they are being forced to constantly reinvent themselves. Graduates from this study programme will thus also be attractive to industrial and commercial companies, as well as to management consulting firms.

Why is the study programme being held in English?

Due to its international focus, it is possible to study the entire programme in English, although students are also able to take some of the elective courses in German. The study programme will thus also make a small contribution to the internationalisation strategy of TU Darmstadt. Excellent English language skills are in any case indispensable in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship, both in practice and also in research. We are thus preparing our students for the international job market.

What has the response to the new study programme been like so far? Have you received many applications?

We are delighted to report that there has been a huge amount of interest. We have already received a large number of applications – both from graduates with a Bachelor degree from TU Darmstadt and other German universities, as well as from students from abroad.

The interview was conducted by Bettina Bastian.

About the Master's programme: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management

The new Master's programme Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, which is taught in English, starts in the winter semester. The online application is possible until August 20.

At the same time, the master's program in Logistics and Supply Chain Management is starting, which the responsible professors also introduce in an interview.