Artificial Intelligence and Data Science for Digital Business Management – Freiburg Campus Furtwangen University

The international Master's in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science for Digital Business Management (AIM) is conducted in presence in the city of Freiburg (237,000 inhabitants) and online by the Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences (HFU) in Germany. Lectures may also be partially conducted at the main campus in the city of Furtwangen and simultaneously online.

The innovative study programme is unique in Germany and Europe, as it combines three fields of competence in one study programme:

1. Digital Business Management
2. Computer Science
3. Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

Programming skills are not required.

Prior Bachelor's studies in Business Administration, Business Management, Economics, Engineering, Natural Sciences, Computer Science, Data Science or Mathematics are an advantage to study in the AIM programme.

All applicants are welcome. First, contact Pavel.Rawe@hs-furtwangen.de or Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu to receive complete, correct and latest information and guidance on application before you submit any application online! Prof Dr Pavel Rawe is the Vice Dean of Studies AIM and member of AIM Admission Committee.

Programming skills are not required! This is because studies in the AIM Master's programme start with introducing compulsory courses (modules) providing fundamental knowledge: 

• Programming and Software Engineering (first semester)
• IT Architectures, Cloud and IT Management (second semester)

Compulsory courses (modules) in the first semester are:

• Machine Learning and Applied Statistics
• Business Operations and Logistics
• Digital Performance Marketing and Marketing Automation
• Agile Project Management and Design Thinking
• Elective Course of the student's preferred choice and interest

Compulsory courses (modules) in the second semester are:

• Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning
• Business Intelligence for Big Data and Machine Learning Ops
• E-Commerce, Sales, Distribution, CRM and Lead Management
• Business Process Management and Process Automation
• Elective Course of the student's preferred choice and interest

Elective Courses are – subject to availability:

• Explainable AI (XAI) and Model Analysis
• Data Science and AI Application Business Project
• Image Processing
• Natural Language Processing
• Signal Processing for Statistics and Data Science
• Process Mining and Robotic Process Automation
• User Experience Design
• Business Strategy and Digital Business Models
• eCommerce, CRM and Lead Management

No study-integrated internship is required.

First application deadline to receive earliest possible admission offer is 15 October for an intake in summer semester of the next year. Before 15 October, no evaluation of applications will take place and no admission offers can be given.

Applications after the deadline are welcome, as some study seats may remain available.

Note: An admission offer for AIM studies expires if the offered study seat remains untaken and the tuition fee remains unpaid. An offered study seat can be secured by the payment of tuition fee. Otherwise a study seat is allocated to the next eligible applicant.

Apply and submit via e-mail the following five to six documents required to evaluate eligibility for admission to Prof Dr Pavel Rawe: Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu or Pavel.Rawe@HS-Furtwangen.de.

All the following documents must be integrated into one (1) PDF document which must be a maximum of two MB (not more!).

Name the PDF document as follows: FamilyName_Given Name_AIM-Summer_Year

1. Final high school certificate including grade report
2. Bachelor's certificate including report on achieved grades and credits
3. Job certificate (minimum of one year of job experience after Bachelor's degree required)
4. English Proficiency Certificate (B2 level)
5. CV
6. APS Certificate (only for applicants from India, China, Vietnam)

If available, the following documents may be submitted voluntarily to simplify and speed up the admission process:  

• uni-assist report
• HTWG certificate

Valid enrolment of admitted applicants requires the submission of verified final high school certificates and Bachelor's certificates including grades and credit reports by postal letter mail sent to Prof Dr Pavel Rawe (member of the HFU AIM Admission Committee).

175 EUR per semester (may increase from year to year)

Approx. 850 EUR to 1,150 EUR including cost of accommodation, health insurance, and public transport ticket

Cost of living largely depends on the monthly costs for accommodation (starting in Furtwangen at approx. 350 EUR per month in a student dormitory).

Enrolled AIM students receive a list of companies offering student part-time jobs in Freiburg, Furtwangen and in the surrounding region. Approx. 70 to 80% of our students enrolled in our AIM and IBS international study programmes have a part-time job or a working student job and may flexibly live and work in any city across Germany, thanks to the hybrid form of studies (all lectures are available online and in a live interactive form). For further information, contact Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu.

Enrolled AIM students may benefit from career advisory and job application training.

Enrolled AIM students receive a list of accommodation facilities in Freiburg and Furtwangen. Student accommodation facilities in Furtwangen start at a rental price of approx. 350 EUR per month. In Freiburg, rental prices start at approx. 450 EUR per month.

Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences is a leading, state-run university of applied sciences in the south-west of Germany. The university was founded in 1850 and has four departments and offers 50+ fully accredited degree programmes, mainly in the fields of technology, health and business. The excellent facilities include modern lecture halls, an outstanding IT infrastructure, cutting-edge laboratories, and one of the best academic libraries in Germany.

In the International Student Barometer, Furtwangen University was ranked one of the best universities in Germany in the following areas:

• Study programme organisation (second place)
• Quality of lectures (third place)
• Class size and learning support by professors (third place)
• Support through buddy programme (third place)
• Internationally oriented lectures (third place)
• Host culture (second place)

The Faculty of Business Information Systems & Computer Science at Furtwangen University is the founding faculty of Business Information Systems in Germany and Europe – since 1971 – with an outstanding reputation in the German industry and IT management, known for its excellent graduates. 

According to the CHE Ranking, the faculty ranks among the top three in Germany. The faculty is proud of its graduates; many of them became leaders in IT management, successful entrepreneurs and achieved executive positions in reputable companies. For 25 years, our faculty operates international study programmes 100% in English. The faculty's Master's and Bachelor's students come from Germany and from more than 50 countries across the globe.

AIM Master's lectures are conducted at the HFU Study Centre in Freiburg and at the HFU Campus in Furtwangen.

Freiburg is a city with 237.000 inhabitants in the south of Germany nearby France, Switzerland and Austria. The romantic city with more than 900 years of history is located in the heart of Europe with excellent connectivity by ICE high speed trains to Basel and Zurich (Switzerland), Paris and Strassburg (France), and Munich and Frankfurt (Germany). Freiburg is famous for science, lifestyle, culture, sports, vineyards and the most sunny days in Germany.

Furtwangen is a safe, friendly and peaceful town with 9,000 inhabitants and 3,500 students. The town benefits from a healthy climate, being situated in the heart of the beautiful Black Forest surrounded by lakes, mountains and ski resorts. Furtwangen has the advantage of low costs of living and a high level of employment thanks to the many successful companies located in the area. Both France and Switzerland are within driving distance by car or public bus and train. It is the ideal place to enjoy the great outdoors and to explore the culture that the nearby cities of Freiburg, Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Stuttgart, Strasbourg, Basel or Zurich have to offer.

Both cities are located in one of the most prosperous states in Germany: Baden-Württemberg. This is the state with the highest level of research and development, an employment rate of 97 percent (2018) and many well-known international companies such as Daimler, Porsche, Bosch, Siemens, Hugo Boss and SAP. This innovative, highly industrialised region is one of the "Four Motors of Europe". Additionally, it is the most popular destination for immigrants to Germany. Currently, 32 percent of the population has a migrant background.