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

AIM is conducted 100% in the English language.

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.

Lectures are conducted in hybrid mode. This means students can flexibly choose to attend lectures on site or simultaneously online.

Enrolled students waiting abroad for a study visa benefit from the following advantage: they can start lectures in the first semester from abroad online in interactive form and chat with their professors and classmates online. However, the exams conducted mainly at the end of a semester (usually during first two weeks of July and first two weeks of February) require the enrolled students' presence at the place of tuition and supervised examination in Freiburg or/and Furtwangen in Germany.

The significant benefit of hybrid lectures lies in their ability to enhance the flexibility and mobility of our students. This is particularly advantageous for those students who are working in part-time employment or residing in a different city, such as Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, Berlin, Munich or Düsseldorf rather than Freiburg or Furtwangen.

Note: Most of the exams are conducted supervised and on-site in Freiburg or Furtwangen!

Contact Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu.
Prof Dr Pavel Rawe (Dean of studies) guides applicants through the application process and provides first-hand information.

Send by e-mail the following documents for a quick check of eligibility:

(1) Bachelor's certificate including a report of grades and credits
(2) Job certificate to prove your job experience after the Bachelor's degree
(3) CV
(4) English proficiency certificate

Do not apply through HFU Online System (MIO) without prior consultation to avoid an invalid application!

Application deadline for early admission: 15 July
Application deadline for late admission: 15 February
Late admission is possible if study seats remain available.

If you have missed the application deadline for early admission and want to apply for late admission, contact Prof Dr Pavel Rawe via e-mail: Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu.

The study programme AIM takes three semesters. The tuition fee is 3,875 EUR for the first semester, 3,875 EUR for the second semester and 2,000 EUR for the third semester (thesis semester). Extension by fourth semester is possible. Upfront scholarships or discounts are not possible.

All applicants are welcome. Contact Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu to receive bespoke information and guidance first! 

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 Robots Process Automation
• User Experience Design
• Business Strategy and Digital Business Models
• E-Shop Design and Web Technologies

The international study programme in AI & Data Science for Digital Business Management (AIM Master) cooperates with approx. 40 leading partner universities worldwide – such as in New Jersey (USA), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Prague (Czech Republic), Jakarta (Indonesia), Hong Kong / Beijing / Shanghai (China), Tokyo (Japan), and Auckland (New Zealand).

An additional optional study abroad semester at a partner university is available, but it is not compulsory. For details, contact Prof Dr Pavel Rawe (Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu).

No study-integrated internship is required.

3,875 EUR

The study programme AIM takes three semesters. The tuition fee is 3,875 EUR for the first semester, 3,875 EUR for the second semester and 2,000 EUR for the third semester (thesis semester). Extension by fourth semester is possible. Upfront scholarships or discounts are not possible.

165 EUR per semester

Approx. 850 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. 250 EUR per month in a student dormitory).

Submit by e-mail to Prof Dr Pavel Rawe (Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu) the following five documents required for admission:

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

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

• APS certificate (for applicants who come from China, India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh)
• uni-assist report
• HTWG letter of acknowledgement

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

AIM is 100% in English. Accepted English proficiency certificates include the following: Duolingo test, IELTS test, TOEFL test, Cambridge test, or GCSE. Alternatively, no test is required if the applicant submits a confirmation from the previous high school or university that education was conducted in English. Minimum requirement: At least one year (two semesters) of a programme must be successfully completed entirely in the English language. For details, contact: Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu.

No German language proficiency is required.

Zoom: All lectures are available live online in an interactive form to enable a dialogue between students and professors.

Contact Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu.
Prof Dr Pavel Rawe (Dean of studies) guides applicants through the application process and provides first-hand information.

Send by e-mail the following documents for a quick check of eligibility:

(1) Bachelor's certificate including a report of grades and credits
(2) Job certificate to prove your job experience after the Bachelor's degree
(3) CV
(4) English proficiency certificate

Do not apply through HFU Online System (MIO) without prior consultation to avoid an invalid application!

Application deadline for early admission: 15 July
Application deadline for late admission: 15 February
Late admission is possible if study seats remain available.

If you have missed the application deadline for early admission and want to apply for late admission, contact Prof Dr Pavel Rawe via e-mail: Pavel.Rawe@HFU.eu.

No

Enrolled AIM students receive a list of companies offering student part-time jobs in Freiburg, Furtwangen and in the surrounding region. Approx. 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 receive a list of accommodation facilities in Freiburg and Furtwangen. Student accommodation facilities in Furtwangen start at a rental price of approx. 250 EUR per month. In Freiburg, rental prices start at approx. 350 EUR per month.

Enrolled AIM students may benefit from career advisory and job application training – especially available for excellent students.

Enrolled AIM students receive a list of accommodation facilities, a list of companies offering student part-time jobs, consulting on application for full-time jobs, access to HFU Language School at Furtwangen University offering German language courses (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1), access to the HFU Job Fair at the campus of the Furtwangen University, and access to the HFU Job Portal.

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 nine 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. In 2013, 28 percent of the population had a migrant background.