Design Entrepreneurship Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences

All courses are taught in English.

The Master of Arts in Design Entrepreneurship equips emerging designers with the skills needed for global product development. Students learn how to design with an interdisciplinary, intercultural approach and gain the know-how to manage the process of modern product and systems development from the first idea to product launch. They are encouraged to reflect critically on their design and business ideas and develop products, systems and services that prioritise socially responsible solutions.

The programme focuses on knowledge and skill building in key areas of "glocalised" design processes:

• Ideation, design and prototyping
• Interdisciplinary development and production
• Innovation management, entre- and intrapreneurship
• Business start-up tools, marketing and business administration
• Intercultural and transnational communication

Interdisciplinary and project-based learning is essential to modern design education and is integrated into the programme accordingly. Teaching is carried out collaboratively by professors in the areas of design, engineering, computer science and business. Students undertake project-based collaborative work and develop real design projects, which have the potential to be transferred into a business.

In addition, training in intercultural communication and international cooperation — crucial skills in tomorrow's design profession — is anchored in the programme's curriculum and structure. Students regularly carry out project work in intercultural groups and are able to experience different cultures first-hand in an optional study abroad at one of our international partner universities.

The Design Entrepreneurship programme begins annually in September. Over the course of three semesters, students learn and develop real projects in the university's design labs and workshops. Students wishing to further specify their design profile and gain experience learning and working in different cultural contexts can chose to study abroad at one of our partner universities during the second semester.

Application period: 1 February until 15 April for all applicants

The Design Entrepreneurship programme combines theoretical and practical knowledge in four main areas of study: design, production, business, and professional profile development. Throughout their studies, students carry out individual projects, which they develop into tested and validated, production-ready products, services or systems.

The first semester consists of two large project courses in the areas of design and business and two supporting courses in the area of intercultural ergonomics and perspectives on design ethics.

• Design research and ideation (10 credits)
• Business start-up tools (10 credits)
• Transnational & intercultural development (5 credits)
• Design impact: responsibility & sustainability (5 credits)

In the second semester, the course curriculum shifts to the areas of validation, production and business development. An area of elective courses provides students the opportunity to enhance their designer skills and deepen their personal development. They may choose courses to expand or improve their repertoire of craft and technical skills, courses related to their individual design entrepreneurship project and/or courses for their professional development in the areas of communication, foreign languages and future skills.

• From design to product (10 credits)
• Prototyping and production (5 credits)
• Business development (5 credits)
• Area of elective courses (10 credits)

Students may choose to do their second semester abroad at one of our partner universities and further specialise their area of design (i.e. service design, product design, space design, etc.).

In the third and final semester, students carry out their Master's theses (30 credits).

PDF Download

The second semester of the programme is designed as a mobility window, and students are encouraged to use this opportunity to study abroad at a partner university. Design Entrepreneurship students can choose from several programme tracks offered by our international partners, each of which provides students with a different design methodological focus (e.g. service design, space design, integrated design, etc.) and a unique geographic and cultural environment.

No tuition fees

Approx. 360 EUR per semester

(includes e.g. a semester ticket for free public transport in Germany and a discount on meals in our student canteens)

Legally, you must prove that you have 992 EUR at your disposal per month. This amount can differ from the actual cost of living. In Osnabrück, you will need an estimated 850 to 1,000 EUR per month. Mostly, this depends on how much you will need to spend on housing.

Here's an overview:

• housing: 300 to 450 EUR
• student health insurance: 140 EUR
• savings for the semester fee: 60 EUR
• food (including meals at the student restaurant): 200 EUR
• study materials: 30 to 50 EUR
• public transport: included in your semester fee
• leisure time activities: 70 EUR
• TV fee (mandatory in Germany): 18 EUR

The degree programme is geared towards international students with a first degree in a design discipline (e.g. industrial design, interaction design, product design, etc.) or a neighbouring discipline which includes a design methodology such as information technology, computer science or mechanical engineering.

Applicants must demonstrate proof of English language competency at a minimum level of B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Please also take note of the university's general admission requirements. Your university degree must be recognised as sufficient for admission to a Master's programme in Germany. If you are unsure whether this is the case, you can check the databanks of the German Academic Exchange Service or Anabin at the Central Office for Foreign Education.

For applicants whose native language is not English they must submit proof of English language competency at the level of B2. This can be done with one of the several internationally recognised tests:

• IELTS (5.5, 6.0, 6.5)
• TOEFL iBT (94 to 72)
• TOEFL PBT (626-543)
• TOEFL ITP Level 1 (626 to 543)
• Cambridge Preliminary English Test + Result Distinction (PET)
• Cambridge First Certificate in English + Grade B or C (FCE)
• Pearson PTE Academic: PTE Academic 75-59
• TOEIC Listening and Reading Test (944 to 785) +TOEIC Speaking Test (179 to 160) +TOEIC Writing Test (179 to 150)
• telc: telc B2 Zertifikat
• UNIcert: UNIcert II

Application period: 1 February until 15 April for all applicants

We offer around 200 Germany Scholarships to our students annually.

International students are also eligible for this type of financial support and can receive 300 EUR per month for one year.

Applications are accepted during the first two weeks of May, and prospective students are invited to apply as well.

If you are planning to apply for both our study programme and a Germany Scholarship, please send an e-mail to international@hs-osnabrueck.de for support if needed.

We offer student assistant jobs at the university. You can also find jobs through our database (PRAXIKO), where local employers look for student workers and interns.

If you speak German well enough, there are many job opportunities in Osnabrück in bakeries, supermarkets, industry, restaurants, etc.

For international degree-seeking students, the university also has a career service that assists you with application checks, contacts to companies and more. Mrs Laetitia Godineau will answer your questions around finding a job during your studies as well as about making the transition into the job market after graduation.

Important: If you need to work to support yourself, you should start looking for a student job as early as possible.

There's no doubt that finding accommodation is a challenge. The best place to start is the Studierendenwerk Osnabrück. They have shared apartments, one- or two-room apartments, and flats for families, with prices ranging from 250 to 900 EUR.

Important: Apply for accommodation as soon as you apply for a study place, as you don't have to submit the university's letter of admission at the beginning of the application process. This is the best advice we can give you, and it has worked for many others.

Need more advice? Just contact the Center for International Students at international@hs-osnabrueck.de.

Our Career Service for international degree-seeking students provides you with support by offering the following:

• application checks
• workshops to advance student employability
• job shadowing for international students
• meet regional employers: events at the university and excursions to SMEs in and around Osnabrück and Lingen
• PRAXIKO job database

In addition, you can also make an appointment for individual counselling in which we will support you in finding a career that suits your area of expertise and your personal situation.

If you are an international degree-seeking student, our Center for International Students (CIS) is available to assist you with any questions you may have, from the moment you decide to apply until you graduate and transfer into the job market.

The CIS will make sure that you have the infrastructure that enables you to study successfully. They cannot solve every problem, but they work with the whole university, the city of Osnabrück and other relevant structures to help you when things get difficult.

Our student assistants organise social events and give you the peer support that everyone needs.

Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences is the largest university of applied sciences in Lower Saxony. We offer more than 100 accredited Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes that enable you to build your future and adapt your education to your needs.

Our students are very satisfied with us, as shown by our top positions in the national rankings of CHE and studycheck.de.

Our wide range of courses includes Bachelor's, Master's and continuing education programmes, from engineering, agriculture, economics and social sciences to courses such as theatre pedagogy, which are unique in Germany.  Our degree programmes provide both theoretical and project-based learning opportunities, enabling you to develop the skills that employers seek.

Our professors bring personal experience from national and international companies, preparing you specifically for your career. And if you are interested in pursuing an academic career later on, that is also possible.

At the same time, the university is a place for networking and socialising. We are closely linked to our local communities in Osnabrück and Lingen and encourage our students to look around and exchange ideas across national borders. Every study programme offers the opportunity to study abroad and we foster close relationships with more than 200 partner universities worldwide.

Osnabrück is a city in Northwestern Germany and easy to reach by plane, train, or car. Nearby cities that you can easily visit by train or car include Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf. You can also reach Amsterdam in the Netherlands within three hours by train.

Our university spreads across four campuses with their own faculties. The three campuses in Osnabrück are Westerberg, Caprivi and Haste. The fourth campus is in Lingen, about 70 kilometres West of Osnabrück.

Each campus has its own special character:

• The Westerberg campus: modern buildings such as the SL lecture theatre building, also affectionately known as the “Frog”.
• The Caprivi Campus: You'll find a lovely mix of sand-coloured barracks buildings, an underground lecture hall complex and the "Plektrum", an innovative building tailored to the needs of the Institute of Music and its students.
• The Haste campus is also known as the “green campus”. Not only is it home to study programmes in the field of landscape, food production and agriculture, but you can also enjoy a walk through its park-like grounds with its flower and plant-filled perennial garden.
• The campus in Lingen is located in a former railway repair plant. Many students there call it "the most beautiful campus in the world" – you'll have to find out for yourself whether this is really the case!

The cities of Osnabrück and Lingen offer a personal, safe, and affordable environment in which you can feel comfortable quickly. Everything you need is close by, so you can easily reach your favourite restaurant, the theatre, or the nearest student party on foot or by bike. There's plenty of nature inside and outside the city for you to enjoy, and our visitors tell us that the people here are quite relaxed and friendly! And if you just have to get out and about, you can use public transport in Germany with the Campus Card for free and take a spontaneous trip, e.g. to Hamburg, Hannover or Bremen.