Master's Degree Programs

Digitalization, technological developments, market changes and challenging global and climatic trends underline the ongoing change in agricultural production and the entire agricultural industry. Modern agricultural businesses are developing towards commercial enterprises, service and trading companies, both with increasing farm sizes and through new strategic orientations and specializations (e.g. direct marketing of agricultural products, special crop cultivation, services, etc.). Management and leadership skills are equally in demand here, as are the constant willingness and the associated skills to recognize trends, understand digitalization, develop product innovations, apply digitally supported marketing and implement all of this throughout the company - also independently as entrepreneurs.

The Master’s degree programme Eco-Energy Engineering offers specialisation in the conversion, distribution and optimised, environmentally-friendly use of energy in industrial plants and buildings. The main areas of emphasis, solar technology and building optimisation, focus on the functionality, planning, construction and operation of plant and buildings. Learning is project-based, ensuring relevance to practice and the opportunity for students to determine their own additional areas of interest.

Master´s degree programme, part-time

Digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence have become indispensable in today's industry. Automation technology is a strong beneficiary and at the same time innovation driver behind these technologies - also in Austria! The master's degree program in automation technology enables students to specialize individually in their later working life or field of interest through elective courses. Special emphasis is placed on the proximity to companies and also to research. Starting in the 2nd semester, students can work at least 2 days a week in addition to their studies and put their ideas into practice. In addition to the elective subjects, the necessary cornerstones of a modern automation solution are anchored in the curriculum with the topics of digital factory, control technology and IT security.

Rapid developments in vehicle engineering have led to a merging of Mechanics, Electronics and Informatics fields. One cause of this is that vehicles meet customer demands through the optimal interplay of various mechanical and electronic components. Many functions in the areas of comfort, safety and efficiency are only made possible by mechatronic systems. In this context, specific expertise in the mechatronic disciplines, combined with social and business economics competences, will be central requirements of future employees and managers in the motor vehicle industry. Precisely these requirements are the focus of the new master’s degree program, Automotive Mechatronics and Management.

The Bio-and Environmental Technology Master’s degree programme offers students the opportunity to specialise in either biotechnology or environmental science. Central to this degree programme are environmental process engineering and biotechnology, plant planning and plant engineering with (bio-)analytics, the technology of food production and quality management. ’Soft skills‘ such as language skills, personality, academic and business economics competences enable a smooth transition into work. Independent of their chosen specialisation all graduates gain a common understanding of both of the core technologies our future depends on.

The Master’s study programme Civil Engineering in Building Construction offers a comprehensive post-graduate degree in the field of civil engineering with a focus on building construction. In addition to an extensive, in-depth education in construction engineering, students may choose elective subjects from two different course pools. Together this enables graduates of this programme to hold management positions upon completion of their studies.

Advancing digitisation requires organisation to find innovative solutions to new problems. In a global, networked and digital knowledge society, web-based media, intercultural competence and lifelong learning play just as important a role as internal and external communication. This is why the interdisciplinary Master's in Communication and Knowledge Media combines communication science, educational and psychological topics with content from the fields of web design, web programming and user experience design. Thanks to its wide range of compulsory elective modules, the course allows students to set their own individual focus in the fields of communication, web, learning and/or organisation, with a stronger focus on technical or social science areas.

Never before has financial know-how been as crucial to success as it is today. Finance executives are at the heart of corporate decision-making. To fulfill this responsibility, they must have financial expertise, strategic skills, business knowledge and leadership qualities at an international level. The Master's degree is the ticket to a career in finance or to management positions with a high level of financial responsibility.

Being able to extract relevant information from huge amounts of data is more important than ever these days. This applies to the most diverse areas of our society, be it industry, finance or biomedical research: we are dealing with unmanageable and rapidly growing data everywhere. Data scientists have to filter out the crucial information from these volumes of data and process it in a generally understandable way. In the Master's degree program Data Science and Engineering, students learn how to process this data, gain knowledge from it and statistically evaluate and visualize this information. This enables them to draw valuable conclusions and generate new knowledge.

The Master's degree course in Digital Arts offers the opportunity to deepen and specialise in the fields of 2D/3D animation, motion design, visualisation, games and mixed reality, including their many facets. These specialisations can be individually combined by taking elective modules. The degree program offers an extensive project component and a wide range of courses that combine theory and practice at a high level. The range of courses is supplemented by a wide range of elective modules on special topics as well as workshops and seminars. In addition to practice-oriented training, independent work, an examination of scientific methods, a systematic approach and the development of communication skills are central concerns.

Digital media and technologies are increasingly shaping the business world. These are changing competition in digital business and require new, innovative business models. The first FH/UNI Master's degree programme in Digital Business Management deals with this dynamic competitive environment, which is characterized by the sustainable digitalization of business processes, new entrepreneurship, global markets, interculturality and the increasing importance of cross-channel e-commerce and marketing measures as well as networking.

The practice-oriented Master's degree course in Logistics Engineering and Management addresses current challenges such as climate change, skills shortages and economic crises in logistics. By integrating artificial intelligence, robotics and alternative energy systems, it strives to make logistics processes more resilient, efficient and sustainable. Students acquire management and technology skills to apply innovative technologies, understand interrelationships and successfully implement solutions in practice. The program also emphasizes a comprehensive understanding of technology as well as logistics process and project management know-how in order to make a significant contribution to the transformation of logistics into a sustainable economy.

New technologies such as electric cars or renewable and ecological power supply systems require fundamental research in electrical (energy) engineering. DC grids (used in batteries, hydrogen systems, or to distribute and transport electrical energy), and power electronics are the latest technologies aiming to provide a green and environmentallyfriendly energy supply. Introducing SMART technology into our power supply reduces costs as well as increasing reliability and accessibility for the end-consumer. This program will educate the experts needed to make electrical energy supply sustainable and future-proof. They will be pioneering the future!

Embedded systems provide the intelligence and performance in almost all modern devices. Their development requires a broad range of IT skills - namely expertise in hardware and software, including sensors and networking with the environment. The Master's degree program Embedded Systems Design teaches precisely this know-how. After completing this course, you will be able to realize precisely those intelligent and networked products ("smart systems") that are involved in developments such as the Internet of Things (IoT), smart homes or digital production. Such high-tech innovations require professionally developed embedded systems consisting of modern electronic and software components, integrated sensors and digital communication technology for data exchange in the network.

The energy transition has many facets: be it electro-mobility, the implementation of energy communities, the increased use of renewable energy and its storage, sector coupling, increasing energy efficiency, smart metering, demand-side management and much more. Much is currently in the making and the success or failure of all projects will depend on how well we manage to harmonise technological progress, the necessary standardisation and legislation as well as the economic framework conditions. This is precisely where the part-time Master's degree programme in Energy Informatics comes in. Students acquire in-depth knowledge of technological developments in the energy sector, learn how to use IT and programming in a targeted manner and gain an insight into the legal and economic framework conditions.

Food Technology is an interdisciplinary technological career field with interwoven areas of knowledge. In the foreground are the new- and further development of technologies and products. Conservation of natural resources, process optimisation and efficiency of production are the driving forces in the food industry in order to be able to offer products at competitive prices and of simultaneous high quality.

Austria’s export economy has succeeded in setting international standards in many fields, notably in industrial plants, machinery, technological goods and services and sustainable solutions. These global operations generate a high demand for suitably qualified marketing and sales personnel. The geographical focus of the degree program is on emerging markets.

The profound demographic changes in Europe and the changing attitudes of new generations of employees towards work and leadership are moving HR issues to the center of corporate attention. Human resource management is developing radically new answers to these challenges. As a human resource manager, you need to be just as fit in strategic issues as you are in international HRM and in questions of diversity or intercultural management in order to inspire, retain and support employees for the company. The Master's degree program is the door opener for entry into Human Resources Management or for promotion to management positions if you already have experience in HRM.

IT systems of the future will need to instinctively respond to user needs and competencies. This cutting-edge, part-time degree programme gives graduates of information technology studies the chance to refine their skills in developing more accessible and user-friendly technologies. The interdisciplinary curriculum draws primarily on social sciences and IT, including areas such as interaction design, natural-user interface development, image processing, as well as prototyping. Graduates will learn problem solving and full-spectrum consultancy skills that are key to the conceptualisation and deployment of practical applications in this dynamic field.

The increasing complexity of information technology is making unceasing demands on data control and co-ordination. Planning, developing and implementing sophisticated systems to meet company targets is a serious challenge for IT managers. Access to data anywhere, anytime, common usage of information and user-friendliness are prime objectives. This requires experts with software development, business intelligence and analytical IT skills as well as know-how in management, law and team leadership. This part-time Master’s degree programme equips students with exactly these skills and is particularly suitable for people with a first degree in information technology, who aim at taking up management positions in the IT business.

Due to the constantly growing number of information processing systems, the security aspects closely linked to these systems and the ever-increasing threat potential, a comprehensive consideration of security measures and their management for these systems and the information processed is essential. The content of the Master's degree course in Information Security Management (ISM) is based on internationally recognised standards and draws on the 15 years of expertise of the Department of Secure Information Systems (with Bachelor's and Master's degree courses) in the field of IT security training. Thanks to the part-time study format with blocked attendance weeks in each semester and the intensive use of distance learning and examination elements, ISM is an ideal supplementary course for students with several years of professional experience.

Today, if a company wants to succeed internationally, it must be capable of innovation. This can only be achieved by treating innovation as a process. What characterizes such a process of innovation leading to sustainable success? Holistic integration of marketing, design and technology, combined with strategic thinking, is the only way to develop product and service innovations in a sustainable way. This is the main focus of this master’s degree program. In an interdisciplinary training concept, the various aspects of integrated innovation and product management are taught both theoretically and practically. This degree program provides a comprehensive education in Mechatronics, Innovation Management and Marketing, complemented by the know-how delivered in two specialisations, namely “Product Concept Design” and “Development Process Engineering”.

As digital technologies and media continue to permeate more aspects of our everyday lives, the need for intuitive and natural interfaces with integrated, intelligent functionality is becoming even greater. Our Interactive Media program focuses on preparing graduates for challenging roles in the development of innovative technologies and the production of complex projects in the ever evolving media industry. The graduate program features both a broad selection of specialised courses in the field of Interactive Media and a substantial project-based component that enables students to develop their own individual focus. In addition to providing a solid industry-oriented education, the program seeks to hone students’ communication skills and refine their systematic approaches to problem-solving and engineering for interaction.

In view of rising fuel and energy costs and the carbon dioxide problem, motor vehicles and aircraft must use less fuel in future. The rotor blades of wind turbines, various sports equipment such as tennis rackets, skis or Formula 1 cars (fibre-carbonmonocoque) must also be lighter but at the same time measure up to the highest safety standards. Lightweight construction will be the central concern in industry in the future. Everywhere where material is moved in large quantities e.g. in robotics or plant construction, lightweight construction developments will play a role in order to save costs. The job prospects for graduates in this field are commensurately promising.

The economical, ecological and targeted use of materials and their efficient processing represent an essential competitive factor for Austrian industry. In view of the increasing quality requirements in production and in the use of new materials, more and more experts are required who are familiar with the specific requirements in processing and using these materials. The required quality of many products can only be achieved with appropriate processing technologies and their specific effects on the characteristics of materials. There is no comparable FH degree programme in all of Austria.

Mechanical engineering is a tried and tested study programme that has its finger on the pulse of the times with its many modern trends such as simulation, lightweight construction or bionics. The development of increasingly lighter and at the same time highly stressed components in automobiles, aircraft or also in the manufacturing or plant industry requires the use of sophisticated, innovative calculation, simulation and analysis methods. This degree opens the door to the fascinating world of modern mechanical engineering research and development.

Work in companies of the mechatronics industry has changed enormously because of the increasingly dynamic and complex business environment. The need for industrial engineers with interdisciplinary skills is growing continuously. This degree programme aims to meet this need by offering a higher qualification in selected fields of Mechatronics and Business Economics and also development and management competence.

The international Master's degree programme Medical Engineering (Biomedical Engineering) equips the students for engineering innovative medical devices. Furthermore students gain information how to place them into markets.

Mobile computing is very often associated with the programming of apps. If you look at the curriculum, you will quickly realize that this apparent limitation is not the case. Instead, the course allows students to immerse themselves in the latest areas of information technology, coupled with some more than forward-looking application domains, such as automotive computing or smart energy. The Mobile Computing degree programme is therefore aimed at all those who like to deal with new and innovative IT topics and practice and professionalize the practical applicability in the context of application-oriented exercises, projects or ultimately in the Master's thesis.

In a global, dynamic economy, successful companies are those that organize their production in an efficient, customer-oriented and sustainable manner. To do this, they need people who can develop appropriate strategies, plan and control production, optimize processes and successfully implement projects with their team. With its forward-looking management training, the Master's degree in Operations Management provides the perfect breeding ground for the development of these personalities. Students unfold and develop their personal skills and acquire specialist know-how in the areas of production, digitalization, business analytics, sustainability and business software.

In Upper Austria there are many internationally-successful plant construction companies. Plant constructors, as project managers on plant construction projects, conclude the plant purchase contract under consideration of the framework conditions (costs, deadlines, performance guarantee). They are the interface to the customer or the supplier and coordinate the participating specialist departments and sub-contractors, such as process engineering, design, automation, construction, assembly, accounting or the legal department. plant constructors work mostly internationally and need excellent English and leadership skills.

Robotics has become an indispensable part of the current production world and is also leading to disruptive developments and enormous progress in other sectors such as agriculture or medical technology. However, robotics is only half the story. In order to develop an intelligent system, not only the machine itself is required, but also state-of-the-art sensor technology and a great deal of computer science. Robotic Systems Engineering offers an optimal education in the areas of the latest software algorithms and technologies for the implementation of complex automation tasks with robots. Holistic engineering approaches are taught, which digitally support man, machine, software and hardware from the first idea to the running operation.

While cyber security is increasingly developing into a key technology of the modern communication society, the availability of comprehensively trained specialists with know-how in the technical, organisational and legal environment is increasingly lagging behind current requirements. The Master's degree course in Secure Information Systems provides a combination of precisely this knowledge. In addition to comprehensive basic training, it offers the opportunity for individual in-depth study and specialisation in various areas of IT security and organizational information security. In particular, new technologies such as quantum computing and the use of artificial intelligence in cyber security applications are also taught. In addition to the professional, practice-oriented training, independent work, a scientific approach and the development of communication skills are central concerns.

The development of powerful software systems, designed to meet specific requirements and pursue innovative technological approaches, requires knowledge and additional skills that go beyond the bachelor's level. To use the analogy of building a house, not only software craftspeople, i.e. developers, are needed, but also software architects. The aim of the Master's degree course in Software Engineering (SE) is to enable you to manage challenging projects in the areas of software development and architecture, as well as offer you the opportunity to specialise in topics such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, modelling and simulation or data analytics.

From responsibly sourced raw materials to sustainable service production and clean use by end customers - cooperation between partners along the value chain is of central importance for an internationally networked society. The "Green Deal" and the Supply Chain Act present companies with new challenges - making supply chain management the indispensable backbone of a sustainable economy. The SCM degree program offers students a holistic view of the value creation network, taking into account economic, social and ecological factors. As managers, graduates of the course can align their departments or the entire company to the new market conditions. They find innovative solutions for cooperation in value chains and thus make a significant contribution to the company's success.

Sustainability is the key to our future development, especially when it comes to energy utilization and consumption. As natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce or more expensive, the utilization of energy in a sustainable way is more and more important. This degree program combines the education in energy systems with respect to sustainable energy resources, energy efficiency, the decarbonization of the traditional energy system as well as the management of international energy-related projects. Special emphasis is placed on learning and working in multicultural teams.