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Program Structure
The Design Entrepreneurship goes beyond traditional design practice by incorporating the entire design development process ‘from concept to market’ into its curricula while also emphasizing the role of designers in creating new business opportunities. In addition to classic design skills in ideation, development, CAD, and visualization, the program also teaches essential skills in business planning and management, market research and marketing, as well as executive responsibility.
The curricula is structured along four primary areas of study: Design, Production, Business, and Design Ethics and Professional Skills.
Students begin developing a comprehensive design project in the first semester, which they expand upon throughout the course of their studies. The aim is to transform an initial idea into a marketable product, system, or service with an accompanying business model. The courses are structured to build on each other, ensuring a meaningful learning and development process. The program is strongly oriented towards established industry process models, while also integrating essential theoretical, methodological, technical, and interdisciplinary knowledge, along with the freedom to develop your own methods and procedures.
Elements of the Program
Elective courses offer Design Entrepreneurship students the opportunity to specialize and enhance their individual designer skills and personal development profile. Students can select courses that expand their craft and technical abilities, support their design entrepreneurship project, or contribute to their personal and professional growth in areas such as communication, foreign languages, and future skills.
For their final Master's thesis, students conduct a research and design project focused on a specific topic or development within the design discipline and its practice. They are expected to apply state-of-the-art design and idea generation methods, as well as adhere to basic scientific standards. In addition to supervisors at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, students also have the opportunity to work with supervisors from partner universities.
The degree program places great importance on raising students' awareness of new and foreign cultural traditions as well as skills for intercultural communication and international cooperation—essential competencies for modern designers. Accordingly, the second semester is designed as a mobility window to encourage students to spend a semester abroad at a partner university. This opportunity allows students to gain valuable international experience, immerse themselves in new cultures, and further specialize in their chosen area of design (e.g., service design, integrated design, industrial design, etc.).
Additionally, the mobility window is open to international guest and exchange students who are interested in studying a semester of Design Entrepreneurship at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. Alongside intensive design project work, these students will learn about business development and have the option to take a German language course.