Astrid Dickinger elected new Dean of the Graduate School

MODUL University is pleased to announce the election of the new Dean of the Graduate School, Prof. Astrid Dickinger.

Astrid earned her Master’s degree from the Vienna University of Business and Economics (WU) in the field of international marketing and management, with a minor in financial controlling. She then completed a PhD in Marketing (WU), and came to MODUL University as part of the founding team nine years ago. Since then, she has earned her Habilitation (WU), and is now a Full Professor in the Department of Tourism and Service Management.

‘’In my graduate studies I was interested in understanding how people interact with technology. First I looked in to the use of mobile phones for marketing, then into customer profiling for mobile use, so it was more down the road of interactive marketing, human-computer interaction, social media and branding. That’s where my research passion lies’’, says Astrid.

In her new position, Astrid’s plan for growth included the introduction of the new MSc in Management, with the option for certificate specializations in Interactive Marketing and Social Media, Business Development, or Tourism and Service Management.

‘’When I became Dean of the Graduate School I presented my vision, part of which was that we needed to add a general management degree to the two focus programs we had [MSc in International Tourism Management and MSc in Sustainable Development, Management and Policy]. There is big demand among students for a broad degree at the same time with the option for specializations in the form of certificates’’, she says.

‘’The new master program gives students a fantastic opportunity for a general management education with a focus on personal development and skills, as well as environmental management and sustainability, a topic which will be important for future leaders. It offers students a fair degree of flexibility to choose either enrichment courses to gain a certificate, or a practical component in the form of an internship. So it’s a very flexible program that can be tailored to a student’s unique needs and preferences.’’

The certificates were developed by Astrid and other faculty members to reflect the strengths and competences of the university. Interactive Marketing and Social Media is taught by lecturers from the Department of New Media and Information Management, who have very strong background in media monitoring and social media, and Astrid herself who adds the consumer behavior component. The Tourism and Service Management certificate is based on faculty expertise in the Department of the same name, and the Business Development certificate is taught by faculty from the Department of Sustainable Development, Management and Policy, who have strong competences in social entrepreneurship and green business.

In addition to the new MSc in Management, Astrid was also instrumental is adding more flexibility to the existing programs with the option of a graduate internship in all three programs, and certificate options for the MSc in Sustainable Development, Management and Policy.

The faculty and staff of MODUL University Vienna wish Astrid the best of success in her new position and look forward to welcoming the first cohort of the MSc in Management in fall 2016!