New MSc in Management prepares students to meet the challenges of the future

The newest degree program at MODUL University Vienna is offering an attractive focus on the big issues of the future - sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, and interactive media are all key aspects of the Master of Science (MSc) in Management. With this degree, MU is first Austrian private university to feature a consecutive Master degree in the area of business and management taught exclusively in English. It is aimed primarily at prospective business leaders who will make a valuable contribution to our future as members of globally operating firms and organisations that are striving to bring a socially responsible attitude to their growth and business activities.

EDUCATION FOR THE FUTURE

The new course of study sets itself apart from the rest of the management programs in the higher education sphere which have their curricula centered wholly on the successful management of businesses. Such a one-sided focus is understandable considering that a business's financial performance was long considered the sole factor influencing its success. Prof. Astrid Dickinger, however, Dean of the MSc in Management program, believes that it is outdated in the 21st century for managers to concentrate on that single perspective: "The business dimension of any company operating today must be balanced with environmental and social concerns. Consequently, organisations destined to enjoy success over the long term need leaders who display interdisciplinary skills and connected, networked thinking. This is exactly what students in our MSc in Management will be learning."

BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The degree program will build on the comprehensive and extensive business expertise of MU’s faculty, and will be complemented by an extensive range of additional learning objectives: knowledge of the economic and social sciences will be taught in the program along with an awareness of wider environmental contexts. Students will also learn about technical problem-solving methods, political decision mechanisms, legal principles, and even the psychological basis of an individual's actions.

Graduates will have excellent prospects on the job market with this specially-tailored education under their belt. As Prof. Dickinger explains, "The businesses of tomorrow need a workforce with a sense of social responsibility and an extensive knowledge of environmental and technological issues. The challenges presented by globalisation and environmental pollution will be mastered by professionals capable of interdisciplinary thinking, who will apply the principles of sustainability to their everyday work." Not only that, but the rapid developments in the field of information and communications technologies (ICT) will give rise to a constant stream of new opportunities and possibilities arising within companies and organisations as well as in their interactions and networking. New start-ups emerging from within industry incumbents are also increasingly offering fresh prospects for organisations. With part of its focus spanning precisely these issues, the new MSc in Management is particularly well placed to meet the demands of the future.

LEARNING THROUGH RESEARCH

The heavily practice-oriented nature of this degree program is ideally complemented by the internationally-renowned research that takes place at MU. Insights from as many as ten research fields will be incorporated into the curriculum followed by students in the MSc in Management. Besides the university's numerous research activities in the field of sustainable development, this also includes projects on new media interaction and the future of information systems.

INTERNATIONAL FROM START TO FINISH

The overall degree program has an unmistakably international and multicultural feel and benefits from a strong international showing among the lecturers. The  program's linking of development policy matters with issues like sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, new media, and personal development shows just how unique the syllabus is in today's higher education market. No more than 30 candidates per semester are admitted to the program, insuring a low faculty-to-student ratio and plenty of direct interaction with academic staff. All of which serves to make the new MSc in Management a forward-looking and unique qualification for students with an international outlook.

The MSc in Management will begin in fall 2016.