English 
Deutsch Who this Master fits – and what you need to get in
This work-integrated M.Sc. is ideal if you want to drive real digital transformation while you study. Typical profiles include: early-career professionals in IT or engineering stepping into product, project or innovation roles; business or economics graduates moving into data-driven strategy and digital leadership; and career changers with solid internship experience who want a structured entry into a company role in Germany alongside a Master’s.
Admission requirements
To qualify, you need a recognised first degree and the ability to study and work in parallel. Key formal criteria:
- Completed Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from a German or international university with at least 180 ECTS or an equivalent workload.
- English proficiency at minimum B2 (CEFR); the certificate must be no older than 3 years. Common, standardised certificates are accepted; EF SET is also recognised.
- Evidence of a broad experience profile (e.g. internships, international exposure, voluntary engagement, initial work experience).
- Successful completion of a three-step selection process: document check, personal interview, and KODE® competence assessment.
- A partner company that supports your studies and provides a concrete digitalisation project. If you do not yet have one, you can enter the school’s talent pool for matching.
Admission with foreign qualifications: international Bachelor’s degrees are accepted if they are equivalent in level and scope to a German first degree. Applicants with a university degree from China, India or Vietnam must submit an APS certificate. For this Master’s, a school-leaving certificate (Abitur) is not a substitute for a first academic degree; admission without a Bachelor’s is not offered.
Personal requirements
You will study while working on a real company project. You should be ready to balance block seminars (in English), ongoing project work and academic assessments. Expect a full company schedule and plan an additional 10–15 hours per week for reading, transfer papers and your Master’s project, with peaks before deadlines. Strong self-organisation, perseverance and clear time planning are essential.
What helps you succeed: solid analytical thinking, comfort with digital tools, and the confidence to lead cross-functional work. You also need English good enough to follow seminars, collaborate with peers and write academic texts; some assessments with international faculty must be submitted in English. Being proactive in securing and shaping your partner-company project will make the programme more impactful and manageable for you.
What will you study in the M.Sc. Digital Leadership at Steinbeis University?
You learn to lead digital transformation in organisations while working on a real company project from day one. The curriculum links leadership, strategy and technology. The programme awards 120 ECTS credits at Master level and is designed as a work-integrated model with continuous practice in a partner company. Steinbeis University is a private, state-recognised (staatlich anerkannt) German university; the degree is a Master of Science.
Digital strategy and transformation: You work on modules such as digital business models, platform strategies and change management. You analyse how to align corporate strategy with data-driven opportunities and how to steer large-scale transformation.
Data, AI and technology for leaders: Without becoming a programmer, you learn to evaluate AI applications, automation and Industry 4.0 use cases. Typical topics include AI for decision support, process digitisation and technology evaluation for investment cases.
Leadership and organisational development: You develop skills in leading cross-functional teams, stakeholder communication and cultural change. Expect inputs on modern leadership, collaboration frameworks and capability building for digital maturity.
Project and innovation management: You apply agile and classic methods to deliver measurable value in your company project. Content spans design thinking, innovation governance and benefits realisation—always tied back to your live project.
Research and evidence-based management: You produce transfer papers and project studies that connect theory and your project, and you complete a Master’s thesis. Scientific rigour and practical relevance go hand in hand.
Electives and focus: There is no long elective catalogue—the main specialisation happens through your company-based digitalisation project. You can also opt into short international study trips and, subject to performance and partner agreements, pursue an additional online MBA certificate (Brazil).
How does studying in the M.Sc. Digital Leadership work?
The programme runs in English with block seminars and live online sessions alongside a paid role in a partner company. You study in small cohorts, receive close mentoring and are assessed through applied papers, presentations and your Master’s thesis.
Seminar language and proof of English
The seminar language is English. The school expects English proficiency at CEFR B2 level or higher. Assessments with international examiners must be in English; other written work can be submitted in English (recommended) or German.
Study model and where you study
This is a work-integrated Master: you are employed by a partner company and drive a real digitalisation project throughout the programme. Teaching is delivered in recurring block seminars on campus (and in part live online). Study locations include Stuttgart and Berlin—two of Germany’s strongest innovation hubs. Stuttgart is home to major automotive and engineering groups; Berlin offers a large startup and tech ecosystem. Company placements can be across Germany; seminar attendance follows the programme schedule.
Learning format, group sizes and support
Practice and theory are deliberately interlocked. You work in collaborative seminars, peer mentoring groups and project coaching. The format is integrable and customisable: depending on your company role and cohort, some content runs in person, some as live online sessions. Cohorts are kept to manageable sizes to enable intensive feedback and networking.
Exams you can expect
Assessment is continuous and application-oriented: transfer papers and project study papers link frameworks to your company project; presentations track your progress; the programme ends with a Master’s thesis. This balance suits professionals who prefer applied work over sit-down exams.
Enrolment and work placement for non-German applicants
Admission is tied to a project-giving partner company. The school supports matching through a talent pool and posts vacancies with partner firms. Employment typically includes time release for seminars and an agreed salary package.
What does the M.Sc. Digital Leadership cost?
Your own study fees are €350 per month, adding up to €8,400 in total over the standard duration. In the work-integrated model, partner companies typically pay an additional programme fee on their side and usually provide a monthly salary for you. Many employers also cover travel for seminar blocks; confirm details directly with the company.
Fees are normally billed monthly over the programme duration. If you move to Germany for the role, plan living costs in the seminar cities as orientation: in Berlin, a realistic student budget is roughly €1,000–€1,400 per month (rent, food, transport, health insurance, incidentals). In Stuttgart, expect around €1,100–€1,500 per month given higher rents in the region. Actual costs vary by lifestyle and housing.
Optional international study trips and any additional certificates (e.g. the Brazilian online MBA option) are not included in tuition and incur extra costs; some employers choose to sponsor these.
What careers and recognition does the M.Sc. Digital Leadership offer?
The degree is a Master of Science with 120 ECTS under the Bologna framework. ECTS credits are standard across Europe, which makes the qualification transparent for employers and universities internationally. Steinbeis University is a private, state-recognised German university; the programme is accredited through the university’s system accreditation for the period 2022–2027. The Master formally qualifies you for doctoral study.
Career outcomes align with roles that blend technology and leadership. Graduates move into positions such as:
- Digital transformation manager or programme lead in manufacturing, automotive, healthcare or finance
- Product owner or head of digital products in platform and software contexts
- Data and AI strategy lead or analytics translation manager
- Innovation manager, venture builder or corporate entrepreneur
- Consultant for digitalisation and change in Germany and the EU
Salaries depend on sector and prior experience. Work-integrated graduates often progress faster internally because they have already delivered a business-relevant project during the degree, which is a strong signal to German employers.
Who is the M.Sc. Digital Leadership right for – and who not?
This Master fits early-career professionals who want to combine a paid role with a rigorous academic programme in English and deliver a real digitalisation project with measurable impact.
- You want an English-taught, practice-centred Master in Germany with 120 ECTS and clear leadership focus.
- You value being employed in a partner company while you study and prefer applied assessments over classic exams.
- You aim to build a career in digital transformation, product, AI or innovation roles in Germany or the EU.
- You appreciate small cohorts, close mentoring and block seminars you can plan around work.
- You may want optional international exposure or to add a supplementary MBA certificate (Brazil).
There are also clear cases where another programme may suit you better. Read the points below carefully before you decide.
- You are looking for a traditional full-time campus experience without employment responsibilities; this is a work-integrated model with a company project.
- You prefer German-taught programmes; seminars here are conducted in English.
- You want the lowest possible tuition typical of German public universities; private study at €350 per month is higher than most state-university fees.
- You seek a strictly technical Master (e.g. computer science or data science coding-heavy). This programme is management-oriented and technology-aware, not a pure CS degree.
Advisory Service
Have questions about Academic Programs Digital Leadership? Ask your question here, even anonymously. An employee of the institution Steinbeis University or the editorial team will answer you.
Are there any student aid/funding opportunities for this course?
Hi Sitati, for the M.Sc. Digital Leadership at Steinbeis University, there isn’t a central scholarship directly included with the course. However, most students are employed by a partner company for the duration of their studies – that means you usually earn a monthly salary while you study and work on a real project. Some partner companies also cover all or part of your tuition fees and sometimes additional costs like travel to seminars.
Beyond that, you can look into general funding options for international or EU students in Germany, such as DAAD scholarships or local support depending on your nationality and background.
For this specific programme, the main funding usually comes through your role in the partner company.
If you want more details on other funding opportunities or how partner companies typically support students, let me know. Are you already based in Germany, or are you planning a move for this Master’s?