Program Overview

Level Up Your Skills

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, distinguishing yourself requires more than ambition—it demands the right qualifications and skills. Our MSc in Digital Transformation Leadership provides the strategic expertise and cutting-edge knowledge essential to excel in this dynamic field. This master’s programme is designed to prepare you for independent entrepreneurial ventures or senior management positions with leadership responsibilities across various industries and business sizes.

The curriculum offers a unique combination of leadership, decision-making, and digital competencies, equipping you to advance into a future-oriented career in a global company or innovative start-up. Digital technologies are omnipresent in today’s society and business world, driving a digital revolution that evolves at an unprecedented pace. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, 5G, Big Data, the Internet of Things, and Blockchain are set to disrupt traditional business models and transform job roles in the industry.

Students will enhance their leadership and management knowledge, and acquire application-specific specialisation skills through real-world challenges and practical experiences

Key Skills Developed

• Leadership and Decision Making
• HR Management and Organization Design
• Cross-Cultural Team Management
• Virtual Team Collaboration
• Emotional Intelligence in Business
• Digital Innovation Management
• Strategic Decision Making

Who is this Programme For?

This programme provides you with all of the essential tools and practical skills to pursue a career in leading transformation projects and change agendas for the digital economy.

• Suitable for aspiring managers and consultants who want to take on leadership roles in the digital domain.
• Opens career opportunities across multiple industries like business management, government administration and digital consulting.
• Helps you gain additional skills in Big Data, cybersecurity, and cloud computing through technical know-how provided by Amazon.
• Provides in-depth knowledge about digital transformation efforts like innovation management, technology, and data control organisation.

Accreditations

The degree programme has been awarded the quality seal of the Accreditation Council Foundation. The Accreditation Council Foundation is a joint institution of the federal states of Germany for quality assurance in study and teaching at German universities.

Gisma University of Applied Sciences is state recognised. It also benefits from AMBA accreditation, which was awarded for the Global MBA and is an honour shared by only 6 universities in Germany and 2% of all universities worldwide. The prestigious AMBA accreditation represents innovation and excellence in education.

How Will You Study?

Gisma University of Applied Sciences supports flexible and individual learning by applying a systematic hybrid learning scheme. You will spend part of your lectures in class at our Potsdam campus. These face-to-face phases are complemented by e-learning sessions. You will work on cases, reflect on readings, take part in online discussions, and participate in group exercises and projects. This variety of learning methods is part of our unique teaching strategy, which includes student-centred pedagogy, project-based learning, collaborative learning, and personalised coaching.

Location: Potsdam, near Berlin

Duration: Standard Track: 120 ECTS (24 months), Eligibility-Based Track: 60 or 90 ECTS (12 or 18 months)

Intakes: Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct

Tuition Fee: From € 13,000 per year

Modules

Leadership and Decision Making

• HR Management and Organization Design
• Cognitive Psychology & Leadership
• Management of People in Cross Cultural Environments
• Behavioural Competencies in Virtual Teams
• Emotional Agility in International Business
• CEO Decision Making & Case Studies

Project Management and Sustainability

• Project Management
• CSR, Diversity and Ethics

Digital Competencies

• Innovation Management and Digital Transformation
• I.M.E. in a Digital World
• Digital Marketing and Analytics
• Cybersecurity and Digital Risk Management
• Electives in Cloud Computing, Big Data and Cyber Security from Amazon, Alibaba and Co.

Study Abroad or Internship or Business Project Option

Scientific and Methods Competencies

• Research Methods and Scientific Work
• Master Thesis

Your Future Career

A digital transformation leadership degree can help you manage and lead digitisation in any international organisation. As a consultant, you will be in the pole position to bring businesses to the next (digitised) level.

Potential graduate opportunities:

• Cloud specialists; annual salary ranges about € 65,000.
• Digital product managers; annual salary ranges about € 68,000.
• Financial analysts; annual salary ranges about € 48,100.
• Solution architects; annual salary ranges about € 69,710.
• Chief digital officers; annual salary ranges about € 1,41,463.
• UX designers; annual salary ranges about € 42,602.
• Digital transformation specialist; annual salary ranges about € 76,333.

Entry Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (business, economics or social sciences, psychology, law, engineering, computer science, or closely related sciences)
• English proficiency: B2 (IELTS 6.0 overall, no less than 5.5 in any component) or equivalent scores in TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE or Duolingo. Gisma also offers an English test free of charge.

Tuition Fees

We offer a range of savings and funding options for our programmes. Fees will vary depending on your applicant status:

• Germany/EU applicants
• Ex-pat applicants
• International applicants

Pre-Master’s

A solid undergraduate background in a field relevant to our Master’s programmes is usually required for admission onto our various Master’s programmes. However, many prospective students find that their Bachelor’s degree does not meet the necessary admission criteria. In accordance with German educational standards, these candidates can complete a bridging semester of 30 ECTS, referred to as our “Premasters programme”, to establish familiarity with concepts and skills necessary to do well in their intended Master’s programme. Regardless of your Bachelor’s degree field, we will prepare you for success in your chosen Masters programme!