By expanding its range of English-language degree programmes, Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences aims to help counter the ongoing shortage of skilled workers. In particular, internationally oriented study programmes, such as the new English-language Bachelor's degree programme "Software Design International" and the Master's degree programme "International Management" play an important role in being able to train urgently needed qualified specialists.
Increasing globalisation requires universities to position themselves more broadly in order to be able to attract students from all over the world. Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences has taken up this challenge and offers English-language degree programmes to provide international students with a high-quality education.
The Bachelor's degree programme "Software Design International" will start for the first time in English in the coming winter semester, in addition to its German-language counterpart already introduced in 2020. Students receive a practical academic education in software development and actively engage with the latest technologies. In the process, they learn to plan and implement complex software projects efficiently and in a customer-oriented manner.
So far, 108 interested students have applied for Software Design International at UAS AB, 102 of whom come from abroad.
The Master's programme "International Management" attracts students from different countries who can expand their management knowledge here and gain valuable intercultural experience. This degree programme specifically prepares students for a career in globally operating companies and provides them with the necessary skills to operate successfully in an international environment. Students can also obtain a double degree in cooperation with a Finnish and soon a French partner university.
The next Global Master School, which will be offered as part of the International Management Master at Aschaffenburg UAS in November, will be explicitly dedicated to the topic of recruiting skilled workers. International student teams will develop strategies for selected companies in the Bavarian Lower Main Valley region to make them better known and more attractive to future specialists and managers from abroad.
Of the 310 prospective students who have currently applied for the Master International Management in Aschaffenburg, approximately 250 come from abroad.
Together with three European partner universities, Aschaffenburg UAS also organises the European Master’s programme MERCURI (European Master's in Customer Relationship Marketing), in which international students study one semester each at the universities in Katowice, in Grenoble, at the CEU Cardenal Herrera in Valencia and at Aschaffenburg UAS. 13 students will be enrolled here for the coming winter semester.
The President of Aschaffenburg UAS, Prof. Dr Eva-Maria Beck-Meuth emphasises how important international degree programmes are for the region:
„The English-language degree programmes enable us to train young talents at the university and attract them to the region at a time when highly qualified professionals are in short supply everywhere.“
According to a Study by the German Academic Exchange Service of 2022, around 80 % of international Master's students stay in Germany after graduating and start their professional careers here. The figure is just over 40 % in the case of bachelor's graduates. This shows how attractive Germany is as a place to work and the high quality of academic education at German universities.
Aschaffenburg UAS is pleased about the growing popularity of its international degree programmes and looks forward to making a contribution to alleviating the shortage of skilled workers in the region. Promoting internationalisation and providing high-quality educational opportunities are central elements of Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences' strategy to meet the demands of a globalised world.
To give international students a good start to their studies in Germany, the International Office at the university offers orientation weeks at the beginning of the semester, which include German courses as well as various excursions. As part of a "buddy programme", students from higher semesters accompany the international students for a semester, the Master's students from the International Management programme and the students from the Software Design International programme and help them with registration formalities, finding their way around campus or with organisational questions. In addition, the University of Applied Sciences actively helps them housing, which is a major challenge. Around 100 to 150 accommodations are needed regularly throughout the year. The International Office is happy to accept offers of accommodation. The contact person is Ernst Schulten (Tel: 06021 4206714, e-mail: ernst.schulten(at)th-ab.de).
