Industrial Management

Master of Engineering (M. Eng.)

Details according to Art. 7 of the statute of the Aalen University of Applied Sciences - technology and economy - on the selection procedure in the Industrial Management Master programme.

Essential Prerequisites for participation in the application process for admission are (shortened form, for full form see admission rules):

• A professional qualified degree (Bachelor Degree, Diploma Degree or equivalent) in business administration (technically oriented), business informatics, industrial management, another engineering science or a related field and
• A degree with a minimum GPA of 2,5 or equivalent and
• A degree with a minimum of 210 ECTS-Credit Points or

A degree with a minimum of 180 ECTS-Credit Points.  Applicants with a degree with a minimum of 180 ECTS-Credit Points but less than 210 ECTS-Credit Points will only be admitted on the condition that they will acquire an additional 30 ECTS-Credit Points during the Master’s programme.  The form in which the additional credits are provided will be decided by the selection committee.

Master thesis: including colloquium

The course of study for the Master´s in Industrial Management is structured modularly and consists approximately of one third engineering sciences, one third busnisess marketing subjects, and one third management subjects. It is divided into 3 semesters with a total of 40 hours per week of instruction 1st semester - 20 hours per week, 2nd semester - 20 hours per week, 3nd semester - Master thesis). Alltogether, 90 ECTS-Credit Points are acquired during the course of study. The first two semesters present the theoretical knowledge and the third semester is for writing the Master´s Thesis.

The basic knowledge of scientific methods for applied research and well grounded, specialised knowledge are both imparted in the first and second semesters.

In the Master´s Degree course Industrial Management (IDM) students can specialise by choosing electives in the fields of engineering science as well as business science, marketing and management. In order to ensure that the Masters course is a Masters of Engineering, students must choose 4 out of electives in Engineering Science, 3 out of electives in BWL/Marketing and 3 out of electives in Management.

Students choose primary elective modules from offerings provided for them by Industrial Management Master`s programme. In addition, other modules from different Master´s programmes of the University or from different universities can be chosen under the request and approval of the Dean. Additionally, the students have the opportunity to select an adequate module from the entire course offering of the University in an appropriate field of study.

With the teaching of modern, practical management techniques and skills, graduates of this Master´s course will be able to take on (technical) management responsibility in the future. In this way, the Master´s programme has a strong application oriented profile that follows the tradition of the University´s Business Science faculty. 

Qualification targets of the Master degree programme in Industrial Management (Master of Engineering)

Graduates of the Industrial Management Master degree programme are prepared to perform executive functions on the technological management level or higher. They have internalized modern, practical management methods and essentials of business administration and they can efficiently use both in practical jobs on account of their experience gained in case studies and projects. The graduates have also acquired and tested comprehensive leadership and social skills. In engineering, they have acquired enhanced knowledge in modelling, simulation and IT that they can apply to technical problems on their own.

• The qualification of graduates follows the stations of the product life cycle whose core processes trace the value-added chain. Graduates of the programme know these core processes in detail, from product development to mass production, and they can assess and shape them.
• They can control development processes, the production and the logistics of a company. Graduates of the Industrial Management programme can also define, improve and shape the supporting processes in purchasing, finances/controlling, marketing and distribution and can make them more efficient.
• Being interdisciplinary carriers of know-how between technology and economy, they fulfil important bridge functions in companies and can lead, say, producing units (manufacture/plant manager) or logistic units (logistics manager/supply chain manager).
• They can also be in charge of technology-oriented purchasing or sales departments (purchasing manager, marketing manager/customer business manager).
• Graduates of the programme are capable of academic work thanks to their master thesis and the demanding projects and case studies carried out in their degree programme.

Master graduates of the Industrial Management programme have developed and obtained comprehensive knowledge of modern management methods and how to efficiently apply them to practical problems, particularly at the interface between technology and economy but also beyond.

Engineering main focus 

Graduates can analyse product requirements and their functions and creatively contribute to product designs, knowing about system contexts and manufacturing technologies.

Incorporating relevant principles of products, they understand how to develop and plan product development processes, taking technological and economical criteria into account with regard to available production factors and capacities. Furthermore, graduates can assess fundamental options, contribute formative skills in trendsetting product systems, whether in a team or individually, and handle dynamic team processes.

Graduates can design sophisticated product development and production processes, taking all product requirements into account.

Business Management/Marketing main focus 

Graduates are able to interpret national or international capital markets and economic contexts, to rate them and to transform them into essential product requirements.

In particular, graduates can assess and analyse financing options and, with the knowledge attained from there, intervene in budgetary and liquidity planning, including debt and fiscal areas, focusing on the future.

Graduates are qualified to analyse and interpret research methods and results in innovation management and the development of new products as well as global economic decision scenarios.

With their broad knowledge and working with IT system, graduates can develop marketing strategies out of the operational sales management, transfer analytic model-building to actual systems and contribute fundamentally to a value-oriented business management.

Graduates can use tools of quality management and marketing for competitive orientation and risk reduction.

Management main focus

Graduates can use analytic and innovative methods for interpreting complex processes and contexts in global frameworks concerning financial risks and chances or project obtained results on the process management.

Graduates can set up and assess construction and workflow organisation charts or operational and efficient operational plans, relating both to the project and the company strategy, and develop and initiate competitive and trendsetting marketing strategies.

They are able to initiate systematic innovation processes and to apply their versatile skills to production or HR management with regard to economic, ecological and social dimensions with lasting effect.

Graduates can present R&D results or any advanced issues in speech and writing, using latest operation and presentation methods accordingly. They can be applied in multinational working areas where the English language is used.

Master graduates of Industrial Management are able to lead staff responsibly, structured and process-related, performing in typical management situations or in front of contractors and business partners with persuasion and negotiation skills.

At the Aalen University of Applied Sciences, the capacity for engagement in the civil society is integrated in the curriculum of every degree programme. The Aalen University of Applied Sciences implements the requirements of the Bologna process by integrating General Studies in the curriculum. Implementation and observance of the respective activities are stipulated in the General Studies policy. To prepare the students for professional life, it is essential to integrate soft skills in the degree programme. A broad range is created for each semester. The types of events in the General Studies are very diverse and include public talks, seminars, and activities in welfare services or volunteering in bodies.