An excellent preparation for the career
Looking back, the degree programme turned out to be excellent preparation for my career, particularly thanks to my specialisation in international project management (IPM) and the IPMA Level D certification, which I completed on top of my regular studies. And that’s what’s special about this degree programme – the fact that you can choose between two specialisations: Corporate Communications and IPM.
English was not a barier at all
I was interested in the project management side of things while I was still at college and wanted to build on what I had already learned there. As a native German speaker, what surprised me was how having the degree programme in English turned out not to be a barrier at all – you learn the ropes and soon get used to everything. With classmates from all over the world, you end up talking English all the time outside lectures anyway and eventually you find yourself thinking in English – even as a German speaker in Austria.
Everything was rooted in real-life examples
When it comes to the degree programme itself, what impressed me most was that the lecturers – and this applies to the ones from industry, guest lecturers and people from international universities – all talk to you as their equal, and that everything is rooted in real-life examples. This has proved its worth time and again in my current position at the project management office I work in.
Seeing things from a different perspective
My international internship, which I completed in the Netherlands at PSPS Consultants, and my time studying abroad in Singapore gave me a chance to improve my language skills while teaching me how to look at things from a different perspective. The work placement lets you put everything that you have learned in theory into practice and to see which career paths you are better suited to – and that is the major advantage of studying at a University of Applied Sciences.
My tip
Make the most of the optional extras offered on your degree programme, such as certifications. While it might not necessarily have seemed like it at the time, my certification turned out to be very valuable in my first job.