Master in Digital Business

Digital innovation and transformation have radically changed how companies collaborate and compete in the global arena. With this fundamental change came new collaborative value creation networks such as digital business ecosystems (DBEs). These are defined as a network of individuals, companies and technologies that collectively engage in creating value for different stakeholders including partners, suppliers and customers. This course is designed to emphasize the necessity of these system and their process of creating value. It will also discuss key emerging trends that are shaping the way these systems evolve and how companies redefine their business priorities and strategies through seamless collaboration.

Subject-specific module | 3 ECTS

This course familiarizes students with digital financial services, financial companies, and financial markets. Students will be given an overview of the various possibilities that arise from the use of digital financial services. They will learn how to recognize and assess digital financial companies and markets, select digital services and understand the associated risks and financial markets. By the end of this course, students will be able to evaluate the opportunities and risks associated with digital finance.

Subject-specific module | 3 ECTS

This is a practical course structured as a project with an iterative format. It is designed to provide a dynamic and engaging experience of executing a strategy consulting project based on a case study. Students will learn to self-organize and collaborate with teammates to solve problems and manage projects effectively and successfully by learning to implement feedback. In addition, students will learn to apply tools and soft skills that will enable them to solve challenges and execute projects as external or internal consultants, individual contributors, or organizational leaders.

Project-based module | 6 ECTS

Successful managers skillfully manage their resources and risks to produce a desired organizational outcome. A key and often overlooked challenge for managers is the ability to manage without influence: in other words, to gain the support of stakeholders and access to resources not directly under their control. Students will explore project management, effective negotiation and communication skills with a practical, hands-on approach through case studies and class exercises. This course will also review socio-political complexities, creativity and emotional considerations as well as approaches to maximize influence. Students will acquire the fundamental tools, concepts and behavioral skills needed to successfully lead and realize benefits from projects, negotiations and communications.

Skills-development module | 5 ECTS

Business Immersion Week is dedicated solely to business-related activities outside the classroom. Students take part in a wide range of events including company visits, escape rooms, managerial problem-solving games and entrepreneurial endeavors. Through this intense week of dynamic activities, students hone their business skills and put theory into practice.

Skills-development module | 1 ECTS

Digital media channels have radically transformed the ways consumers interact with each other and with brands. Consumers nowadays have unprecedented opportunities to connect with brands and their sphere of influence has gone beyond word-of-mouth on digital platforms. Brands accordingly had to adapt to a new era in which consumers were in the driving seat. This course examines how brands can capitalize on digital and social media channels through successful digital marketing strategies and benefit the most from the platforms’ potential as well as the consumer’s appetite to engage and co-create with brands.

Subject-specific module | 3 ECTS

As businesses around the world continue to depend more on their digital business architecture, managing the behaviors and ways those technologies are used is critical to maximizing operational excellence. In essence, malicious or careless use of digital tools and spaces can threaten the reputation of brands in profound ways, urging managers to implement new policies that educate employees on how inappropriate handling of data, communication and hardware can threaten a business’s success. This course provides students with the necessary insight and knowledge of digital business design to effectively manage negotiations and communication-based projects, while ensuring positive e-reputation throughout business processes.

Subject-specific module | 3 ECTS

This is a practical course in strategy development structured as an agile project, culminating in creation of a strategy based on a luxury tourism case study. The course is designed to provide a dynamic and engaging experience of developing a strategy by understanding context, choices and determining goals which will determine resource allocation and defend competitive differentiation. The project will involve market research, analysis of segment attractiveness and competitive position building on capabilities and existing strengths. The final strategy will devise development of winning plays for competitive advantage aligned to the company mission and performance objectives. Students will learn to self-organize and collaborate with teammates to effectively manage content modules with group work as with a real management consulting project.

Project-based module | 6 ECTS

This course equips students with the skills required to become effective leaders. Students will learn how to take decisions under uncertainty, build the capabilities needed to lead across local and international boundaries, and learn how to bridge culture gaps and differences to create value for the organization. Students will further develop the ability to lead through challenging dilemmas and explore the role of emotional intelligence in transforming a good leader into a great one. This course will equip students with the knowledge and skills required to formulate contemporary leadership strategies, which will allow for both short- and long-term success. The course takes a pragmatic, real-world approach and embraces the latest thinking in leadership development.

Skills-development module | 5 ECTS

Business Immersion Week is dedicated solely to business-related activities outside the classroom. Students take part in a wide range of events including company visits, escape rooms, managerial problem-solving games and entrepreneurial endeavors. Through this intense week of dynamic activities, students hone their business skills and put theory into practice.

Skills-development module | 1 ECTS

This course critically examines the economic features and forces of the digital economy, as well the impact of new technologies on businesses. It will provide a thorough theoretical framework for understanding the implications the digitization of economy has on firms, consumers, and competition through real case studies and other relevant literary and digital resources. In addition, the course will assess how the digital economy functions with the help of microeconomic tools, as well as evaluate the effects it has on both business and society. Throughout this course, students will discover how the different key business areas (sales, marketing, operations, finance, etc.) are adapting to the changing realities of the digital economy.

Subject-specific module | 3 ECTS

This course is designed to introduce students to the entrepreneurial mindset and various stages of building successful and sustainable digital business models. Students will be introduced to the entrepreneurial cycle from the first idea and generation of financing to the final digital product or service. The course will also cover the latest developments in direct-to-consumer practices, digital B2B solutions, VR, AI, gamification, platform services, social media commerce and other digital trends. It will provide students with a broader perspective of entrepreneurship by examining entrepreneurial behaviors and capabilities for digital business development. In addition to developing core competencies in both academic research and practical entrepreneurial management, the course will prepare students to develop an applied understanding of digitalization.

Subject-specific module | 3 ECTS

This project-based new product development course is designed to provide students with experience in creating and developing a new product from ideation to launch. The course follows the lean startup method. The basic principle of this method is to launch a new product as quickly as possible in order to obtain customer feedback at a very early stage. This is done in a build-measure-learn cycle, which is constantly repeated to develop a product that is designed to be as close as possible to the customer's needs. Students will learn to apply this iterative approach in a concrete case study. They will not only learn the methodological basics and the required toolbox, but also the mindset, which is fundamentally different from that of classic product development. At the end of the course, participants should be able to successfully apply the Lean Startup method in concrete product, service, and business development situations.

Project-based module | 6 ECTS

This course equips students with the skills required to build and lead successful, high-performance teams. The students will learn to manage team dynamics in local and global environments and navigate through corporate and cultural challenges, including crisis management, miscommunication, and conflict resolution. A hands-on approach to team development will be introduced. Considerable attention will be paid to team leadership and empowerment within an ever-changing business environment.

Skills-development module | 5 ECTS

Business Immersion Week is dedicated solely to business-related activities outside the classroom. Students take part in a wide range of events including company visits, escape rooms, managerial problem-solving games and entrepreneurial endeavors. Through this intense week of dynamic activities, students hone their business skills and put theory into practice.

Skills-development module | 1 ECTS