SRH University

Strategic Design

Master of Arts | Berlin

For you, design is not just about aesthetics. It has the potential to change the world for the better. You have a B.A. degree in creative disciplines and want to help create the future. Welcome to our Strategic Design Master's programme.

Master Design Strategy students do teamwork.
All Facts at a glance
Degree:
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Start:
1st october
Model:
full time
Language:
English
ECTS:
120
Info:
accredited
Duration:
4 semester/2 years
Location:
Berlin
Costs:
from €790 per month
Content of Your Studies

Learn more about Design Thinking & Leadership

You develop your strategic thinking skills at the interface between innovation management, brand strategy and the management of creative processes. You will not only learn to understand social and technological innovation, but also to think about it holistically and shape it for the future.   
To this end you will immerse yourself in methods and theories of corporate and brand management, design thinking, social design, transformation design, system thinking and critical thinking.

You learn user-centred research, focused synthesis and systematic idea development. You will deal with creativity techniques, business models, sustainability and intercultural communication.
Soft skills such as presentation skills and the development of your personal leadership style are specifically promoted through specially designed teaching units. The teaching of methods of scientific work creates the basis for writing a Master's thesis in the fourth semester of the programme.

Career Opportunities

Become a Creative Director, Brand Manager and more

More than ever before, companies, institutions and startups alike are realising that brand management and shaping a strategic brand identity are key to gaining and maintaining a competitive advantage. The demand for specialists in design and brand management, as well as, creative direction is accordingly high. Service design and experience design are also popular occupations for strategic designers and alumni of our programme.

Another professional field constantly growing in popularity for strategic designers is innovation management. Driving innovation in enterprises, institutions and startups is increasingly being led and moderated by strategically-trained designers, as they can connect creative and strategic processes. Strategic designers can be found in many strategy departments of large companies.

Studentin mit Handy in der Hand läuft an einer roten Wand vorbei
Your path to the future
Apply now!

Your modules

The Master's programme in Strategic Design equips you with comprehensive skills to develop innovative design strategies. You will gain expertise in design thinking, project management, and conducting human-centred research. A key focus lies in data analysis and participatory design methods.

You will explore brand identity in the creative realm, employing analogue and digital tools. Change management and storytelling techniques will support you in implementing effective design solutions. You will also refine your publication skills to present your work professionally.

The programme provides practical experience through excursions, mentoring, and exchanges with industry professionals. Sustainability, media ethics, and intercultural communication are also embedded within the curriculum. In the final phase, you will produce a Master's thesis that synthesises your skills in a practical context.

We are happy to provide further information, including the complete curriculum.

Order information material
Project
Project

Students explore Berlin's creative industry

Strategic Design in the real world: Networking and professional development through guided industry tours in Berlin.

About the project

Design thinking as a method of social innovation

Students are designing a community space in a refugee camp in Lebanon. They are using design thinking processes to design the space in such a way that it has an activating effect and can generate creative and positive impulses.

to the project & book
Behind the scences

Strategic Design students talk about their studies

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Our CORE principle
Our CORE principle

Apply your skills in real life

Today, soft and social skills are crucial in addition to hard skills and expertise. That's why SRH University's innovative, successful, and award-winning CORE principle promotes independent and active learning so that you can apply your knowledge directly to projects and your future career—for a clear competitive advantage. 

Learn more about CORE
Campaign against hate speech
Campaign against hate speech

Don't Be Silent

How does it feel to be a victim of online hate speech? What can each individual do about it? The "Don't Be Silent" project takes a firm stand against hate online and helps the student team from the M.A. Strategic Design and M.A. Marketing Communication degree programmes to take first place in the "Peer To Peer: Facebook Global Digital Challenge" with their campaign.

Learn more

Stefanie Ollenburg

External lecturer for Innovation Strategies (an Introduction to Foresight and Futures Literacy)

Costs

Smart financing

As a state-recognised private university, SRH University is financed by tuition fees. The fees go towards equipping our campuses, providing services for our students, and ensuring quality assurance. This way, we ensure you receive the best possible education under optimal study conditions.

Tuition fees

  • Citizenship | EU/EEA, including Western Balkans, Switzerland and Ukraine: €790 / month
  • Citizenship | non-EU/EEA: €5,700 / semester

The monthly/semester tuition fees remain the same for the entire duration of the study programme. A one-off enrolment fee of €750 (EU/EEA) or €1000 (non-EU/EEA) is to be paid once.

Goal-oriented studies require good organisational skills and solid financial planning on how to pay rent, living costs, and tuition fees. Various financing options, such as educational loans or scholarship programmes, are available for students.

We have summarised all financing options for you.

Admission requirements and application

Admission

You can apply at any time via our online portal. We will then check your application documents and invite you to a personal interview.

To apply for the Master's programme in Strategic Design, you will need to provide

  • Bachelor's degree in in a design discipline such as design, architecture, art, photography or film
  • Portfolio with 15 to 20 own creative works - you can upload the portfolio with your application, send it to us or bring it with you when we invite you for a personal interview.
  • Letter of motivation: What goals do you want to achieve with the Master's in Strategic Design and what is Strategic Design for you?
  • Secondary School Certificate
  • Proof of English language proficiency
  • Curriculum Vitae with a current passport photo
  • Copy of your identity card or passport

After you submit your application, we will review it. If the assessment is positive, we will invite you to a personal admissions interview. In the interview, we want to find out what goals you are pursuing with your degree. We will also ask programme-specific questions to learn more about your theoretical knowledge and practical skills. If you cannot visit us in Berlin, we are happy to offer an online appointment.

More information about the admission requirements

Apply now
Application process

We look forward to welcoming you to SRH University. This is what our application process looks like:

  1. You submit your online application via the SRH application portal
  2. If you meet the admission requirements, we will invite you to a personal/phone interview
  3. If the interview is successful, you will receive an acceptance letter and the study contract
  4. You sign the study contract and send it back to us
  5. You pay the enrolment fee
  6. You will receive your letter of admission
  7. You take part in our Welcome Week and then you are good to go!
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