The consecutive Master’s program Digital Media and Technology is offered jointly by our institute in collaboration with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin). Additional courses may be taken at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and the School of Business and Economics at Freie Universität Berlin. Depending on the chosen areas of specialization, students study at several universities and, after successful completion, receive a joint degree.

The program combines computer science and media technology with communication, social science, and economic perspectives on digital media. The computer science and technical components are mainly offered at TU Berlin (supplemented by electives at Freie Universität Berlin), while the communication and social science components are predominantly taught at Freie Universität Berlin. HU Berlin completes the curriculum, providing courses in information science.

Students develop advanced knowledge of the conditions, structures, processes, content, and effects of mediated communication, along with the ability to implement this knowledge within computer-mediated and network-based communication. Specialization is possible in areas such as audio and language, image and video, data science, media systems and networks, human–machine interaction, media communication and effects, information science, and media economics. The program also fosters analytical and creative skills that are essential for academic and professional engagement in a media-shaped society.

As media informatics permeates nearly all areas of contemporary life, graduates can pursue a wide range of promising career opportunities. These include: media design, the conception and implementation of media transfer systems, and the design of multi-modal human–machine interfaces, usage research, media consulting, and media management. Career opportunities span digital media (e.g. entertainment, games, journalism), telecommunications, the software industry, e-commerce, and communications consulting as well as machine manufacturing, biomedical technology, and the automotive industry. Founding a company is also a common career entry point; the degree program provides numerous impulses and contacts, and Berlin currently hosts one of Europe’s most vibrant start-up scenes. An outstanding Master’s degree additionally qualifies graduates for doctoral studies.

The program has restricted admission. For information on application deadlines and procedures, please consult the TU Berlin application pages. Of the applicants admitted to the program, 50% enroll at TU Berlin, 25% at Freie Universität Berlin, and 25% at HU Berlin. Students are subsequently registered at the other partner universities.

Note: Admission to this interdisciplinary consecutive Master’s program requires, among other things, at least 20 credit points in media and communication studies (e.g., from a completed Bachelor’s degree). Prospective students should ensure they obtain these credits early on — this is often possible within a “Studium Generale.”

Further information on the program is available on the TU Berlin program page.

BUA Joint Degree Course

The Master's program was classified as a BUA Joint Degree Program in November 2023. This distinction is awarded to research-oriented cooperative study programs at Berlin University Alliance partner institutions, that are dedicated to topics of global importance and have a pronounced interdisciplinary and international profile.

The Berlin University Alliance is an alliance between Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the State of Berlin as part of the federal and state government's excellence strategy.