I completed my bachelor's degree in business administration/business informatics at Pforzheim University – a decision that has had a lasting impact on my future career path. Right from the start, I felt that the combination of technical computer science, business management knowledge, and practice-oriented projects was exactly what I expected from a modern degree program.

I was particularly impressed by the close support provided by the teaching staff right from the start. Communication was always open, appreciative, and constructive. Questions were taken seriously, ideas were supported, and individual strengths were specifically encouraged. This personal environment contributed significantly to my professional and personal development.

The program is clearly designed to optimally prepare students for tasks in the digital economy. Much of the content is practical: project work, workshops, case studies, and events with corporate partners enable theoretical knowledge to be immediately translated into application-oriented solutions. I was able to take on responsibility in group work early on, develop my own concepts, and learn how important teamwork, structure, and communication are in modern IT projects.

The technical modules in particular—from programming and web development to data analytics—helped me build a solid foundation and sharpen my interests. At the same time, the business administration part gave me a deep understanding of how technology can be meaningfully integrated into business processes. Today, I see this combination as a decisive advantage of the program.

Campus life was also a great added value for me. The family atmosphere, well-equipped rooms, modern infrastructure, and numerous initiatives make the university a place where you not only study but also grow. Through my involvement in projects and student groups, I gained valuable experience and made contacts that I still have today.

Looking back, I can say that my studies prepared me excellently for my professional goals. I learned to analyze complex relationships, design digital solutions, and implement projects in a structured manner. At the same time, my studies boosted my self-confidence and showed me how much you can achieve when you are open to others and willing to take on responsibility.

My advice to future students: Take advantage of the opportunities that the program offers. Get involved, stay curious, and have the courage to try new things. The combination of strong teaching, personal support, and practical orientation makes IT & Management in Pforzheim a program that opens doors—professionally, personally, and career-wise.

I completed my internship semester at Bosch Manufacturing Solutions GmbH in Stuttgart-Feuerbach in the Project Management Office (PMO) department.

I found out about the position through an online application. Even during the interview, I had the feeling that the topics in the field of project management and automation were a perfect fit for my studies in business informatics. During the internship, I was allowed to work very independently and was fully integrated into the team from the very beginning. I was in regular contact with various project managers, whose requirements I recorded, reviewed, and implemented.

Working on the introduction and further development of SharePoint Online as a project platform was particularly exciting, as it allowed me to take on not only technical but also organizational responsibility. I was taken seriously, was able to contribute my own ideas, and never felt like I was “just an intern.” On the contrary, I felt like part of the team and was given the confidence to really make a difference.

I gained a tremendous amount from this experience, both professionally and personally. I was able to deepen my knowledge of digital tools, process management, and automation, and I learned how important communication and teamwork are for successful projects. The internship also prepared me excellently for my bachelor's thesis, as many tasks required scientific work, documentation, and research.

My advice to future students would be: be open, show what you can do, and actively approach others. We can often do more than we give ourselves credit for. Through exchanges with colleagues from different departments, I not only learned a lot, but also made valuable contacts that have helped me in my everyday work.

Looking back, the internship semester has made my career goals clearer. I now know exactly where I belong: in the field of digital process optimization and project management. This experience has shown me how much I enjoy working on structured, innovative solutions and that I would like to continue my career in this field.

After my first semester in market research, I realized that I was missing the technical aspect in my studies. I wanted a degree program that taught both business fundamentals and IT expertise—a combination that is increasingly in demand. Pforzheim University particularly impressed me with its practical approach and balanced emphasis on business administration and computer science. The Business Administration/Business Informatics program offered exactly what I was looking for: sound business knowledge combined with modern IT content.

A particular highlight of my studies were the various projects in collaboration with companies. These not only offered the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in practice, but also to receive direct feedback from the business world. The practical relevance always motivated me and helped me to develop my knowledge in a targeted manner.

I found working with different SAP systems particularly exciting. The opportunity to work directly with tools that are also used in the corporate world on a daily basis was extremely instructive and gave me a realistic insight into my future professional practice. I also really liked the breadth of topics, from databases and software development to business process management.

After completing my studies, I would like to continue working in an IT-related field. My goal is to work at the interface between business requirements and technical solutions—ideally in an innovative and dynamic environment. My internship semester at Mercedes-Benz AG has already given me valuable insights into precisely this area and reinforced my career aspirations.

The “Business Informatics - Management & IT” degree program at Pforzheim University is distinguished not only by its practice-oriented teaching content, but also by the multitude of topics that are relevant to companies and provide important points of contact within the companies themselves. Whether software engineering, IT security, or business process management, the program has a large corporate network that covers all areas of work for a business information systems specialist.

The focus of the program is more on applying the theory learned in practice and being prepared for employment before starting a job. Thanks to the practical lecture content and the six-month mandatory internship, I was able to define Robert Bosch GmbH and the central information processing division, where I wanted to work, while I was still studying.

The six-month work experience allowed me to deepen my personal skills, demonstrate them within the company, fundamentally expand my range of abilities, and consolidate them through further study-related work, which provided an ideal foundation for my future career.

I was also able to write my thesis at the same company—in a different business unit with a completely different focus: From quality indicators and the associated reporting, the thesis covered process management with a new collaboration model for different business units. Here, too, internal networking during my studies was key to my success.

I am now responsible for problem-solving methods in the central information processing department at Robert Bosch GmbH in Stuttgart.

In short, I am now working again in the department where I did my internship. Networking and effective data exchange were ensured throughout."

Tobias Schneider has been working at Robert Bosch GmbH in the QM System, Methods, and Reporting department since graduating. He spent his first two years as an internal SAP consultant and the following years as a software quality engineer. Since October 2018, he has been the first problem-solving coach in the CI department to be certified by Bosch GmbH headquarters.

Gregory Ratushnyak already had a job at Deutsche Bank as a trainee in the Technology department when he submitted his thesis. One of his first training events took him to London, where Deutsche Bank trainees from all over the world came together. There were training courses in project management, GPM, ITIL, Java, JavaScript, and SQL. Here he tells us about his experiences in London and what he can say about his studies in retrospect.

"I am very proud that I can answer almost all questions related to PM and GPM. I was the only one who knew what risk, scope statement, 6 Sigma, etc. meant. The trainers were very surprised (in a positive way)! I also feel comfortable when it comes to economic topics. Unfortunately, I don't have such a strong knowledge of Java. But that's more my fault, as I didn't learn Java very well at the university. :-)

Overall, I am very satisfied with the knowledge I gained at the university and what the university has done for me. That's why I would like to thank you!"

At the 2018 awards ceremony, Mr. Ratushnyak received the AKTIVBANK AG award for an outstanding thesis in the field of business informatics.

“First of all, I would like to thank you for supervising my thesis and also for your support throughout my studies. For me, this degree program was the best choice, especially in terms of my professional future!”

At the 2018 awards ceremony, Mr. Gasser received the Robert Bosch GmbH prize for an outstanding thesis in the field of business informatics.