Data Protection and IT Security

HERE you can find the right Master for the degree programme!

Study overview

The primary focus is on the integration of data protection, IT security and the fundamentals of information technology. This is where the Bachelor's programme "Data Privacy and IT-Security" comes in: The aim is to train experts the fields of technical data protection and IT security, who can be directly deployed in a company and support the legally compliant implementation of the data protection strategy. The focus should be on the constructive development of legally compliant and, at the same time, economically viable solutions. This requires experts with interdisciplinary training who, in addition to the much-needed technical expertise, also possess the skills to implement the requirements both in organisational terms and in compliance with the legal framework. Their task will also be to develop solutions together with the respective experts (lawyers, IT specialists, management representatives) and to lead or guide their implementation. For this reason, a broad education is essential to ensure the acquisition of basic knowledge and in particular an understanding of the technical terminology for the relevant areas.

Short form	DIS
Type of study	Full time
Standard period of study	7 semester
Award	Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
Start of studies	Winter semester
Admission Restrictions	None
Lecture location	Ansbach
Language of instruction	German
Course management	Prof. Dr. Wolf Knüpffer Prof. Dr. Stefanie Fehr
Student advisory service	Prof. Dr. Stefanie Fehr
Study programme assistance	studiengangsassistenz-dis(at)hs-ansbach.de
Student Services	studierendenservice.dis(at)hs-ansbach.de

Course flyer (German)

Module manual (German)

Study and examination regulations

Qualification profile

With advancing digitalisation, effective protection of sensitive data and corporate networks and solutions is becoming increasingly important, with the latter often being a central condition for the former. In order to be able to build secure and legally compliant IT solutions, in addition to in-depth knowledge and skills in the field of IT security, basic knowledge of the legal and organisational foundations of data protection as well as sound expertise and skills regarding the fundamentals of computer science are required as a technical basis.

The focus of the study concept is therefore on "IT security" and "technical data protection" (e.g. cryptography, cybercrime/security, ethical hacking and system hardening, IT forensics, network security, cloud computing) as well as "organisational and legal data protection" (e.g. compliance management, data protection law, privacy engineering). These key qualifications enable graduates to understand the numerous interdisciplinary connections, to analyse them, to secure them legally and to identify and close technical security gaps in the IT infrastructure. The study concept is complemented by basic courses from the field of computer science (e.g. programming, algorithms and data structures, IT infrastructure, web development).

Career prospects

Currently, the career prospects of future graduates* could not be better. There is a considerable shortage of qualified specialists in Germany, especially in the IT security and data protection sector and many companies are having great difficulty filling vacancies (despite offering lucrative salaries). Moreover, in the medium and long term, it can also be assumed that there will continue to be a high demand for these types of experts throughout Germany and beyond.

Study structure

The Data Privacy and IT-Security degree programme is heavily practice-oriented and, after teaching students the basics in the first three semesters, the course offers an early opportunity to specialise in the fourth and fifth semesters. In order to best prepare the students for their future professional careers, from the first semester onwards, the teaching content from the various lectures is directly applied in practice-oriented group exercises. In the fifth semester, the teaching content is put into practice in an independent project, usually with an external partner.

A compulsory module "Project Management" prepares students to deal with typical time and financial constraints in their future work. Following the practical semester (sixth semester), the seventh semester offers students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in the seventh semester by working on their bachelor thesis and taking an elective module. In addition, the two further modules "Company Auditing" and "Professional Communication" prepare students for their future careers.