Public Administration Informatics (cooperative studies)

Degree programme

Recent years have seen increasing demands made on modern administrative systems in the public sector. Seeking to satisfy public expectations for high levels of service performance that take full advantage of IT, governments around the world have fashioned a regulatory framework that requires providers to maintain an agile and responsive service. The resulting need to modernize the existing public service infrastructure has generated a requirement for specialists able to work to legal and administrative specifications to prepare, develop and implement E-government solutions 

The pressing need for digitalization in public administration – due in part to the current shortage of qualified employees – has led to a high level of demand for public administration informatics specialists in both the public sector and private-sector companies that work with public administrations. These employers are keen to involve students in practical work at an early stage and retain them as employees after graduation.

Against this background, the HWR Berlin has offered the cooperative studies Bachelor’s degree programme in Public Administration Informatics since winter semester 2022/23 in cooperation with the State of Berlin and partners such as the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund. 40 students can start the course every winter semester.

Students of the Public Administration Informatics cooperative studies Bachelor's degree programme are taught through a mix of seminars, exercises and projects. This theoretical knowledge is expanded and reinforced during internships. Graduates of the programme are qualified to assume specialist and management responsibilities in the planning, implementation and organization of IT systems. In addition to working for state and municipal administrations, graduates of the programme also go on to employment in public companies, not-for-profit and Church organizations and private companies that perform public activities or act as service providers for the public sector.

The programme provides a broad academic foundation while also enabling students to develop in-depth expertise in selected areas. These include:

• The design, operation and customization of large-scale IT systems, including multimedia systems, and in particular, specialized applications in a public administration context.
• The conception and introduction of IT-supported business processes in a public administration context.
• The provision of support for typical IT management tasks such as IT project management, Requirements Management, innovation proposals and strategy and security concepts.
• The performance of specialist tasks requiring a high level of social skills (communication, cooperation and team-working skills, assertiveness and the ability and willingness to take responsibility).

The theoretical component of this cooperative studies degree programme is the outcome of the development of the previous Public Administration Informatics Bachelor’s degree programme. Designed as an intensive programme of study with a standard period of study of seven semesters and 240 ECTS, the degree requires a high level of resilience from its students. A twelve-month practical phase, which meets the requirement for the Laufbahnbefähigung, is completed in five short and one long practical phases. This means that a high proportion of the non-teaching period periods is spent completing practical phases with the respective partner organisation. Classes taught at the HWR Berlin are generally subject to an attendance requirement. . The fees for the programme are covered by our training partners, who also provide potential employment following graduation. 

Applicants who pass the selection procedure of their chosen training partner will conclude a training agreement that sets out the framework conditions for the cooperative studies degree programme.

Professional field

Graduates of this programme are qualified for a range of senior administrative and mid-level management roles within the public sector. Given the fulfilment of individual requirements and the completion of a minimum 26-week internship in organizations of the non-technical German public administration, graduates of this programme are also qualified to assume a wide range of roles within Laufbahngruppe 2 of the non-technical administrative service of the state of Berlin (i.e. a probationary period as a civil servant).

Graduates of the programme are qualified to take on demanding roles, including managerial responsibilities, in the design and implementation of IT solutions for the public sector. Students choose to specialize in either administrative or IT-related fields. Our graduates go on to careers in public administrations, the private sector (e.g. private-sector companies in the IT sector working closely with state organizations) and not-for-profit companies.