Huge Success: 325 Applications for the 1st Master’s Program
In October 2025, 40 students will begin the first Master’s program “Interdisciplinary Computing” at IT:U. The first call for applications for the Master’s program at the Interdisciplinary Transformation University IT:U in Linz attracted international interest from 25 different countries, with a total of 325 applications submitted.
Among the 82 admissions already granted, there is a balanced gender ratio. IT:U continues to follow its goal of gender equality and the promotion of women in STEM fields. The program will start in autumn 2025 with the first group of 40 students at IT:U in Linz. Several admissions have already been confirmed for the summer semester of 2026.
“Studying at IT:U means bringing a strong curiosity and enthusiasm for digital technologies and AI. This is a prerequisite for joining our interdisciplinary program. We are very pleased that our new approach to project-based learning in small groups has received such a strong international response. With a balanced gender ratio among the selected applicants, we aim to offer equal opportunities for new professional paths to everyone.”
Stefanie Lindstaedt, founding president of IT:U
Learn Labs as a new learning environment in project-based education
So-called Learn Labs form the foundation of the project-based learning approach: in the first two semesters of the Master’s program, students are introduced to a variety of digital technologies such as Virtual Reality, Motion Capture, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence. They receive a “methods and tools kit” that supports their self-directed learning journey, accompanied by a Learn Coach. Any missing subject knowledge and 21st century skills are provided in learning modules by professors and international lecturers. What is new at IT:U is the inclusion of individual capabilities, which determine the extent of necessary additional qualifications.
Innovation through interdisciplinarity
With this first Master’s program, IT:U sets a clear signal for interdisciplinary higher education. Depending on the chosen specialisation – Designing Interactions; Digital Earth, Society, and Networks; Digital Humanities, Health, and Life Sciences; or Future Industries – the technologies learned are applied in the second year to projects dealing with real societal challenges. Students learn to think across disciplinary boundaries and to use data analysis and AI-supported technologies to develop new solutions for business, science, and society.
“The response confirms our approach: we are reshaping higher education – project-based, interdisciplinary, and global. The Master’s program Interdisciplinary Computing empowers students to combine technological innovation with social responsibility – exactly what the world needs for the future.”
Gerd Christian Krizek, Senior Manager for Study Portfolio & Student Affairs and responsible for developing this first Master’s program
New application deadline until the end of September 2025
Following the overwhelming interest during the first application round and with the aim of offering as many qualified applicants as possible the chance to study at IT:U, the university is pleased to announce a new call for applications for the Master’s program “Interdisciplinary Computing“. The application period runs from the beginning of July until the end of September 2025.