Web Science (Master’s program) – Career Options
The Master’s programme Web Science leads to a graduation as a Master of Science and the qualification to make sound decisions in and for the web. Therefore, management and decision-making positions are potential career scenarios. Graduates of this programme will work in a range of companies, scientific or public institutions and manage projects that are concerned with the web.
First off, what is Web Science?
The term “Web Science” was coined by Tim Berners Lee at the beginning of this millennium. It refers to the necessity of a paradigm change from “Computer Science” to a more interdisciplinary approach and of focusing on the possibilities of the “Web” as the interconnection of people, services and systems.
The term “Web” nowadays refers to the interconnection of people, services and systems (e.g. technical, economical, social, cultural). “Web Science” deals with phenomena in and of the Web and uses knowledge, concepts and methods from corresponding disciplines and perspectives (informatics, economics, business administration, law, design, social sciences etc.). Therefore the course of studies in Web Science comprises all these perspectives.
As a result, Web Scientists manage web projects and are capable of embracing a holistic, out of the box perspective on web phenomena.
Web experts are in high demand and are presented with diverse career opportunities
There are currently around 40,000 job vacancies for IT-experts. “The shortage of skilled labor is a structural problem” says Professor Dieter Kempf, president of BITKOM, the German Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and Media. He went on to explain that the shortage existed permanently and irrespective of the economic development. Just like the year before, every other company in the industry (50 percent) has stated that there is a shortage of IT-experts. A similar number of companies (48 percent) expect this shortage to exacerbate in the future.
Potential fields of employment for graduates of the Master’s program in Web Science include consultation, communication and executive responsibilities in service, application and information departments of enterprises, authorities or institutions. Future employers are primarily industrial and service enterprises, e-commerce businesses, social network companies, online advertising agencies, hardware and software developers, consulting firms and public authorities.
The Web is evolving rapidly. This dynamic coins a wide variety of professional roles and tasks. A whole range of new and exciting career opportunities is waiting for you.