I finished the closing speech of our 2022 autumn graduation with the words ‟I really had a great time during my studies (here) in Villach and in every afterlife I would again and again make the decision to study at CUAS in Villach” — and I 100% stand behind that.
But how did it come to my CUAS journey? After finishing my Bachelor’s in Business Psychology in Cologne I had to decide whether I want to go down the road of psychology or business. I applied for both and got accepted for both paths but even before being accepted for the IBM program, I already knew that if I can enroll in the IBM program, I will take this chance (keeping in mind that the program is 100% in English and this will be beneficial when working abroad). I feel like my English (which was already very good) became even better and more professional. The application process and especially the interview with our Program Director Mr. Sternad made me want to study in Villach. I immediately felt Mr. Sternad’s passion for teaching and his extreme empathy. So, after I got accepted, I looked for a place to stay and knew that in about a month I will move 1,000 kilometers away from home.
Villach not only offers you the opportunity to recharge in the nature and balance studies and relaxation perfectly, but with its unique location also encourages you to explore new places, new countries and new cultures.
Talking about cultures, the FH campus is as diverse as it can get. Notice that in our IBM master’s class we had approximately 17 different nationalities. I got so many insights into different cultures and heard so many interesting stories how other students from other countries experience living in Austria, that lunch breaks never got boring.
When it comes to the way of teaching and the curriculum, I can say that while studying for exams, I knew I am learning for life and not just plain theory that won’t help me in my future job. This was possible since all our teachers and lecturers had professional backgrounds and could teach theories based on their personal experience. I am really impressed by the lecturers and the connections that I could create.
The IBM master’s program at FH Kärnten (CUAS) is work-friendly, which gave me the opportunity to work until the afternoon, finance myself whilst being a student, and of course to gain experiences besides my studies. I decided to also do an internship during the last summer term and with that I would say that I made the best out of my studies for having great opportunities when looking for a job.
Early into the application process for a job I found out that my business English abilities, the fact that I studied abroad, my internships, my working experience, and the practically-oriented way of teaching at CUAS was a huge plus for almost all the companies and positions that I applied for. I was able to provide my employer with real life business project results (such as a market expansion plan for an Austrian shoe company or a complete business plan we wrote in a group project) from certain classes and was able to answer theoretical questions during interviews.
I decided to start working for a FinTech Recruitment company in Hamburg as I can use almost all my business skills (that I learned along with management, leadership, and communication skills) for mastering this position.