FH Upper Austria Expands International Study Programs: Combining IT Expertise and Creativity

The doors to the international media world are about to open even wider for students and graduates of the Bachelor’s degree program in Media Technology and Design (MTD) at FH Upper Austria’s Hagenberg Campus. Starting in the 2026/27 academic year, the program will be taught entirely in English.

“With our core focus—combining IT skills with creative design—we’ve established ourselves as a leading educational institution for the creative industries over the past three decades. Switching to English will prepare our students for international internships and careers,” says Program Director FH-Prof. DI Mag. Dr. Andreas Stöckl. This step also creates opportunities to welcome even more international talent.

Last year, MTD modernized its curriculum, adding new content on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Increasing internationalization is the logical next step. The benefits of this global approach are already evident in the Master’s program Interactive Media, which has been offered in English since 2011 and attracts a mix of local and international students. Around 60% of international applicants stay in Austria after graduation and work for local companies. The new English-language MTD program aims to build on this success.

High-Quality Media Technology Education at an Affordable Price—A Global Rarity
Stöckl expects growing interest from international applicants, especially since the program already attracts many German-speaking internationals. “What many don’t realize: worldwide, there are very few programs in this field offered at a high level by public universities—and at affordable tuition rates,” he emphasizes.
The program’s broad scope ranges from Web Development and Web Design to Computer Games, Audiovisual Media, Design and UX, Software Development, and Creative AI. This unique combination makes the degree versatile and relevant to diverse career paths in the global media and IT industries.

MTD on the International Stage
English has long dominated the field, as reflected in everyday study life: technical terminology is consistently English and has quietly made its way into lecture halls, media studios, and computer labs.
MTD’s strong international network is evident in the careers of its alumni, such as Stephan Hamberger, VP of Digital Products at Red Bull Media House in Los Angeles; Alexandra Ion, Research Lead at Carnegie Mellon University’s Interactive Structures Lab in Pittsburgh; and Marlene Mayr, Game Programmer at Netflix in Helsinki.

International Partnerships with Sustainable Impact
MTD also demonstrates creativity through its global collaborations. One example is the “International Minor Global Acting in IT,” a partnership with four other universities: Belgian Campus in Pretoria (South Africa), PXL Hasselt (Belgium), Fontys ICT Eindhoven (Netherlands), and Universidad de Lleida (Spain).
Students from these institutions spend three weeks at each partner university, working together on projects. In 2025, under the guidance of Mag. Volker Christian, they developed GPS-enabled sensor devices to combat the spread of water hyacinths in African lakes—a project with a clear sustainability focus.

Apply Now
Applications for the English-language MTD program are now open.
For more information, visit www.fh-ooe.at/en/mtd or join the live Online Study Talk on December 15 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.