Survey reveals: EIT Digital Master School is boosting careers

Finding a good career is one of the reasons to rate the EIT Digital Master School high. This career is either at a company (73%) or in their own firm (15%), totalling to almost full employment (88%). The remaining 2% is currently on leave, caring for children, travelling, taking time off, planning to start a business or work on a personal project or are furthering their education. A small fraction 9% is looking for a job.

Of all the employed people, almost one third (27%) were already recruited before even graduating. Over ninety per cent of the employed graduates started working within 6 months after graduation; 35% of them already within the first three months.

Head of the EIT Digital Master School Andrea Paoli says going to a university is more than just learning theories. "The EIT Digital Master School offers students additional perks to improve their career prospects. These are among others learning to adapt to different cultures by studying at two European top tech universities, working within international teams and building networks. And our students are valuable on the job market, for they have mastered the skill to give business meaning to emerging technologies."   

The EIT Digital Master School is a European network of 18 top technical universities that, since 2012, combines technical education on emerging technologies with entrepreneurial education. Students learn to turn deep tech into business in a two-year programme at two universities. Upon successful completion, they receive two Masters' degrees, plus a certificate from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). There are eight programmes to choose from. These are:

Autonomous Systems, Cloud and Network Infrastructures, Data Science, Cyber Security, Digital Manufacturing, Embedded Systems, Fintech, and Human Computer Interaction and Design.

As may be expected, most of the students (45%) start their two-year masters immediately after graduating from their bachelors. The average age of starting students is therefore 24. The data shows also an increasing number of people starting later in their career with a master: 15% starts one year after their bachelors, and 26 per cent starts later, by between two or even more than eleven years. Age groups therefore vary. Among the respondents, most of them studied when they were between 23 and 30 years old. A huge group of respondents, about 16%, started their masters in their thirties, after having worked for some time. To date, the oldest person who graduated in 2020 is 56 years old. "This illustrates the relevance of needed skills we are providing", concludes Prieto, "After all, European companies have a need for people who can translate emerging technologies into business value. We prepare our students on these needed skills to boost their careers and build a strong digital Europe. Together."