E-Commerce
Master of Science

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E-Commerce (Master of Science)

E-commerce and online retail are booming worldwide. There is no end to this growth in sight. Online retail is also growing strongly in Germany and, according to figures from the German Retail Association (HDE), could increase to 90.4 billion euros in 2022, which corresponds to enormous growth compared to 18.3 billion euros in 2010. The demand for qualified e-commerce specialists is growing hand in hand with the online boom.

Prof Gerrit Heinemann

"By 2025, online retail will not only gain in importance in industrialised nations, but will also have a significant impact on the world of trade in developing and emerging countries, and to a far greater extent than previously assumed."

Prof Dr Gerrit Heinemann

The "E-Commerce" Master's degree programme, which has been offered since the 2019/2020 winter semester, replaces the "E-Business" degree programme that has been offered since 2013. The degree programme has been further developed and improved, and the changed surname is intended to better reflect the focus on the marketing side.

Students learning landscape
Facts about the Degree Programme
  • Degree programme: E-Commerce
  • Duration: 4 semesters, full-time
  • Scope: 120 ECTS
  • Degree: Master of Science
Highlights of the Degree Programme
  • Clear marketing focus - customer understanding takes centre stage
  • Data-driven approach, including web analytics, multivariate analysis methods and business intelligence topics
  • IT aspects from the user's perspective, from the systems in the customer's end devices to the backend and ERP system in the company
  • Professors with research activities together with university teachers / lecturers from the practice stand for scientifically sound and practically oriented studies
  • Strong practical orientation through projects with companies, some events at companies
  • Three-day excursion in the second semester with exclusive insights into leading online companies

Graduate Voices

Silke an Mey, M. Sc.

"Through the Master's programme, I have built up an understanding of the entire e-com industry, which enables me to understand interrelationships and tailor the benefits to specific areas."

Anna Dürbaum, M. Sc.

"I learned a lot about the digital industry on the E-Business degree programme. Many practical projects were organised through the university's network of companies, so that a direct practical relevance to the theory was offered."

 

Eva Bohg, M. Sc.

"What I particularly liked about this degree programme was the proximity to practice through external university teachers / lecturers from the business world and the small working groups. I particularly liked the opportunity to work on practice-related topics as part of my master's thesis and the intensive support from the professors. As a result, I feel well prepared for the world of work in e-commerce!"

Skills Taught

  • After successfully completing the degree programme, you will be able to set up and manage online shops.
  • You will be able to analyse customer behaviour in an online context and draw the right conclusions for entrepreneurial action.
  • You will be able to set up research projects and, assuming you perform well, successfully apply for a doctorate

Possible Occupational Fields

  • Activities as an e-commerce manager
  • Online marketing manager or project manager in the areas of e-commerce and business development
  • Industries include multi-channel retail, electronic, social and mobile commerce, the tourism and service industries and online agencies.

Module Overview

Curriculum Master E-Commerce

 

System of the Degree programme

  • Foundation course: Principles of internet economics and pricing in an online context
  • Shop management: Management of online shops from customer interaction to the delivery of goods, taking into account the relevant IT systems
  • Strategy: Integration of online activities into comprehensive strategy aspects
  • Research: Practising empirical social research in the online sector, from research methods to implementation
  • Practical contacts/skills: soft skills through to company visits and intensive company contacts
Enlarged view

Admission Requirements

  • Relevant bachelor's or diploma degree (with at least 50% business courses and 180 ETCS)

Projects and excursions

Excursion Hamburg 2023

Visit to the following companies:

  • Meta
  • Adobe
  • Carlsen Verlag GmbH
  • Philips
  • Parship Group
  • Rocket Beans Entertainment GmbH
Excursion Hamburg 2022

Visit the following companies:

  • Google
  • Adobe
  • XING
  • Otto (Gmbh & Ko KG)
  • bonprix
  • Fielmann AG
Excursion Hamburg 2019
Excursion Hamburg 2019

Visit the following companies:

  • Google
  • Otto
  • Trakken
  • Kale & Me
Excursion to Munich 2018
Excursion to Munich 2018

Visit the following companies:

  • MyTheresa
  • Westwing
  • Zooplus
  • Bosch Siemens home appliances
Excursion Hamburg 2017
Excursion Hamburg 2017

Visit to the following companies:

  • Rocket Beans
  • XING
  • Trakken
  • Otto
  • Google
Excursion E-Business
Excursion Berlin 2016

Visit to the following companies:

  • Studio 71
  • Mister Spex
  • German railway
  • concept m
  • xymatic

Publications & Lectures

Publications by our students

  • Brümmer, L., Zaharia, S. (2022): Smart Fitting Rooms: Acceptance of Smart Retail Technologies in Omni-Channel Physical Stores, in: Fui-Hoon Nah, F., Siau, K. (eds): HCI in Business, Government and Organisations. HCII 2022. vol. 13372, pp. 445-462, Springer
  • Adolphs, E., Zaharia S. (2021): Consumers ́ Acceptance of a Voice Commerce Application in FMCG in Germany, U.S. and U.K., in: Nah FH., Siau K. (eds): HCI in Business, Government and Organisations. eCommerce and Consumer Behavior. HCII 2021. LNCS, Vol. 12783, pp. 1-19, Springer"
  • Chhen, J., Loyalty Programmes in Digital Change - An Empirical Analysis of Mobile Loyalty Apps from a Consumer Perspective, published in the BestMasters series by SpringerGabler, Wiesbaden 2020.
  • Zimmermann, V., Der Konsument in der digital-kollaborativen Wirtschaft - Eine empirische Untersuchung der Anbieterseite auf C2C-Plattformen, published in the BestMasters series by SpringerGabler, Wiesbaden 2017.

 

Publications together with our students

  • Zaharia, S.; Würfel, M. (2019): Voice Commerce - Acceptance of Smart Speakers in the Customer Journey, in: Marketing Review St. Gallen, issue 6.2019
  • Zaharia, S.; Schmidt, M. (2019): Customer Experience in Online Retailing, Proceedings of the AHFE 2019, Springer
  • Zaharia, S.; Kauke, D.; Hartung, E. (2017): Eye-Tracking Analysis of Gender-Specific Online Information Research and Buying Behaviour, Proceedings of Human Computer Interaction International (HCII) 2017, Springer
  • Zaharia, S. / Hackstetter, T. (2017): Segmentation of online shoppers based on their purchasing motives, in Dialogue Marketing Perspectives 2016/2017, Springer
  • Zimmermann, V., Schleusener, M., The responsible, sharing consumer: A closer look at the mo-tivation of potential private durable goods' suppliers in the sharing economy, in: Bala, C., Schuldzinski, W., (eds.), The 21st Century Consumer - Vulnerable, Responsible, Trans-parent?, Proceedings of the International Conference on Consumer Research (ICCR) 2016, Düsseldorf 2017, pp. 293-291.

 

Presentations together with our students

  • "Customer Experience in Online-Retailing - An Analysis of the Main Segments in German Online-Retailing", technical paper by Zaharia, S. and Schmidt, M. at AHFE 2019 - Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics, 24 - 28 July 2019, Washington, USA
  • "Eye-Tracking Analysis of Gender-Specific Online Information Research and Buying Behaviour", technical paper by Zaharia, S. and Kauke, D. & Hartung, E. at the HCII 17 - Human Computer Interaction International 17 on 11 - 14.07.17 , Vancouver, Canada
  • "The consumer as provider in the sharing economy - a closer look at his motivations", presentation Schleusener, M. and Zimmermann, V., at the International Workshop of the Sharing Economy, University of Southampton, Winchester campus, 15-16 September 2016
  • "The responsible, sharing consumer - a closer look at the motivation of potential private durable goods' suppliers in the sharing economy" Presentation Schleusener, M. and Zimmermann, V., at the International Conference on Consumer Research (ICCR) 2016, Bonn, 26-27 September 2016

 

Contact Person

Prof. Dr. Silvia Zaharia
Business Administration, in particular International Sales Management, Head and Managing Director of the eWeb Research Centre

Vita & Publications

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Your way | Master e-Commerce at The Hochschule Niederrhein

Co-Operations

Our degree programme is closely interlinked with our eWeb Research Centre competence centre and our cooperation partners. You can find more information here:

eWeb Research Centre
Omni-Channel Retail

Voices from the Business World

Accenture Consulting
Lisa Babenko | Digital Innovation&Growth

"The students quickly grasped the design thinking methods and were able to apply them. What impressed us particularly positively was that they were familiar with the emerging digital and tech trends. They were both creative and critical.

When prioritising ideas for the retail of the future, they were realistic and took the individual customer situation into account. At the end of the day, the students came up with valid initial concepts for "Next Gen Retail" and were able to present them convincingly in the pitch."

Babymarkt.de
Roland Zacharias | Managing Director

"We had a great project on Babymarkt's internationalisation strategy with highly motivated students who surprised us with their professionalism. As a result, there was an immediate follow-up project to analyse other markets, which was also very helpful for us."

Lidl Digital International
Christian Welz | Managing Director

"In recent years, we have carried out several projects with students from the E-Commerce Master's programme, the most recent of which was on the topic of "Analysing Lidl Online's online and offline communication activities". The students impressed us with their structured approach to the analysis and their critical scrutiny of existing activities. They presented the recommendations for action developed on the basis of the consumer survey with a high degree of professionalism. All in all, it was a valuable input for our company."

 

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