Digital Transformation Intensive Programme Traineeship

Start your career transformation and shape the future with us

Experience a unique Digital Transformation Intensive Programme (DTIP) that combines design, technology, and social innovation.

During this hands-on traineeship programme, you will dive into real-world challenges while working in interdisciplinary and diverse teams. We will change the way you look at collaboration and provide you with the tools to drive positive impact.

Key Facts

Fall 2025:

1 September 2025 – 23 January 2026

Spring 2026:

2 February 2026 – 26 June 2026

Language: English

Mode of study: Full-time from Monday to Thursday (32 hrs/week)

Cohort size: max. 50 people

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

During 20 weeks, you will be working on a project using diverse design methods and following an extensive learning track that supports it. Throughout the whole process, you will also be actively involved in prototyping and experimentation with new tools.

PROJECT

You will tackle a real-world project rooted in Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs).

To facilitate your work on complex societal challenges, we developed SCREAM; an approach that fosters creativity and research within the agile SCRUM structure. This standard structure is designed around the key processes: Research, Translate and Create. With SCREAM, we re-designed the workflow by adding three aspects to support the design process:

• Ideation and planning sessions at the start of the process trigger a team’s creativity (Create);
• The Design Method Toolkit allows teams to quickly choose effective research methods for design processes (Research);
• A session halfway through the design process helps teams learn from their own work and define the next steps or reframe goals and questions (Translate).

LEARNING TRACK

The learning track content focuses on design thinking methodology and 21st-century skills, aimed at innovative and creative research, prototyping, strengthening collaboration and self-development.

Among others, the workshops you’ll join are:

• Transformation Design;
• Systems Thinking and Mapping;
• Creative Leadership and Storytelling;
• Speculative Design & Critical Making;
• Design Thinking & Ethics

The program guides trainees to transform themselves, their community, the organisations they work with, and the systems they design for.

DELIVERABLES

In 20 weeks, your team will generate the following outputs:

• A working concept or a prototype;
• Digital documentation and a two-minute video to share the project, concept, context, and process;
• A presentation sharing the insights and results during the Digital Society School Showcase at the end of the semester;
• Sharing of insights and results via publications on the Digital Society School website and other relevant channels.

The Digital Transformation Intensive Programme has a selective admission process to ensure an optimal match between diverse educational and professional backgrounds in each traineeship group. Additionally, we are highly committed to promoting equality of opportunity, merit and a proper representation of diversity around the world.

If you are not a citizen of the Schengen area, we request you apply at least 6 months in advance. This is due to the length of the Visa process. If you apply at a later date, we cannot guarantee your application can be processed in time.

Application deadlines for Spring 2025 are closed

For Fall 2025:

Non-Schengen citizens: 30 April
Schengen citizens: 31 May

For Spring 2026:

Non-Schengen citizens: 30 September
Schengen citizens: 31 October

Please note: To be eligible for student housing, you must apply BEFORE the first week of October (for Spring) or the first week of May (for Fall).

Our programme is a full-time commitment. Please note that trainees cannot be employed by a third party for the complete duration of the programme. Extraordinary cases may be discussed during the interview process.

Entry requirements

Aspiring trainees will be considered for admission when they fulfil the following characteristics:

Schengen area citizens: Bachelor’s degree
Non-Schengen area citizens: Master’s degree*

B2 English level or equivalent. Recommended: IELTS Speaking/Listening 7 or higher, or TOEFL Speaking/Listening 27 points or more

Preferred: Two years of work experience

Educational and/or professional backgrounds preferably (but not exclusively) in the areas of Digital Design, Computer Science, Game Design, Data Science, MBA, Creative Industries, Humanities, UX/UI and Social Sciences.

Competencies:

• You are a critical and independent learner;
• You have knowledge and insights about the latest pressing social challenges or technological advancements.
• You can design, perform, analyse and report both in writing and orally on complex topics.
• You are willing to challenge your perceptions of the current growth-driven and technology-centred society.
• You are open-minded and collaborative, and you have an adaptable mindset.

If you do not meet all the admission requirements but believe you have enough demonstrable skills and competencies, we encourage you to continue your application process.

*We offer a very limited number of openings for participants with a Bachelor’s degree completed no more than two years before the start of the programme.

TUITION FEES

The tuition fee to participate in the Digital Transformation Intensive Programme in the Fall of 2024/Spring of 2025 is €4,750. There’s a possibility to pay in installments. This fee applies to Schengen area citizens* as well as non-Schengen citizens with a Masters’ degree.

* Please note that having a residence permit for another Schengen member state does not necessarily mean that you are allowed to work outside of that country.

ABOUT

For selected countries historically underrepresented in the traineeship programme, we offer 1 scholarship that covers the tuition fee of €4.750,-. Travels, private expenses, accommodation and other living costs are NOT included in the scholarship.

This is a pilot initiative and may be subject to change in the future.

Requirements:

• You can apply for the scholarship ONLY if you are a citizen of the following countries: Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei, Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guinea, Suriname, the United States, Canada.
• You have a Master’s degree in the following areas/disciplines: design (product, architecture, graphic, UX/UI, industrial etc.), Fine Arts, Arts, Creative Technology, Psychology, Behavioural Science, Data Science/AI/Machine Learning, Marketing/Communications, Fashion.
• Additional Assignment: In what ways will your DSS traineeship experience contribute to your journey toward achieving your personal and professional goals? Write a detailed response with concrete examples.

Deadline: April 30

Special conditions for the scholarship:

Next to the regular programme, in your role as an ambassador, you will be required to:

• Be the community driver of the cohort (help with facilitation of our Nerd Outs and other community events);
• Be the representative on our socials & the website;
• Organise and host an info session for our traineeship for your home country/professional network

In total, next to 32 hrs/week of time investment for the traineeship, you should expect to dedicate approx. 3-4 hrs/week of extra workload.

How to apply for the scholarship:

1. Complete the application through our application form
2. Send in your additional assignment (see above) to learning-dss@hva.nl, including the following in the subject line: [Ambassador application – xxxxx (your name)]

Community

DSS attracts people from all over the world and various cultural backgrounds. In doing so, we look for a balance in skills, background and education. We bring together young and mid-career talent with different skills and backgrounds such as coding, design, business, ethics, law, sociology, history and geology.

“Digital Society School is a place to meet people from different places around the world and learn from different cultures while engaging and cooperating in meaningful projects for the world. – Mariana Pinheiro, Industrial Designer

Examples of Past Projects

Our trainees worked on 85+ challenges so far, will you join us on our mission to shape a better future?

Introducing VERITI – the future of authentic journalism

LOOPHOLES 3.0: A TOOLKIT FOR TEXTILE & FASHION COMPANIES

Amstelring