MagiX - Artificial Intelligence, Governance Innovation, and Digital Transformation

Course

As Artificial Intelligence evolves, institutions are expected to adopt it while preserving and enhancing citizens’ rights. The European Union has set a goal that, by the end of 2030, at least 75% of public administrations in EU Member States should use AI tools in service delivery or internal operations (Digital Compass). The Specializing Master in Artificial Intelligence, Governance Innovation and Digital Transformation (MagiX) aims to train civil servants, policymakers, and professionals working in or around the public sector, who can contribute to achieving this goal.

Developed within the AI4Gov-X project, the Specializing Master is delivered by Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with several international academic partners* and features prominent scholars from leading European universities as well as experts from around the world. It enables participants to connect with an international network of institutions at the forefront of developing and applying a European approach to AI adoption in the public sector.

The program was developed based on a broad study of the competences needed to design, implement, and govern human-centric, feasible, and impactful AI-enabled public sector initiatives. The Specializing Master is built on a competence framework that distinguishes between foundational and core competences and specializing ones. Three core areas provide the foundation for all participants:

• Digital Governance & Transformation: understanding how to use of AI responsibly to create public value.
• AI & Data: developing a solid grounding in AI systems, data, and their application and evaluation in the public sector.
• Human-Centric Design & Innovation: applying human-centered approaches to design digital public services, with a focus on public participation, co-creation, and democratic engagement.

To develop specialized competences, participants can choose one among six different elective tracks: Digital Governance for Public Innovation, Digital Transformation for Public Innovation, Artificial Intelligence for the Public Sector, Data Governance and Management for the Public Sector, Service Design for Public and Digital Systems, Interaction Design for Public and Digital Systems.

Additional educational activities include seminars, workshops, case studies, simulations, project-based learning and other practical or extracurricular activities.

* Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Delft University of Technology, ESSEC Business School, Estonian Business School, IE Business School, IST – Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Porto Business School, University for Continuing Education Krems, Università di Brescia, University of the Aegean, University of Rijeka, Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Didactics

Training objectives

The Specializing Master aims to train professionals (Functional Specialists) capable of working within the public sector or in collaboration with it, contributing to the design, implementation, and governance of digital and AI‑based public services. Below, are the program objectives.

• Develop a critical and operational understanding of digital governance and transformation in the public sector, including organizational change, service-oriented thinking, innovation processes, and the societal implications of artificial intelligence.
• Build the ability to understand, evaluate, and apply AI and data in public sector contexts, covering AI paradigms, application techniques, evaluation methods, and data governance and protection within socio‑technical systems.
• Apply human‑centric design approaches to the development of digital public services, promoting participation, co‑creation, inclusivity, accessibility, ethical design, and improved citizen experience.
• Enable participants to contribute to and guide digital transformation and AI-enabled initiatives in public administrations and related systems, including policy, service, and data-driven innovation contexts.

Didactic Modules

The program is delivered online, mainly through asynchronous activities, offering participants a high degree of flexibility, with additional in-person/networking or transversal activities where applicable. It awards 60 ECTS: 30 from mandatory core modules and 15 from one of the elective specialization tracks (in accordance with participant’s preference). The remaining 15 ECTS consist of 10 ECTS for workshop, summer school, stage, elective courses, seminars or equivalent activities, and 5 ECTS for the final thesis.

Module 1
Digital Governance & Transformation
Core module. Teachings:

• Digital Transformation Dynamics: Revolution, Change and Agile Adoption
• Critical understanding and Responsible use of AI for Prosperity
• Digital Governance Principles and Service-Oriented Thinking

Module 2
AI & Data
Core module. Teachings:

• AI-enabled public services and socio-technical systems
• Data governance and data protection
• AI foundations: technical, data and regulatory pillars

Module 3
Human-centric design & innovation
Core module. Teachings:

• Human-centred thinking for digital public services
• Public participation, co-creation and democratic engagement
• Designing for values

Module 4
Digital Governance for Public Innovation
Digital Governance & Transformation Specialization.

Teachings:

• Regulatory Governance and Compliance for Digital Public Services
• Geopolitics, Digital Sovereignty and Infrastructure Governance
• Governance Innovation, Policy Design and Public Value Creation

Module 5
Digital Transformation for Public Innovation
Digital Governance & Transformation Specialization.

Teachings:

• Strategic Digital Transformation and Organisational Capability Building
• Multi-Stakeholder Ecosystems, Partnerships and Public-Sector Innovation
• Strategic Foresight, Anticipatory Governance and Societal Impact Assessment

Module 6
Artificial Intelligence for the Public Sector
AI & Data Specialization.

Teachings:

• Generative and Agentic AI for the public sector
• Algorithmic Transparency, Explainability and Technical Fairness
• AI Lifecycle, Deployment, MLOps and AgentOps

Module 7
Data Governance and Management for the Public Sector
AI & Data Specialization.

Teachings:

• Data architecture for AI-ready public systems
• Data quality, standards and compliance for AI use
• Data spaces, interoperability and cross-domain

Module 8
Service Design for Public and Digital Systems
Human-centric design & innovation Specialization.

Teachings:

• Data- and AI-informed user research
• Service design, blueprinting and experience orchestration
• Service prototyping, iterative testing and validation

Module 9
Interaction Design for Public and Digital Systems
Human-centric design & innovation Specialization.

Teachings:

• Interaction design principles for public digital services
• Accessible, inclusive and explainable-by-design interfaces
• Interface prototyping, testing and behavioural validation

Other
Transversal Learning Activities
Transversal activities may include participation in online seminars, summer schools, collaborative workshops, in‑person events, or internships organized within the AI4Gov‑X ecosystem.

Title Released

At the end of the program, once the final examination has been passed, the 1st level Specializing Master “Artificial Intelligence, Governance Innovation and Digital Transformation” diploma will be issued with the related achievement of 60 ECTS.

Employment Opportunities

Participants will be able to take on roles related to digital transformation, service innovation, and the integration of AI into administrative processes, both within the public sector and in consulting or technology provider contexts. For professionals already working in the public sector, the program enables the development of advanced skills to lead innovation and digital transformation initiatives.

Graduates of the Specializing Master can pursue roles such as:

• Digital Transformation Manager / Officer
• AI and Data Policy Officer / Advisor
• Public-Sector Innovation or GovTech Specialist
• Data Governance and Data Strategy Specialist
• AI Project Manager / AI Product Owner in the public sector
• Service Designer / Design Strategist for Digital Public Services
• Consultant in Digital Government and AI for the Public Sector

Additional employment opportunities may include policy design, GovTech, data governance, service design, algorithmic governance, and human-centric digital transformation.

Admission

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree (or equivalent), or a First or Second Level Academic Diploma are required to be admitted. Foreign qualifications that are equivalent within their respective education systems will also be considered valid. Selection will be carried out by the Scientific Committee.

Admissions are processed on a rolling basis, according to the chronological order in which applications are submitted, until all available places are filled.

Deadlines

To take part in the I edition of the Specializing Master in Artificial Intelligence, Governance Innovation, and Digital Transformation, starting on November 1st, 2026, applications must be submitted according to the following criteria*:

Italian qualification within 60 days before the starting date

STEP 1
1) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to POLI.design

• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio
• Motivation letter
• Copy of ID document
• Other

The following documents should be uploaded on this page

2) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to Politecnico

• ID document copy
• Copy of the Diploma Supplement and copy of the degree diploma or self-certification on the appropriate form that can be requested to POLI.design (selezioni@polidesign.net)
• ANIS certification (access to the ANIS portal is via SPID or CIE from the following link)

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link
____________________

European qualification within 60 days before the starting date

STEP 1
1) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to POLI.design

• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio
• Motivation Letter
• Copy of ID document

The following documents should be uploaded on this page

2) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to Politecnico

• Copy of ID document
• Copy of Diploma Supplement
• Photocopy of degree certificate

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link

STEP 2
1) Documents to be sent for authenticity verification (within 45 days before the start date) 

• Diploma Supplement with a digital signature or verifiable QR code. Should the student lack a Diploma Supplement with a valid signature or verifiable QR code to verify its authenticity, the student will have to submit one of the documents required for students with a non-EU qualification (cfr. next item).

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link
____________________

Non-EU degree within 60 days before the start date

STEP 1
1) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to POLI.design

• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio
• Motivation Letter
• Copy of ID document

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page

2) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to Politecnico

• Copy of ID document
• Degree in original language + Italian/English translation
• Original transcript of passed examinations + Italian/English translation

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link

STEP 2
1) Documents to be sent for authenticity verification (within 45 days before the start date) 

• Enic/ Naric Certification or CIMEA 
• World Education Services (WES) Certification 
• Statement of value 
• Copy of the visa application or copy of the visa

According to the timeframe provided for by Italian law, the details of the application for a residency permit must also be communicated as well as the residency permit as soon as it is issued.

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link

*Applications submitted after the deadline may be considered at the discretion of the Scientific Committee.

Price

The cost of the University Specializing Master’s program is € 3,000.

Faculty

Director: Alessandro Deserti

Vice-Director: Claudio Feijoo