Part-time studies

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A part-time course is usually a dual course of study in which the student is employed or has an independent professional activity during the entire training. At the same time, an academic degree is acquired.

The organizational form ensures that the training content can be put into practice straight away. Another advantage of the part-time course is that the student's employer usually takes it over immediately after completing the course, as he has invested a lot in its training .

Demarcation

Not every part-time course is a dual course in the sense of the criteria set by the higher education ministries of the federal states and the German Rectors' Conference (HRK). Some universities offer extra-occupational, state-recognized and accredited bachelor's and master's degrees, which require a professional or training relationship for the students, but do not provide for any special practical modules integrated into the study. The students provide proof of practical experience through selected project work in their own company or at the university.

Courses and further education are offered without an academic degree, but also part-time . These include, for example, training and / or extra-occupational courses (colloquially often referred to as "studies") that end with a school's own diploma , as well as summer academies . This is often the case when the relevant institutes shy away from the costs of accreditation or cannot expect official accreditation for various reasons.

A special form of part-time studies are postgraduate training courses, which are aimed exclusively at people with a university degree and qualified professional / technical expertise. Such programs are mainly available in medicine and dentistry. They are usually offered in cooperation with the responsible medical and dental associations or with the corresponding professional associations of state-recognized and accredited universities and international university networks, such as the Luxembourg DTMD University for Digital Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, and usually close with an [M.Sc.]. Postgraduate master’s studies do not fall under the scope of the Bologna process, but are carried out in accordance with the specifications of the Bruges-Copenhagen process of the EU Commission and thus guarantee a stringent permeability of level 4 (especially 3 and 3 ½-year dual vocational training, Vocational training regulated by state law, federal training regulations for professions in health care and elderly care) up to level 8 (doctorate) of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).

structure

The part-time course can be structured in different ways:

  • Evening studies: Most of the lessons take place in the evening, and in some cases also on Saturdays, in the training institute, thus offering many working people an opportunity to gain further qualifications. Lectures follow directly on the participant's working day. The advantages of this variant are a lecture-free weekend and shorter lecture times.
  • Weekend study: With a weekend study, courses take place on Fridays and Saturdays in longer time blocks and thus offer the possibility of a compact and intensive study on the weekend and sufficient time flexibility in the evening during the working week.
  • Semester abroad: Depending on the degree and the flexibility of the profession, a semester abroad can be carried out during the course (dual international training), in which foreign experience can be gained and intercultural skills can be acquired through work in a foreign company or a semester at a foreign university .
  • Summer School (Summer School): In addition to the profession of participants can attend a summer school. Summer academies summarize educational events on different topics and for different target groups, which take place in a limited time frame and serve professional and private further education without a qualified qualification.
  • There is an increasing number of courses that are methodically organized as distance learning with e-learning elements or as blended learning . A disadvantage of pure distance learning courses is the high dropout rate.

recognition

According to a study by the Hochschule Fresenius among 1,690 randomly selected companies, most HR departments make no distinction between graduates of a part-time course and a full-time course. 68 percent of the HR managers questioned stated that the type of study would have no influence on the decision in favor of an applicant. 17 percent of those surveyed would prefer graduates with part-time studies, 4 percent would prefer graduates with full-time studies.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Part-time studies: What is possible and what is not ...
  2. ↑ "Those who study part-time understand more easily"; Interview with Professor Dr. André Reuter, Rector of eufom University in Luxembourg, on the growing interest in part-time studies.
  3. ↑ Homepage of the DTMD University for Digital Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry with part-time master's degree in implantology, periodontology and orthodontics
  4. ↑ Study: What do company managers think of part-time studies?

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