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Features of the Two-Track System
One alternative to studying at a university or a university of applied sciences is the vocational university in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Saxony, Thuringia and Berlin. A vocational university offers students courses in the social sciences or the business administration or engineering fields. A prerequisite to study at a vocational university is a school leaving certificate giving right of entry to higher education (Abitur) or an equivalent diploma. Potential students must also secure a training contract with a company that is a participant in the school’s training program.
A course of study at a vocational university consists of six semesters on the “two-track plan.” That means that university-level coursework is combined with on-the-job training at a company or social services institution. Students participate in the real world of work, interacting with colleagues, clients and day-to-day business matters while receiving theoretical training at the university, with a clear-cut degree program, end-of-semester exams and homework. Practical and theoretical training phases alternate every twelve weeks. Students receive a training allowance of around 500 euro per month, even during the periods the student spends in the classroom.
Diploma after Three Years
Students can receive their first official job qualification after two years of study. After three years, students can apply for a degree. A diploma from the vocational university carries the same weight as a bachelor degree. Many companies nowadays highly value this alternative to traditional university study, since students who have just graduated already have significant real-world work experience.
The number of vocational university graduates going on to careers in their chosen field of study stands at 90 per cent. Some companies participating in the training program even offer students a limited-term contract after they’ve received their degrees. After all, these companies have invested at least 60,000 euro in the students (allowances, training expenses, etc.)
Some vocational universities, for example the school in Stuttgart, offer international programs that allow students to spend some of their time abroad, either during an internship phase or part of the theoretical study.
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| Further Information
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