Study models with individual speed Part-Time Studies
The University of Heidelberg would like to enable students and prospective students to complete their courses of studies at their individual speeds. It was the first university in Baden-Württemberg to include the part-time study option in its regular offer in the winter semester of 2011/12 to create the framework for this.
The part-time study offer of the University of Heidelberg is targeted at professionals, students with family obligations, chronically ill, or disabled students, as well as anyone else who is unable to study full time due to their personal situation or other obligations.
Aspects of part-time studies
Why study part-time?
The concept of life-long learning means that more university students in special living situations (family responsibility, employment, advanced age) are going to be starting their courses of studies in future. Demographic change also causes diversification of the student landscape. By offering part-time study programmes, the university aims to make it easier to combine studying, work and family life and to promote individual educational biographies.
Exacerbation of the lack of specialists also makes it a political goal to increase the share of university graduates in the population. Acquiring target groups such as employees and parents as students is, therefore, both a matter of educational justice and an enrichment for the university by the diversity of origins, professional and living experience of the part-time students.
Five advantages of part-time studies
- Simpler planning of studies by part-time study structures adjusted to personal needs
- Adjusted study periods and deadlines
- Greater temporal and local flexibility, e.g. by e-Learning offers
- Systematic consultation offering across all study phases
- Official part-time status determining expectations and perception (e.g. regarding duration of studies)
What do part-time studies look like at Heidelberg University?
Part-time study at Heidelberg University is a fully-fledged Bachelor's or Master's degree programme in which students have a longer period of time to complete their coursework. The subjects that offer the option of part-time study try to make the degree programme more flexible through various measures and to enable students to plan their studies according to their individual needs.
In the case of part-time study, two part-time semesters are counted as one semester. This means, for example, that a Bachelor's degree programme can be completed in a standard period of study of six semesters, even though the course is completed part-time in 12 semesters.
A flexible change between full-time and part-time study is possible every semester, but part-time study has a minimum duration of one academic year.
