Whether management in the healthcare sector, human-technology interaction, or sustainability marketing: numerous classes at the University of Bremen are also open to external learners. Participants in the LIFE programme learn together with students and receive a certificate upon passing their exams.
Firstly, you do your A-levels, then you go to university, and then you work – this has characterised most curriculum vitae in the past. However, this order of things is increasingly being abandoned today. Returning to work or reorientation, the desire for further training, and entering the German job market are just some of the reasons why external students are interested in university courses. Often, extensive further training – which the University of Bremen also offers – is not required, but rather one or two modules are sufficient. Internationally, the term Micro-credentials is often used in this context. In such cases, the Academy of Continuing Education at the University of Bremen offers the LIFE programme. LIFE allows interested parties to take regular classes and complete them with examinations. In return, they receive a certificate from the university.
Four Fields of Study with Online and Classroom Courses
LIFE has been available at the University of Bremen since 2014. Originally supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the programme was made permanent after funding ended. Anyone who can prove that they have A-levels (or equivalent) and at least one year of work experience can take any number of modules at bachelor’s level. Participants with a bachelor’s degree can also take classes from master’s degree programmes. Those taking part are free to choose individual modules or combinations of modules that consist of individual, thematically coordinated classes. The seminars and lectures open to external students come from the fields of sustainability, digital media and digitalisation, health and care, aerospace engineering, energy systems, and process engineering.
How Companies Keep Up to Date with the Latest Research
“The fact that the classes bring together working professionals and students is a win-win situation for both sides,” says Petra Boxler, Director of the Academy of Continuing Education. Companies stay up to date with the latest academic developments when their employees attend further training courses at the university. This is an advantage in areas of work such as healthcare, for example, where medical, nursing, and health science methods are constantly evolving. Conversely, students also benefit from the experiences of external participants. The professionals bring their own business expertise and therefore a different perspective on many topics. “The exchange broadens the horizons of many students,” says Petra Boxler.
Photocredit: © Universität Bremen
