Studying whilst working: Which type of further education is right for me?

Nowadays, there are many options for those wishing to gain further qualifications whilst working. Depending on your personal goals, the time you have available and the qualification you wish to achieve, there are various formats to choose from. Ostfalia offers academic further education programmes ranging from individual seminars to Master’s degree programmes.

Which programme suits which goal?

• Part-time Bachelor’s degree: Obtaining your first higher education qualification
  A part-time Bachelor’s degree enables you to obtain your first academic qualification whilst continuing to work. The programmes are structured to ensure that your studies, work and personal commitments can be balanced as effectively as possible

  Suitable for working professionals without a university degree who wish to broaden their career prospects or catch up on an academic qualification.

  Examples at Ostfalia: Business Administration (online), IT Security (online), Social Work (online) or Smart Transportation Systems.

• Professional Master’s: Part-time Master’s degree
  A continuing education Master’s programme is aimed at working professionals with a first university degree who wish to specifically expand their specialist or methodological skills and obtain an academic Master’s degree. Academic content is linked to practical issues and can be directly applied in everyday working life.

  Suitable for experienced professionals with a university degree who wish to specialise, take on leadership responsibilities or further their career.

  Examples at Ostfalia: Sustainability and Risk Management, Social Management, City Marketing, Systems Engineering or Digital Automotive Production.

• University certificates: Deepen your knowledge and develop your skills
  University certificates provide academically sound knowledge in a clearly defined subject area. They enable targeted specialisation without having to undertake a full degree programme.

  Suitable for working professionals who wish to broaden their knowledge in a specific subject area or acquire up-to-date knowledge for their professional practice.

  Examples at Ostfalia: Strategic AI Management for Executives, Project Management, Leadership, or Internal and External Sustainability Communication.

• Micro-degrees: flexibly acquire in-demand skills for the future
  Micro-degrees are compact academic further education programmes that focus on individual topics or skills. They provide a quick introduction to future-oriented topics and can be easily combined with everyday working life.

  Suitable for working professionals who wish to undertake targeted further training in a future-oriented topic or acquire specific skills at university level.

  Examples at Ostfalia: Sustainable corporate strategies or specialist lecturer in control centre operations.

• Seminars: Expand your practical knowledge in a targeted and short-term manner
  Seminars provide up-to-date specialist knowledge on specific issues arising from professional practice. They offer a flexible way to refresh existing knowledge or gain new insights for everyday working life.

  Suitable for working professionals who wish to undertake concise, practice-oriented further training on a specific topic.

  Examples at Ostfalia: Continuing professional development in vocational education for practical instructors,‘Inner Strength – Strategies and Practical Tools for Resilience in (Professional) Everyday Life’, or Intercultural Training.

• Visiting student status: Get a taste of university life and expand your knowledge
  Visiting student status allows you to attend individual courses without being enrolled on a degree programme. This enables those interested to explore a specific topic in depth – even without a university entrance qualification.

  Suitable for anyone wishing to attend individual lectures, explore new subject areas or undertake further learning without committing to a full degree programme.

  You must apply for guest student status in advance. Click here for the form.

Find the right programme

Whether it’s a part-time Bachelor’s degree, a professional Master’s programme, a compact continuing education course with a certificate, a micro-degree, a seminar or guest student status – the most suitable format depends on your personal goals, your educational background and the amount of time you have available for continuing education. The Continuing Education overview page provides an overview of all Ostfalia’s programmes, including information on course content, entry requirements, course organisation and application deadlines.

Keeping track of costs

Tuition or participation fees apply to continuing education programmes as well as many certificate programmes. Information on the respective costs and entry requirements can be found on the pages for the individual programmes.

The Continuing Educationoverview page provides an overview of all the programmes offered by Ostfalia.

If you have any questions about the programmes, entry requirements or how the courses are organised, Ostfalia’s Central Student Advisory Service ( ) is available to provide personalised advice.