Studying at the FernUni without a German Higher Education Entrance Qualification
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You can study at the FernUniversität even if you don’t have a German higher education entrance qualification. We have been successfully offering university degrees for people with vocational qualifications for many years.
You can find more information here abouut
Master Craftspersons or Those with Similar Qualifications
Master craftspersons and those with comparable qualifications can start a bachelor’s degree program at the FernUni without a German higher education entrance qualification.
The advanced training courses listed in § 2 of the Vocational Training University Admission Ordinance are considered comparable. These include the following qualifications:
- Master craftsperson
- Industrial foreperson/supervisor
- CCI-certified business administrator
- Graduation certificate from a technical college in accordance with the framework agreement on technical colleges of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (e.g., state-certified technician, state-certified business administrator)
Professionally Qualified Applicants with a Specialization
Professionally qualified applicants with a specialization relevant for their desired bachelor’s degree course can start studying at the FernUni directly without having to acquire a German higher education entrance qualification.
Admission to the corresponding Bachelor’s degree program is possible if
- you have completed at least two years of vocational training,
- you can provide evidence of at least three years of subsequent professional experience in the training occupation (full-time work, part-time work is taken into account proportionately), and
- your professional qualifications have been classified as appropriate by the faculty.
Vocational Qualifications That Correspond to an Intended Course of Study
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- Occupational therapist
- Educator
- Specialist for labor market services
- Support teacher
- Curative education nurse
- Speech therapist
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The faculty has not classified any professional qualifications as appropriate for the bachelor’s degree program in Humanities.
To begin your studies, you can choose between a trial study course and an entrance examination.
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- Specialist for labor market services
- Administrator
- Social insurance clerk
- Specialist for market and social research
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The faculty has not classified any professional qualifications as appropriate for the bachelor’s degree program in Psychology.
To begin your studies, you can choose between a trial study course and an entrance examination.
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- IT specialist – application development
- IT specialist – system integration
- Information electronics technician
- IT systems electronics technician
- Mathematical-technical software developer
- System computer scientist
- State-certified information technology assistant
- State-certified computer scientist
- State-certified industrial technologist – data technology
- State-certified assistant for software technology
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- Mathematical-technical software developer
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- IT specialist – application development
- IT specialist – system integration
- Information electronics technician
- IT systems electronics technician
- Mathematical-technical software developer
- System computer scientist
- State-certified information technology assistant
- State-certified computer scientist
- State-certified industrial technologist – data technology
- State-certified assistant for software technology
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- Optician
- Automotive management assistant
- Banking professional
- Bookseller
- Chemist
- Specialist for labor market services
- Specialist for market and social research
- Specialist for media and information services
- IT specialist
- Specialist for port logistics
- Warehouse logistics specialist
- Catering expert
- Specialist food retailer
- Finance Manager
- Photographic media expert
- Geomatics technician
- Real estate management assistant
- Industrial management assistant
- IT management assistant
- Investment fund specialist
- Electronics technician for information and telecommunications systems
- Judicial clerk
- Management assistant for audiovisual media
- Office management assistant
- Management assistant for dialog marketing
- Management assistant for digitization management
- Management assistant in hotel management
- Management assistant for courier, express and postal services
- Management assistant in marketing communications
- Management assistant for freight forwarding and logistics services
- Management assistant for tourism and leisure
- Management assistant for transport services
- Management assistant for insurance and financial investments
- Management assistant in e-commerce
- Management assistant in retail sales
- Management assistant for railway and road transport
- Management assistant for healthcare
- Management assistant in wholesale and foreign trade management
- Management assistant for IT systems management
- Air traffic management assistant
- Mathematical-technical software developer
- Management assistant for digital and print media
- Music retailer
- Notary clerk
- Patent attorney assistant
- Management assistant for personnel services
- Pharmaceutical-commercial clerk
- Paralegal and notary’s assistant
- Legal assistant/paralegal
- Shipping management assistant
- Dialogue marketing expert
- Service management assistant for air travel
- Social security clerk
- Sports and fitness specialist
- Assistant tax consultant
- Management assistant for tourism
- Event management assistant
- Salesperson
- Skilled administrative assistant
Vocational school courses
- Assistant for leisure management (state-certified)
- Health and social services assistant (state-certified)
- Assistant for health tourism (state-certified)
- Assistant in housekeeping operations
- Assistant for hotel management (state-certified)
- Assistant for police service and administration (state-certified)
- Assistant catering expert (state-certified)
- Assistant for tourism (state-certified)
- Assistant for tourism management (state-certified)
- Assistant for leisure management (state-certified)
- Euro correspondent (state-certified)
- Euro management assistant (state-certified)
- European secretary (state-certified)
- Specialist for Euro-hotel management (state-certified)
- Specialist in hotel management (state-certified)
- Specialist for housekeeping and outpatient care (state-certified)
- Specialist for housekeeping and family care (state-certified)
- Foreign language correspondent (state-certified)
- Housekeeping assistant (state-certified)
- Housekeeping and technical assistant (state-certified)
- Home economics assistant (state-certified)
- Assistant Housekeeper (state-certified)
- Industrial technologist – data technology
- Computer scientist (state-certified)
- International marketing assistant (state-certified)
- International tourism assistant (state-certified)
- International business specialist (state-certified)
- Commercial assistant (state-certified)
- Commercial media assistant (state-certified)
- Communications designer (state-certified)
- Communications manager (state-certified)
- Logistics assistant (state-certified)
- Media assistant (state-certified)
- Sports assistant (state-certified)
- Technical communications assistant (state-certified)
- Tourism assistant (state-certified)
-
- Optician
- Automotive management assistant
- Banking professional
- Bookseller
- Chemist
- Specialist for labor market services
- Specialist for market and social research
- Specialist for media and information services
- IT specialist
- Specialist for port logistics
- Warehouse logistics specialist
- Specialist for system catering
- Specialist food retailer
- Finance Manager
- Photographic media expert
- Geomatics technician
- Real estate management assistant
- Industrial management assistant
- IT management assistant
- Investment fund specialist
- Electronics technician for information and telecommunications systems
- Judicial clerk
- Management assistant for audiovisual media
- Office management assistant
- Management assistant for dialog marketing
- Management assistant for digitization management
- Management assistant in hotel management
- Management assistant for courier, express and postal services
- Management assistant in marketing communications
- Management assistant for freight forwarding and logistics services
- Management assistant for tourism and leisure
- Management assistant for transport services
- Management assistant for insurance and financial investments
- Management assistant in e-commerce
- Management assistant in retail sales
- Management assistant for railway and road transport
- Management assistant for healthcare
- Management assistant in wholesale and foreign trade management
- Management assistant for IT systems management
- Air traffic management assistant
- Mathematical-technical software developer
- Management assistant for digital and print media
- Music retailer
- Notary clerk
- Patent attorney assistant
- Management assistant for personnel services
- Pharmaceutical-commercial clerk
- Paralegal and notary’s assistant
- Legal assistant/paralegal
- Shipping management assistant
- Dialogue marketing expert
- Service management assistant for air travel
- Social security clerk
- Sports and fitness specialist
- Assistant tax consultant
- Management assistant for tourism
- Event management assistant
- Salesperson
- Skilled administrative assistant
Vocational school courses
- Assistant for leisure management (state-certified)
- Health and social services assistant (state-certified)
- Assistant for health tourism (state-certified)
- Assistant in housekeeping operations
- Assistant for hotel management (state-certified)
- Assistant for police service and administration (state-certified)
- Assistant for software technology (state-certified)
- Assistant catering expert (state-certified)
- Assistant for tourism (state-certified)
- Assistant for tourism management (state-certified)
- Assistant for leisure management (state-certified)
- Euro correspondent (state-certified)
- Euro management assistant (state-certified)
- European secretary (state-certified)
- Specialist for Euro-hotel management (state-certified)
- Specialist in hotel management (state-certified)
- Specialist for housekeeping and outpatient care (state-certified)
- Specialist for housekeeping and family care (state-certified)
- Foreign language correspondent (state-certified)
- Housekeeping assistant (state-certified)
- Housekeeping and technical assistant (state-certified)
- Home economics assistant (state-certified)
- Assistant Housekeeper (state-certified)
- Industrial technologist – data technology
- Computer scientist (state-certified)
- Information technology assistant (state-certified)
- International marketing assistant (state-certified)
- International tourism assistant (state-certified)
- International business specialist (state-certified)
- Commercial assistant (state-certified)
- Commercial media assistant (state-certified)
- Communications designer (state-certified)
- Communications manager (state-certified)
- Logistics assistant (state-certified)
- Media assistant (state-certified)
- Sports assistant (state-certified)
- Systems computer scientist (state-certified)
- Technical communications assistant (state-certified)
- Tourism assistant (state-certified)
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- Specialist for labor market services
- Finance Manager
- Judicial clerk
- Judicial specialist
- Notary clerk
- Patent paralegal
- Paralegal
- Social insurance clerk
- Tax clerk
- Administrator
Professionally Qualified Applicants Without a Specialization
If you have a professional qualification but no German higher education entrance qualification and would like to study a subject at the FernUni Hagen that does not match your previous career path, you can enter the course via a trial study course or an entrance examination. This applies, for example, to people who have gained practical experience outside their training occupation or to people whose vocational training does not correspond to the subject of the degree program. (In the section “Professionally qualified applicants with a specialization” you can find out which professional qualifications are assigned to the individual degree programs)
Admission to a trial study course or participation in an entrance examination is possible if you
- have completed at least two years of vocational training, and
- can provide evidence of at least three years of subsequent professional experience (part-time employment is taken into account on a pro rata basis; raising underage children or caring for a relative, a second professional education, voluntary military service, federal voluntary service, voluntary social year, etc. are recognized as a substitute for employment).
It is up to you whether you opt for a trial study course and start your studies straight away or whether you first take the entrance examination. It is also possible to take the entrance examination during your trial study course.
Do I Meet All the Requirements for Studying Without a German Higher Education Entrance Qualification?
If you are unsure whether you meet the necessary criteria to study at the FernUni without a prerequisite entrance qualification, you can send us your documents in advance and we will review them for you. Make sure you enclose a copy of any certificate of vocational training/advanced vocational training.
