Key Competences / "Studiumplus"

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Why key competences?

In times of increasingly vague professional profiles and flexible occupational biographies, many classical career paths have become obsolete, which is why the acquisition of basic competences (“education”) is the best preparation for professional activity. It is important to gain an ability to orient oneself on the job market, which includes both getting to know the professional world as well as developing certain competences that are indispensable for professional life. This is why the University of Potsdam orients education toward the objective of “employability,” not as teaching rapidly outdated soft skills, but rather as an academically grounded, self-reflective preparation for a diverse professional career.
This aim meets the requirements of the job market. Today’s employers expect that graduates with bachelor’s degrees have not only profound knowledge of their subject, but also

  • The ability to think and act in a problem-solving way
  • creativity
  • innovation ability
  • and independence.
  • The module combination StudiumPlus, which has existed since the summer semester 2007, conveys key competences and thereby creates the prerequisites for graduates to find employment on the job market.

What are key competences?

Key competences include a complex of abilities, proficiencies, and knowledge that are relevant to

  • Personal and social development in a modern society,
  • Managing complex challenges in the professional world,
  • Finding and performing professional work that is skills-appropriate on the European and international job markets, and
  • Life-long learning. The acquisition of key competences in StudiumPlus is custom-made for the requirements of professional fields as well as the specific content for each subject.

At the University of Potsdam, the acquisition of key competences (30 credit points in total) is an essential component of a Bachelor’s degree (excluding B.Ed.).