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Key competencies at the University of Göttingen

At the University of Göttingen, key competencies are taught with the aim of improving students‘ study skills and employability. They form an integral and compulsory element of the professionalisation component of all Bachelor and Master degree programmes. The acquisition of key competencies is also a fixed component in many doctoral degree programmes.

Key competency provision at the University is multi-faceted and offered at three levels: through modules in the subject discipline or faculty, through the cross-faculty modules offered by many subject disciplines, and through key competency modules offered by central university institutions. As a result, integrated and additive key competency acquisition is possible not only as part of a student’s degree subject, but also across subjects and independently.

Key Competencies division

The Key Competencies division has formed part of the Academic Programme Development and Examination Regulations division of the Department for Academic Programme Development and Quality Management since August 2007 (Student and Academic Services since 2012). It collaborates regularly with the faculties, graduate schools, central university providers of key competency modules (ZESS, studIT), the Student Information and Advisory Service and the Career Service.

Areas of activity:

Faculties

  • Providing support and advice for the development and maintenance of degree-specific key competencies strategies based on the university-wide key competencies strategy

  • Providing support and advice for the further development of key competency modules specific to the degree or faculty

  • Point of contact for feedback and suggestions from the faculties regarding the university-wide key competency modules



Cross-faculty key competency modules

  • Updating the Digital module catalogue for cross-faculty key competencies

  • Pre-assessment of cross-faculty key competency modules for the Central Committee for Teaching and Learning, in collaboration with the faculties

  • Further development and expansion of the range of cross-faculty key competency modules based on student, graduate and employer surveys and on feedback from faculties



Quality assurance

  • Regular quantitative comparison between uptake and availability of key competency modules

  • Review and analysis of course evaluations for key competency modules