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Key competencies at Göttingen Uni

Do you want to develop skills for your studies, your career and your entire life? Do you want to set priorities and prepare to make the best start to your career? Do you want to decide the scope of your studies for yourself, check out new areas and think laterally about subject-related concepts? You can do this and a whole lot more by developing key competencies during your studies. And there’s plenty of opportunity: 10 per cent of every degree programme at the University of Göttingen must be in key competencies. It doesn’t matter whether you combine your key competencies strategically, or collect them according to your existing interests, or want to explore and be adventurous: Göttingen Uni offers something for everyone.



1. Finding what’s on offer

Göttingen Uni offers a wide range of key competency options. So first you need to get an overview and work out where you want to go.

Key competencies for students of a specific degree programme or faculty

You can find information on subject-specific key competencies - namely, those endorsed by your subject for your degree programme - by selecting your degree programme under your faculty in the course catalogue on ECampus . Typically, you will find the section on key competencies either directly under your degree programme or listed under the professionalisation area.

For students enrolled in the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities, there is a separate interdisciplinary key competency offer, which is mapped at the level of the degree programmes.

Key competencies for all students

In addition, there is a wide range of key competencies open to all students (see also under "Small print"). These include courses from central institutions such as the ZESS and modules from many degree programmes. You can find these under the Overview of central and cross-faculty key competency offerings.

Did you know ...?

Tip 1 Understanding how things are sorted
Uni-wide key competency modules are divided into five areas of competency: methodical skills, factual knowledge, personal skills, social skills and language skills. Once you have got to grips with this, it is easier to search for interesting key competency options.

Tip 2 Visit advisory services
You can meet with your study and examination advisor to discuss interests and competences, find out which offers are particularly popular in your degree programme and whether extracurricular activities, such as university committee work, can also be credited as key competences. .

Tip 3 Certificates
If you want to expand your knowledge of a specific area of competency, why not take part in one of the Göttingen Uni certificate programmes?

2. Making decisions

Thinking about what aspects are important to you and what your goals are can help you to make the right choice from the many key competency options.

Which…
… strengths do I want to develop and enlarge?
… occupations would I like to learn more about?

What…
… demands does my subject make?
… could be useful to me in the future?
… do I need at present?

Where...
… do I need to catch up?

Is there...
… an offering this semester that really interests me?
… a certificate programme that would suit me?


It often isn’t easy to find answers to these questions on your own. So the University of Göttingen has various advisory services to help you:

You can obtain information on potentially interesting and suitable modules from the Study and Examination Advisor of your faculty, the Central Student Advisory Service and the Career Service.

3. The small print

Are you unsure about how many Credits you can gain in key competencies and include in your degree grading?

Checking your study and examination regulations can help. These include the Module Directory, which explains all the requirements in detail.

Did you know ...?

How to find the Module Directory:

  1. Select your degree programme from the A to Z list.
  2. Click on the "Structure" tab. There, you will locate the section titled "Regulations and module directory," and beneath it, you'll find the link "Current and older versions".
  3. Select your Study and Examination Regulations.
    N.B. The most recent official publication is usually the correct one. If you are unsure, contact your Examination Office. If you are enrolled on a Two-Subject Bachelor’s degree, select the general section of the Study and Examination Regulations.)
  4. The Module Directory can usually be found in Appendix 1 to the Study and Examination Regulations.