Vocational Education and Personnel Capacity Building Dresden University of Technology

The Master's course of study in "Vocational Education and Personnel Capacity Building" presupposes a university degree in education science, in economic science or a scientific-technical area. Its goal is the acquisition of scientific and technical performance competence for tasks in pre-service and continuous vocational education and training, and in human resource development. The following tasks are essential:

1. Teaching in vocational education and further vocational education
2. Administrative tasks in institutions of vocational education and further vocational education
3. Administrative and concept designing tasks in projects of vocational education
4. Administrative and concept designing tasks in teacher education for the vocational education area
5. Research activities in vocational education and further vocational education as well as in adult education
6. Administrative activities and organisation in corporate human resources development

The study programme extends and intensifies existing knowledge and experience in the domains of project planning, design, and evaluation of vocational education as well as adult education and human resource development according to varying country-specific contexts.
The study programme aims at showing students how to further the manifold integration of a vocational education system, from measures and projects of vocational education and further education, into the structure of a society. Students will be able to put the resulting influences and developments into practice.
The training should enable graduates to work in institutions of vocational education and further vocational education, universities and research institutes, administration, planning and consultancy bureaus, human resources and education departments in economic enterprises and in national and international organisations, which deal with the development of human resources on national or regional levels.

This four-semester postgraduate programme always starts in October. It consists of lectures and seminars amounting to about 22 classes per week in three semesters. The course is completed with one semester of work on the Master's thesis. The programme is divided into a compulsory section for basic training and a section of optional classes chosen in accordance with the student's later professional field. It includes "hospitations" (comparable to internships) in an institution of vocational education and doing field research of four weeks each.

Two internships are part of the examination regulations. The first one will take place in institutions of vocational education and further education for four weeks. The second one serves as field research for your Master's thesis and will last for a minimum of four weeks.

A Bachelor's degree in education, engineering or business studies or an equivalent qualification recognised in Germany

The academic degree should be no more than six years old.

At least two years of related professional experience are required after completing the first degree.

Currently, students pay approx. 340 EUR per semester (i.e. for six months). This includes a ticket for public transport and regional trains in all of Germany ("Deutschlandticket"). Additionally, students can use a bike rental service all over the city for free for 30 min. The contribution also assures concessions in the university cafeterias and offers benefits (e.g. price reductions) for many cultural and leisure activities in Dresden.

Dresden offers high quality of living at very moderate costs. Currently, students should expect to pay around 850 EUR per month including rent, food, insurance and basic expenses. This figure is relatively low compared to other big German cities.

In order to top up their budget, some students may want to look for temporary work in Dresden. If so, different regulations apply for students from EU member states, countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, and students from outside the European Union and the EEA area. In addition, restrictions on the duration of employment may apply. Professors, lecturers and group leaders involved in the Master's programme may offer students the possibility of working as academic assistants. However, living expenses can be financed only partially through a job as an academic assistant.

Information on scholarships and funding for students is summarised on a dedicated web page of the TU Dresden.

TU Dresden offers plenty of counselling and training within its Career Service to help students with finding professional orientation. They offer workshops to equip students with professional skills and aid to optimise their CV.

Additionally, there are special workshops for international students to get to know the German and Saxon job market and network.

It is still relatively easy to find affordable accommodation in Dresden. Accommodation is available either via the "Studentenwerk Dresden" or on the private market. Rent for a single room in a student residence is approx. 250 EUR per month.
Private housing can be found online. We recommend that you move into a hall of residence at the beginning of your stay in Dresden. Subsequently, you can look for a place on the private market or in a shared apartment, which is known as a "Wohngemeinschaft" in German.