Concept

The study program for seniors is an academic education program for adults who intend to consciously plan their lives and activities for the time after their professional or family phase. The study program is completed with a certificate.

The study programme is open to everyone over the age of 50. A university entrance qualification like the "Abitur" is not required. 60 places in the program are allocated each winter semester (start: mid-October).

The structured educational program takes 5 semesters (2.5 years), in which 6 modules are completed. In addition to attending selected regular courses together with the young students, special cources are offered only for the students of the program. During the entire period of study a colloquium for the respective study group is attended.

The range of courses concentrates on Human and Social Sciences and generally does not include any natural science or engineering courses. A special professional focus is on a positive personal development in old age and on preparations for civic engagement.

Personal development:

On the personal level, the study program enables students to catch up on previously unfulfilled educational wishes in the sense of "developmental education", to train and expand their own learning abilities together with others, and to receive important impulses for the active and self-determined shaping of their own age(ing) by exploring age-related topics from different scientific perspectives.

Social relevance:

On the supra-individual level, the objective of the study program is to expand competences for meaningful and socially relevant activities and civic engagement in the post-professional phase (e.g. in social institutions, in health care, in communities, in the district or in the ecological field as well as in associations, initiatives, self-organised projects or in international cooperation). This qualification goal is achieved through special teaching offers in the program that are tailored to the competence enhancement of older people for social, political or cultural activities.

Community experience:

Beside these learning objectives, the program offers the chance to meet like-minded people and to built friendships. Learning settings with younger students offer an intergenerational exchange and thus the chance for mutual enrichment.