The Future of Education

Since 2012 Berlin School of Economics and Law (BSEL) offers a special bachelor study programme for employees of the public authorities. The characteristics of this programme are:

• The students work full-time in their institutions;
• Distance learning with online tools and webinars are the main teaching aspects;
• Classroom lessons on Friday and Saturday cover less than 25 % of the teaching activities;
• The learning goals and the teaching contents fit the objectives for the higher intermediate civil service which are specified by the German government;
• The average duration of study is 3.5 years.

The experiences of the graduated students of the first two intakes show that the objectives of the programme could be achieved. But the main challenge is the fact that the majority of the students has no experience with academic work. Special efforts are made to achieve the objectives for the higher intermediate civil service which are specified by the German government. These objectives are orientated to a full-time study programme.

In order to strengthen the quality of the study programme a strategic partnership with four other European universities was established and funded by the EU Erasmus+-Programme. These universities offer study programmes for civil servants and are highly interested to optimize their blended learning activities.

BSEL is the only public university for applied science in Germany which offers a bachelor study programme within a distance learning concept. This programme benefits form the trusted blended learning concept which BSEL uses for special master study programmes since several years.

The bachelor study programme within a distance learning concept is an innovative activity in the framework of lifelong learning. Activities of universities within this framework are concentrated on master or certificate programmes. The paper will present the challenges of the study programme and the support by the strategic partnership with four other European universities.