Supplementary Program "Sustainable Development"
Degree
Certificate
Semester fee
56,00
Euro
Start of the program
Winter semester
Standard length of the program
4
Semester
Place of study
Eichstätt
Part-time studies possible
No
Does social commitment play an important role for you? Do you want to take on responsibility and develop your skills further – working with your head, heart and hands?
Social commitment is a good way to use your own skills for a good cause. It can also contribute to your own personal growth and improve your chances of starting a career: Volunteering is an important advantage for students today in order to be "one step ahead" when applying for jobs.
The supplementary program in Personal Development and Social Commitment is aimed at committed students from all degree programs. Alongside their main field of study, they will contribute to solving social challenges and take responsibility for self-organized projects. Through their commitment, they can grow as a person and learn to reflect on and deepen the content of their studies by making varied own experiences. They acquire self-organization skills that are necessary for the future of a vibrant civil society.
The program in detail
Contents
“Personal Development & Social Commitment" is a co-curricular accompanying study program. It is aimed at committed students from all disciplines and faculties. Over a period of approx. three semesters, students can contribute to solving social challenges and take responsibility for self-organized projects in addition to their main field of study. They will be given the opportunity to work on existing projects as well as to initiate new projects.
The accompanying studies combine learning and the acquisition of skills in the context of social commitment and promote the sense of purpose as well as design and self-organization skills of students that are necessary for the future of a vibrant civil society. Accordingly, there are no courses taught in the traditional sense. Rather, the course encourages independent learning through participation in self-organized project groups. The independent work and learning in the individual modules is accompanied by a theoretic seminar and a guided reflection at the end of the module.
Workload and duration of study
- Continuing education study program to accompany your studies
- Three Modules (total of 15 ECTS credits)
- Independent learning in self-organized project groups, accompanied by impulses and reflections
- Estimated duration: 3 semesters
The modules
Summer semester: Module Civil Society, Democracy and Participation
Module coordinator: Prof. Dr. Rico Behrens
In this module, students reflect on the topics of civil society, democracy and participation on the basis of an impulse program with a theoretical foundation. The focus is on different thematic aspects that approach learning about democracy.
Winter semester: Module Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Society and the Church
Module coordinator: Prof. Dr. Simone Birkel
This module discusses and tests the fundamentals, methodological issues and practical ways of implementing the guiding principle of sustainability with regard to social and church education processes.
Summer semester: Module Responsibility and Social Problem Solving
Module coordinator: Prof. Dr. Katharina Karl
The module imparts theoretical knowledge in three subject areas that ethically reflect on social commitment: Responsibility, vocation and the ability to deal with conflict through practical examples and sharing experiences from our own social commitment.
Rankings and assessments
KU students and alumni have voted for their University to be Germany's most popular university in the 2024 ranking of the online portal StudyCheck. This is the third time in a row, as KU was also voted the most popular university in 2021 and 2022. The ranking was based on over 78,000 evaluations for more than 500 higher education institutions and universities. 97 percent of students questioned for the ranking would recommend studying at the KU to others.
"There is no better praise for a university than almost 100 percent of students and alumni agreeing: I can only recommend studying at the KU! That is why we are very pleased with the ranking’s outcome, because it expresses the high level of satisfaction of our students," says KU President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien.
The KU
Campus
Short distances on campus at the KU save time and avoid stress. The KU is a campus University with modern facilities. The buildings on campus are located close to the Eichstätt old town. Although the University and its campus has grown, it is still characterized by short distances: In Eichstätt, everything can be reached within ten minutes’ walking distance. On campus, green spaces such as the Hofgarten are the perfect places to relax. The garden of the Kapuzinerkloster is also used by different student initiatives for their projects. The canteen is located at the heart of the Eichstätt campus and has a sun deck and cafeteria that leave nothing to be desired.
What sets the KU apart
Studying at the KU is more than just acquiring specialist knowledge. We broaden our horizons together and take on responsibility in and beyond the individual degree programs. The KU has a particular focus on topics such as personal development, sustainability, social skills and social commitment.
It offers its students the possibility to study and work in a welcoming atmosphere and benefit from outstanding support and comprehensive service offers, a well-stocked library, a broad range of sports and leisure activities and a large global network of approx. 300 partner universities. Our team at the International Office helps you to plan your semester abroad and the KU Career Service provides comprehensive advice and support for embarking on your professional career.
Do I have to be Catholic in order to study at the KU? Do I have to deal with Catholic contents during my studies?
No, the KU is open to students of all faiths and beliefs.
At the KU, just as at all state universities, there is freedom of research and teaching. This means that our degree programs focus on the subjects for which you have enrolled – free from external influences.
As a student at our University, you will notice what our understanding of being a Catholic University means for us in one thing in particular: The University’s focus is on the individual person. The talents and potential of all those who teach, study, work and carry out research at the KU form our most important foundation – regardless of their religion or beliefs, nationality, ethical, cultural or social background, disabilities, gender, sexual orientation or age.
This is why we promote your best possible academic education through personal support and an ideal staff-to-student ratio. At the same time, the KU is more than just a place for earning your degree: We attach particular importance to imparting social skills and advancing our students’ sense and value orientation in addition to providing them with a high level of academic and methodical qualification.
Our aspiration for our University is to build bridges between science and society and to make knowledge available for society as well as to integrate impulses from outside the University into our research and teaching practice. We aim to make a valuable contribution to social coexistence, to the free democratic basic order and to preserving creation.
Isn’t Eichstätt quite small for a university town?
With a population of around 15,000, it is probably the smallest university town in Europe. For our students, this means living and learning in a friendly and informal atmosphere. Whether it is on the way to a lecture in the morning, at the canteen for lunch or in the pub in the evening, you will often come across people you know. It is easy to meet people in Eichstätt! By the way, the KU’s “living room” is the Theke, a bar run by students for students. Here, people meet for parties, jam sessions, karaoke evenings or a cozy round of table football.
A small town also means short distances: The library, the swimming pool, the cinema or the supermarket – everything can be reached in a few minutes on foot or by bike. The town is located right in the heart of the Altmühltal natural park – a real paradise for climbers, canoeists, hikers and cyclists just around the corner.
Should you still reach a point when you feel too cooped in, you can breathe big city air easily near Eichstätt. Ingolstadt with its 135,000 inhabitants is only a few kilometers away and offers a variety of shopping and nightlife options.
Can I also study at the KU if I have completed the Fachabitur?
Yes, you can study certain degree programs at the KU with a subject-specific university entrance qualification (Fachabitur). These are: Social Work (BA) and Religious Education (BA).
The location
![[Translate to Englisch:] Biergarten](/fileadmin/22/Studiengaenge/Bilder_fuer_Studiengangwebseiten/Biergarten.jpg)
Eichstätt and the surrounding Altmühltal natural park are not only a popular destination for culture enthusiasts and nature lovers, but also for cyclists, climbers, canoeists and fossil collectors. Located between Munich and Nuremberg, the city impresses with its Baroque setting and southern flair combined with modern and prizewinning architecture as well as a broad variety of cultural offerings and leisure activities.
The Baroque park at the heart of the campus and the nearby banks of the Altmühltal river are the KU’s “green living room”. Another big advantage: all University facilities are just a short walk away from each other.
Advisory Service
Some offers and study conditions are different for international students – our International Office is happy to provide help and support. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our team. We are happy to accompany you on your way to the KU and hope that we can welcome you in person soon!
International Office
Building
Domplatz 8
|
Room: DP8-203 | Campus Eichstätt