Acquire Key Skills!
A university degree course offers you much more than an academic education. As part of our qualification and quality objectives for your studies, we support you in acquiring key skills that are independent of your subject. Cognitive abilities and methodological skills are just as important as a reflective attitude in social interaction. Most of the courses are to be understood as a voluntary supplement to the regular study program.
Key competencies - what exactly are they? Just take a look at our introduction to key competencies!
For everyone: Studying PLuS
Studying PLuS stands for"Profilbildende Lernfelder und Schlüsselkompetenzen" and is aimed at all students enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's degree program at Osnabrück University. The courses teach key skills in the five learning fields of Planning your studies and career entry | Strengthening social and personal skills | Learning languages and shaping diversity | Learning and working scientifically | Understanding and using media and IT.
Professional skills development area in the dual-subject Bachelor's degree
Key competencies are mandatory in the 2-subject Bachelor's degree course: professional skills development is about skills and competencies that go beyond purely subject-specific requirements. These are usually taught in two-day interactive workshops.
Service learning - learning through social commitment
For more than ten years, Osnabrück University has been offering its students the opportunity to combine their studies with social commitment. The principle of service learning is not only offered in individual seminars, but the university management has also created the conditions to permanently anchor the so-called service learning projects. Some of these are integrated into the training curriculum and students can - provided that their preparation and reflection phase is ensured - acquire corresponding certificates of achievement. One important project at Osnabrück University is Balu und Du - Mentoring für Grundschüler*innen: Students from all disciplines look after a primary school child, their "Mogli", for a year as "Balus".
Key competencies - A brief introduction
Key competencies are "general skills, attitudes and knowledge elements that can be acquired and that are useful in solving problems and acquiring new competencies in as many content areas as possible" (H. Orth) or in other words: "cognitive abilities and skills to solve certain problems, as well as the associated [...] readiness and abilities to be able to use the solutions to problems successfully and responsibly in variable situations" (F. E. Weinert). This creates the ability to act in order to meet individual and social requirements. Competence to act is the ability of the individual to behave in professional, social and private situations in an appropriate, well-considered and individually and socially responsible manner (Kultusministerkonferenz, February 5, 1999) and is made up of the following components: Social competence, personal competence, methodological competence, professional competence.
What does this definition mean?
- Key competencies have to be acquired, they are not born with them.
- Key competencies include emotional, motivational and social aspects, values and behavioral dispositions. Cognitive elements are not sufficient.
- Key competencies are important in various social and professional fields.
- Key competencies are derived from the requirements of the world of work and life. They relate to the present and the future.
- Ability to cooperate
- Negotiating skills
- Leadership qualities
- Communication skills
- assertiveness
- Verbal and written expression skills
- conflict management
- Ability to take into account the views and interests of others
- Knowing and understanding other cultures
- ability to work in a team
Social skills can be acquired, for example, in the workshops "Conflict Perception" or "Leadership - First Insights".
- Ability to work in a concentrated and disciplined manner
- Ability to take responsibility
- Ability to adapt to changing circumstances
- diligence
- Ability to reflect, e.g. to assess own strengths and weaknesses
- Willingness to perform
- mobility
- creativity
- Time management
- Self-management/organization and motivation
Self-competencies can be acquired, for example, in the workshops "Self and time management" or "Stress management - relaxed and calm through your studies".
- Organizational skills
- Academic writing: Lecture notes, minutes, term paper, etc.
- Presentation techniques: oral presentation, visualization and presentation
- Problem-solving skills
- independent work
- Ability to apply existing knowledge to new problems
- Ability to recognize and close gaps in knowledge
- Critical thinking
- analytical skills
- Gathering/evaluating information
Methodological skills can be acquired, for example, in the workshops "Presentation training" or "Successfully mastering the examination phases".
- Specialized expertise
- broad basic knowledge
- subject-specific theoretical knowledge
- knowledge of scientific methods
- interdisciplinary thinking
- foreign languages
- general education
- knowledge of EDP
- knowledge of law
- Business knowledge
Professional skills can be acquired, for example, in specialist courses or through language courses.