Key competencies for international students summer semester 2026

Career Orientation and Employability Competences

...prepare students for entry into professional life both within and outside academia, as well as for self-directed career management. This includes the ability and willingness to analyse one’s own competences, characteristics and motivations (potential analysis) and, based on these insights, to define professional and personal goals and to develop and refine one’s professional profile. It also includes professional competences such as the purposeful application of scientific methods, network building, the transfer of occupation-specific knowledge, self-presentation, and the acquisition and reflection of relevant practical experience.

Module overview in the area of Career Orientation and Employability Competences for international students (pdf)

Digital Competences (including AI Competences)

...enable individuals to respond to current and future digital needs and challenges in study, professional contexts, societal participation and research. This includes the competence to reflect upon and evaluate digitally available content, methods, tools and technologies, and to select and apply them safely and appropriately in the reception, processing and production of content as well as in communication, collaboration and the handling of complex problems, while also taking relevant security aspects into account. Digital competences also include AI literacy, enabling individuals to understand fundamental principles of artificial intelligence, to apply AI-based technologies effectively and critically, and to assess their societal, ethical and economic implications.

Module overview in the area of Digital Competences (including AI Competences) for international students (pdf)

Diversity Competences

...enable individuals to engage with personal and societal diversity in an appreciative, non-prejudicial, self-reflective and power-critical manner and to communicate accordingly, addressing mechanisms of exclusion such as sexism, racism and antisemitism. They also enable recognition, reflection and development of the potential of diversity in study contexts, scientific work and communication, professional environments and social interaction. Furthermore, they contribute to developing organisational and corporate cultures that promote diversity and critically reflect on discrimination. Theoretical, empirical, methodological and reflective knowledge of societal diversity is incorporated and applied, with results and insights continuously subjected to critical reflection.

Module overview in the area of Diversity Competences for international students (pdf)

Cultural and Intercultural Competences

...enable individuals to engage with personal and societal diversity in an appreciative, non-prejudicial, self-reflective and power-critical manner and to communicate accordingly, addressing mechanisms of exclusion such as sexism, racism and antisemitism. They also enable recognition, reflection and development of the potential of diversity in study contexts, scientific work and communication, professional environments and social interaction. Furthermore, they contribute to developing organisational and corporate cultures that promote diversity and critically reflect on discrimination. Theoretical, empirical, methodological and reflective knowledge of societal diversity is incorporated and applied, with results and insights continuously subjected to critical reflection.

Module overview in the area of Cultural and Intercultural Competences for international students (pdf)

Competences for Shaping Sustainable Development

...enable an open-minded and responsible attitude aimed at implementing sustainable development in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s concept of Education for Sustainable Development . This includes, among other things, the ability to integrate and reflect upon new perspectives and to analyse, contextualise and interlink interdisciplinary insights that may involve uncertainty. This allows potentials, risks and dangers to be recognised and assessed, enabling cooperative and participatory development and implementation of action strategies oriented towards future-proof, intergenerational and socially just use of resources, taking goal conflicts into account.

Module overview in the area of Competences for Shaping Sustainable Development for international students (pdf)

Learning Competences

...enable individuals to independently, effectively and reflectively acquire, apply and further develop new knowledge and skills. They encompass methods, strategies and attitudes that enable active organisation of learning processes and optimisation of individual learning progress. Learning competences are crucial for lifelong learning and adaptability in a constantly changing world.

Module overview in the area of Learning Competences for international students (pdf)

Study and Research Competences

...enable academic learning, scientific work and responsible use of scientific methods, as well as the organisation, reception and production of scientific knowledge. They also include the development of a scientific, research-oriented attitude grounded in academic values and norms, enabling the handling of complex ethical challenges in research and later professional contexts.

Module overview in the area of Study and Research Competences for international students (pdf)

Mathematical and Scientific Competences

“Mathematical competence is the ability to develop and apply mathematical thinking and understanding in order to solve problems in everyday situations. Starting from sound numeracy skills, the emphasis lies both on processes and activity as well as on knowledge. Mathematical competence involves — to varying degrees — the ability and willingness to use mathematical modes of thought and representations (formulae, models, constructions, curves, tables). Scientific competence is the ability and willingness to explain the natural world by using existing knowledge and established methods — including observation and experimentation — in order to pose questions and draw evidence-based conclusions. Competence in technology and computing involves the application of this knowledge and these methods in order to respond to identified human needs or desires. Competences in science, computing and technology presuppose understanding of changes caused by human activity and a sense of responsibility as a citizen.” (European Council 2018: C 189/9)

Module overview in the area of Mathematical and Scientific Competences for international students (pdf)

Civic and Democratic Competences

...enable individuals to participate actively in democratic processes and to act responsibly. They include knowledge and critical understanding of the world, helping individuals to understand political decisions, form informed opinions and recognise their own role in society. They also promote critical thinking, the analysis of information and the ability to deal with manipulation. Competences supporting a democratic culture also strengthen the ability to respect other perspectives and assume responsibility for the common good.

Self-Management Competences

...enable individuals to recognise and evaluate their own and others’ actions and potentials for action and, based on this, to act independently and responsibly. This includes reflecting upon one’s own person and actions as well as those of others and meaningfully relating them to one another. Furthermore, one’s own personality and capacity for action, embedded within and capable of shaping social structures, are reflected upon and further developed.

Module overview in the area of Self-Management Competences for international students (pdf)

Social Competences

...enable individuals to act appropriately in relationships with other people (and other living beings). This includes orienting one’s own actions from an individual towards a collective orientation and, where appropriate, towards societal needs in order to establish, shape and maintain social relationships, including through mediation and conflict resolution.

Language Competences

...enable the reception, production, interaction and mediation of subject-related content and personal needs in one or more languages , including in multilingual contexts. Foreign-language competences in the context of study, research and professional activity involve the ability to act linguistically, non-verbally and paraverbally in ways appropriate to persons, situations and contexts, and in interculturally and culturally appropriate ways, taking into account one’s own expectations, those of diverse target groups and relevant socio-cultural conditions.

Module overview in the area of Language Competences for international students (pdf)

Communication Competences

...enable individuals to act linguistically, non-verbally and paraverbally in ways appropriate to situations, target groups and contexts so that mutual understanding, clarification and negotiation among discourse partners become possible. Communication competences include multimodal (oral and written) discourse relating to the production, reception, interaction and mediation of linguistic and visual content.

Module overview in the area of Communication Competences for international students (pdf)

Training and Teaching Competences

...enable the design, implementation and evaluation of goal-oriented and participant-centred training and teaching settings in various contexts. They include, among other things, didactic and methodological foundations, knowledge of learning and teaching theories as well as competence- and action-oriented approaches, the ability to apply these approaches, and the capacity to reflect on one’s own teaching stance in relation to target groups and intended objectives.

Module overview in the area of Training and Teaching Competences for international students (pdf)

Entrepreneurial Competences

...enable individuals to think and act economically and strategically and to develop, initiate and shape entrepreneurial change. This includes recognising, evaluating and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as the competence to develop innovations and derive business models from product and service ideas.

Module overview in the area of Entrepreneurial Competences for international students (pdf)