22.12 How can the “systematic integration of the content taught at higher education institutions and in the workplace” be implemented in dual study programmes?

Higher education institutions have considerable conceptual flexibility in implementing the systematic integration of content between the university and the workplace. From an accreditation perspective, it is not mandatory for such integration to occur in every semester of the course of study, nor does accreditation specify a minimum number of credit points that must be earned at the workplace learning site. What is crucial is a coherent overall concept, which is initially evaluated for consistency by the peer review panel during the accreditation process.

By way of example, the following are some elements of content integration that are frequently encountered in practice, often in combination:

• Credit-bearing practical (transfer) phases / practical modules in each semester,
• Credit-bearing practical (transfer) phases / practical modules in selected semesters / stages of study,
• the completion of work-related and/or practice-reflective assignments as part of self-study and/or as an examination requirement in (selected) theory modules within the framework of practical phases that are not credited as such,
• a company-sponsored thesis (as one of several components).

This list is not exhaustive.