Recognition of previous achievements Studies & Vocational training

Previous achievements are recognised as part of the so-called "credit transfer" procedure. To do this, you must provide evidence of the qualifications and achievements you have gained outside of academia. These can be, for example, vocational training, further education or professional experience. The institution will then check individually to what extent these achievements can be credited to your desired degree programme at IU. This may allow you to skip certain modules or even entire academic years and reduce tuition fees.

Want to know how much you can save? Then start the online recognition process now. We will be happy to check whether and to what extent we can recognise your educational background and other previous achievements before you apply for your desired degree programme. All we need are simple, non-certified copies of your certificates.

The IU postgraduate programmes are courses that build on specific vocational training, allowing you to profit particularly from your previous education. By having your previous achievements recognised, you can reduce the duration of your studies by up to 50% and save a significant amount of money on these particular programmes. 

There are postgraduate programmes that will only admit you with a specific training background, allowing you to complete them in just three semesters. In other programmes, certain vocational qualifications will get you a substantial amount of modules recognised, helping you save both time and money. 

"ECTS" stands for European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System and serves as a unit of measurement to quantify the workload of a student on a particular degree programme. ECTS credits therefore indicate how much time a student needs on average to fulfil the requirements of a particular module or course. One ECTS credit roughly corresponds to a workload of 25-30 hours, which is made up of lectures, seminars, independent study, exam preparation and examinations. As a rule, one year of full-time study corresponds to around 60 ECTS credits. ECTS credits allow students to compare and have their achievements recognised transparently, as the system is largely standardised throughout Europe.

Yes, it is possible in general to complete a degree programme at IU without a high school diploma if you have completed vocational training and have several years of professional experience. In this case, you can apply for your desired degree programme at IU and will be assessed for your professional qualifications. It is therefore not always necessary to have a high school diploma to study at IU.

Yes, it is possible to receive BAföG if you start studying at an institution of higher education after completing your vocational training. The prerequisite is that certain income limits are adhered to and that the degree programme meets the eligibility requirements. It is advisable to enquire about this directly at a BAföG office and check your individual options.

Yes, in principle you can receive child benefit while studying even after you have completed your vocational training as long as you are still in your first degree programme and have not yet reached the age of 25. However, the prerequisite is that you do not work more than 20 hours a week and are mainly focussed on your studies. It is advisable to enquire about this at the relevant family benefits office and clarify your individual requirements.