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The Central State Office for Distance Learning (ZFU) has approved the course Education, Management and Leadership under the number 1118221c. Is the Distance Learning Course in Education, Management and Leadership Suitable for You?
The distance learning course is aimed at professionals who are already working in the education sector and are aspiring to a leadership or management position. This includes, among others, teachers, adult educators, personnel developers – but also career changers who want to become familiar with administration, personnel management, quality management or digitalisation in educational institutions. The programme is especially designed for working professionals seeking a flexibly structured master’s degree and wishing to manage educational processes from a pedagogical perspective.
Which Formal Criteria Must You Fulfil?
You have access to the master’s programme via various routes:
- With a completed first degree: A bachelor’s, diploma or master’s degree (at least 180 ECTS) is required, preferably related to education, social sciences or neighbouring disciplines.
- With study and professional experience: If you have completed a first degree with 180 ECTS, you additionally need at least one year of qualified, related professional experience.
- Without a first degree, but with professional experience: You can also be admitted without a university degree if you have completed vocational training as well as at least two years of relevant professional experience and have passed an aptitude test (e.g. term paper, letter of motivation, admission interview).
Personal requirements for a successful course of study are:
- Practical relevance and interest in pedagogical questions in a management context
- Experience in or motivation for leadership or management tasks
- Self-organisation, discipline and time resilience for a part-time, flexible distance learning course (approx. 15–20 hours/week)
- Willingness to engage with digitalisation, media education and interdisciplinary aspects of educational work
- Strong communication skills and openness to change processes in the education system
Course Content in Detail
In the Master's programme Education, Management and Leadership (M.A.), you acquire interdisciplinary skills in pedagogy, management, and leadership specifically for the education sector. The focus is on personnel management, quality management, digitalisation, and adult education. You learn to manage educational processes from a pedagogical perspective and to design sustainable personnel development. The curriculum covers key topics such as:
- Introductory project on self-organised learning – development of learning strategies for digital studies
- Pedagogy as a science and lifespan pedagogy – basics and developmental perspectives of educational science
- Didactic models and principles – analysis and application of teaching-learning concepts
- Media pedagogy and media didactics – use of digital media in teaching
- Education in an interdisciplinary context as well as education and society
- Quality management in education – development of effective quality assurance systems
- Educational research – methodological basics, qualitative and quantitative research
- Ethics and sustainability in education
- Sustainable personnel management – strategies and operational implementation in the educational environment
- (Virtual) working and leading in international contexts
- Psychology for executives – leadership psychology and motivation
- Modern working methods, change processes and labour law
Through elective compulsory areas, you set individual focuses for example in:
- Learning, media and digitalisation
- Didactic design and digital teaching technologies
- Media education and media psychology
- Instructional design
- Educational management and programme planning
- Internationalisation of educational offers
- Digital and personal communication in the education context
The content can be supplemented on request by international online certificates (Arizona State University) and optionally by modules from other Master's programmes.
Course Structure
The Master's Education, Management and Leadership is designed as a full-distance learning programme and can be completed flexibly within 4 to 8 semesters (equivalent to 24 to 48 months). The start of studies is possible at any time, always on the 1st of the month. You decide whether to complete your studies at a compact or extended pace and can switch the time model during your studies.
The course progression is structured for 120 ECTS and arranged in:
- Compulsory modules and individually selectable focus areas
- Digital learning units and multimedia study materials (Studymags, videos, e-books)
- Self-directed online learning – without attendance requirements
- Personal support by study coaches and lecturers
Examinations are carried out largely online and flexibly via 24/7 exams, open-book exams, term papers, project work, or online presentations. Official attendance dates are minimised. You use the modern online campus “studynet” for all organisational, academic, and didactic matters. Optionally, you can participate in practice-related attendance workshops (“SaturdayOnly” format).
Career Prospects & Professional Opportunities
With the degree Master of Arts Education, Management and Leadership, you qualify for demanding leadership and management positions in education as well as interface tasks between pedagogy and personnel management. The following fields of activity open up:
- Management of educational institutions or educational departments (e.g. in schools, universities, private educational providers or companies)
- Specialist or manager for personnel development, further education and qualification
- Leadership of project teams, planning and controlling of educational programmes
- Consulting, implementation and evaluation of digital learning offers and communication solutions
- Quality and change management in the education sector
- Work as a speaker, consultant or trainer for pedagogical and education-related management topics
- Participation in educational research, educational governance and education policy
Graduates complete the programme with a state-recognised Master's degree which also forms the basis for further academic qualification or entry into higher civil service.
Costs and Financing
The regular tuition fees for the distance learning programme Education, Management and Leadership (M.A.) depend on the study model and are:
- €329 per month (for 48 months total duration, equivalent to a total of €13,176)
- €410 per month (for 36 months, equivalent to €14,760)
- €549 per month (for 24 months, equivalent to €13,176)
With regularly available promotional discounts, reductions of up to 15% of the total fees are possible.
The price includes all study materials, online access, examination fees, support by study coaches as well as access to the digital library. Any additional costs arise only due to individual services such as voluntary attendance workshops, travel to exam centres (if required) or optional print versions of the study materials.
Various options are available for financing:
- Student loans (e.g. KfW student loan)
- Scholarships such as the Deutschlandstipendium
- BAföG for eligible students
- Support from the employer for part-time further education
- Tax deductibility of tuition fees as advertising costs or special expenses
Fees are paid in monthly instalments. Switching between time models (e.g. extension or shortening of the study duration) is possible during the studies, allowing flexible management of the financial burden. The university places great value on full cost transparency; no additional or hidden fees apply.
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