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Deutsch Who this B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering suits — and what you need to qualify
This part-time degree suits you if you already work in engineering or a related field and want a first university degree while staying employed. Typical profiles include: technicians or junior engineers in automation, energy or maintenance aiming to step up into engineering roles; IT or electronics professionals with a strong maths/physics base who want to formalise skills for industry; internationally mobile candidates living in Germany (or able to travel regularly) who seek an accredited B.Eng. (180 ECTS) taught in German with scheduled in-person labs in Kaiserslautern.
Admission requirements
Admission follows state regulations for higher education entry. You qualify with one of the following plus ongoing employment:
- German higher education entrance: Allgemeine Hochschulreife (Abitur) or Fachhochschulreife.
- Without Abitur: a completed vocational training with a strong overall grade (2.5 or better) or a Meister/advanced professional qualification.
- Proof of current employment is required; unclear cases are decided by the examination board.
International applicants are eligible if their school-leaving or vocational qualifications are recognised as equivalent to a German higher education entrance qualification. Expect to provide certified translations and official proof of equivalence; the university checks recognition on a case-by-case basis. The teaching language is German. If you are not a native speaker, you must provide formal proof of sufficient German for studies and exams; commonly recognised certificates include TestDaF, DSH or a Goethe-Zertifikat at an appropriate level. Exact thresholds and accepted proofs are defined by the university’s current admission rules.
- Start: winter semester (applications typically April–September).
- Degree awarded: Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.), 180 ECTS.
- On-site commitment: regular Friday/Saturday sessions in Kaiserslautern plus about two one-week lab blocks per year.
Personal requirements
Success in this programme hinges on solid prior maths/physics, strong German for technical materials and exams, and the ability to balance work, study and travel for labs. As it is designed alongside employment, you should plan for study on several evenings and parts of some weekends and be ready for intensive lab weeks in Germany. Reliable self-organisation and perseverance are essential.
- You can manage structured self-study and keep pace with online sessions plus deadlines.
- You are able to travel to Kaiserslautern for mandatory labs and in-person sessions.
- You communicate comfortably in technical German (lectures, reports, exams).
- You coordinate with your employer for workload peaks (lab blocks, exam phases).
If you meet the formal entry routes above and can commit to the on-site phases, this programme offers a clear path to an internationally recognised engineering degree while you continue working.
What will you study in the Electrical engineering (B.Eng.) at the Centre for Distance Learning in the University Consortium?
The programme is taught in German. You need advanced German proficiency to follow lectures, labs and exams; the university specifies accepted language proofs during admission. This is a Fernstudium (distance learning) run with Hochschule Kaiserslautern, a German Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences) focused on applied teaching and labs.
You start with the mathematical and electrical foundations that underpin all later work. Typical early modules include Mathematical Foundations, Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering and Signals and Systems. You also cover basics of Software Development to support embedded and simulation tasks.
From there, you move into core circuit and digital design. Expect modules such as Electronic Measurement Technology, Components and Circuit Electronics, and Fundamentals of Digital Systems. This block builds your competence in analysing, designing and testing analogue and digital circuitry.
Control and automation are a major strand. Here you study Control Engineering, Automation Technology and Microprocessor Technology. Lab work is embedded in this strand so you can implement controllers and automation tasks on real hardware.
Energy and industrial systems complete the technical breadth. You cover Electrical Plant Engineering, Drive Technology and Power Electronics. These modules connect design decisions with safety, efficiency and integration in industrial environments.
Electives: from the fifth semester onward, you can deepen your profile through Wahlpflichtfächer (electives) and a mentor-guided company project. The programme culminates in an industry practice phase, the Bachelor’s thesis and a concluding colloquium.
Note on German terms: The ZFU is Germany’s state authority approving distance-learning courses; public-university degree programmes are typically not ZFU-listed, and no ZFU number is stated for this B.Eng.
How does the Electrical engineering (B.Eng.) distance programme work?
It combines self-study, regular online sessions and scheduled on-campus phases in Kaiserslautern. Across eight semesters (180 ECTS) you study part-time alongside your job. This is not a purely remote degree: labs and block weeks in Germany are mandatory.
Teaching language and certificates
Teaching language: German. All materials, live sessions, labs and assessments are in German. You must be able to study and take exams in German; the university specifies which proofs of proficiency it accepts during application.
Learning format and study materials
The programme follows a blended-learning model: multimedia self-study packages and recorded lectures form the core, supported by a learning platform and tutor-led online meetings. You study part-time over eight semesters, with mentoring for the company project and thesis.
Exams and where you take them
Assessments are course-dependent and can include written exams, lab reports, project work, and the thesis with colloquium. Due to the integrated labs and on-site days, you should expect key assessments to take place in Kaiserslautern (Germany). There is no general option to complete everything from abroad.
Mandatory on-site sessions in Germany
Per teaching period there are typically two on-site sessions (mainly Fridays and around two Saturdays) at Hochschule Kaiserslautern, plus about ten online meetings per semester. In the lecture-free time you attend two one-week block courses per year, mostly laboratory weeks on campus. Plan travel and accommodation for these fixed in-person components.
Workload, time model and time zones
The degree carries 180 ECTS over eight semesters and is designed for working professionals. Online meetings are mostly scheduled on Fridays in Central European Time (CET/CEST). The precise weekly effort varies by semester; plan a steady workload alongside your job plus concentrated study during lab/block weeks.
ZFU information: No ZFU admission number is provided for this public-university degree. A purely remote programme requires no visa; however, this programme is not purely remote. If you live outside the EU/EEA, short study visits to Germany for the on-site phases may require entry formalities.
What does the Electrical engineering (B.Eng.) cost?
You pay a module provision fee of about €465 per semester. Over the standard eight semesters this totals roughly €3,720 for the academic part. In addition, expect a social contribution of about €115 per semester (≈ €920 over eight semesters) and a one-time €8 card fee for the student ID. In total, plan for approximately €4,648 across the full programme duration, excluding travel and accommodation for on-site weeks.
Fees are charged per semester rather than monthly. If you study longer than eight semesters, additional semester fees apply. International students typically pay by standard bank transfer; amounts are invoiced in euros. Budget separately for travel to Kaiserslautern during the mandatory block weeks and in-person dates.
What careers and recognition does the Electrical engineering (B.Eng.) offer?
You graduate with 180 ECTS credits under the Bologna system and the academic title Bachelor of Engineering. Hochschule Kaiserslautern is system-accredited in Germany; system accreditation means the university’s internal quality processes are audited by an EQAR-registered agency, so the degree follows European Standards and Guidelines and is internationally recognisable for further study.
Typical roles after graduation include:
- Automation engineer in factory automation and PLC-based systems
- Electronics design engineer for analogue, digital and embedded hardware
- Control and drive systems engineer in machinery or mobility
- Test and measurement engineer, commissioning and field engineering
- Power and plant engineering in energy supply and industrial facilities
The degree enables entry to relevant Master’s programmes in engineering in Germany and across the European Higher Education Area. Engineering in Germany is not a state-regulated profession in the sense of medicine or law; employers focus on the B.Eng. at 180 ECTS, your project experience and the skills gained in labs and the industry practice phase.
Who is the Electrical engineering (B.Eng.) right for - and who not?
This programme suits working professionals who want an applied engineering degree with real lab time, while keeping their job. The blend of self-study, online sessions and fixed on-campus blocks is designed to build hands-on competence without a full-time campus schedule.
- You want an applied engineering education at a German public university of applied sciences.
- You can study in German and want structured support plus regular online meetings.
- You value mandatory lab work and an industry practice phase to strengthen employability.
- Your schedule allows attendance of Friday/Saturday sessions and one-week lab blocks in Germany.
- You plan to continue into a Master’s later and need a recognised 180-ECTS B.Eng.
There are, however, clear limits. Some setups or locations make participation impractical or impossible. Read the exclusions carefully before you decide.
- You do not speak German at an academic level. The degree is fully taught and examined in German.
- You need a 100% online programme with no travel. Regular on-site days and two one-week lab blocks per year in Kaiserslautern are mandatory.
- You can only start at any time of year. Admission is structured around a winter semester start, not rolling.
- You need to sit all exams outside Germany. Key assessments are tied to the on-campus phases.
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