“Duales Studium” — an innovative German approach to improve higher education

Have you ever started an internship and by the time you were really integrated into the company and started to receive responsibility your summer break was over and you had to go back to school? Have you ever learned something interesting in college and wished you could immediately apply it in an internship, but the year had just started and you had to wait another 9 months for your next summer break to pursue that internship?

The German university system offers a so called “Duales Studium”, which consists of an alternation between studying at a university and interning at a company; the clue is that you always return to the same company and even better you get paid, even during the time you are not interning.

How does this work? A company establishes a partnership with a university close to its location, and reserves a certain amount of spots for its apprentices. Rather than applying to the university you apply directly to a company that offers such a program. Once admitted, you sign a contract with the company and from now on you will receive a decent salary (around 1500$/month); since studying is mostly free in Germany, you also do not have to worry about having to spent your freshly earned money for tuition. The contracts are generally over three years, the duration a bachelor’s degree in Germany. You start your higher education as an intern and student at the same time, usually spending three months at the university, followed by three months at the company. Your tasks at the company are newly adjusted after each block at the university according to your latterly gained knowledge. Returning to the same company enables you to build meaningful relationships with your coworkers and grow into your role. Many students pursuing this track are well integrated and continue working on projects and taking part in firm events even during the university cycle.

Upon graduating you are quasi a full employee and your chances for a prolongation of your contract are close to 100%; meaning that basically as soon as you receive your degree you are hired and do not have to go through the struggle of job-hunting or relocating for a new workplace.As there are four blocks each year you do not have many days off, but during your days off you do not have to worry about finding an internship.

This system is beneficial for both, companies and students; especially once the apprentice is more skilled he is a relatively cheap employee for the company. For the companies taking such a trainee is seen as an investment for the future, as upon graduating the apprentice can immediately dive into the work and with already three years of working experience in the very same position.

On the downside by engaging in such a contract you forgo your diversification, and do not have a lot of time for extracurricular activities or befriending students that pursue the classical path. Also a study abroad program is hardly possible, as you are bound to work at the company every three months. Furthermore, most companies expect the apprentice to sing a fulltime contract upon finishing their bachelor and do not encourage them to continue their studies in a Master’s degree program.

The introduction of online classes would have great potential in this program, as it would allow students to spend their full time with the company and do both at the same time, studying and interning, you could literally do lectures in the morning and work on the company’s ventures in the afternoon. This would probably also help many to make more sense of what they are studying and build connections to the real world.

Overall the “Duales Studium” is an innovative new way of practical learning, while it gives a certain financial security and first hands-on experience in the real working world, it demands strong compromises with your “student-life” and narrows your career options down at a young age. Considering the recent changes of high education due to the digital revolution, this system has strong potential in adjusting our educational system to the job market’s demands and helping to contextualize what we otherwise only learn in theory.