General professional skills courses (Allgemeine Berufsvorbereitung, ABV)
The General Professional Skills program is a central component of completing a bachelor’s degree at Freie Universität Berlin and serves to provide students with practical skills that will help them over the course of their careers. The goal is to prepare you for the ever more complex demands of the academic job market, regardless of your specific field or discipline.
During your studies at Freie Universität, you will gain special knowledge in your field of study while also acquiring professional skills and unique experiences through other educational opportunities organized centrally, through General Professional Skills modules offered through your department, and through your professional internship.
The information on this website will give you some impressions of the wide variety of opportunities you can find in the General Professional Skills program and how to incorporate them into your curriculum. You can find more detailed information in the degree program and examination regulations for your core subject. There is also additional information available regarding central and departmental aspects of the General Professional Skills programs in the respective degree program and examination regulations.
Students enrolled in teacher-training bachelor’s programs complete similar coursework within the Teacher-Related Professional Studies curriculum. Generally speaking, coursework in the General Professional Skills program is not transferable to the Teacher-Related Professional Studies curriculum. The Dahlem School of Education can provide you with more information and advising.
Degree Program Structure
Freie Universität Berlin’s bachelor’s degree programs consist of 150 credits to be completed in your core subject based on the modules offered in that area. In addition, students must complete 30 credits within the General Professional Skills program, which includes a professional internship and a variety of courses from eight different skills areas.
The number of modules that students need to complete and which skills areas they need to cover in addition to the internship is outlined in the degree program and examination regulations for their core subject.
Skills Areas and General Professional Skills Courses
Professional Internship
All bachelor’s degree programs require that you complete an internship. You can choose between the following options:
- Internship module worth 5, 10, or 15 credit points (depending on the length of the internship). You can do an internship abroad or in Germany.
- International internship module worth 20, 25, or 30 credit points (depending on the length of the internship. Your internship abroad lasts longer (up to six months).
The internship modules are organized by the Career Service and consist of
- An internship with an organization outside the university, either abroad or in Germany
- An internship colloquium in preparation for the internship or as a follow-up.
In addition, the various departments offer their own internship modules. Visit your department’s website to find out if they include one in their curriculum.
If you have questions about getting credit for an internship you’ve completed in the past and whether it fulfills the subject-specific requirements, please contact the General Professional Skills coordinators and/or your department’s internship contact person. It may be possible to get internship credits for work you’ve done on student committees as within the framework of university government.
More details
Advising and Information
- Each department has several contact people who advise students on the General Professional Skills curriculum.
- There is a contact person for each General Professional Skills area who can provide you with guidance and detailed information on the courses offered in their particular area. They are also responsible for assessing the equivalency of coursework for transfer credits in their skills area. Please visit the respective websites for more information.
- You can find out more about General Professional Skills on your department’s website and in the degree program and examination regulations of your core subject.
Coordination and Quality Assurance
The Development of Academic Programs Team in Division V: Academic Affairs coordinates the General Professional Skills program. An advisory council for General Professional Skills meets to discuss questions concerning quality management, evaluation, and development.