Whether due to employment, familial obligations, or disability- sometimes the desire to study and personal circumstances can be difficult to combine.
While there are no formal part-time courses/degree programmes at Trier University, it is possible to arrange a course schedule for all bachelor and master according to individual wishes. You may choose to complete fewer modules per semester and in other semester more modules. You can set the pace of your studies yourself.
Students in self-selected part-time studies have the same status as full-time students. The semester fee is due in full when studying part-time.
However, studying part-time does not entitle any legal claim to the provision of special instruction and courses. This means that the dates of the course may not always be as you need them and there are no separate repetition rules for failed exams.
Compared to formalized part-time studies, this method offers the advantage to easily determine the extent of the part-time yourself. It does not have to be exactly 50%, but it can also be 40% in one semester and 80% in the next semester.
To ensure that the time to complete your degree does not drag on indefinitely, at least half of the weekly working time should be available for studies, otherwise it may lead to frustration and stress that may be overwhelming.
Advantages of individual part-time studies:
- Flexible study times correspond to the individual needs of the students.
- Financing your studies yourself may be easier and possible to a greater extent.
- It is easier to combine family and studies.
- Extending your studies can reduce personal stress.
Disadvantages:
- Part-time studies inevitably take longer than the standard period of study. This can have an impact on financing, e.g. through BAföG, which is linked to the standard period of study or on health insurance, which is limited in time.
- A significantly longer period of study may be an obstacle when starting a career, which usually must be justified.
- Doing a semester or two abroad is not possible while studying part-time.
- For students whose residence status in Germany is linked to their studies, studying part-time may present issues as residency visas are usually based on the standard period of study – similar to BAföG).
