- Degree
- HSWT Certificate
- Target Audience
- Students
- Entry requirements
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Enrolment at HSWT
More than just a degree – skills for the future
To effectively address the current and future challenges facing our society, sustainability is the key issue of our time. It combines environmental responsibility, social justice and economic performance. At the University of applied sciences, acting sustainably means thinking ahead, taking responsibility and developing innovative solutions for tomorrow.
A particular mark of quality: the sustainability certificate meets the criteria of the Bavarian Sustainability Certificate awarded by the Centre for Higher Education and Sustainability Bavaria (BayZeN). Graduates therefore benefit not only professionally but also strengthen their personal profile in the job market.
Learn today, make a difference tomorrow
Is sustainability something you feel particularly passionate about? Would you like to play an active role in shaping our future? Are you keen to work with students from other degree programmes to implement a sustainability project? Then the Sustainability Certificate is just the thing for you!
With the HSWT’s cross-departmental and cross-programme Sustainability Certificate, all students have the opportunity to engage comprehensively and interdisciplinarily with the ecological, social and economic aspects of sustainability. The aim is to build sustainability skills that go beyond the student’s specific field of study and are of central importance for their professional life.
The certificate comprises at least 15 ECTS credits and is designed so that Bachelor’s students from participating departments can take selected modules as part of the compulsory elective component of their degree programme. This allows the certificate to be integrated flexibly and efficiently into the course of study. All other Bachelor’s and Master’s students can take the certificate as an elective alongside their degree programme.
Your edge in sustainability expertise
The content of the sustainability certificate enables you to acquire the following key skills, amongst others:
Basic knowledge of key sustainability issues
Interdisciplinary working
Critical examination of norms, habits and opinions
Understanding of different perspectives, competing goals and interests
Design, planning and implementation of a sustainability-oriented project
Structure of the certificate
The three compulsory modules of the Sustainability Certificate are worth a total of 9 ECTS credits, and the elective modules are worth a total of 6 ECTS credits.
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Compulsory modules
The compulsory modules Sustainability Project 1 and 2 (3 ECTS credits each) combine a sound theoretical grounding in Sustainable Development and social transformation with the practical development and implementation of your own sustainability projects. You will acquire key skills for the future and learn to think about sustainability in an interdisciplinary way, to act responsibly and to successfully bridge the gap between theory and practice.
In addition, you will take a module on the fundamentals of climate change (3 ECTS) or have this credited from your degree programme. A sound understanding of the climate crisis will help you tackle this and other complex and socially polarising challenges of our time in a responsible and solution-oriented manner.
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Optional modules
The elective component of the Sustainability Certificate, worth 6 ECTS credits, comprises a wide range of modules from the participating departments, as well as online modules.
Frequently asked questions about the sustainability certificate
General information
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Why should I take the sustainability certificate course?
You can present this certificate when applying for jobs to demonstrate that you have engaged intensively with sustainability during your studies and are able to actively design projects with a focus on sustainability.
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What does ‘Bayernzertifikat’ mean?
The HSWT’s ‘Shaping the Future’ sustainability certificate meets the requirements of the Bavarian Sustainability Certificate issued by the Bavarian Centre for Universities of Applied Sciences and Sustainability (BayZeN). These requirements encompass a broad range of content and skills relating to sustainable development, as well as various teaching and assessment methods. The comprehensive requirements of the Bavarian Sustainability Certificate guarantee the high quality of this certificate at HSWT; it bears both the HSWT logo and the BayZeN logo.
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What costs or fees are involved?
None; this additional educational programme is free of charge.
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What entry requirements do I need to meet?
All you need to do is be enrolled on a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme at HSWT.
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Is there a limit on the number of participants for the sustainability certificate?
There is no limit on the number of participants for the sustainability certificate itself. However, the number of places available for individual modules may be limited.
Participation & Procedure
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How do I apply for the sustainability certificate?
A simple email to blife.zsd@hswt.de stating that you would like to enrol on the certificate programme is sufficient.
The next step is to enrol for your chosen modules via MyCampus. -
When should I choose the certificate modules?
If you wish to obtain the certificate, it is good to decide right at the start of your degree which certificate modules you would like to take. This way, you can be sure that you are choosing the right combination of modules to ensure you receive the certificate at the end of your degree.
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How do I choose the modules for the certificate?
To do this, you can simply enter the modules you wish to take into the application form and check whether this fulfils all the requirements for the certificate. For guidance, please refer to the decision tree in the student handbook (2.1 Selecting modules). You can find the document below in the student download section.
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In what order can I take the modules?
In principle, the modules can be taken in any order. If a module is only available from a higher semester onwards, this is indicated in the module handbook for the Sustainability Certificate.
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How will the modules count towards my degree?
The certificate can be undertaken by all Bachelor’s and Master’s students as part of their elective modules, in addition to their degree programme.
In some Bachelor’s degree programmes, certain certificate modules can be taken as part of the compulsory elective module group. These modules therefore count towards both the degree programme and the certificate without any additional effort. You can find out which modules count towards which programme in the module overview.
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What deadlines or dates do I need to bear in mind?
The standard deadlines on MyCampus apply to course registration. You should apply for the certificate at your department’s helpdesk within one week of sitting your final examination for the certificate.
Qualification & Certificate
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How do I apply for the certificate once I’ve finished?
Fill in the application form. Feel free to use the decision tree in the student guide for assistance. Have you met all the requirements for the certificate? If so, you can send the completed form in an informal email to your department’s contact point within one week of sitting your final examination for the certificate:
Department AE: Uta Hunsicker
Department of GL: TBD
Department LA: TBD
Department WF: Department chair's office
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How do I receive my certificate once I have successfully completed the course?
The certificate will be sent to you along with your school report.
