Individually designed programs of study

Prospective students at Leuphana University of Lüneburg can design their own study programs

Lüneburg. Prospective students at Leuphana University of Lüneburg can shape their studies to their own interests. The new Individual Studies program allows them to cross disciplinary boundaries and to combine different modules from the existing bachelor's programs offered by Leuphana College to create something new and independent. Unlike the traditional study programs, this program no longer prescribes any major/minor combinations. The first 35 students will be accepted into the new study program in the next winter semester. In Germany, the Individual Studies program of Leuphana is a unique attempt to cater to the students' individual objectives and needs even stronger. The concept orientates itself, among others, to study programs of liberal arts colleges in the United States. After completion of their studies, students are awarded a bachelor's degree. This degree qualifies them to either embark on a professional career or to enroll for a master's degree.

The freshman students will define clear objectives and an individual plan for their course of studies jointly with lecturers. "We aim to enable students to deal with those questions that interest them in an independent and responsible manner", explains Sascha Spoun, President of Leuphana University.

The study program is targeted specifically at young people who wish to get involved in shaping the world around them, who are creative, who think out of the box and who wish to find common solutions to common challenges. During their studies, students become acquainted with methods and patterns of argumentation in different disciplines. This provides them not only with professional expertise, but also with the ability to face new tasks and challenges in theory and practice in a structured and independent manner from different perspectives.

There are many ways to combine studies, for example study modules from the fields of Political Science, Economics and Engineering. These combinations form the optimal basis for working in the field of development cooperation. Students who wish to embark on a career in public management can choose courses from Business Administration, Political Science and Law. Course offerings in Cultural Studies, Environmental Sciences and Sustainability Sciences might be interesting for prospective science journalists.

To ensure successful studies without discipline-specific standards, Leuphana places great emphasis on the relationship between students, lecturers and supervisors. The lecturers and supervisors approach students as partners and help them achieve their study objectives. Additional student support such as mentoring, coaching and study reflection is provided.

Leuphana University perceives itself as a public university for civil society in the 21st century.  Its study model, which is unique in the German academic landscape, offers internationally recognized bachelor's and master's programs, well-established research profiles and close collaboration with business partners and has won several awards. The key components of Leuphana's study model include the College offering first-degree programs, the Graduate School combining interdisciplinary master's degrees with doctoral studies, and the Professional School offering continuing education and knowledge transfer. Leuphana's research activities are based on four science initiatives: Education Research/Teacher Education, Management and Entrepreneurship, Cultural Research, and Sustainability Research.

The strategic realignment of the University will be reflected by the new campus with the trend-setting central building designed by the internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. The research and business potential of Lüneburg as a location for science will be strengthened through the Leuphana Innovation Incubator. At present, the Incubator is the largest project of regional development through science all over Europe. It has a volume of approx. 100 milllion euros and is substantially funded by the European Union.

Leuphana currently has a student population of 7,300. Roughly 600 out of 1,000 staff members are researchers, and 160 out of them are professors.