The University of Kassel is strengthening its sustainability profile in studies and teaching with additional and interdisciplinary study programs. New degree programs, further developed existing programs, and integrated sustainability studies combine subject-specific qualifications with inter- and transdisciplinary competencies for sustainable development and societal transformation.
Student Life Cycle: Study Orientation
Target group: Prospective and beginning students
University: University of Kassel
With this measure, the University of Kassel is strategically strengthening its sustainability profile in the areas of study and teaching. Building on its strategic orientation, new study programs with a sustainability focus are being developed, and existing degree programs are being supplemented with relevant content. The guiding principle is to systematically link professional qualifications and vocational skills with inter- and transdisciplinary competencies for sustainable development and societal transformation.
The aim is to permanently and comprehensively embed sustainability in the study programs offered at the University of Kassel. To this end, new Bachelor's and Master's programs are being developed, existing degree programs are being expanded to include sustainability components, and interdisciplinary study structures are being established.
A key component of this is the undergraduate Bachelor's degree program in "Sustainability Sciences" as well as the "Integrated Sustainability Studies," which integrate sustainability competencies as an additional pillar into various degree programs. Furthermore, the minor subject of Sustainability Studies and other new interdisciplinary degree programs have been established. This initiative supports the necessary development processes – from curriculum design and accreditation to interdisciplinary coordination and the establishment of suitable coordination, communication, and information structures.
– Workshop participant
The goals associated with this measure have been largely achieved or significantly exceeded. Numerous study programs have been accredited and offered for the first time in the winter semester of 2025/26; further programs initiated within the project will follow or are already in an advanced stage of development.
The success is particularly evident in the additional study capacities created: Instead of the originally targeted 250 additional study places, more than 400 new study places with a sustainability focus in the fields of technology, nature, society and culture have been established to date.
Furthermore, the measure extends beyond the development of individual degree programs. It strengthens interdisciplinary collaboration, initiates new communication and working structures, and provides further impetus for the development of additional sustainability initiatives. This creates important structural prerequisites for anchoring sustainability broadly and sustainably in the studies and teaching at the University of Kassel.
Dr. Malte Lassen |
lassen@uni-kassel.de
Tel.: +49 561 804 2504
Maxime Musterfrau
