Certificate of Skills for Innovation
With the Certificate of Skills for Innovation, you can enhance your profile whilst still studying for your bachelor’s degree. You will acquire valuable skills in the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation that go far beyond traditional subject knowledge. The certificate attests to your individual skills profile based on the modules you have chosen and highlights your expertise to future employers.
What are the benefits of the certificate?
You will enhance your CV and develop your skills in forward-looking areas. The focus is on the so-called 21st-century skills, which are essential in the modern workplace:
- Entrepreneurial thinking and action
- Problem-solving skills & agility
- Creativity & innovative thinking
- Interdisciplinary teamwork
As early as 2005, the European Commission defined entrepreneurial competence as a key competence: “Entrepreneurial competence is the ability to turn ideas into reality.” That is exactly what you will learn here.
Who receives the certificate?
The certificate programme, which runs alongside the degree course, is open to all HdM undergraduate students who wish to develop or deepen their skills in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship.
How to obtain the certificate: What do you need to do?
To obtain the certificate, you must successfully complete a total of at least 15 ECTS credits from module blocks 1 to 6. The order and timing across the semesters are up to you.
The structure of the 15 ECTS:
- Compulsory component: Select at least one course (min. 2 ECTS) from each of the following:
- Block 1: Fundamentals A (Developing a business idea)
- Block 2: Fundamentals B (Real business idea)
- Elective area: You are free to choose the remaining ECTS from any of the available blocks. You do not have to take a module from every block.
Note: As the number of participants in individual courses may be limited, it is advisable to plan ahead and, if necessary, consider alternative courses.
Extracurricular activities
Recognition of practical experience and final projects
- Work placement semesters & dissertations: Relevant integrated work placement semesters or dissertations with a strong focus on entrepreneurship may be included in the certificate.
- Important: However, the ECTS credits earned here do not count towards the 15 compulsory ECTS credits required for the certificate. The suitability of the content will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Commitment & Additional Services
Participation in Innostudio and extracurricular activities (e.g. organising the Startup Weekend or helping out at similar events) may also be mentioned in the certificate.
- Written proof of the activity is required.
- Mere attendance at events (without active involvement in the organisation) is not sufficient for inclusion.
- These activities are also not counted towards the 15 compulsory ECTS credits.
Application and issue
You should apply for the certificate once you have completed your bachelor’s degree.
- Please submit the completed application form to us together with your transcript of records.
- The Examination Office will issue your certificate based on the modules you have individually completed.
- You will receive your personal competence profile together with your degree certificate.
Check your transcript: Have you already taken modules from blocks 1 to 6 in the past? These will, of course, count retroactively! Check our overview of eligible courses directly.
What should I do next?
To help you keep track of everything, we have created two resources for you:
Download checklist: Your step-by-step plan to the certificate.
Download the semester planner: Use this to note down which modules you want to take and when, so you can efficiently achieve your 15 ECTS.
FAQ
You won’t receive a Certificate of Skills for Innovation, but the ECTS credits you’ve earned will still be recorded on your transcript, and you’ll certainly have learnt a great deal about innovation and entrepreneurship.
The best thing to do is to choose another module with the same number of ECTS credits and try to attend that one. Otherwise, you can of course try again next semester to get into your dream module. Please note that there is no guarantee of places or that all modules will be offered every semester.
There are significant differences in whether and how you register for courses. For some, attendance may be compulsory as part of your degree programme. For others, there may be a kick-off session at the start of the semester where you can ask the lecturers if you are allowed to attend. For other courses, such as IDEA (Business Start-up 1), it is sufficient to register online.
You can have the courses you have chosen recognised, for example, as electives, foreign ECTS credits or supplementary modules. Please note that there may be restrictions on electives within your degree programme. However, you can also take supplementary modules which, whilst not affecting your final grade, can be counted towards your certificate. You can find more information in the Study and Examination Regulations (SPO).
You can find all the requirements in this checklist.
No, you can only have ECTS credits from selected courses at the HdM recognised.
Most courses on the Certificate of Skills for Innovation are taught in German, but there are also a few courses taught in English. The course catalogue specifies the language in which each course is taught.
To help you plan which modules you’d like to take in each semester, we recommend filling in this overview PDF. As you’ll likely be accumulating ECTS credits over several semesters, this will help you keep track of things.
Any questions about the certificate?
h.c. Magdalena Weinle
Startup Center