Continuing Education Distance Learning Program at RPTU
The RPTU’s continuing education certificate program, designed to be taken while working, is aimed at teachers in Rhineland-Palatinate who wish to expand their teaching certification to include Computer Science. The program covers secondary levels I and II, including advanced courses (MSS), at Realschulen plus, integrated comprehensive schools, Gymnasien, and vocational schools, and is aligned with the state’s specific curriculum standards. A prior focus on STEM subjects is helpful but not a mandatory requirement.
The degree program is designed as a 6-semester, part-time degree program, with tuition costs fully covered by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The hybrid format combines flexible self-study phases with digital learning environments on the online campus, as well as practice-oriented in-person sessions in Kaiserslautern. To successfully complete the program, which is worth 60 credit points, students also have the option of having certain modules from the State Institute of Education credited toward their degree.
Overview of the Program
- Semesters 1–2: The introductory phase covers formal fundamentals, an introduction to programming, logic, and the semantics of programming languages, as well as the interplay between Computer Science and society.
- 3rd to 4th semesters: The focus is on algorithms and data structures, the fundamentals of subject-specific pedagogy, digital technology, computer architecture, and formal languages and computability.
- 5th to 6th semesters: The program concludes with courses on communication systems, secure systems, an in-depth study of subject-specific pedagogy, and a specialized seminar on subject-specific pedagogy in the field of artificial intelligence.
The first cohort officially began its first semester with the kickoff event on October 26, 2026. For more information and additional links—including TV reports—please see our news article.