Fachhochschule Dortmund scores highly with its outstanding career entry offers: the university has now been awarded the title of "Center for Digital Competence Development" for its free "ICDL" course. Students can acquire important digital skills for their CVs at the Career Service - from data protection issues to dealing with artificial intelligence.
Whether for your thesis or later in your career - sound digital skills are essential today. The Career Service at Fachhochschule Dortmund therefore offers students the opportunity to further their education in special ICDL courses (International Certification of Digital Literacy). The offer has now been recognized by the Dienstleistungsgesellschaft für Informatik. At a ceremony in Cologne, Fachhochschule Dortmund received the official award as a "Center for Digital Competence Development".
"We not only want to impart theoretical knowledge to our students, but also provide them with concrete tools for a successful career start," explains Jörg Broer, lecturer at Fachhochschule Dortmund. He was instrumental in developing the ICDL course at the university. "The award confirms that we are on the right track with our practice-oriented certificate program and that we are hitting the nerve of the modern working world."
What are ICDL courses and why are they important?
The ICDL acts as a globally established standard for providing valid, measurable and comparable proof of digital skills. At Fachhochschule Dortmund, the program currently comprises ten modules.(Opens in a new tab) It covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of Office applications and project planning to data protection in accordance with the GDPR, everyday IT security and media skills. The skills acquired can be applied directly in the course of study and later in everyday working life. Participation in these career-enhancing courses, including examinations, is completely free of charge for Fachhochschule Dortmund students. "Outside the university, courses and certificates often cost more than 1,000 euros," emphasizes Miriam Klappert from the Career Service.
"We are particularly proud of the continuous development of our content," adds Jörg Broer. "From fall 2026, we will be offering the new ICDL module on artificial intelligence, preparing the specialists of tomorrow for one of the most important key technologies of our time." The figures prove that the concept is well received: Over the past 19 years, more than 7,000 ICDL exams have already been successfully completed at Fachhochschule Dortmund.