The acquisition of knowledge in our time is diverse. The University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol (FH Kufstein Tirol) is committed to the philosophy of Lifelong Learning (LLL) and supports students in the degree programs by taking into account skills already acquired and by providing further education programs via the International Business School.
Formal learning is defined as organized, structured education in a formal, established context designed for learning (i.e., a school, university, etc.). Usually, this type of learning is documented in the form of (school) certificates or grade reports, university certificates, etc.
Non-formal learning is defined as learning that takes place as part of a planned activity and corresponding environment, for example, in the form of corporate in-house professional development offered by companies or continued professional development training and workshops provided through non-university providers such as adult education centers like the WIFI Tirol, etc. As a rule, this type of learning is documented by the respective educational institution or facilitating corporate organization through training and professional development certificates.
Informal learning is defined as learning in everyday life or a professional context, including learning that is not formally documented; the associated competencies are acquired through years of activity in a professional or other context at a place of employment or in leisure time.
The application process for the recognition of prior learning is defined in the Examination and Study Regulations of the FH Kufstein Tirol (see the Statute of the FH Kufstein Tirol, Chapter 1.5), and the content is described and specified in the guidelines (Student portal fh.checkin / Menu general study infos). Students can have courses credited to them before the start of the respective semester, in which the courses are scheduled according to the curriculum plan.
The following deadlines apply for Applications for Recognition of Prior Learning per semester to ensure that the submitted applications can be carefully assessed:
Note: Submission of the Application for Recognition of Prior Learning before the indicated submission dates results only in a check of formal aspects (i.e., completeness) and may result in a rejection if the formal requirements are not met. In this case, a new application meeting all requirements can be submitted within the specified submission dates.
The result of the subject-specific assessment of the Application for Recognition of Prior Learning is available at the latest at the beginning of the semester, as soon as the rejection/approval of an application can be recorded for each applicant after successful enrollment in the semester concerned.
To request recognition of formal learning (based on school or other university studies), submit an Application for Recognition of Prior Learning with evidence, i.e. certificates or grade reports including a detailed course content and corresponding learning outcomes; this generally suffices.
The FH Kufstein Tirol partners with other institutions in the Recognition of (Prior) Learning for the Tyrolean and Vorarlberg Higher Education Area. For selected courses, predefined school branches from the secondary education sector trigger automatic approval upon submission of the application form. You can find more detailed information on this under the individual degree program on the website mentioned above.
To request recognition of non-formal or informal learning, an Application for Recognition of Prior Learning, including a detailed presentation of the competence acquisition per learning outcome, is required. The recognition process for non-formal or informal learning is more complex in terms of proof and requires a lot of evidence and documentation on the part of the applicant, which is why we are providing you with a guide (Student portal fh.checkin / Menu general study infos). In the required Application for Recognition of Prior Learning, you must provide precise documentation on how the acquisition of skills established for the course (usually stated as learning outcomes) can be proven. This means the existing competence must be documented and proven in writing for each learning outcome specified for the corresponding course.
Completed examinations (from the educational sector, such as general secondary school or vocational secondary schools) can be recognized/credited with up to a maximum of 60 ECTS, and professional or non-professional qualifications can also be recognized/credited with up to a maximum of 60 ETCS. Overall, the recognized/credited ECTS from secondary schools, professional, or non-professional areas may not exceed a maximum of 90 ECTS credit points. There are no limits to the recognition of prior learning from the higher education sector (see University of Applied Sciences Act § 12).
