Embedding AI competences in degree programmes: The “Education and AI” certificate at FernUniversität in Hagen

With the new certificate “Education and AI”, FernUniversität in Hagen is permanently integrating curated AI Campus learning opportunities into its degree programme in Educational Studies. The special feature: students gain a university qualification certificate which, even independently of the Bachelor’s degree, makes documented acquisition of competences visible.
 

Growing requirements for a responsible and critical approach to AI systems, and the entry into force of the EU AI Regulation, bring the strengthening of AI competences as a central task for higher education institutions into focus.

The activities of the AI Campus Hub NRW address these requirements through the target-group-oriented integration of AI Campus learning opportunities into the university study and continuing education offers of FernUniversität in Hagen (FeU). To enable students to help shape the transformation competently, FeU strengthens its students’ AI competences by consistently adapting these learning opportunities and embedding them in its degree programmes in curricular and sustainable ways.

This is made concrete in the current certificate “Education and AI” in the B.A. Educational Studies degree programme, which takes up the interface between Educational Studies and technology. Part of the certificate “Education and AI” is the newly developed certificate module “Learning about AI in Education” as a self-study module.

Since the summer semester 2026, students in the B.A. Educational Studies have had the opportunity, in a pilot phase until 2031, to obtain the certificate “Education and AI” at the Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences.

Over 60 students have already enrolled in the certificate module!

Overall, after successfully completing two modules (30 ECTS) from the introductory study phase of the core programme, one specific module (15 ECTS) from the profile programme and the new certificate module “Learning about AI in Education” (15 ECTS) with the learning opportunities from AI Campus, students can obtain the certificate “Education and AI” with a total of 60 ECTS (see Fig. 1).
 

Fig. 1: The certificate “Education and AI” in the B.A. Educational Studies degree programme at FeU

The certificate module can be completed independently, flexibly, regardless of time and place and at one’s own pace; organisational support for students is ensured via a Moodle forum.

The AI Campus content curated by FeU exclusively for this certificate module, with over 30 AI Campus courses, offers practical insights and scientifically sound foundations. Depending on their needs, students can choose in advance between one of two offered focus areas:

Didactics & Ethics

• Fundamentals and applications of AI: key methods such as machine learning, neural networks, reinforcement learning, generative AI, language and image models, as well as data acquisition, preparation and analysis.
• AI, data and education: use of AI, learning analytics and voice assistant systems in school and higher education teaching and learning contexts, including their significance for lesson design, academic writing, assessment culture and legal frameworks.
• Ethics, sustainability and responsibility: AI and data ethics with a focus on fairness, transparency, data protection, bias, diversity, inclusion, as well as the sustainable and socially responsible design of AI systems in specific educational contexts.

or

Vocational Education & Communication

• AI in vocational education and teaching and learning contexts: fundamentals of digital learning environments, forms of AI use such as learning analytics, intelligent tutoring systems, chatbots, smart classrooms or social robots, as well as their potential and challenges.
• Digital transformation, ethics and regulation: impacts of AI on the world of work, Industry 4.0 and Vocational Education and Training 4.0, including data protection, GDPR, ethical issues, regulatory requirements and prerequisites for use in vocational education, in operations and companies.
• AI leadership and practical business application: building AI and leadership knowledge, agile change management, and methods for identifying, evaluating and integrating AI use cases, taking into account risks, business processes, IT infrastructure and legal frameworks.

In combination with the three successfully completed degree programme modules, students receive their certificate – a document of the successful acquisition of basic competences in the field of Educational Studies and AI at university level and at the same time a university qualification certificate – even without completing a full Bachelor’s degree.

Designed as an option below the Bachelor’s degree, the certificate is an important step towards more flexible educational pathways. Students can already demonstrate an individual study achievement at an early stage of their studies. However, it also encourages them to continue and successfully complete the Educational Studies degree programme. In addition, it provides those who do not wish to or cannot continue their studies with proof of their study achievement.

At present, the first students are already completing the certificate. By the end of the summer semester 2026, FeU expects completions in the mid double-digit range and is gathering feedback on suggestions for improvement.

All information about the certificate “Education and AI” can be found by interested students and teaching staff in the Study portal B.A. Educational Studies. We are also happy to be available for further exchange and networking at ki-und-bildung@fernuni-hagen.de.