Municipal university

© Municipal University for Administration in Lower Saxony

The state-recognized university is run by the Niedersächsische Studieninstitut für kommunale Verwaltung e.V. (NSI), whose members are the majority of municipalities, districts and cities in Lower Saxony.

Alternation between specialized studies and practical phases

The Kommunale Hochschule currently offers two Bachelor's degree courses: "General Administration/Public Administration" and "Public Administration/Public Management". The "General Administration" course focuses on teaching legal skills with an emphasis on public law. The "Public Administration" course, on the other hand, contains a higher proportion of economics content with a focus on business administration.

Unique to Lower Saxony is the way these two degree programs are closely integrated with professional practice: the typical division of the academic year into summer and winter semesters has been eliminated. Instead, there is an alternating sequence of academic study at the university (24 months) and practical training periods at the respective hiring agencies (12 months).

The teaching of professional competence, resource awareness and social and communication skills is supported by the aim of providing pioneering support for the transformation process of local authorities in Lower Saxony into service-oriented service companies.

Studies are financed

In addition to a higher education entrance qualification in accordance with the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act, a candidate, trainee or other employment relationship with a public sector employer is a prerequisite for admission to the course. Students are therefore also trainee inspectors or civil servants whose studies are usually financed by the respective hiring authority. They usually receive a basic salary or comparable remuneration. The hiring authority can be any municipality, city or region, any administrative district or any other institution in Lower Saxony that performs municipal tasks, in particular administrative activities of a non-technical nature.

Students acquire Bachelor of Arts

After successful completion of all examinations, the academic degree Bachelor of Arts is awarded. The range of employment opportunities corresponds to the entire spectrum of tasks in public administration, especially in the municipalities of Lower Saxony.

Civil servant graduates also receive the career qualification for the first entry level of career group 2 in the general services specialization. The awarding of the career qualification for graduates in training or employment is based on the regulations of the Lower Saxony Career Ordinance (NLVO). Currently, the career qualification is awarded after two years of professional activity (§ 25 NLVO).

Films of the Municipal University for Administration in Lower Saxony

Further useful information on everyday study and research at the Kommunale Hochschule is available in multimedia form at wissen.hannover.de.