You already have a degree but are considering studying again? You are not alone. More and more professionals are choosing a second degree. The reasons are as varied as the people themselves: career change, subject-matter deepening, or the desire for an academic qualification in a new field. Two levers decide the cost and the duration, and both are regularly overlooked: the tax classification and credit transfer.
When Is a Second Degree Worth It?
Not everyone needs a second degree. Sometimes continuing education or a university certificate is enough. But in these situations, a second degree makes sense:
- Career change: You want to move into a completely different professional field and need the formal qualification.
- Subject-matter specialisation: Your first degree was too broad, and you want to deepen your expertise in a specific area.
- Advancement within your company: Certain positions require a specific degree as a prerequisite.
- Personal development: You want to explore a topic academically that interests you both professionally and personally.
If you are still torn on that question, the comparison under professional development or a degree helps. And if a change of career sits behind it, the relevant considerations are under career change through a degree.
Second Bachelor's, Master's or Continuing Education: The Comparison
The question is rarely "second degree, yes or no", it is "which form". Four routes are available, and they differ more in prerequisites and duration than in content:
| Route | Typical part-time duration | Prerequisite | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second bachelor's | 6 to 8 semesters | university entrance qualification or vocational access route | complete change of subject, no qualification in the target field yet |
| Master's | 3 to 5 semesters | first university degree, often plus work experience | building on a related bachelor's, deepening expertise |
| MBA | 3 to 5 semesters | first degree plus several years of work experience | move into leadership, generalist management skills |
| University certificate | 1 to 2 semesters | varies by provider, sometimes no prior degree | closing one concrete gap, transferable into a degree later |
The last row is the underrated route. A university certificate costs little time, carries real ECTS and can often be credited towards a full programme later. Anyone unsure whether a whole second degree is right can test the subject that way without committing for years. Which programmes are on offer is shown under part-time bachelor's, part-time master's and part-time MBA.
Anyone who already holds a bachelor's should always check whether a master's achieves the goal faster than a second bachelor's.
Business Expenses or Special Expenses: The Difference That Costs Money
This is the most common mix-up. For tax purposes, what counts is not how many degrees you already hold but whether your training is classified as first or second training. And the two categories work in completely different ways:
- First training: costs are deductible only as special expenses, in Germany capped at 6,000 euros per year.
- Second training: costs count as business expenses and are not limited in amount.
The real difference, though, is not the cap but the timing. Special expenses can only be claimed in the year they arise, and only if you have taxable income in that year at all. Business expenses, by contrast, can be carried forward into later years as a loss. So if you earn little while studying and considerably more afterwards, special expenses are effectively lost, while business expenses take effect exactly when your tax rate is high.
Good to Know
Even if you completed vocational training before your first degree, that first degree already counts as second training for tax purposes. So the advantage does not only kick in from the second university degree onwards. This classification applies to Germany; Austria and Switzerland regulate training costs separately. Have your case checked by a tax adviser before you count on it.
What exactly is deductible, from tuition fees through academic literature to travel and examination costs, is broken down under deducting distance learning from tax.
What 60 Transferred ECTS Actually Save
Your first degree was not in vain. Many universities transfer ECTS credits from previous qualifications, frequently 30 to 60 for related subject areas. What that means only becomes tangible in numbers. Take a bachelor's with 180 ECTS and a transfer of 60:
- Scope: 120 instead of 180 ECTS, so a third of the programme falls away.
- Study time: 60 ECTS at 25 to 30 hours each are 1,500 to 1,800 hours you do not have to invest. At 15 study hours per week that is around 100 weeks, so almost two years.
- Fees: if the duration shortens accordingly from 36 to 24 months, at 350 euros per month you save roughly 4,200 euros.
Against that stands the effort for the application: gathering documents, attaching module descriptions, filling in a form. An afternoon, roughly. Few other decisions during a degree have such a lopsided ratio of effort to effect.
Two caveats belong here. First, credit transfer is never guaranteed, it is an individual assessment. Second, many universities cap the share you can have credited, and they treat coursework from a degree differently from learning acquired at work. The exact limit is set out in each university's credit transfer regulations. How the procedure works is under having ECTS credited, and what is possible from work experience is under credit transfer for work experience. A first estimate comes from the credit check.
What You Can Check Yourself Before Applying
These six points are best clarified before you settle on a programme. They decide the duration, the cost and whether credit transfer works at all:
- Request your transcript of records from the first degree, with ECTS and grade per module.
- Lay the module handbooks of both programmes side by side and mark the overlaps. That is the basis of every credit transfer application.
- Read the target university's credit transfer regulations: upper limit, deadlines, required form of evidence.
- Ask whether credit transfer is applied for before or after enrolment. That makes a difference to the fees.
- Clarify the tax classification, ideally in writing from a tax adviser.
- Raise employer participation before you enrol. Afterwards your negotiating position is weaker.
Why the Second Degree Comes Easier Than the First
Anyone who has studied before knows the system. Academic writing, exam preparation, time management: the adjustment period falls away. You know how universities work, how to talk to an examinations office and how a term paper is structured. In my experience, second-degree students complete their programme significantly more often than first-time students, and the difference has less to do with ability than with that routine.
Finding the Right Subject for Your Second Degree
Do not start with the programme. Start with the goal. What do you want to do after graduating? Which position are you aiming for? Which skills are you missing? The answers point to the right subject. In a free initial consultation I work out a clear plan with you: which programme fits, what can be credited, how long it takes and what costs are realistic. How the conversation works is described under consultation process, and you can book it under book an appointment.
Conclusion
A second degree is worth it when there is a clear professional goal. Two levers make it considerably cheaper than the first: the tax classification as second training, which makes your costs deductible without a ceiling and across several years, and credit transfer, which at 60 ECTS quickly saves 1,500 study hours and around 4,200 euros. Whether a second bachelor's, a master's or first a university certificate is the right path depends on your starting point. If you already bring work experience, it is worth looking at the master's after work experience as well.
Frequently asked questions
When is a second degree worth it?
When you have a clear professional goal: career change, subject-matter specialisation, advancement within your company, or personal development. Sometimes, though, continuing education or a university certificate is enough instead of a full second degree, and it can often be credited later.
Second bachelor's or a master's instead?
A second bachelor's makes sense when you switch to a completely new subject area. If you already hold a bachelor's in a related field, a master's is often the better choice: it builds on existing knowledge, is shorter, and is valued higher by many employers.
Is a second degree tax-deductible?
In Germany a second degree counts as business expenses for tax purposes, so tuition fees, academic literature, laptop and travel costs can be claimed without a ceiling. The 6,000-euro cap applies only to first training. Austria and Switzerland regulate this separately, so have your case checked by a tax adviser.
What is the difference between business expenses and special expenses?
Special expenses only take effect in the year they arise, and only if you have enough taxable income in that year. Business expenses, by contrast, can be carried forward into later years as a loss. If you earn little while studying, special expenses are therefore often lost entirely.
Can I get ECTS from my first degree recognised?
Often yes. Many universities transfer ECTS credits from previous qualifications, frequently 30 to 60 ECTS for related subject areas. The upper limit and the required evidence are set out in the university's credit transfer regulations. I check what is possible in your case in the initial consultation.
The information on this page is general in nature and based on my advisory practice (last updated 31.07.2026). It does not replace an official credit transfer or recognition decision by the respective university and is not legal advice. Specific decisions are made by universities, the ZAB (Germany), the BMBWF (Austria), or the SBFI (Switzerland). I clarify binding next steps with you in the initial consultation.