Electrical engineering bachelor part-time
You have already chosen the subject. The open question is the level. Here is when the bachelor is the right step, what it actually costs in time and where its limit sits. The subject itself is covered on the electrical engineering overview page.
When the bachelor fits, and when it does not
The bachelor is a first degree. That single property decides almost everything.
The bachelor is the level for everyone who does not yet hold an academic degree. In electrical engineering that is the large majority of the people I speak to: electricians, mechatronics technicians, state-certified technicians, master craftsmen. For them it is the entry, not the crown. Anyone who already holds a bachelor, even in an unrelated field, moves straight to the master.
Three cases in which I advise against it:
- Your goal is your own business. The electrical trade is a regulated craft in Germany. A bachelor does not automatically replace the master craftsman examination; entry in the register of craftsmen is decided case by case by the chamber of crafts. Studying only for that reason is the most expensive detour available.
- You are missing one specific competence. Control technology, standards, project management: certificates and short courses cover those, see professional development or a degree and part-time continuing education.
- You only want the title. Four to seven years alongside a full working week are only sustained by people who want the content.
It does pay off when your target position formally requires a university degree. In the electrical industry that is more common than practice suggests, particularly in corporate structures and at grid operators.
What you need for this level specifically
Two routes lead in, and they differ more than they appear to.
General university access comes through an advanced vocational qualification: state-certified technician in electrical engineering, industrial master craftsman or trade master craftsman. With it you apply like any school leaver, without an additional procedure and without being tied to one subject.
The subject-linked route runs through vocational training plus several years of relevant practice. Here the university checks whether your occupation matches the programme, depending on the state combined with an advisory interview, an aptitude test or a trial study period. With electrical occupations the match is obvious and hardly anyone fails at this point. Delays come from missing paperwork instead, and they easily cost half a year. The routes in detail are set out in studying without A-levels.
What matters on top and appears in no admission regulation: your standing in mathematics. It arrives early and later carries almost everything. If you have not done any calculation since your training, take a preparatory course. It is the cheapest insurance against dropping out in the first year.
How long it actually takes
Two numbers determine the outcome: the size of the programme and your semester load.
One point that surprises people in this subject: engineering bachelors are frequently advertised with 210 ECTS, not 180. That is one more semester of work, but it pays off at master level, where a total of 300 ECTS across first and second studies is expected. If you plan both levels, work that out in advance.
Now the arithmetic for the bachelor. Take a programme with 210 ECTS. If 60 are credited from a technician or master craftsman qualification, 150 remain. At 15 ECTS per semester that is ten semesters, so five years instead of seven. At 10 ECTS per semester, often more realistic alongside standby duty and site work, seven and a half years remain instead of eleven. Which semester load fits your week is covered in ECTS per semester, the range of study durations in part-time bachelor duration.
Credit transfer is not a discount, it is formal recognition of what you have already demonstrated. What applies to advanced vocational qualifications is covered in master craftsman and bachelor credit, the procedure on the page about credit for work experience. Providers can be compared with sources on Hochschulnavigator.
The four levels in this subject
Side by side, so you can see where the bachelor sits.
| Level | ECTS | Duration alongside work | Admission | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University certificate | 5 to 30 | 1 to 2 semesters | often without formal university entrance qualification, work experience frequently suffices | close one specific gap or test out studying |
| Bachelor | 180 to 210 | 4 to 9 years, depending on load and credit | A-levels, technician, master craftsman or training plus practice | first academic degree, entry into engineering roles |
| Master | 60 to 120 | 2 to 4 years | related bachelor, often with an ECTS condition | specialisation, development, research, senior civil service |
| MBA | 60 to 120 | 2 to 4 years | first degree plus several years of work experience | leadership and business administration, no subject depth |
The MBA is a management degree and adds no depth in electrical engineering. If you want technical depth, take the master. The difference in detail is covered in MBA or master. What applies to this level in general is on the page about the part-time bachelor.
What the bachelor opens, and what it does not
Both belong together, otherwise the decision does not hold.
The bachelor opens entry into engineering roles: electrical planning and design, commissioning and service, technical sales, operations in grid and plant technology, quality and testing. Coming from practice gives you a head start: you know the layout of the systems others only read about.
It does not open everything. Three limits I regularly have to explain:
- The regulated trade business is not opened automatically. Entry in the register of craftsmen is decided case by case by the chamber of crafts, and work on grid connections additionally requires registration with the network operator.
- Development and research usually require a master's. If you want to design circuits, drives or control algorithms rather than apply them, plan the second level from the start.
- The German senior civil service generally presupposes a master's. Anyone aiming at a career with an authority, a regulator or a municipality should check the relevant career regulations before enrolling.
An honest note on salary: the qualification alone does not change it, the changed position does. Anyone doing the same job after the degree generally earns the same. More on this in salary after your degree.
Bachelor in electrical engineering
The questions that come up about this level in almost every consultation.
Do I need A-levels for a bachelor in electrical engineering?
Usually not. A state-certified technician in electrical engineering, an industrial master craftsman or a trade master craftsman opens general university access in most German states. Without such a qualification the route runs through vocational training plus several years of relevant practice, and the university then also checks how closely your occupation matches the programme.
180 or 210 ECTS, what does that mean for me?
Engineering bachelors are frequently advertised with 210 ECTS rather than 180. That is one more semester of work, but it has an advantage: a master's degree is expected to total 300 ECTS across first and second studies. With 210 from the bachelor a 90 ECTS master is enough, with 180 you need 120 or have to make up credits.
How much does the technician qualification shorten the bachelor?
That depends on the university and varies considerably. The overlaps usually sit in electrical fundamentals, measurement and control technology and parts of the mathematics. For learning acquired outside a university, an upper limit of 50 percent of a programme's ECTS commonly applies. Settle the actual amount before you enrol, not afterwards.
How much mathematics is really involved?
More than most people expect, and it arrives early. Calculus, linear algebra and complex arithmetic sit in the first semesters and later carry AC theory, signal processing and control engineering. If you have not done any calculation since your training, plan a preparatory course. It is the cheapest insurance against dropping out in the first year.
Which positions does the bachelor open, and which not?
It opens entry roles in planning, engineering design, commissioning, technical sales and operations. It does not replace the master craftsman examination for a regulated trade business, that is decided case by case by the chamber of crafts. And research and development roles as well as the German senior civil service usually require a master's.
Which level holds up in your case
Admission, credit transfer and the right level clarified in one conversation.
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.