Power and grid technology
Grid operation, connection planning, protection systems, renewable generation and storage. Heavily regulated, a lot of standards work, predictable structures.
Electrical engineering while you keep working
Few subjects have feeder occupations this clear. If you come from an electrical trade and hold a technician or master craftsman qualification, it usually gives you two things at once: access to university and a real block of credit towards the degree.
Where it sits
What electrical engineering is, and what it is not
The name is broad and so is the subject, so let me draw the lines first.
Electrical engineering revolves around energy, signals and control. The core consists of mathematics, physics, the fundamentals of electrical engineering, measurement technology, electronics, control engineering and, depending on your specialisation, power, drive or automation technology. Most programmes let you pick a direction from the third or fourth semester, and that choice shapes your professional profile far more than the name of the university.
These three neighbours cause the most confusion:
- Mechatronics combines mechanics, electronics and software. Broader, but shallower in each single area. If you look after a plant as a whole, that is often the better home.
- Computer science targets software and data processing. Embedded systems sit in between, more on that under computer science by distance learning.
- Mechanical engineering works on design, mechanics and manufacturing. There is plenty of overlap, but the mathematical toolkit is a different one.
What belongs in the picture: the share of mathematics and physics is high, and lab practicals in measurement, electronics and control engineering cannot be delivered online. A programme with no attendance at all is the exception in this subject. If you work shifts or travel a lot, map the attendance dates before you enrol, not afterwards.
Admission
The vocational qualification opens two doors at once
Technician and master craftsman bring access and credit in the same document here.
A state-certified technician in electrical engineering, an industrial master craftsman and a trade master craftsman in the electrical trade open general university access in most German states. You can then apply anywhere rather than being tied to a single subject. Without such a qualification the route runs through subject-linked access: a completed apprenticeship plus several years of relevant practice, depending on the state with a counselling interview, an aptitude test or a trial semester.
The typical feeder occupations are electronics technician for industrial engineering, for automation technology or for energy and building services, plus mechatronics technicians, IT systems electronics technicians and electrical installation fitters. The three routes in detail are set out under studying without A-levels, and the specifics of the master craftsman route under master craftsman and bachelor credit.
The difference between the two routes is bigger than it sounds. With general university access you apply like any school leaver, without an extra procedure. With subject-linked access the university checks whether your occupation matches the programme, and that is exactly where six-month delays arise when documents are missing.
Credit transfer
What your qualification is worth inside the degree
The second benefit of technician and master craftsman, and the one people forget.
Both qualifications are formal awards with documented learning outcomes and a substantial number of taught hours. That is what a credit decision rests on. For the technician the overlap usually sits in the electrical fundamentals, in measurement and control technology and in parts of mathematics. For the master craftsman it sits more in business operations, work organisation and vocational training, and less in the calculation subjects.
What that means in time is a simple calculation. Take a bachelor's programme worth 180 ECTS. If 60 of those are credited, 120 remain. At 15 ECTS per semester that is four years instead of six. Do factor in that engineering bachelor's degrees are often advertised at 210 rather than 180 ECTS, which adds one to two semesters.
The order matters. Clarify the credit first, then choose the university. With identical prior learning, two providers can easily be two semesters apart. How the procedure works and how blanket and individual credit differ is explained under credit transfer and in depth on my page on credit for work experience. Which universities exist and how they differ can be compared with sources on Hochschulnavigator.
Workload
Time and cost, realistically
The number that decides is not the nominal duration, it is your semester load.
| ECTS per semester | Hours per week | In daily life | Bachelor takes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | around 7 to 8 | one module plus its exercises, no more | 18 years, only sensible as an entry semester |
| 10 | around 15 | two evenings plus one weekend day, workable with on-call duty | 9 years, 6 with credit transfer |
| 15 | around 22 | tight as soon as site work or fault call-outs come in | 6 years, 4 with credit transfer |
| 20 | around 30 | effectively a second part-time job | 4.5 years |
Calculated at 30 hours per ECTS and around 20 active weeks per semester. How to work out your own figure is explained under ECTS per semester.
On cost, part-time bachelor's programmes usually sit in the range of a few hundred euros per month. In this subject one item shows up that many only notice in the second semester: travel and accommodation for lab practicals and exams. If you live far from the nearest study centre, do that arithmetic before you pick a provider, because it can make the cheaper provider more expensive than the seemingly pricey one down the road. The full picture is under what distance learning costs.
Because qualified staff are scarce in the electrical sector, employers contribute comparatively often. Watch for repayment clauses, they typically tie you in for several years, see getting your employer to pay.
Afterwards
Where the degree leads
Three directions that differ clearly in daily work and demands.
Automation and control
Controllers, sensors, drives, plant commissioning. Close to production, project driven, frequently involving travel.
Planning and project management
Electrical design, tendering, site supervision, coordinating trades. Less workbench, more deadlines, contracts and responsibility.
An honest word on pay: the degree alone does not change it, the changed position does. Anyone doing the same job after the degree typically earns the same. The step comes with the move into a planning, project or leadership role. More on this under salary after your degree.
And here is the limit most underestimated in this subject: a bachelor's degree does not automatically replace the master craftsman examination. The electrical trade in Germany requires a licence. Under section 7 paragraph 2 of the German Crafts Code, university graduates can indeed be entered in the craft register if the focus of their studies matches the trade, but the chamber of crafts decides that case by case. On top of that, work on grid connections requires registration in the network operator's installer register, which follows its own rules. If you plan to go self-employed, clarify both before you enrol.
Frequent questions
Electrical engineering by distance learning
The questions that come up in almost every initial consultation.
Can I study electrical engineering without A-levels?
As a rule, yes, and in few subjects is the route this well established. A state-certified technician in electrical engineering, an industrial master craftsman in electrical engineering or a trade master craftsman in the electrical trade opens general university access in most German states. Without such a qualification the route runs via an apprenticeship plus several years of relevant practice.
Does a bachelor's degree replace the master craftsman examination?
Not automatically. Under section 7 paragraph 2 of the German Crafts Code, engineers and university graduates can be entered in the craft register if the focus of their studies matches the trade in question. The chamber of crafts decides that case by case. If you want to run a business of your own, clarify it before you enrol.
How much of my technician or master craftsman qualification counts?
That depends on the university and differs considerably. Both qualifications have documented learning outcomes and a substantial number of taught hours, and many universities have established credit routes for them. For learning acquired outside higher education, an upper limit of 50 percent of a programme's ECTS usually applies.
How much attendance and lab work should I plan for?
Clearly more than in business subjects. Measurement technology, electronics and control engineering require lab practicals on site, and exam dates come on top. Depending on the provider that means single weekends per semester or regular Saturday sessions. Budget for travel and accommodation.
What is the difference to mechatronics?
Electrical engineering goes deep on energy, signals and control. Mechatronics combines mechanics, electronics and software and stays shallower in each of the three. If you look after whole plants, mechatronics is often the better fit. If you want depth in grid, drive or automation technology, choose electrical engineering.
Next step
What is actually possible in your case
Admission, credit transfer and the right programme settled in one conversation.
Levels in this subject
Which level fits your goal?
The same subject, two different answers. Each level has its own admission routes and leads somewhere else.
Bachelor part-time
Access via technician and master craftsman
Master part-time
Which bachelor gets you in, the ECTS question
Information Notice
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.