Interdisciplinary Key Competencies (FÜSQ)

• practice-oriented and true-to-life
• inter- and transdisciplinary orientated
• scientifically, practically and artistically substantiated
• open for every bachelor and master student
• no requirements needed
• selectable according to your exam regulations
• 3 credit points per FÜSQ-course
• ungraded

“Intelligent systems for a sustainable society”

This is the vision of the University of Stuttgart, which stands for its interdisciplinary integration of engineering, natural sciences, the humanities and social sciences based on disciplinary top research.

The University of Stuttgart offers FÜSQ since 2008. Compared to other universities FÜSQ are an obligatory part of the exam regulations. FÜSQ promote skills in line with our universities vision, they have an inter- and transdisciplinary orientation and are scientifically, practically and artistically substantiated.

FÜSQ courses allow you to take a break from your professional studies, to broaden your horizon and to equip you with practice-oriented everyday skills. They promote transfer-oriented, reflected and conscientious behavior in professional life and in society. Therefore, they enable you to use your knowledge in everyday situations and to react to complex societal challenges in a competent and conscientious manner and facilitate the transition into employment.

Participating in FÜSQ allows students to acquire and expand their general competencies beyond their professional studies.

The key-competencies consist of four fields: methodical, social, communicative and personal competencies. Furthermore, we offer courses on law, economics and politics as well as scientific and technical competencies as the University of Stuttgart is strongly oriented towards STEM and intelligent systems

Field of Competency 1 – Methodical Competencies

Methodical Competencies are for example learning and work techniques, project management skills as well as fluency in a foreign language. Furthermore, they include skills in retrieving information and analyzing its relevance in any given situation.

Field of Competency 2 – Social Competencies

Social Competencies consist of cooperation, dealing with conflicts, seeing something from another ones perspective and identifying social and professional networks.

Field of Competency 3 – Communicative Competencies

There is numerous overlap between communicative competencies and other fields of competency, as no key-competency works without communication. Smalltalk, argumentation, promotion, feedback, problem solution, critique and approval, moderation and presentation, nonverbal communication and listening are all skills, which make up this competency.

Kompetenzbereich 4 – Personale Kompetenzen

Personal competencies consist of personal traits like independence, the ability to take criticism, confidence, reliability, conscientiousness and sense of duty. Beside knowledge and skills, attitude and values are also a part of this competency (Beutner et al., 2015).

Field of Competency 5 – Competencies in Law, Economics and Politics

In this field of competency, students learn about the societal correlation between their field, the legal framework as well as existing economic and sociopolitical systems. Students will be able to form a well-founded opinion on their own, by considering, categorizing, reflecting and evaluating aspects and systems of law, economics and politics.

Field of Competency 6 – Scientific and technical Competencies
(Students in non-STEM fields: please check your exam regulations)

Field of competency 6 is about acquiring knowledge and skills in scientific and technical fields. Students in non-STEM fields tackle subjects with a scientific and technical matter (i. e. theories, concepts and phenomena). This field focusses on the acquisition of selected professional competencies in science and/or engineering and enables students to assess economic, societal and political fields of action with regard to scientific and technical facts and within the context of technological maturity.

STEM fields: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Description of topic areas (T1 - 12) with aligned fields of competency

T1 Communication and Networking

Proficiency in communication is a highly sought after trait in every professional environment. Leading difficult conversations, managing situations and projects ripe with conflicts as well as imparting results and actions in a specifically for a target group tailored manner are advantageous skills. Communication happens in several forms, for example in interactions with each other, when applying for a job, in a presentation, in scientific papers, interviews, on social media and weblogs.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 1: Methodical Competencies
Field of competency 2: Social Competencies
Field of competency 3: Communicative Competencies
Field of competency 4: Personal Competencies

T2 Scientific Writing and Research

The basics of scientific thinking and research are important after your studies as well. If you are able to get an overview on the state of research and read as well as understand findings, you have a good basis for professional success. The topic area writing and research in science and consist of scientific writing (citing, structuring, limiting a topic, choosing suitable methods etc.), placing scientific evidence in a social, economic, political, historical and ecological context and grasping findings outside your subject area.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 1: Methodical Competencies
Field of competency 3: Communicative Competencies

T3 Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Sustainability is not only a highly relevant topic area for the interdisciplinary key-competencies because of climate change and social issues. This topic area is about the different scientific and political definitions in some aspects of sustainability. Herein included are professional perspectives on social, ecological, political and economic sustainability. Furthermore, the dynamic evolution of intelligent systems and technologies creates a critical importance for working on current issues in an interdisciplinary manner. Topics on which students of the University of Stuttgart can educate themselves are, assessing the consequences of technology, the issue of a normative evaluation of technological development or evaluation criteria for social change.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 1: Methodical Competencies
Field of competency 2: Social Competencies
Field of competency 3: Communicative Competencies
Field of competency 4: Personal Competencies
Field of competency 5: Law, Economics, Politics

T4 Creativity and Culture

At a university with a strong focus on STEM-fields, creativity and culture only make up a minimal part of the curricula. Thinking outside the box can lead us to new insights on the relationship between science and creativity and to contention with socially relevant issues beyond the confines of our fields.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 2: Social Competencies
Field of competency 3: Communicative Competencies
Field of competency 4: Personal Competencies

T5 Languages and Internationalization

Considering our universities’ educational goal of a “Global Active Citizen” proficiency in a foreign language is an essential key competency for our students. The Language Center offers a wide range of courses for this purpose. Intercultural competency incorporates aspects of social competency, such as seeing something from another ones point of view and dealing with conflicts.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 1: Methodical Competencies
Field of competency 2: Social Competencies
Field of competency 3: Communicative Competencies
Field of competency 4: Personal Competencies

T6 Teaching and Learning

The topic area teaching and learning includes strategies for exam preparation, for the taxonomy of learning objectives and to boost motivation. Basic knowledge of educational psychology in the areas of cognition and metacognition or on learning processes in groups are also part of topic area 6.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 1: Methodical Competencies
Field of competency 2: Social Competencies
Field of competency 3: Communicative Competencies
Field of competency 4: Personal Competencies

T7 Epistemology and Philosophy of Science

This topic area deals with issues on how we obtain scientific knowledge about our environment and ourselves. Or which conditions have to be met to make knowledge possible. Matters like the basis of theory formulation as well as methods and ways of epistemology and philosophy of science rank among this topic area.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 1: Methodical Competencies
Field of competency 2: Social Competencies
Field of competency 4: Personal Competencies

T8 Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a dynamic process: market opportunities will be identified, picked up and used for profit. Ideas, products and strategies will be rearranged based on conceptual business models and transferred to innovations.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 1: Methodical Competencies
Field of competency 2: Social Competencies
Field of competency 3: Communicative Competencies
Field of competency 4: Personal Competencies
Field of competency 5: Law, Economics, Politics

T9 Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Responsible behavior with data and data based systems through data literacy and fundamental competencies in data science. In addition to technological perspectives, dealing with intelligent systems in a creative and critical manner play an important role. The goal of the new Learning Forum RISING, which is part of the Interchange Forum for Reflecting on Intelligent Systems (SRF IRIS), is to methodically anchor these aspects in a broad spectrum.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 1: Methodical Competencies
Field of competency 2: Social Competencies
Field of competency 3: Communicative Competencies
Field of competency 4: Personal Competencies

T10 Behavioral Strategies and Metacognition

What is the best way to learn? What is stressing me and how can I lower a high stress level? Independently from the concrete subject matter of our topic areas individual, behavioral strategies and metacognitive skills are an overarching theme of our FÜSQ-courses. This topic area is not only about competencies that help you while learning, organizing and successfully finishing projects, but also about competencies that are central to developing values, attitude and views.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 1: Methodical Competencies
Field of competency 4: Personal Competencies

T11 Systems and Institutions in Law, Economics and Politics

This topic area is about social correlations, legal frameworks as well as existing economic and sociopolitical systems. Different aspects will be considered, categorized, reflected upon and evaluated.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 1: Methodical Competencies
Field of competency 5: Law, Economics, Politics

T12 Scientific, Mathematical and Technical Basics

(Usually for Students in non-STEM fields; please check your exam regulations)

This topic area is about scientific and technical basics. Students in non-STEM fields tackle subjects with a scientific and technical matter. Therefore, this topic area focusses on the acquisition of professional competencies in science and/or engineering.

Aligned fields of competencies:
Field of competency 6: Scientific and Technical Basics