Abstract

The further development of scientific education at German colleges constitutes a challenge for vocational and business education. The quality of scientific further education depends not least on the extent to which advanced training measures consider the specific situation of different groups ready to further education. What does such an orientation look like? Which tenor as well as methodical-didactic consequences does it have? Theoretical attempts are derived from the biography-oriented approach of personnel development, employability, lifelong learning as well as from graduates and evaluations research. Based on two empirical surveys, motive bundles of further education students are identified. Results show that motivational structures are much more complex than the causal chain “knowledge acquisition” → “promotion” → “increase in salary” indicates. Strategies for professionalization and quality assurance of scientific further education at universities are suggested.