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Career Prospects

Few fields are as diverse and complex as international cooperation. Working in this field requires excellent specialist knowledge in several areas, the ability to advise and work closely with people and organisations, and the patience and dedication to monitor long-term processes and move them forward.

All of these abilities rely on a keen awareness of and openness to intercultural differences and interdisciplinarity. Studying at the SLE helps young graduate students find their way into this complex field. The SLE also has a vast alumni network that connects former students of the organisation worldwide.

Why SLE? Five reasons to study at SLE

Because studying at the SLE...

  • ... brings success.
SLE graduates are highly prized as experts and leaders in international cooperation, both in Germany and on the international labour market. Participation in the SLE post-graduate programme can significantly enhance your career prospects: more than 90 per cent of graduates successfully enter the field within a year of achieving their qualification.

  • ... promotes personal development and teamwork.
The creative and results-driven environment at SLE fosters teamwork and the development of personal skills, talents and expertise.

  • ... provides a bridge between theory and practice.
We impart specialist skills and carry out applied research on innovative concepts. A core element of the SLE's mission as a university institution is to bridge the gap between scientific research and practice, to apply academic knowledge to challenges on the ground and to bring practical experience back into the academic debate. We keep our finger on the pulse and help to raise awareness of today‘s most urgent issues.

  • ... teaches methods.
The key to success is the application of the right tools. Our methods are practical and user-oriented. We teach hands-on methods with real applications and promote experience-based learning. Rather than relying on standard textbook utterances, SLE faculty works on real problems and guides students in their search for practical solutions.

  • ... brings with it strong ties to the field of development cooperation.
Students acquire specialist skills and knowledge tailored to the field of development cooperation. The real-world experience the SLE offers through its practice-based case studies, especially during the overseas projects, is an invaluable career advantage for its graduates. All of this is complemented by personal career advice.


90 % of graduates of SLE within the last three years...

...are now working in International Cooperation.“

SLE Statistics 2010

81% of SLE participants within the last 50 years...

...have spent most of their working life in development cooperation“

2011 results of a survey of all SLE graduates since 1962