Joint Degree Programmes in Continuing Education – Curriculum Development in International Education

Abstract

This paper discusses a newly developed approach to market-, skills- and competences-oriented curriculum de-
velopment processes in an international environment. The paper gives some insights to the difficulties as well
as some positive aspects of the curriculum development process at the European level. Moving from the single
institutional process view to a multilateral curriculum development perspective, the main critical factors of the
development process are discussed. Central questions such as market, topical and institutional fits are the basic
elements of this approach. Further questions are relevant for the design, such as: How can prior experience with
curriculum development processes at partner universities be used? How should the links between input and
output be managed during the development phase? How is the market for specific curricula analysed – or in
some cases created? This paper explores a theoretical management approach to combining input- and output-
based curriculum design in continuing education. Finally, the practical relevance of the new approach is dis-
cussed based on a curriculum development case study at the Danube University Krems from the perspective of
a coordinator for the European “Higher Education Management and Development” LLL Framework project.