Dual Bachelor of Viticulture and Enology + winemaker training

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Profile of the degree program

Study modelDualBachelor's degree* + winemaker training (*Bachelor of Science)
Duration4 years6 semesters standard period of study / 24 months vocational training
ECTS CREDITS210
Language of instructionGermanC1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
AdmissionNC-free
Tuition feesNoneRegular semester fee
Start of studies
Prosemester
August 113 weeks à 4 blocks
Start of studies
1st semester
NovemberThe lecture period deliberately begins in November after the fall phase in order to take into account the work peak in the wineries
Application deadlineJuly 15thCompletion of the application form and submission of application documents

Veronika Trum

Office of Student Services Bachelor Course

Opening hours registrar's office
Monday to Friday 9:00 - 16:00

Theory and practice - studying and training as a winemaker under one roof

The study plan

Excursion 2024: Wine Campus alumnus Brian Serr explains biological plant protection measures and uses a vine leaf to demonstrate typical infestation characteristics and their importance for wine quality in his vineyard.

Traditional 6th semester barbecue after the last exam of the course on campus (summer, 2024)

Student Madeleine Römer microscopes yeasts as part of the microbiology laboratory in the 3rd semester

Bordeaux Masterclass 2025 with Markus Del Monego and Philippe Castéja in the auditorium: students taste wines


Lecture "Wine and Food", 4th semester, Sensory Science


Density determination to assess the progress of alcoholic fermentation in experimental wines of a practical project in the 4th semester.

South Tyrol excursion 2025: Exciting insights into the Lageder winery, Arunda sparkling wine cellar, Elena Walch winery, Tramin winery, Manincor winery, Unterortl winery and Laimburg provincial winery.

Student Vincent Stiburski checks the must weight of freshly harvested Solaris grapes as part of the oenology exercises in the prosemester.

Student Joscha during his stay abroad in South Africa (2022)

The Wine Campus at ProWein 2024 in Düsseldorf: Bachelor student Moritz Prinz zur Lippe from the Schloss Proschwitz winery in Meissen with Prof. Dr. Dominik Durner during a Talk & Taste session on the topic of cider.

Exercise of the sensory quick method Napping, 4th semester, Sensory


Vine leaf

The student format Wine Campus Talk: students and wine enthusiasts network with wine personalities, winemakers, retailers and marketing companies in a relaxed atmosphere.

Sebastian Hörsch, viticulture assistant, explains the vine training systems and pruning methods to the prosemester students in the experimental vineyard on campus.

4th semester students familiarize themselves with positive aromas and off-flavours in Prof. Dr. Ulrich Fischer's sensory lab

Academic graduation ceremony 2025: Farewell to students after completing their studies


Viticulture assistant Florian Schraut at the Oenological Technology Center.

Students in the tasting booths in the sensory lab



In the oenological technology center.


Marketing lecture: Development of labels for the new PIWI line of St. John State Winery Neustadt

Smell training in sensory analysis




Lecturer Leonard Pfahl during a measurement of vitality data of the vines with a multispectral drone.

Craftsmanship, natural sciences and the product wine

Course language: English

Six professors from three universities in Rhineland-Palatinate and experts from the Rural Area Service Center (DLR) Rhenish Palatinate shape the teaching at the Wine Campus. Through their research projects on climate change, sustainability, fungus-resistant grape varieties, digitalization and non-alcoholic wines, they make science tangible in the lectures.

Module manual

Orange Wine taster lecture by Prof. Dr. Uli Fischer

Teaching area

Viticulture and plant physiology

The aim of viticultural research is to clarify the influence of quality-enhancing cultivation measures on the material composition of the grape, in particular sugars, acids, aroma precursors, anthocyanins and phenols. In their entirety, these form the reservoir from which the valuable ingredients of the wine are formed during wine production. Ongoing research projects are investigating the genetic and environmental influences on the synthesis of aroma substances (monoterpenes) and colorants and flavorings (flavonoids, stilbenes) as well as on the physiology of the berries/clusters (size, number, berry skin firmness). Further research focuses on the optimization of cultivation systems and viticultural measures in order to investigate the necessary adaptations of production systems to climate change and the resulting increase in late frost events and heat waves.

 

Lecturers and assistants

Teaching area

Phytomedicine

With around two thirds of Germany's vineyards, viticulture is a key component of Rhineland-Palatinate's agricultural sector. New tasks and research topics are constantly emerging in plant protection, particularly due to changing conditions. These include, for example, climate change and extreme weather situations, the emergence of invasive species, environmentally friendly and resource-saving control methods for sustainable production, particularly with regard to integrated plant protection, the development of control and regulation methods for organic cultivation and implementation of the legal framework, as well as intensive research support for the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.

 

Lecturers and assistants

Teaching area

Microbiology

Microorganisms play a central role in winemaking, be it in alcoholic fermentation by yeasts or malolactic fermentation by lactic acid bacteria. At the same time, various harmful organisms can negatively influence the ingredients of the wine in almost all phases of production. Students acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of the most important microorganisms that play a role in winemaking. The detection of microorganisms is also an important focus of teaching and research.

 

Lecturers and assistants

Teaching area

Enology, wine analysis and sensory analysis

Enology at the Wine Campus Neustadt deals with a variety of current and practice-oriented issues relating to winemaking, starting with grape reception, through the processing of mash and must, to wine maturation, bottling and storage of the bottled wines. Using state-of-the-art sensory and chemical analysis, the complex relationships between oenological influencing factors and molecular changes in wines are clarified. Through globally networked research collaborations, oenological research at the Wine Campus Neustadt is one of the world's leading institutions in the field of innovative wine technologies, aroma analysis and polyphenol research.

 

Lecturers and assistants

Specialty

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Success in the wine industry is increasingly dependent on professional business management and optimized marketing. Business Administration at the Wine Campus makes a significant contribution to the training of entrepreneurial skills. Practically relevant topics are taken up and explored through globally networked research with an international perspective. The three core research areas include strategy, organization and innovation.

 

Lecturers and assistants

Specialty

Marketing

The field of marketing in wineries has changed significantly in recent years. Not only have new digital possibilities been added, but also new challenges, for example in the presentation of a product and its characteristics. The Marketing research area at the Wine Campus Neustadt is dedicated to these topics.

 

Lecturers and assistants

Off to new horizons

Stays abroad

When studying Viticulture and Enology, you have the opportunity to complete up to six months of practical training abroad. Viticulture and winemaking abroad differ in many ways from those in Germany. Students describe it as very enriching to make wine under different climatic and cultural conditions and to discover new grape varieties and cultivation methods. By getting to know the methods and practices of the wineries, you question your own approach and decision-making processes. You will not only benefit from new professional impulses, but also develop intercultural and linguistic skills and expand your international network. In the companies, you immerse yourself in everyday working life and really get to know the country and its people. International experience is highly sought after by employers.

Students have access to over 200 international cooperation companies in the northern and southern hemisphere. This means that students can experience a total of five vintages in four years. The Wine Campus supports stays abroad with scholarships and funding programs. Let us advise you individually!

The Wine Campus' portfolio of international cooperation companies includes the following countries:

- Argentina - Luxembourg
- Australia - Namibia
- Azores - New Zealand
- Chile - Austria
- Denmark - Portugal
- France - Rwanda
- Georgia - Romania
- Greece - Sweden
- Great Britain - Switzerland
- Israel - Spain
- Italy - South Africa
- Croatia - USA

Time frame for practical projects abroad:

After the 4th semester: 01.07. to 31.10. (Northern Hemisphere)

After the 5th semester: 01.02. to 30.04. (Southern Hemisphere)

Further information on visa requirements, insurance and funding opportunities for an internship abroad can be found on the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society website under International Affairs.




Occupational fields

The demand for graduate winemakers is so high that it cannot be met. Graduates of the Viticulture and Enology degree course usually have a contract in their pocket before their final examination. The subject-specific, topic-specific and interdisciplinary qualification objectives of the course provide graduates with comprehensive skills that enable them to pursue an independent, practice-oriented career in a wide range of fields of activity as well as a further academic career.

The Viticulture and Enology degree program offers a wide range of career prospects in a wide variety of fields, of which the following are examples of many more:

  • Winemaker
  • Cellar master
  • Operations management, CEO or field operations management
  • Wine shop manager
  • Key account manager
  • Wine or beverage editor
  • Product developer
  • Innovation manager
  • Market researcher
  • Marketing Manager
  • Wine merchant, import/export manager or sales manager
  • Tourism manager
  • Vine grower
  • Laboratory technician
  • Research assistant
  • Entrepreneur and start-up founder
  • Sustainability manager
  • Wine and oenology consultant

What our students say

Why I study viticulture and Enology

Image sources: Felix Weyer - Weingut Bassermann-Jordan/Frei; Fabio Fehrenbach - Staatliches Weinbauinstitut Freiburg; Julia Furer - Private; Philipp Schindel - Private; Viktor Rapp - Private

Interview Niko Brandner (Griesel Sekt, Bensheim)

Interview Katrin Lang (74th German Wine Queen / Advisor to the Baden Winegrowers' Association)

Interview Lena Singer-Fischer (Singer-Fischer Winery, Ingelheim)

Winemaker training

The on-the-job training phase lasts a total of 24 months. The winemaker training program is audited by the Rhineland-Palatinate Chamber of Agriculture. In the Bachelor's degree program in Viticulture and Enology, the Course language: English and times are deliberately adapted to the viticultural year. This gives you maximum practical experience. The four practical projects focusing on viticulture, Enology, phytomedicine and wine marketing take place in the training companies and are assessed as examination results.

Training companies can be located in any wine-growing region in Germany . Companies in Luxembourg can also be recognized as training companies - contact us for individual advice on the requirements!

If the training company you have selected is not one of our cooperation companies, we will be happy to include it in our network, provided the company is a recognized training company for winegrowers.

With the Dual Match Apprenticeship Finder, the Wine Campus supports you in your search for a suitable company. The aim of the Apprenticeship Finder is to bring prospective students together with suitable winegrowing companies quickly, easily and securely. You create an applicant profile in the portal and present your skills, previous knowledge and interests. If you are interested in an apprenticeship, you can contact one of our many cooperating companies directly. Conversely, it is possible for a cooperating company to draw your attention to a vacant training position.

→ DOWNLOAD AREA
Training contract, remuneration tables + insurance guidelines

DUAL MATCH

Four students from the Wine Campus Neustadt discuss this document together

DUAL MATCH - FIND THE PERFECT TRAINING COMPANY

Register now and discover over 400 cooperating companies!

Admission requirements

→ GENERAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The Bachelor's degree course in Viticulture and Enology is admission-free . This means that prospective students will always be offered a place if they meet the formal requirements for the degree course (university entrance qualification, language skills, etc.) and apply in the correct form and by the deadline. There is no numerus clausus. You will be offered a place if you meet the admission requirements and apply in due form and time. The course starts at the beginning of August.

Admission requirements for the Viticulture and Enology degree course are
- higher education entrance qualification certificate,
- entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences
- or a professional qualification recognized as equivalent
- and a training contract as a winemaker

You cover the practical part of the entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences with the winemaker training.


→ MASTER CRAFTSMAN'S CERTIFICATE OR COMPARABLE ADVANCED TRAINING QUALIFICATIONS

A master craftsman's certificate or comparable advanced training qualifications offer you a direct university entrance qualification.

 

→ STUDYING WITHOUT A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA

In Rhineland-Palatinate, it is possible to study with a vocational qualification ("studying without an Abitur") if you have completed previous vocational training with an overall grade point average of at least 2.5. The grades from the final vocational training examination and the final certificate from the vocational school are taken into account.

We advise prospective students without an Abitur before enrolment. Please make an appointment with our registrar' s office

 

If documents are not yet available at the time of application, please send us ...

  • your last (half-year) school report and submit the final certificate
  • the vocational training contract signed by you and your training company. You will then send us the contract signed by the body responsible for the training.

If your previous vocational training is as a winemaker or wine technologist, you can apply directly for the six-semester degree course in Viticulture and Enology (Bachelor of Science).

→ LINKS
University admission correction through further education qualifications
Information on "Studying without A-levels"
State ordinance on the direct university entrance qualification of professionally qualified persons

Application

THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE PROGRAM IN VITICULTURE AND ENOLOGY IS JULY 15

The training company sends the originals of the training contract to the responsible authority for approval, depending on the federal state, e.g. to the Chamber of Agriculture or the regional council.

Click here for the application form

Please make sure that you enter a valid e-mail address in the application form.

The application documents include:

  • Completed and signed online application form
  • Copy of the training contract
  • Curriculum vitae (chronological, without gaps and please sign)
  • Certificate of higher education entrance qualification
  • For students without a high school diploma: Proof of previous training (vocational school certificate and examination certificate as well as proof of 2 years of employment)
  • For previous studies: certificate of no objection, certificate of exmatriculation and certificate of grades
  • Proof of previous training or internships, if applicable
  • Proof of military service / federal voluntary service or similar, if applicable

This is how it works:

  • First fill out our online application form and send it to us by e-mail. Following your online application, you will receive a PDF with your completed form by e-mail.
  • Print out the PDF and sign it.
  • Send it with the rest of your application documents (individual PDF files) to weincampus@hwg-lu.de.

All application documents should be received by our registrar' s officeno later than July 15 of the year in which you wish to begin your training.

Note: Enrollment at the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (HWG LU) takes place in the winter semester of the following year. Further information on enrollment and re-registration can be found here.

FAQ

In the Bachelor's degree program in Viticulture and Enology, the Course language: English and times are deliberately adapted to the viticultural year. Our study plan is guaranteed to work! During your studies, you can experience up to five vintages in four years. This corresponds to a maximum of practical experience. The four practical projects focusing on viticulture, Enology, phytomedicine and wine marketing take place in the training companies and are assessed as examinations. Our portfolio impresses with over 600 cooperating companies worldwide.

Students on the Bachelor's degree program in Viticulture and Enology enjoy working in and with nature and are interested in biological processes. They appreciate the versatility and self-realization in their work and strive for sustainable solutions for viticulture.

The training phase in the company lasts a total of 24 months. At the very beginning, you will spend 15 months at a time in the company to gain practical experience. During this time, you are in the so-called prosemester and are a trainee. You are not yet enrolled as a student at the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society. You will be enrolled the following year in the winter semester.

The work completed during your apprenticeship will be recognized as 30 credits towards your degree.

A training allowance is paid during the 24-month training period in the company. The training allowance in Rhineland-Palatinate is regulated by collective agreement. You can find the current remuneration table for Rhineland-Palatinate here. You can find the remuneration table for Baden-Württemberg here here.
There are similar regulations in other federal states, which can be obtained from the relevant authorities.

No remuneration is paid during the study phases at the Wine Campus. The paid training periods are numbered from 1 to 24 in the timetable.

The Wine Campus as well as many long-standing partners support Wine Campus students in the form of scholarships. During or after their studies, students have the opportunity to receive awards.

Further information via: https: //www.weincampus-neustadt.de/weincampus/preise-und-stipendien

From the winter semester 2023/2024, two students per year from the dual study program "Viticulture & Enology" at the Wine Campus Neustadt can spend a semester abroad at the Krems University of Applied Sciences in the International Wine Business" degree program program. In return, two students from Krems University of Applied Sciences can spend a semester at the Wine Campus Neustadt. This cooperation gives students at the Wine Campus another opportunity to learn at an international level - in addition to the practical projects and excursions already firmly anchored in the course of study.

The Erasmus program not only eliminates tuition fees abroad, but also provides students with additional financial support for living costs abroad. In addition to the students, the Erasmus program also supports the lecturers. This means that interesting lectures and seminars can be organized between the universities in the future, benefiting both partners both professionally and interculturally. Prof. Dr. Laura Ehm, Professor of Marketing at the Wine Campus Neustadt, and Prof. Dr. Albert Franz Stöckl, Head of the International Wine Business course at IMC FH Krems, are responsible for the cooperation. Both emphasize the potential of the cooperation.

IMC FH Krems already has a strong international network, which, according to Prof. Stöckl, is one of the hallmarks of the International Wine Business course. The cooperation with the Wine Campus Neustadt will now expand this network and exciting impulses can be exchanged. Krems is an attractive location for studying and making wine due to its proximity to the neighboring Wachau wine-growing region. The region is an official UNESCO World Heritage Site, not least because of its excellent wines and wineries. Germany and Austria are located in the heart of Europe. Both countries therefore face similar climatic challenges, which means that valuable know-how can be exchanged, especially on the subject of sustainability.

Interested parties are welcome to contact Prof. Dr. Laura Ehm directly.

  • Stays abroad outside Europe, in Switzerland and England of up to 3 months via Education worldwide
    between 3000 and 5000 euros (travel and accommodation costs depending on duration and country)
  • Stays abroad in Europe other than Switzerland and England via Erasmus +
    between 195 and 315 euros (mobility grant per month)
  • Stays abroad in Europe via Wine Campus scholarship
    max. 500 euros

Since January 1, 2012, participants in dual courses of study have been legally treated in the same way as employees in vocational training and as such are subject to compulsory insurance in statutory pension, health, long-term care and unemployment insurance for the entire duration of the corresponding course of study.

You are also subject to compulsory pension and unemployment insurance during periods of study in which no salary is paid (from the first semester onwards). Social insurance contributions are calculated on the basis of a notional contribution assessment base (1% of the monthly reference value). The employer is solely responsible for these contributions, even if they only provide part of the training. Individual agreements between the companies are therefore sometimes necessary.

Dual students are also liable for health and long-term care insurance during periods without pay. However, the contributions are paid in the same amount as students who are subject to compulsory insurance. The contributions are paid by the student alone. If you are entitled to family insurance (with a parent, spouse or partner), you do not have to pay health and long-term care insurance contributions.

Neustadt is located in the heart of the German wine-growing regions. The Palatinate is one of the largest, most innovative and most diverse wine-growing regions Neustadt is a flourishing, medium-sized town in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. Neustadt is a tourist and gastronomic region with a wide range of cultural leisure activities.


Short-term rental
Inexpensive rooms can be rented in the Neustadt/Weinstraße youth hostel for the theory modules during the prosemester. Private landlords also offer reasonably priced rooms and apartments both for the prosemester modules and for longer periods.

Brief exposé 1 / Brief exposé 2


Student apartments
There are 6 bright apartments in Rilkestraße, each with 3 shared rooms, fitted kitchen, common room and balcony, available to Wine Campus students.

Monthly room rent: EUR 345.00 incl. flat-rate operating and heating costs (without billing, no deposit, unfurnished).

There are a further 6 bright apartments in Branchweilerhofstraße, each with 2 shared rooms, fitted kitchen and common room.

Monthly room rent: EUR 330.00 incl. flat-rate operating and heating costs (without billing, no deposit, unfurnished).

The apartments are rented out by the Neustadt an der Weinstraße housing association:
Tel. 06321 89 96-66, e-mail: vermietung@wbg-nw.de or Ms. Sylvia Schulze, Tel. 06321 89 96-20, E-Mail: sylvia.schulze@wbg-nw.de

 

You can obtain a list of private landlords from the registrar's office on request. It's worth taking a look at the notice board in the basement of the Wine Campus Neustadt! Students can exchange and find apartments and rooms in shared apartments in and around Neustadt.

Yes, at the German Training Institute for Agricultural Engineering (DEULA) in Bad Kreuznach, two weeks of lessons in applied agricultural engineering take place during the prosemester, in which students are taught the proper and safe use of modern agricultural machinery in the field of viticulture and grape processing (e.g. tractors, soil care systems, plant protection equipment).

The lecture times are adapted to the dates of the inter-company training and DEULA courses so that there are no overlaps.

It is possible to receive a discount on the course costs. Detailed information on registration, current dates and the voucher form can be found in OpenOLAT.

Yes, at the end of the 4th semester, the theoretical content from the "Training of Trainers" course is taught and the trainer aptitude test can be taken. Students on the dual Bachelor's degree course in Viticulture and Enology only pay the examination fees.

Contact us now!

Prof. Dr. Jochen Bogs

Professor of Plant Physiology and Viticulture

Veronika Trum

Office of Student Services Bachelor Course

We will be happy to answer your individual questions!

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