Generally, professional training courses require a first professional qualification, for example an apprenticeship or a first degree. The goal of such training at universities is to allow for career progression by expanding upon existing knowledge, abilities, and skills.

Professional training courses are characterized by their level of difficulty. This is influenced by the level of technical expertise involved, which is ensured by imposing suitable requirements on the teaching staff's technical expertise. Scientific methods and current research findings form a part of the education at the Hochschule Kaiserslautern, which illustrates a high level of practical applicability.

There is usually a formal differentiation between the professional training courses offered and the consecutive Bachelor’s and Master’s degree courses. Most of the courses can be studied part-time, which allows students to pursue their course of study while continuing to work.

The courses offered result in either an academic qualification (e.g. Bachelor or Master), or a certificate.