The curriculum of the interdisciplinary degree courses is geared toward a defined graduate profile with certain skills. The teachers integrate project- and research-based learning. Teaching is practically oriented and courses are taught by experienced assistant professors working in the field of the hazard prevention. Activating teaching methods foster the exchange between teachers and students and the students among themselves. The projects integrated in the curriculum projects as well as the final theses are often carried out in cooperation with companies and have relevance to current issues.

The degrees prepare students for an increasingly international working environment. There are different possibilities to gain experience abroad (semester abroad, internships abroad, etc.) The compulsory practical semester (in the Bachelor’s degree course) can also be completed abroad. The TH Köln and the faculty have international cooperation partners. Students benefit in teaching and research from the personal international contacts of the professors and instructors.

The Institute of Rescue Engineering and Prevention of Hazards has a laboratory for large-scale disasters, a laboratory for communication and data systems, a laboratory for biomedical engineering, a fire protection laboratory, a laboratory for computer-aided simulation, a local positioning system (LPS), the NTED (system for evaluation of drills for disasters) as well as 3D printers that are used for academic studies and research. The faculty has 50 additional laboratories for practicals, project work, research and final theses.

The wide range of research activities is closely linked to teaching. Students are involved in current issues from business and industry through project work. Student final theses can be written as part of ongoing research projects.

The module structure and learning objectives of the degree courses were developed in the context of the graduate profile defined in curriculum workshops. The analysis of the professional fields by discipline-specific industries serves as a basis. The learning objectives and module contents are all aligned with one another and build on one another as the degree course advances. Ongoing assessment of integration of the courses across semesters ensures that skills are acquired.