Dual study programs combine elements of the vocational education and training system and the higher education system—especially in terms of curricula, teaching staff, and funding—thereby connecting the learning environments of the firm and the higher education institution or vocational academy in coordinated and systematic ways.

In Germany, dual study programs are a consequent development resulting from basic dual vocational education and training models, are seen as a key factor contributing to the current economic situation, which has remained robust despite the recent financial and economic turmoil, reflected most importantly in comparatively low levels of youth unemployment.

The concept of dual studies reflects an emergent model of skill formation at the nexus of initial vocational training and tertiary education. This innovative hybrid form is seen as having the potential to play a crucial role in the development of competencies for twenty-first-century occupations, not least against the backdrop of the pressing skills gap.