About the Private Institute
BTB Bildungswerk, a training institute of BA Bergische Akademie für Erwachsenenbildung GmbH in Remscheid, offers distance learning courses state-approved by the ZFU (Staatliche Zentralstelle für Fernunterricht) in healthcare, counseling, education, nutrition, and fitness. The institute delivers its instruction through distance learning with printed and digital study letters and optional live webinars, combined with practical seminars for select courses that take place on-site, online, or in either format depending on the course. Students learn flexibly from home and complete their studies with a BTB certificate or certificate of completion.
Study Programs
BTB Bildungswerk offers a broad portfolio of continuing education and vocational certificate courses delivered primarily through distance learning. The program portfolio spans several specialized fields, including veterinary medicine, psychological counseling, nutrition, natural health and human medicine, fitness and athletics, and care and support (Betreuung und Pflege). Programs are designed as vocational distance learning courses (Fernlehrgänge) that enable students to study alongside their professional work from anywhere in Germany. In the field of veterinary medicine, BTB provides training for alternative animal health practitioners (Tierheilpraktiker) with opportunities to combine studies with multiple elective focus areas. Standalone and specialized veterinary courses include Ernährungsberatung für Tiere, Grundlagen der artgerechten Tierhaltung, Klassische Veterinär-Homöopathie, Veterinär-Heilpflanzenkunde, and Veterinär-Akupunktur, available with specific tracks for small animals, horses, or both. In the areas of natural health, human medicine, and nutrition, offerings include courses such as Akupunktur, Klassische Naturheilverfahren, Heilpflanzenkunde, Ernährungsberatung, Lebensmittelunverträglichkeiten, Vegetarische und vegane Ernährung, and specialized sports nutrition courses such as Sporternährung and Ernährungsberater für Sportler. In psychology and counseling, students can complete foundational or combined programs such as Psychologische/r Berater/in, which can be taken on its own or expanded with elective specializations in Burnout-Prävention, Entspannungspädagogik, NLP-Tools in der psychologischen Beratungspraxis, Paarberatung, and Systemische Beratung. Additional consulting programs include Entwicklungsberatung and Lernberatung. The sports and fitness department includes programs such as Fitnesstrainer-A-Lizenz, Fitness 65plus focusing on senior fitness and fall prevention, and Personal Trainer. Instruction is conducted through distance learning based on printed study guides (Studienbriefe) mailed to students, which are also accessible as digital PDF downloads via the online Web-Campus. Distance learning is supplemented by free, cross-disciplinary campus webinars covering topics like communication models, healthy nutrition, preventive medical concepts, veterinary therapies, and business startup preparation. While theoretical training is fully remote, certain curricula incorporate mandatory or optional practical on-site components. For example, the Personal Trainer program requires six two-day practical seminars and self-directed gym workouts, while Paarberatung includes two online practical seminars and Systemische Beratung two practical seminars held on-site or online. Upon passing examinations, students earn a BTB certificate (Abschlusszertifikat) alongside a certificate of study (Studienbescheinigung) listing all course content. For courses with practical components, such as Systemische/r Berater/in, Paarberater/in, or Psychologische/r Berater/in, students who do not attend the practical seminars, whether on-site or online, receive an institutional certificate of completion (Abschlusszeugnis) documenting their theoretical participation, such as Grundlagen der Systemischen Arbeit, Alltag und Theorie der modernen Paarbeziehung, or Theoretische Grundlagen der Psychologischen Beratung.
Application Procedure
Prior qualifications and professional backgrounds, such as medical training or previous BTB certifications, can be credited toward program requirements to reduce study duration and costs. For courses in care and nursing, prior professional knowledge is taken into account individually; applicants who wish to have it credited send proof to the pedagogical directorate by mail, fax, or email. Prospective students can register to begin immediately or choose an individual start date by specifying a desired month and year. Participants without internet access may arrange to receive and submit all assignments by regular mail. Admission requirements vary by course: counseling courses such as Psychologische/r Berater/in, Systemische/r Berater/in, Erziehungsberater/in, or Businesscoach require a minimum age of 25, a school-leaving or vocational qualification, and in some cases professional experience, while Fitness 65+ requires at least a trainer license B or a comparable qualification. Tuition fees in euros can be paid in monthly installments by bank transfer, standing order, or SEPA direct debit, or as an upfront lump sum. Paying the full tuition upfront after the withdrawal period grants a 3 percent discount, excluding practical seminar costs. Students experiencing unexpected social hardship may request a temporary deferral of monthly installments. A 10 percent BTB-Bonus is available for eligible groups, such as unemployed people, trainees, students, retirees, or former BTB participants, upon submitting proof (as of October 2026). Accepted external funding includes the Weiterbildungsstipendium, the Bildungsgutschein, employer sponsorships, and various state-level programs; the Bildungsgutschein is only available for AZAV-certified courses, and there is no legal entitlement to it. A statutory two-week withdrawal period begins on the day the participant receives the initial package of study materials. Distance learning agreements can first be terminated six months after signing with six weeks of notice. Subsequent cancellation is possible at any time with three months of notice to the end of a calendar month. Cancellations must be submitted in text form.
For degree programs and qualifications with admission requirements (for example Bachelor, Master, IHK or state exams) we offer our application guide, free by email.
Regular courses from BTB Bildungswerk need no formal application: choose your course below, enroll via the link on the course page and pay the fees, and you are enrolled.
Request the application guideFill-in help with a link to the original formAccreditations & Recognition
Accreditation and Approval Regulation for Employment Promotion (Germany), Federal Association of Distance Learning Providers (Germany), Central State Office for Distance Learning
Available Programs (26)
Online Nutrition Consultant Certification Program
Online Nutrition in Special Life Phases Certificate Course
Online Food Intolerances and Allergies Specialist Course
Online Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition Specialist Course
Online Health Educator and Health Consultant Certification Program
Online Health Educator and Consultant Training with Specializations
Online Burnout Prevention Certificate Program
Online Osteoporosis Prevention Specialist Training
Online Educational Counseling Certificate Program
Free application guide
Fill-in help for the enrollment form of BTB Bildungswerk
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