University of Applied Sciences (Austria)

A University of Applied Sciences ( FH , Eng. University of Applied Sciences ) is a university form , the teaching and research on scientific operates basis with application focus.

The courses offered by universities of applied sciences in Austria include engineering, natural, social and economic sciences as well as technical courses. The university of applied sciences courses are completed with an academic degree . While at the beginning there were only university degrees with the academic degrees Mag. (FH) and Dipl.-Ing. (FH) , due to the Bologna process , there are only higher technical college bachelor’s courses and technical college master’s courses based on them . The academic degrees are now identical to those of the universities, the addition "(FH)" has been dropped.

In contrast to the very freely structured university courses in Austria, the students in the technical college courses are bound by clear guidelines on the course of study, which means that the technical college courses are always completed in the planned study period. However - similar to the school system - it is also possible to repeat a year of study once at a university of applied sciences courses ( Section 18 (4) FHStG).

Since there is clearly regulated funding based on university places in the university of applied sciences sector, access to university of applied sciences courses - unlike access to the majority of university courses - is limited.

history

The decision to establish universities of applied sciences was taken by the Austrian federal government in 1990. The University of Applied Sciences Studies Act (FHStG) came into force on October 1, 1993, and the first ten FH degree programs started in the 1994/95 academic year. According to figures from the Austrian Technical College Council , the authority responsible for the accreditation of technical college courses in Austria until August 2012 , there were already 18 institutions for the implementation of FH courses ( providers ) with a total of 28,100 study places in the 2005/06 academic year . More than a third of the FH degree programs offered are organized alongside work. In the course of the Bologna process , more and more courses are being transferred to the Bachelor and Master system . In the 2005/06 academic year, 52% of the 190 FH degree programs were offered in this tiered degree system.

The first technical college courses were of a technical nature. In the meantime, more economics than technical-scientific courses are offered. Social sciences, humanities and design courses are underrepresented.

Organizational forms

Universities of applied sciences in Austria usually have a form of organization under private law, namely as a GmbH , as an association or as a non-profit private foundation . In order to start your business you need an accreditation by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria . Before this agency was set up, the University of Applied Sciences Council created with the introduction of the technical college sector in Austria was responsible for the accreditation .

Providers of university of applied sciences courses are not automatically designated as a university of applied sciences: the designation is rather awarded by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria if the minimum requirements specified in § 22 FHStG are met and the provider requests:

• the establishment of at least two recognized bachelor's degree programs with subsequent master’s degree programs or of two recognized diploma degree programs,
• a development plan that makes the achievement of a minimum of 1000 students within five years credible.

Of the total of 21 institutions that operate technical college courses, 12 are currently (May 2011) organized as a technical college in accordance with the Fachhochschulstudiengesetz. Other providers are referred to as institutions for the implementation of technical college courses or providers of technical college courses .

promotion

Universities of applied sciences do not have their own right to award doctorates or habilitation. Many universities of applied sciences offer doctorates in cooperation with universities. In Austria, both graduates from a university of applied sciences master’s courses and graduates from a university of applied sciences diploma courses can take a doctoral degree at a university .

financing

The FH degree programs are financed by the federal government on the basis of the approved and occupied study places. This procedure is called study place management. The technical college development and financing plan published by the bm: bwk specifies the specific sums; from 2005 to 2009 this was between € 5,813.83 and € 6,903.92 per student place occupied per year. The standard costs paid by the state to the technical college institutions are earmarked for teaching and research, the infrastructure costs (buildings, equipment, etc.) are to be financed by the provider of the technical college courses. Sustainer of FH degree programs are also authorized by the student tuition fees to levy. Four Austrian providers do not collect tuition fees.

Student representation

Due to an amendment to the University of Applied Sciences Studies Act of December 5, 2007, students at the universities of applied sciences also belong to the Austrian student body . The change in the law also enshrined the FH student representatives in law. Before that, there was sometimes no student representation at the individual universities of applied sciences, the existing ones were very different and had few rights. The FH students are now represented nationwide for the first time; before that, the FH students had no co-determination at this level.

Laws

• University of Applied Sciences Studies Act ( legal text in the federal legal information system)
• University Quality Assurance Act ( legal text in the federal legal information system)

See also

• List of universities of applied sciences in Austria
• Austrian University of Applied Sciences Conference

Individual evidence

1. ↑ List of universities of applied sciences in Austria ( memento of the original from November 20, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Austrian University Council  
2. ↑ on the financing of the FH sector ( memento of the original from October 28, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Austrian University Council  
3. ↑ University of Applied Sciences Development and Financing Plan III 2005/06 to 2009/10 ( Memento of the original from December 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.