Technical college

Education courses in the German education system

The Fachoberschule ( FOS ) is a type of school which in the federal states of the Federal Republic of Germany concludes after the 12th grade with the technical college entrance qualification and, if a 13th grade is established, with the subject-related or general university entrance qualification (Abitur). The technical college is oriented towards vocational subjects and is therefore one of the vocational schools.

The (general) advanced technical college entrance qualification of the technical college entitles the holder to take up a bachelor's degree in any subject at a university of applied sciences or a university of applied sciences (HAW) -Study at a university. The completion of a subject-related or full Abitur at a technical college in class 13 also entitles you to all university courses.

The concept of the technical college was redefined in 1969 as a result of student protests in the 1960s , which culminated in the 1968 movement , except in Baden-Württemberg . Alternatively, you can obtain the advanced technical college entrance qualification at the BKFH . All countries with the exception of Bavaria , Hamburg and Berlin began at the beginning of the 1969/70 school year. Hamburg and Berlin began at Easter 1970 and Bavaria on September 9, 1970.

Grades

The technical college usually consists of grades 11 and 12.

In the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hamburg and Bavaria (since the school year 2004/2005) as well as in Berlin (since 2010/2011 in the form of a pilot project at two schools) there is also a 13th grade of the technical college with the subject-related or general university entrance qualification (Abitur).

Subjects

Different subjects are offered depending on the federal state. In Baden-Wuerttemberg there is no technical college; Instead, various types of vocational college are offered, which also lead to the technical college entrance qualification, for example the vocational college for the acquisition of the technical college entrance qualification (BKFH). The general higher education entrance qualification can be obtained in Baden-Württemberg - in addition to attending a general high school - by attending a vocational high school or, if vocational training has been completed , by attending a vocational high school .

state	Subject area
Bavaria	Technology; Economy & Administration and Management; Social affairs; Layout; Agriculture, bio and environmental technology. From 2013 as a school trial at three locations each International Economy; health
Berlin	Technology (Swpkt: metal, electrical, construction, wood, fashion and clothing); Economy & Administration and Management; Social pedagogy; Health; Nutrition and housekeeping; Layout; Agricultural economics; Natural sciences (chemistry, biology and physics)
Brandenburg	Economy & Administration and Management; Technology; Social affairs; Layout; Nutrition; agricultural economics
Bremen	Technology; Economy & Administration and Management; Health and social affairs; Nutrition and housekeeping; layout
Hamburg	Technology (Swpkt .: construction, electrical, metal, surveying, agriculture, chemistry); Economy & Administration and Management; Social pedagogy; Care and health; Housekeeping; Design (Swpkt .: clothing, graphics and interior design)
Hesse	Layout; Health; Social affairs; Technology (focus: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, construction, chemical / physical technology, textile and clothing, information technology); Economy (focus: agriculture, nutrition and housekeeping, economy and administration, business informatics)
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania	Economy; Administration; Metal technology; Seafaring; Electrical engineering; Structural engineering; Computer science; Layout; Nutrition and housekeeping; Agricultural economics; Social pedagogy
Lower Saxony	Economy and administration (focus: economy, administration and administration of justice, IT); Technology (focus: IT; construction; electronics; metal); Health and social affairs (focus: health care, social education); Layout; Nutrition and housekeeping; agricultural economics
North Rhine-Westphalia	Agriculture, biotechnology and environmental technology; Nutrition and housekeeping; Layout; Health and social affairs; Technology (focus: construction and wood technology, electrical engineering, metal technology, textile technology and clothing, printing technology, and physics, chemistry, biology); economy & Administration and Management
Rhineland-Palatinate	Technology; Natural sciences; Economy; Social affairs; Nutrition and housekeeping; Layout; Agricultural economics; police
Saarland	Technology; Engineering (natural sciences and environmental technology); Economy; Social pedagogy; Layout; Tourism; nutrition
Saxony	Technology; Economy & Administration and Management; Social affairs; Layout; Agricultural economics; Law enforcement service
Saxony-Anhalt	Technology (focus: construction, electrical, metal, information, media); Economy (focus: economy, administration and administration of justice); Health and social affairs (focus: social affairs); Layout; Agricultural economics; Law enforcement service
Schleswig-Holstein	Technology; Economy; Nutrition and housekeeping; Health and social affairs; Layout; agricultural economics
Thuringia	Technology (focus: metal, electrical, construction, media, information, general technology, optics); Economy and administration (focus: general economy, hotel and tourism, media economy); Health and social affairs; Nutrition and housekeeping; layout

entry requirements

The prerequisite for attending the 11th grade of the technical college is intermediate school leaving certificate or a comparable qualification ( M-10 qualification ; business qualification ; secondary school qualification / technical college qualification ). Many federal states require a grade point average of at least 3.5 in mathematics, German and English.

Depending on the federal state, the technical college can be shortened to one year (grade 12) up to the technical college entrance qualification or to two years (12th and 13th grade in North Rhine-Westphalia / Bavaria) up to the higher education entrance qualification with a subject-related completed vocational training.

structuring

The 11th grade usually consists of at least half of an internship . Depending on the subject, this internship can be completed in company or school workshops or in official departments (e.g. district office, federal administration). The students can be employed at company workplaces - in the sense of a trial apprenticeship.

The 12th grade (in contrast to the grammar school) is carried out exclusively as school lessons in class .

The school leaving examination usually consists of an examination in the subjects of mathematics , German , English and the teaching focus of the respective subject area.

In some federal states, instead of the fourth exam, the student can also carry out a correspondingly extensive project, for example as a written project with a presentation and an oral exam ( colloquium ).

graduation

The 12th grade of the technical college is completed with the certificate of the technical college entrance qualification and entitles to study of all subjects at a technical college (FH), sometimes to a university study. An internship of at least six weeks or vocational training in another subject area allows graduates with a technical college entrance qualification to study in another subject. However, some universities of applied sciences do not necessarily require an internship; the school-based part is sufficient here, as is also obtained at a general high school after passing level 11 (G8) or 12 (G9). However, there is the possibility of changing to a university after studying at a technical college. In some federal states, this change can also take place after passing the basic course at the university of applied sciences. In this case, a subject-specific higher education entrance qualification is also acquired. The completion of the advanced technical college entrance qualification after grade 12 of the FOS / BOS is colloquially referred to as the technical diploma.

Completion of the 13th grade leads to a general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) in a second foreign language, which entitles you to study at all German universities (universities and technical colleges).

Without a second foreign language (usually French or Spanish , more rarely Italian or Latin , in individual cases also other languages such as Polish , Arabic or even Russian), the FOS 13 graduate receives the subject-specific higher education entrance qualification, which is necessary for studying at universities exclusively in the subject area attended (Technology, economy, etc.) justified. For example, a FOS 13 degree in economics (without a second foreign language) also enables you to study for a teaching degree with a subject in computer science / economics or to study at a university in economics and / or business administration.

Situation in the individual federal states

In the federal states of Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Thuringia, there is also a one-year technical college, the FOS 11 or - in North Rhine-Westphalia - 12B. The capital B stands for professional graduates, as the students in North Rhine-Westphalia skip class 11 and are divided into a class specially set up for them. That is why there is a situation in NRW that at many technical colleges two classes of grade 12 with the letter "b" can be found in parallel, namely 12b for the conventional FOS in the 2-year form and 12B for the one-year form for students with intermediate Maturity and relevant professional training. There is no internship at the one-year technical college, as a completed vocational training must have already been completed (see also vocational college ). The FOS in the one-year form leads to the general technical college entrance qualification within one year immediately after passing the final examination.

Hesse

In Hesse, the advanced technical college entrance qualification entitles the holder to study in all bachelor programs at universities.

It is also possible to acquire a technical college entrance qualification through additional courses at the vocational school during vocational training (Section 10 of the Hessian Vocational School Ordinance).

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein

In both countries it is possible to acquire the advanced technical college entrance qualification in addition to working in an evening school. Vocational schools also offer the opportunity to acquire the advanced technical college entrance qualification as part of a full-time offer.

Lower Saxony

In Lower Saxony, the advanced technical college entrance qualification can be acquired in addition to working in an evening school. Vocational schools also offer the opportunity to acquire the advanced technical college entrance qualification as part of a full-time offer.

North Rhine-Westphalia

See information on vocational college in North Rhine-Westphalia .

Rhineland-Palatinate

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the technical college will be set up at selected Realschule plus locations .

Saxony

In Saxony, according to the Federal Expellees Act, there is the possibility of obtaining the technical college entrance qualification at the Cottbuser Kolleg in the field of business and administration.

Bavaria

In Bavaria, half of the 11th grade is completed in the form of “company internships”. Occasionally, the company internship is also completed in the school's own training workshops.

In addition, in the 9th and 10th grades of some secondary schools, combined courses are offered as orientation for attending a technical college.

Since the 2006/2007 school year, points (0 to 15) instead of grades (1 to 6) have been awarded for performance assessments , analogous to the college level of the grammar school. In addition to the points achieved (0 to 15), the corresponding grades are listed in letters ( very good to unsatisfactory ) in the interim and final certificates .

13th grade

As part of a school trial in the 2004/2005 school year, the 13th grade of the technical college was offered at 19 locations in all government districts. The curriculum essentially corresponds to that of the 13th grade of the vocational high school (BOS).

Only above-average graduates of the FOS 12 were admitted. The required minimum grade average ("general average grade") in the certificate of the technical college entrance qualification (according to FOS 12) was 2.5. When calculating the minimum grade point average, “minor subjects” (except religion, music, sports etc.) are also included. For the final examination subjects, the grade is determined in equal parts from the annual progression and the final examination grade. However, the final examination grade prevailed in case of doubt.

Due to the low demand from the pupils, only 14 schools took part in this school trial in the 2004/2005 school year. In the 2007/2008 school year, the trial was to be continued with 26 classes in all subject areas at various regional locations. From the resolutions of the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs in Bavaria, it emerged that the required minimum grade point average ("general average grade") in the certificate of the technical college entrance qualification in the school year 2007/2008 after the 12th grade is 2.8. This makes it possible to move up to FOS 13 with a general average grade of 2.8. The average grade is based on all compulsory subjects with the exception of music, art education and sports. As far as was known at the end of July 2007, not all of the planned 26 classes could be opened in the 2007/2008 school year due to the low number of registrations.

The school experiment FOS 13 was successfully completed in the 2007/2008 school year. With the school year 2008/2009, the school trial in Bavaria became an integral part of the technical college system. Since then, FOS 13 has been regarded as a regular school. From the school year 2016/17, the required average grade is 3.0.

In addition, the Berufsoberschule (BOS) and the Fachoberschule (FOS) have been combined under the term Berufsoberschule Bayern (BOB) since 2008 . It is designed as an equivalent counterpart to the grammar school and leads equally to the technical college (FH) and the university.

Financial support

At least in Bavaria, technical college students are funded in accordance with the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) if the school is so far away from the parents' place of residence that the student cannot live with the parents. In Hessen, the school must be more than an hour's drive away from the parents' place of residence. In North Rhine-Westphalia there is - based on a court ruling - the possibility of receiving BAföG in FOS 13, which is paid independently of the parents. This usually requires an application to the relevant authority. If previous training in the technical college form is required, parent-dependent funding according to BAföG is generally possible nationwide.

The country-specific rules can be obtained from the local offices for educational support.

Web links

References and comments

↑ Technical college . Conference of Ministers of Education.

↑ Ludwig Findler: 2010 - 40 years of FOS and LEV FOS 1st edition. (PDF; 292 kB) State Parents' Association of Bavarian Technical Schools LEV FOS, 2010, accessed on May 28, 2020 .

↑ University entrance qualification or university entrance qualification - A question of conscience? . In: fachabitur-nachmachen.de .

↑ Info page. ( Memento of the original from November 18, 2011 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. Education server of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania @1@ 2

↑ Fachoberschule ( Memento of the original from July 5, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.

↑ Cooperation between the secondary school and the technical college . Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Culture, Science and Art.

↑ Press release on the school experiment FOS 13. ( Memento of the original from July 4, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Bavarian Ministry of Culture

↑ Website of the ministerial commissioners ( memento of the original from March 25, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed March 20, 2016

[1] Technical college . Conference of Ministers of Education.

[2] Ludwig Findler: 2010 - 40 years of FOS and LEV FOS 1st edition. (PDF; 292 kB) State Parents' Association of Bavarian Technical Schools LEV FOS, 2010, accessed on May 28, 2020 .

[3] University entrance qualification or university entrance qualification - A question of conscience? . In: fachabitur-nachmachen.de .