Tertiary education in Germany

The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg (founded in 1386) is the oldest institution of tertiary education in Germany.

Education courses in the German education system

Composition of students in tertiary education in Germany, by type of school. Green / blue: universities; purple: other types of schools.

The tertiary education sector in Germany includes education at universities , technical colleges , vocational academies , technical academies ( Bavaria ) and technical schools .

Political jurisdiction

The higher education system is the responsibility of the federal states . The federal university framework law should expire in 2008.

Types of schools

There were a total of 426 universities in Germany in the 2018/2019 academic year. The tertiary sector in Germany also includes technical schools, technical academies and professional academies, all of which are outside the university sector. At the vocational academies, half of the study time takes place in companies. Special training courses leading to technicians or masters , for example, can be attended at technical schools .

type of school	Number (2018/2019)	Admission requirements	Number of students 2018/2019	Sources and Notes
Universities	106	Abitur or equivalent degree	1,753,038
Universities of applied sciences	216	Abitur, subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or technical college entrance qualification	998.942
Administrative colleges	30th	Abitur, subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or technical college entrance qualification	47,780
Art schools	52	Abitur or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification	36,483
Pedagogical colleges	6th	Abitur or equivalent degree	24,866
Theological colleges	16	Abitur or equivalent degree	2,500
Universities as a whole	426		2,867,586
Technical schools and academies	1,363 + 87	Degree in a recognized training occupation	183,000	; the numbers refer to the school year 2010/2011
Professional academies	55	Abitur, subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or technical college entrance qualification	10,723
Total tertiary education	1.931		3,061,309

University degree

Tasks of the universities

The main task of universities is research, science , teaching, imparting knowledge and skills in studies and further education, as well as awarding academic degrees . For this purpose, the universities are differentiated into different faculties or departments that combine related sciences. There are also numerous administrative and service facilities at each individual university.

Structure of the course

The Structure of the program itself according to the Land legislation by study regulations and examination regulations stipulate what by universities autonomously be determined. The degrees that can be obtained also depend on the degree program. The most important are the Magister , the diploma , the state examination , the Bachelor and the degrees of postgraduate studies, such as the Master and the doctorate . Access to a professorship no longer depends on a habilitation . As a result of the Bologna Process , many master's and diploma courses are currently disappearing in favor of grading into bachelor and master courses. In the case of courses with state exams such as teaching posts , law or medicine, the development is still unpredictable.

Undergraduate and postgraduate studies

A distinction is made between undergraduate studies , which lead to a first university degree ( bachelor , diploma , magister , first state examination , licentiate , baccalaureus ) and postgraduate studies ( master ), which requires an undergraduate degree. A doctoral degree is also a postgraduate degree. The German term postgradual means following a university degree .

Course of study and degree

There are a variety of different courses . The course can focus on a specific subject or be interdisciplinary . The course of a course is partly subject-specific regulated, partly also by legal provisions of the countries of an academic training institution, can sometimes be chosen quite freely by the student. Mostly, several courses of study are offered in one subject or department, which end with different degrees (bachelor, diploma, academy letter, state examination, magister, master, master student, licentiate, doctorate ) and thus partly also qualify for different professional paths.

diploma

The degree course in the diploma course is usually divided into two parts. The two to four semester basic studies are usually completed with a preliminary diploma examination (see also preliminary diploma ) or something similar. This is followed by the four- to six-semester main course, at the end of which is the diploma awarded after passing the diploma examination . Often a special differentiation, specialization and focus corresponding to the course only takes place in the main course, while the basic course serves more to impart basic knowledge, skills and orientation. This makes main study events more interesting for many students .

At universities, the standard period of study for a diploma course is eight to ten semesters, depending on the course. At universities of applied sciences, diploma courses have a shorter standard period of study, usually eight semesters, and a different basic concept that is supposed to be more practical. This academic degree is awarded with the addition “FH” in parentheses. The legal regulations for these and all other examinations at universities are regulated in the respective study regulations and examination regulations.

In the course of the Bologna Process , the diploma course will disappear in its previous form, but exceptions will remain. At the University of Greifswald , for example, the business administration course with the degree in business administration will not be abolished in favor of a bachelor's degree, but retained for the time being, albeit only in parallel with the bachelor's degree.

Master of Arts

In Germany (exclusively at universities and for subjects in the humanities and social sciences) there is also the Magister course , which is also divided into a basic course, at the end of which there is an intermediate examination, and a main course. The course usually consists of one major and two minor subjects or two major subjects and is much more flexible than the diploma course. After accepting the final thesis, the so-called master’s thesis , as well as passing the final examination in the respective subjects, one attains the academic degree of a Magister Artium.

Bachelor and Master

In Germany, the one-stage diploma course and the one-stage master’s course will expire as part of the Bologna process , possibly also the state examination for the foreseeable future. These are replaced by the two-tier study system with the degrees Bachelor and Master . Since 2011, these degrees should be standard. Whether this should apply to all subjects and whether other degrees such as the state examination will be abolished or whether they can be acquired in parallel is the subject of current discussions.

Numerous courses with these internationally more common Anglo-American degrees are already offered today. In Germany, however, in contrast to other countries, certain principles must be observed, which are regulated in the state university laws and are based on resolutions of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK).

Bachelor's and master's degrees do not have a subject supplement like diploma degrees, but are divided into a few subject groups. The designation is supplemented by of and the addition of the subject group: Arts , Science , Engineering , Laws , Fine Arts , Music and Education . For example, the Bachelor of Arts is awarded in the humanities subject group. Different designations can also be awarded in master’s courses that are not based on a bachelor’s degree, but this is rare , with the exception of the Master of Business Administration .

In Germany, some federal states - such as Bavaria - allow universities to instead award academic degrees in their Latin name, i.e. baccalaureate or master's degree . However, the graduate may only use the academic degree in accordance with the award certificate; the optional use of the qualifications Bachelor of Arts and Bakkalaureus der Künste is not possible.

State examination

At the end of the studies in the subjects of law , medicine , veterinary medicine , dentistry , pharmacy , food chemistry and in the teacher training courses, there are state final exams in the Federal Republic of Germany, namely the so-called First State Exam or several sections of medical exams. The universities are not responsible for examining their graduates in these subjects; Instead, the examinations are carried out by government agencies (examination offices at the justice, health and education ministries).

Further academic degrees

At smaller - especially church - German universities, especially in humanities subjects, there is a Baccalaureate and licentiate degree.

Church degrees

In Germany, courses of study that aim at the spiritual office ( pastor , pastor , priest ) ( theology ) usually end with the first church examination ( synonym : first theological examination) or church service examination, which corresponds to the academic degree of the diploma ( Diplom theologe, Dipl. Theol.) And can partly be credited as such. This can be followed by the vicariate (Protestant) in the Protestant church , which ends with the second church examination and leads to the profession of pastor with ordination (see Protestant theology, section Universities and High Schools in the Age of Confessionalism ). In the Catholic Church the pastoral training follows, parallel to this from the third semester in the seminary also the activity as a deacon and after completion of the seminary the vicariate (catholic) .

Artistic degrees

Academic degrees - often in the form of diplomas - and artistic university degrees are acquired at art colleges (art academies, music academies, theater and film schools) . In the case of teacher training courses, the degree is the first state examination .

Combined course and dual course

Combined course

A combination study together with reduced training (often technically oriented) with a matching degree. The individual universities have different names for the form of combined training. At Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, for example, this is called "Combined Studies" - at Heilbronn University it is called "Cooperative Study Model".

This model is now offered by some universities in close cooperation with companies from the respective region and the participating chambers of industry and commerce.

With the combined course, a (shortened) vocational training is undertaken during the first 2.5 years and also completed semesters at the university. The model then follows that of the BA course (during the university semester, business during the semester break). The internship semester is (partly) omitted due to the already existing operational experience.

The total duration of the combined course is 4.5 years. It concludes with a Bachelor of Engineering or Science in the respective subject area and an IHK certificate for the respective training. This form of vocational training is characterized above all by the financing by the companies (trainee salary / scholarship) as well as by existing professional experience and the two degrees in a shortened time at the end of the course.

dual study

Based on the dual training system, a university course with firmly integrated practical blocks in companies is referred to as a dual course of study . It differs from “classic” courses in that it is more practical, which varies depending on the course and university. Days off are usually regulated by the vacation entitlement in the underlying training contract.

Admission requirements

In order to be able to study at a German university, some form of higher education entrance qualification is generally required: for studying at a university, the general (e.g. Abitur , International Baccalaureate ) or subject-related higher education entrance qualification , for studying at a technical college, the technical college entrance qualification . Furthermore, in Germany, people without a university entrance qualification can also be admitted to some degree programs if they are professionally qualified and can provide evidence of professional experience; Furthermore, depending on the educational institution and course of study, special examinations and a trial study are required. Further admission requirements vary greatly from course to course.

There are admission restrictions for some subjects (see Numerus clausus ). For subjects with restricted admission to many universities nationwide, the study places are allocated through the Foundation for University Admissions (SfH) in Dortmund in order to be fair. The trend, however, is that the individual universities should choose their students themselves. In addition, there are local admission restrictions for individual subjects at universities and technical colleges.

Among other things, the student advisory service of the respective universities provides advice on admission to the course . For some time there has been a tendency for more and more universities to offer course selection tests as part of their course counseling . In addition, it is increasingly required to take a study ability test ; the latter mainly from private universities. A total of 508,229 people started studying in Germany in the 2019/20 academic year.

University application

In order to receive a study place, those willing to study must apply for it beforehand. Until 2005, most of the study places in Germany were allocated through the Central Study Place Allocation (ZVS). Under its new name Foundation for University Admissions, this institution still awards places in some subjects with particularly strict admission restrictions, such as medicine , pharmacy , veterinary medicine and dentistry . However, the vast majority of study places are now awarded directly by the universities, with the result that applications must also be sent directly to the school. Nowadays, university place applications are mostly made online, with certain documents having to be submitted by post. The universities decide which documents are required; A completed application form and proof of university entrance qualification are often sufficient for a bachelor's degree. In some subjects, however, additional requirements are required, such as participation in a study orientation process, an entrance examination, submission of a portfolio with work samples, an aptitude test, foreign language skills or pre-study internships. Certain additional documents are also required from applicants who are not German citizens. In all cases, application deadlines set by the respective university must be adhered to. The application deadline is often July 15th for the winter semester and January 15th for the summer semester. Many universities charge a fee for processing the application.

Study funding

Under certain conditions, the state pays a subsistence allowance according to BAföG . There are also scholarships from various foundations for particularly high-performing and committed students .

Freshmen and graduates

Definitions

The rate of first- year students indicates what percentage of a year of birth actually start studying . According to the procedure of the Federal Statistical Office, the number of first-year students who belong to an eligible year is added up over several years and then calculated as a proportional value. This approach delivers quotas that are only almost completely available after five years. Foreign first-year students are counted statistically, so that there are more and more new students than high school graduates and college graduates in Germany.

The graduation rate indicates the percentage of a year of birth who successfully complete their studies with a first degree or a subsequent degree (master's degree, doctorate, etc.). It is calculated from the rate of first-year students, the rate of drop-outs and the rate of students who change subjects . This quota indicates the highly qualified skilled workers available to a society. Those who first acquire a bachelor's degree and then a subsequent degree are counted twice in the statistics. This partly explains the sharp increase in the graduate rate since around 2009

The doctorate rate indicates the percentage of a year of birth who successfully complete a doctorate . It is usually counted as a follow-up degree, as it is usually preceded by an initial degree.

Numbers and odds

Over the decades, the proportion of academics in Germany has risen, comparable to other countries in the European Union. The proportion of first-year students in the EU increased from 17% in 1970 to 67% in 2014. However, it multiplied in less developed countries during the same period. There, however, at a lower level.

New students and quota, graduates and quota, Germany
year	2002	2003	2006	2009	2014	2017	2018	2019	2020
Freshmen	358.946	424.273	554,882	511.997	504,882	513.166	511.997	508.229
Student rate (%)	37.3	39.3	35.6	43.3	58.3	57.0	57.3	56.2
Number of graduates	208.606	218.146	265,704	338,656	460.503	501.734	498,675
Graduation rate (%)	17.4	18.4	22.2	29.2	31.7	31.8	31.2

PhDs

In 2018 there were 27,837 doctorates in Germany, 12,576 of them by women (2015: 29,218, of which 13,052 by women). The average age of the PhD graduates was 30.5 years. Around 196,000 students were aiming to graduate in the 2014/15 winter semester. The rate of doctorates in one year is around 2 percent, and the proportion of the population between 18 and 65 years of age is 1.4 percent.

Development after 1945

Between 1975 and 1994, the West German university graduate rate stagnated between 8 and 9 percent despite the increasing high school graduation rate, because only a smaller proportion of high school graduates actually studied and because many students dropped out. The same applies to technical colleges. The expansion income "seeped away".

In the first twenty years of the GDR (i.e. until around 1970), the high school graduation rate was slightly higher than that for West Germany (1970: 13 to 11 percent). Then the expansion of education was politically blocked, the high school graduation rate (from two-year EOS and three-year vocational training with high school diploma ) and the student rate in 1989 were 14 percent, in the FRG at 24 percent and 20 percent. The GDR's academic graduation rate came close to that of West German despite the lower high school graduation rate, because almost all students received a degree. In 1988/1989, 8 percent of the workforce in East and West each had a university degree (including teacher training).

Between 2003 and 2008, the number of new students decreased in percentage terms, which is attributed to the introduction of tuition fees . By switching to Bachelor and Master, many students acquire two degrees.

criticism

University teaching is considered to be in need of improvement. A blatant example is the legal training , which is strongly supported by non-university lecturers . The bachelor's degree is characterized by a high level of schooling , obviously to make up for deficits in school. So that should drop-outs are proportionately reduced, which apparently has not yet succeeded.

The financing of universities is increasingly becoming a core problem. The financially weak state would like the universities to acquire high third-party funding from other state funds , industry or foundations . The donors also include semi-public institutions such as the German Research Foundation . Funding is shifting from basic state funding to fluctuating project funding , which, in the opinion of critics, is often propagandistic or fashionable label fraud when tendering.

Most universities are equipped with staff and rooms that are far below requirements, so that studies, especially in the mass universities, are very impersonal and with poor supervision. The current discussion revolves around tuition fees with a higher level of student participation or increased funding by the federal government and the Excellence Initiative . The federalism reform of the grand coalition in 2006 further strengthened the rights of the federal states in the higher education sector. It remains undecided whether many good universities or a few top universities are the better way. Many fear that the federal structure will not concentrate funds on globally competitive cutting-edge research . The south-north divide in the assessment of universities as top performers is politically explosive . Cutting-edge research threatens to be concentrated in the south at the moment. In addition, top researchers prefer to go e.g. B. to the Max Planck Institutes , where they are largely relieved of mass theory. Another part migrates abroad (e.g. USA, Switzerland), where better conditions exist ( brain drain ). This contrasts with a constant return of scientists.

In Germany, around 30% of a year graduate from a university. Although this value is increasing slowly, it appears to many to be too low to keep up with the competition between science, research and development in high- tech countries. They call for a further increase in the number of new students, which could be achieved by increasing the number of high school graduates or a higher number of new students and by opening up universities to those who do not have an Abitur. In addition, fewer dropouts could increase the graduation rate. Others counter that an increase through low-skilled students does not produce higher quality. In addition, the funding of the universities has already reached a financially justified minimum. The comparison with other countries does not take into account that many vocational training qualifications are obtained elsewhere through studies (e.g. nurse in Sweden ).

literature

Christian Bode, Claudius Habbich u. a .: Universities in Germany / Universities in Germany . Prestel, 2015, ISBN 978-3-7913-5029-5 .
Federal Employment Agency: Study choice 2019/2020 . Meramo, 2019, ISBN 978-3-9818964-2-8 .
George Turner: University Reforms. A never-ending story since the 1950s . Duncker & Humblot, 2018, ISBN 978-3-428-15424-1 .
Rainer Geißler : The social structure of Germany, the social development before and after unification , Westdeutscher Verlag, 3rd edition, Wiesbaden 2002 (on education pp. 333–371); 4th, revised. and actual Edition, Wiesbaden 2006 (on education pp. 273-300) ISBN 3-531-42923-X google books (2014 edition)

Web links

Study and career choice (federal states of the Federal Republic of Germany, Federal Employment Agency)
German education server: higher education (joint service from the federal and state governments)
Hochschulkompass (University Rectors' Conference)

Individual evidence

↑ Number of universities in Germany in the winter semesters 2014/2015 to 2018/2019 by type of university. Retrieved October 15, 2019 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Number of students in Germany in the 2018/2019 winter semester by type of university. Retrieved October 16, 2019 .
↑ Number of students at universities in Germany in the winter semesters from 2002/2003 to 2018/2019. Retrieved October 16, 2019 .
^ Mihály Fazekas, Simon Field: Post-secondary vocational training in Germany . OECD Publishing, ISBN 978-92-64-20236-8 , pp. 16 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
↑ Tec2You. Retrieved October 16, 2019 .
↑ Requirements for studying at the vocational academy. Retrieved October 16, 2019 .
↑ Statistics on students, exams and staff at vocational academies. Retrieved October 16, 2019 (p. 13).
↑ See duden.de
↑ See the diploma course in Business Administration: Subject description, admission, enrollment , on the website of the University of Greifswald
↑ Now comes the Bachelor of Business Administration. Retrieved June 28, 2020 .
↑ University admission for professionally qualified applicants without a higher education entrance qualification (PDF; 22 kB), Standing Conference, resolution of March 6, 2009
↑ First- year students in Germany until 2019/2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020 .
↑ ^a ^b How do I apply for a study place? Retrieved October 15, 2019 .
↑ Application for studies - you need these documents. Retrieved October 15, 2019 .
↑ Special admission requirements. Retrieved October 15, 2019 .
↑ ^a ^b How to apply to study in Germany. Retrieved October 15, 2019 .
↑ uni-assist.de. Retrieved on October 15, 2019 (website of an association that assists foreign prospective students in applying for a place).
↑ https://ourworldindata.org/tertiary-education Retrieved July 5, 2020.
↑ First- year students in Germany until 2019/2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020 .
↑ Rate of new students in Germany until 2019. Accessed on June 27, 2020 .
↑ Team data portal of the BMBF: Table 2.5.43 - BMBF data portal. Retrieved June 27, 2020 .
↑ https://www.bildungsbericht.de/de/bildungsberichte-seit-2006/bildungsbericht-2020/pdf-daten-2020/bildungsbericht-2020.pdf p. 199 with a link to table F5-10web
↑ Successful doctorates by federal state. Retrieved June 28, 2020 .
↑ Doctoral candidates in Germany, p. 22. (PDF) DeStatis, accessed on August 28, 2017 .
↑ Doctorate rate only in the middle. Rheinische Post, September 4, 2013, accessed on August 28, 2017 .
↑ ^a ^b data from R. Geißler: Die Sozialstruktur Deutschlands . 4. revised Edition. 2006, pp. 276-278
↑ Science Council rebukes lecture level. In: Spiegel online. July 5, 2008.
↑ High drop-out rate in Bachelor courses. on: ngo-online.de , December 14, 2007.
↑ University ranking: Top research in the south. ( Memento from August 1, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) In: Focus online. November 16, 2005.
↑ Universities at a glance. (PDF) Status 2017. Federal Statistical Office, pp. 8–14 , accessed on October 21, 2019 .