Introduction to the German System of Higher Education Wedigo de Vivanco Freie Universität Berlin

October 29, 2007 Fulbright Seminar for U.S. Administrators in International Education 2007

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Introduction to the German System of Higher Education

Wedigo de VivancoFreie Universität Berlin

October 29, 2007 Dr. Wedigo de VivancoFreie Universität Berlin

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Age USA Germany Germany BA/MA

18 Enter college As of 2012 with 12 years to the Abitur enter college

19 Enter college women Enter college (though some must do service)

20 Enter college men

21 BA degree (early) Intermediate examination (early)

BA degree (early)

22 BA degree (late) Intermediate examination (late)

Graduate Studies early

23 Graduate studies Hauptstudium / graduate studies

MA degree early

24 MA degree early or 1st year PhD program

1st year PhD programwrite thesis

25 MA degree early or 2nd year PhD program

2nd year PhD programwrite thesis

26 MA late or ABD Magister (MA) degree 3rd year write thesis and receive PhD

27(-29) Begin research for thesis Begin research for thesis Early Assistant or Junior Professor

30(-33) PhD degree (early) - Assistant Professor

Promotion (PhD) degree early – Assistant

Habilitation (second book)

34(-35) PhD degree (late) Promotion (PhD) degree late

Tenure early

36(-39) Tenure after 6 years Assistant Professor

Habilitation (second book) (early)

Tenure late

40 Tenure (late) Habilitation (second book) (late)


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Higher Education Framework Act[Hochschulrahmengesetz]

education is in the area of responsibility of the Länder (federal states) governments

16 Länder in Germany, 16 different education and higher education acts

a coordinating body: Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) secures mobility within Germany

the Hochschulrahmengesetz defines minimal standards binding for all states: admission, tuition (free, not anymore), academic career …


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Statistics: Institutions 2007

383 Institutions of Higher Education 124 Universities 53 Music and Fine Arts Schools 206 Fachhochschulen (Universities of Applied

Science)

about 100 are private institutions financed by 50 confessional, mostly training social workers 50 private industry, mostly business schools


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Statistics: Students 2006/2007 1

1.979.445 students 1.377.444 Universities 31.100 Music and Fine Arts Schools 541.924 Fachhochschulen (Universities of

Applied Science)

295.091 Freshmen in 2006 Approx. 34% of an age group go to college


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Statistics Students 2006/2007 2

1.733.076 German Students 1.197.930 at Universities 22.636 at Music and Fine Arts Schools 483.741 at Fachhochschulen (Universities of

Applied Science) 246.369 International Students

179.514 at Universities 8.464 at Music and Fine Arts Schools 58.183 at Fachhochschulen (Universities of

Applied Science)


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Statistics Students 2006/2007 3

Social Sciences Humanities Math and Science Engineering Medicine Fine Art and Music Agriculture and Food Sport Veterinary Medicine

610.836 419.540 358.541 321.899 111.202 79.516 40.013 29.135 7.794


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Statistics: Degrees 2006

265.704 Awarded Degrees (25.971 Foreigners)134.069 Women = 50,46% 132.727 Diplom, Magister, BA/MA (17.448) 26.451 Teacher Qualification (Staatsexamen) (473) 82.239 Diplom Fachhochschulen (4.785) 24.287 PhDs (3.266) in 2001: 1.097 Bachelor and Master Degrees (0,6%)

in 2003: 11.491 Bachelor and Master Degrees (5,5%)in 2006: 26.318 Bachelor and Master Degrees (9,9%)


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Sovietization of Higher Education

growing tendency to separate research and teaching as it was organized in the USSR

most research funding goes to institutions such as Max Planck Gesellschaft, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Leibnitz Gesellschaft, Helmholtz Gesellschaft etc.

universities are overloaded with teaching and find less and less time to do research: farewell to the Humboldt idea

BMBF funding : 4.9 Bill. € go to research institutions, 0.55 Bill. € to university research

in the USA approx. 80% of the research is done within universities: Humboldt is thriving


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The Bologna Process

Signatory states of the Bologna Declaration (45 by now) agreed to introduce a two tiered system: BA / MA modularization of the curriculum an European Credit Point System accumulative grades: GPA quality control by accreditation

European wide introduction by 2010


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The Bologna Process in Germany

Spring 2006: 36% of the study programs have been altered into BA/MA programs

i.e. 2.317 BA/B.Sc 1.319 at the University level (+26 Arts) 972 at the Fachhochschulen level

i.e. 1.777MA/M.Sc 1.098 at the University level (+23 Arts) 656 at the Fachhochschule level

only 1.261(30,8 %) of 4.094 BA/MA programs are accredited

BA/MA in SS 2006

Student Total and Students in BA/MA Programs1999 - 2006


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BA/MA by Federal States SS 2007


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Ranking of German Institutions

up to 1990 the common opinion was that all universities are equally qualified

then major German magazines such as Der Spiegel, Stern,Die Zeit, Focus publish annual ranking lists with different approaches

there was a tendency to rank the students’ assessments

Der Stern/CHE now Die Zeit/CHE did not rank institutions but programs. Generally accepted as approach


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Women in Academia

27% of the full time teachers are female 40% women in academia are childless more women than men qualify for access to

higher education more women than men start as students more women than men achieve a degree much less women achieve a Ph.D. degree only a few achieve the Habilitation (second

book)


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Admission

until recently admission to higher education depended on the High School GPA only

exceptions are made at the Music and Fine Arts Schools as well as some Fachhochschulen

at present 60% of the students can be selected on grounds of additional criteria such as interviews, tests …

in the future up to 90% shall be admitted according to university rules: interviews, test …


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Admission of International Students

Foundation of ASSIST to outsource admission

strict language requirements; i.e. DSH or TestDaF precondition for admission

there is an increasing number of courses taught in English


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Student Housing

universities do not offer housing 12.7% of all students are provided with

student housing by the Studentenwerk international students occupy approx. 12% of

the publicly funded housing; in Berlin approx. 40% of international

students and only 6% German students rent Studentenwerk housing


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The Excellence Initiative

The Excellence initiative by the German federal and state governments to promote science and research at German Universities

Some facts in shortGoals of the 3 funding lines:

To promote 40 Graduate Schools (PhD Programs) To promote 30 Clusters of Excellence To identify approx. 10 Elite Universities in Germany

The Excellence initiative in general2 funding periods 2005/2006 2006/2007


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The Excellence Initiative

6 stages for each funding Period:

1. Letters of intent of the universities2. 3 months later: draft (25 pages)3. 4 months later: first decision of the board of the

national foundation on the basis of international panels: 1/3 of the drafts will be encouraged for application

4. 3 months later: delivery of the main application by the universities (75-120 pages)

5. 2 months later: Site visits 6. 3 months later: Decision by board (see above)

consisting of 37 scientists and 32 politicians


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Freie Universität Berlin – An International Network University First decision in the Excellence initiative:

Freie Universität Berlin has been asked for application in each of the 3 funding lines:

1. Graduate School (PhD Program): North American Studies

2. Cluster of Excellence: Governance in a Globalized World

3. Institutional Strategy to promote top-level research: Freie Universität Berlin – An International Network University


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Freie Universität Berlin – An International Network University

Freie Universität proposes an integrated model of three centers:

1. The Center for Cluster Development

1. the analysis of tendencies of development in various disciplines

2. the rigorous and regular self-evaluation of research at the Freie Universität

3. the creation of potential “cluster groups”


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2. The Center for Graduate Studies (Dahlem Research School)

2. Introduction of course work for Ph. D. Students3. Very selective admission to Graduate School4. Provision of scholarships for PhD students in the Graduate

School3. The Center for International Exchange

2. hosting high profile scientific and scholarly events and publicizing the work of the Freie Universität and its excellence clusters

3. attracting young scientists and scholars and motivate them to study at the Freie Universität; and recruiting highly qualified scientists and scholars

4. opening or expanding branch offices in Moscow, New York, Beijing, Seoul Abu Dhabi, Sao Paulo and New Delhi


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Thus the three centers complement each other:

the Center for Cluster Development generates research

topics and assembles research teams which are reflected in the

PhD study programs of the Dahlem Research School, while

the Center for International Exchange works as the

international facilitator for the other two centers through

recruiting excellent students and top scholars and scientists as

well as publicizing the scientific achievement of the FU.


Documents

Introduction to the German System of Higher Education Wedigo de Vivanco Freie Universität Berlin