A vocational university or university of applied sciences ( UAS ), less commonly called a polytechnic university is an institution of higher education and increasingly research that provides applied professional education and grants academic degrees . It should not be confused with vocational schools or technical schools that do not meet the strict standards of higher education nor have the ability to grant officially accredited academic degrees.
76-729: A Fachhochschule ( German: [ˈfaxhoːxʃuːlə] ; plural Fachhochschulen ), abbreviated FH , is a university of applied sciences ( UAS ), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts, such as engineering, technology, business, architecture, design, and industrial design . Fachhochschulen were first founded in Germany and were later adopted in Austria , Liechtenstein , Switzerland , Cyprus , and Greece . An increasing number of Fachhochschulen are abbreviated as Hochschule ,
152-454: A Fachhochschule was the Diplom (FH) . Coursework generally totaled six semesters (three years) of full-time study, with various options for specialization. In addition, there were one or two practical training semesters to provide hands-on experience in real working environments. The program concluded, usually after 3.5 – 4 years, with the final examination and a thesis ( Diplomarbeit ) which
228-487: A Diplom obtained at a university is, depending on subject, for example referred to as "Diplom-Ingenieur" ( Diplom-Engineer ), "Diplom-Kaufmann" ( Diplom-Merchant ), "Diplom-Biologe" ( Diplom-Biologist ) and so on. In Bavaria, sometimes the postfix "(Univ.)" is added. If the Diplom has been obtained at a University of Applied Sciences ( Fachhochschule ) the postfix "(FH)" has to be added (e.g. Diplom-Ingenieur (FH) ). There are
304-669: A higher education diploma (δίπλωμα/πτυχίο ανώτατης εκπαίδευσης) is a 4 to 5-year (8-10 semester) (240 ISCED 6 - 300 ECTS ISCED 7) degree, 5-year Diplomas formatted similarly to the German Diplom (Uni), awarded to students of the Greek Engineering Schools and Departments (called Polytechnic in Greece – not to be confused though with the polytechnics of the UK). While every institution has its own individual approaches,
380-452: A Diplôme d'Ingénieur the academic title of Ingénieur Diplômé , which is official and legally protected in France. Before the introduction of the bachelor's and master's degrees in Germany, the standard Science, Engineering or Business degree was the Diplom and could be, in several variations, obtained at several types of institutes of higher education. Obtained at a university, the degree
456-565: A Fachmatura (subject Matura ) and students with the Matura and a practical year in a company can access further education within the Universities for Applied Science. The UAS and their Bachelor's and Master's degrees are federally accredited. The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) and is in charge of the accreditation of the UAS which are requested to meet
532-448: A Master's from either, one can now enter a doctoral degree program at a Universität , but a graduate with a bachelor's degree from either is normally unable to proceed directly to a doctoral degree program in Germany. Also, with the master's degree of either of the institutions a graduate can enter the höheren Dienst (higher service) career for civil servants . The Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences and Arts
608-574: A diploma in engineering is permitted to sit in the Technical Chamber of Greece exams without any prerequisite. It also allows the engineer to be considered for doctorate studies without taking any additional classes. Since adoption of the 2001 Higher Education Reform Act (Ν. 2916/2001, Ν. 3549/2007, N. 4009/2011) the Technological Educational Institutes (Τεχνολογικά Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα – TEI) constitute
684-559: A few German graduate schools, such as the Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science or the Berlin Mathematical School also admit students with a bachelor's degree and excellent grades to their doctorate programmes. The Austrian diploma curriculum is a first degree usually structured into 2–3 phases comprising a total of 240–360 ECTS credits (nominally 4–6 years). It typically ends with
760-534: A few rare exceptions where the postfix need not be added, mostly due to older laws, small differences in the laws of the German states or transition rules. Transition rules, for example in engineering, or European Union directives like Directive 2005/36/EC grant certain limited groups with other kinds of related qualifications to also use the designation Diplom . To obtain a Diplom at a university, students had to complete two separate periods of study. The first one
836-592: A final examination after submitting a "Diplomarbeit" (diploma thesis). Depending on the subject, the degrees granted are either Magister/Magistra with a specific suffix (such as Magister philosophiae for philosophy), or Diplom-Ingenieur (in engineering). Notable exceptions are the diploma studies of dentistry and medicine, which result in the degree Doctor medicinae universae (Dr. med. univ.) or Doctor medicinae dentalis (Dr. med. dent.) In most subjects, diplom programmes have already been phased out in favour of separate, Bologna-style Bachelor and Master programmes. However,
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#1732765174719912-432: A holder of a Diploma (FH) wants to join a Masters program and needs to know the number of additional ECTS point to study for to obtain a master's degree. Since the old diploma study programs were all a bit different there is not a single ECTS value or comparison chart for all kinds of diplomas. Almost universally, however, when retroactively calculating ECTS points for Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) degrees they end up well into
988-594: A master's degree (e.g. "Magister iuris") to such students on request. With the implementation of the Bologna process , awarding new Diplom and Magister degrees has become rare, since they are replaced by bachelor's or master's degrees. Already awarded degrees remain valid. 'Diplôme' is the French word for degree or diploma. The French engineering diploma is called Diplôme d'Ingénieur (often abbreviated as Dipl. Ing. ). The French government also grants to all holders of
1064-401: A number of subjects, such as social work or the legal sub-discipline of social law, which are traditionally underrepresented at traditional universities. In these areas, universities of applied sciences make a significant contribution to research. UAS professors are also increasingly attracting national and international third-party funding. To support their research activities, they can apply for
1140-405: A parallel part of public higher education in Greece. They confer higher education diploma (δίπλωμα/πτυχίο ανώτατης εκπαίδευσης), a 4-year (8 semester) bachelor's degree formatted similarly to the German Diplom (FH) (240 ECTS – ISCED 6). Grades range between 0 and 10, 5 being the passing mark. However, since grading practice differs amongst awarding institutions, a descriptive mark is used, which
1216-769: A practical profile. They focus primarily on teaching the practicing of a profession at the highest professional level and applied science research, at the state of the art. This as opposed to research universities (Dutch: "universiteiten"), that focus on the highest level of professional practice, as well as practicing theoretical research. This so-called binary system of professional and academic education co-exists with upper secondary vocational education, which provides vocational education at EQF levels 1-4 for equal, similar or different professions. Universities of applied sciences offer associate's degrees , bachelor's degrees and master's degrees . From 2022 onward there will be pilots on Professional Doctorates . Hogescholen in
1292-819: A significant reduction in their teaching load. Swiss law calls Fachhochschulen and universities "separate but equal". In terms of student numbers, universities of applied sciences are on average smaller than traditional universities. However, there are also a number of HAW, such as TH Köln or UAS Frankfurt, which can keep up with large universities in this respect. Due to the Bologna process , universities and Fachhochschulen award legally equivalent bachelor's and master's degrees. Excepting research-intensive institutions in Hesse, Saxony Anhalt, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria Fachhochschulen do not award doctoral degrees themselves but sometimes in cooperation with award-granting partner universities. In
1368-507: A subject completed a subject. Once almost all subjects were completed thesis work could start, but the missing final exams had to be passed latest with the completion of the thesis work. It was typical to perform thesis work in the industry, supervised by a professor from the university of applied science and a senior professional from the company where the work was performed. Although lab work was also permitted as thesis work. The written thesis work needed to be defended in an oral exam after which
1444-458: A thesis had to be written and eventually a series of usually four final exams. It was not unusual for students to need more than two years for the coursework of the Hauptstudium . An obtained Vordiplom and the completion of the coursework of the Hauptstudium were the requirements to register for working on the thesis and for the final exams. However, access to courses of the Hauptstudium
1520-863: A third of the 136 Fachhochschulstudiengänge are organized as part-time courses of studies. The Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences UAS are vocational universities established in Switzerland in 1995 following the model of the German Fachhochschulen. They are called Fachhochschule in German, Haute école specialisée in French and scuola universitaria professionale (SUP) in Italian. The Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences offer third level education, continuing education, services businesses and institutions, and produce applied research activities. In 2013 there are seven public UAS approved by
1596-536: A tighter schedule and a larger number of intermediate and final exams. Subjects were split into those regarded as basic studies and in-depth studies. Unlike the universities the period of basic studies ( Grundstudium ) wasn't completely separated from the period of in-depth studies ( Fachstudium ) by a pre-diploma . Instead of a pre-diploma the passing of one or more intermediate exams in a subject qualified to move forward with that particular subject or start related in-depth subject studies. Passing one or more final exams in
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#17327651747191672-471: Is a public university administrated by Ministry of Science, Research and Technology with various branches all over the Provinces of Iran. This university helps to increase skill level of employed personnel in various sectors of economic field and graduates of higher education and professional skills that are lacking in administrative. It is an educational system inspired and derived from 'Community College' in
1748-493: Is a type of German institution of higher education that emerged from the traditional Engineering Schools and similar professional schools of other disciplines. It differs from the traditional university ( Universität ) mainly through its more practical orientation. Subjects taught at Fachhochschulen include engineering, computer science, business and management, arts and design, communication studies, social service, and other professional fields. The traditional degree awarded at
1824-453: Is also called university of cooperative education , but a Duale Hochschule also offers master's degrees. In Greece, comparable institutions to the vocational universities (or perhaps better to the universities of applied sciences) are the technological educational institutes (TEIs). These constitute part and parcel of the higher education in Greece and offer in their own capacity bachelor's and master's degrees, and soon doctorate degrees. On
1900-566: Is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany , Austria , and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Albania , Bulgaria , Belarus , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Croatia , Estonia , Finland , Poland , Russia , and Ukraine and only for engineers in France , Greece , Hungary , North Macedonia , Romania , Serbia , Slovenia , and Brazil . The Diplom originates from
1976-540: Is an Italian tertiary educational institution. They were established in 2008, and are modelled on the Fachhochschule system of Germany. Programs have a duration of two or three years, and require a high school degree for access. As of January 29, 2008, a Dutch hogeschool (HBO) may call itself a "university of applied sciences" in English. Just like the German 'Fachhochschule', these HBO institutes firstly have
2052-586: Is home to the largest vocational education system in the world. In 2018, Mainland China had a total of about 11,700 vocational schools. Examples: In the 2023 Policy Address , the government facilitates the establishment of universities of applied sciences (UAS), and strive to raise the status of vocational and professional education and training to attain qualifications at university degree level, closely collaborating with technical professions and offer programmes with more internship and practical learning opportunities, to help students hone their practical skills in
2128-439: Is much more prestigious than "university". A " Grande École " is one of the types of higher education institution that can be similar to vocational universities, along with Universities of Technology (UTs) and National Polytechnic Institutes (INPs). According to Campus France , the government agency responsible for promoting French higher education abroad, the grandes écoles represent "the French culture of excellence", while
2204-401: Is not officially used in many countries, and an assignment to a certain type of university in a certain country's educational system is therefore difficult. The UK once had a very extensive vocational university sector with its polytechnic system dating back to the mid-19th century. Vocational universities are often regulated and funded differently (for example, by the local government rather than
2280-806: Is one of the largest universities in Iran. There are five public vocational universities in Malaysia : In 2009, the first University of Vocational Technology was established under the purview of the Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training. There are also nine College of Technology in Sri Lanka. In Taiwan, vocational university is called University of science and technology or University of technology . Diplom#In Germany .2F Austria .2F Switzerland A Diplom ( German: [diˈploːm] , from Ancient Greek : δίπλωμα diploma )
2356-410: Is usually accepted as admission into doctorate programs. While the Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) and the Diplom (FH) were the most common Diplom degrees in Germany, further Diploma did and do exist. Those are: In the German language the word Diplom can also be used for certificates of any kind of achievement. It is usually apparent from the context if an academic degree is meant or not, especially when
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2432-788: Is usually an extensive project on a current practical or scientific aspect of the profession. In an effort to make educational degrees more compatible within Europe, the German Diplom degrees were mostly phased out by 2010 and replaced by the European bachelor's and master's degree. The Fachhochschule represents a close relationship between higher education and the employment system. Their practical orientation makes them very attractive to employers. Today, Fachhochschulen also conduct research. Research projects are either publicly funded or sponsored by industry. Nevertheless, in Germany
2508-490: The Bologna process , most German Universitäten and Fachhochschulen have ceased admitting students to programs leading to the traditional German Diplom (FH) , but now apply the new degree standard of Bachelor's and Master's degrees. In line with the Bologna process, bachelor's and master's degrees awarded by both types of universities ( Universitäten and Fachhochschulen ) are legally equivalent. With
2584-442: The Diplom degree programmes differed depending on subject and university. An official average duration ( Regelstudienzeit ) was set by law in each German state , usually being four years for a Diplom (FH) and 4, 4.5 or 5 years for a Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) . In exceptional cases, universities were allowed to set longer average durations for certain subjects (HGRP1995 § 26 (3), NHG2007 § 6 (3), HmbHG2001 §53 (3) ). However, due to
2660-478: The Diplom (FH) degrees remain valid indefinitely and are not exchanged for master's or bachelor's degrees. Current German binding recommendations state that the newly German master's and bachelor's degrees come with the same eligibilities as the old degrees Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) and Diplom (FH) , respectively. This is, for example, important for joining certain career paths in government administration, military, or regulated professions, where some kind of diploma
2736-627: The Fraunhofer Society or the Max Planck Society ). There are a few universities, such as Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and Bundeswehr University Munich , which run Fachhochschule courses in addition to their normal courses. It is also important to note that in the 1990s, some universities of applied sciences were developed from former GDR universities with the right to award doctoral and post-doctoral degrees in order to cut costs. These include, for example,
2812-581: The German Reunification .) Most of the students going for a Diplom therefore spent 13 years in school before starting their university studies, while the younger Bachelor students nowadays may start one year earlier. (However, in some states, such as Rhineland-Palatinate or Schleswig-Holstein , the first class which completes school after 12 years will graduate as late as 2016.) Regarding international comparison, one may argue that British, Irish and French high school students have school also in
2888-564: The Swiss Federal Council in 1998 and two private UAS approved by the Federal Council in 2005 and 2008. The public UAS are run by one or more cantons . UAS have the institutional mandate to provide degree programmes ( Bachelor's degrees and Master's degrees ), continuing education and training, to conduct applied research and to offer services to companies and institutions. Students with a finished apprenticeship and
2964-1051: The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna , Austria (Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, formerly Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien), or the Örebro University , Sweden (formerly Örebro Högskola). There are also some establishments which now have full university status but continue to use their former names, such as the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm , Sweden . In Finland, vocational universities are called Ammattikorkeakoulu (Yrkeshögskola in Swedish, translated "university of applied sciences", literally "vocational high school"). They focus on vocational education and do not grant licentiate or doctorate degrees. Certain universities are called korkeakoulu because they effectively have only one faculty, e.g. Teatterikorkeakoulu ,
3040-832: The pre-republican period : In October 1899 the engineering degree Diplom was announced by a supreme decree of the German emperor Wilhelm II in his function as the King of Prussia on the advent of the Centenary of the Technische Hochschule in Charlottenburg (now Technische Universität Berlin ). The Diplom was subsequently adopted by the Technische Hochschulen ( Institutes of Technology ) which had received university status following this Prussian decree. Later, all German universities adopted
3116-507: The Diplom as their degree in Science or Engineering. In East Germany, the Diplom was the only first degree and was also granted in disciplines such as medicine or law, which at West German universities were completed with a Staatsexamen . Nowadays such diplomas are still granted to students of such disciplines, although most universities only grant the diplom status (for example "Diplom-Jurist" in law) on request. Some universities also grant
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3192-535: The ECTS point range for a master's degree. The situation is different for Diplom (FH) degrees. Those tend to end up at least at the Bachelor's ECTS point level or above, and below the ECTS point level for a master's degree. The ranking is roughly shown in the following table, from lowest to highest rank. Typical ECTS points are provided for a very rough comparison, individual points vary. The following chart illustrates
3268-592: The French Diplôme ( Diplôme de l'ordre impérial de la légion d'honneur ) describing a certificate devised during the Second French Empire to bestow honours upon outstanding citizens and soldiers of the imperial French army to promote them into the Legion of Honour since 1862. The Magister degree was the original graduate degree at German-speaking universities. In Germany the Diplom dates back to
3344-529: The Netherlands have been provided with the right to conduct research by the revised Higher Education and Research Act (WHOO) 2010. The main difference between universities (universitet) and vocational universities (högskola, official translation university college ) is that only the former ones have the right to award doctorate degrees in all subjects they offer. Some vocational universities have been given such rights within limited areas of research. China
3420-528: The Theatre Academy, whereas universities with several faculties are called yliopisto . The term ammattikorkeakoulu (AMK) creates some confusion with korkeakoulu , because traditionally AMK's were not considered universities. A graduate of university of applied sciences ( ammattikorkeakoulu ) is eligible for doctoral studies in Finnish universities ( yliopisto ). In France, the term " Grande École "
3496-509: The United States. With more than 1500 education center in all corner of Iran. UAST confers degrees in over 100 programs at the associate, bachelor's and master's degree levels. The Technical and Vocational University ( TVU ) is one of Institutes of Higher Education under control of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. The university has more than 176 schools and colleges across the country and more than 220 thousand students
3572-509: The Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. In these institutions, the classic university spirit lives on to this day. The Austrian government decided to establish Fachhochschulen (FH) in 1990. In the academic year of 2010/11, there were twenty-one institutions officially considered as Fachhochschulen plus a number of other providers of Fachhochschulstudiengängen with a total of over 27,000 students. About
3648-657: The acceptance of degrees was one reason the EU initiated and executed the Bologna Process . Part of the Bologna Process shall ensure comparability between higher-education qualifications in the EU. As part of this process Germany has introduced Masters and bachelor's degrees and has largely phased out the awarding of new diploma degrees. A process not universally welcomed by the German academic and engineering communities. The already awarded Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) and
3724-450: The afternoons which could compensate with the (former) additional year of school attendance in Germany. Note: For the Diplom (FH) a student has to spend one to two obligatory semesters during his studies in a company. These semesters are included in the table. The study time is therefore one to two semesters shorter. Bachelor studies have them included in the table too. For the Diplom (Universität) those semesters are sometimes not included in
3800-421: The curriculum set by most universities in Germany, the 4, 4.5 or 5 years for a Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) were often exceeded. Although being a first degree, because of its actual duration, the Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) was and is in Germany not considered as an equivalent to a bachelor's but rather to a master's degree, as also expressed by the equivalent ECTS credits for the Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) . A holder of
3876-512: The curriculum usually consists of general knowledge and essential background subjects in the first five semesters. After the end of the fifth semester, students select their academic area of interest and pursue a set of specialised courses for the next four semesters. The last semester is devoted to the preparation of a thesis on the student's chosen area of interest, which is presented before a three-member panel. 5 - year Diplomas are considered equivalent to integrated master's degrees. The holder of
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#17327651747193952-459: The degree Diplom-Ingenieur is still used for Master's graduates in engineering. In Switzerland, the Diplom (German) or Diplôme (French) was the typical first degree at the two federal institutes of technology and at the Swiss universities of applied sciences. Since 2004, these Swiss degrees are no longer offered since they are replaced by Bologna style bachelor's and master's degrees. In Finland,
4028-401: The diploma was granted. The Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) is usually a prerequisite for preparing a doctorate ( Doktorarbeit ). However, under certain conditions, holders of a Diplom (FH) are also eligible for doctoral studies. In German-speaking countries and in countries which Germany has bilateral agreements with—regarding the recognition of academic qualifications, the Diplom / Diplom (Univ.)
4104-401: The durations required to obtain the old degrees ( Diplom, Diplom (FH) ) and the new European degrees (bachelor's and master's), using nominal example durations. At the time of the Bologna process, schools in most German states started changing from 13 school years to 12 years. (An exception are the states of Saxony and Thuringia , where Gymnasium has always lasted only 12 years ever since
4180-720: The federal legislative requirements. The UAS are supported by the cantons, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and by the Rector's Conference of Swiss Universities (swissuniversities). University of applied sciences In some countries, a vocational university more precisely grants professional degrees like professional bachelor's degree, professional master's degree and professional doctorates. The term
4256-644: The fields. At 11 November, 2024, the government launched the Alliance of Universities of Applied Sciences, comprising four post-secondary institutions as founding members, with the Hong Kong Metropolitan University and Saint Francis University as full members, and Tung Wah College and the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong as associate members. The University of Applied Science and Technology ( UAST )
4332-494: The final exam period. The thesis which followed an independent (although supervised) research project had officially to be completed in not more than 3 to 9 months (depending on subject and university). However, the actual time students worked on these projects could again exceed the official duration by several months. The curriculum for a Diplom (FH) degree, obtained at a University of Applied Sciences ( Fachhochschule ) used to be more application-oriented, in comparison to what
4408-475: The generic term in Germany for institutions awarding academic degrees in higher education, or expanded as Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften (HAW) , the German translation of "universities of applied sciences", which were primarily designed with a focus on teaching professional skills. This is reflected in the fact that the ratio of the number of students to the number of professors is significantly better than at traditional universities. However, there are also
4484-423: The meantime, however, some professors at HAW also have additional habilitations and can therefore directly supervise doctoral students at their home university. This and the rule that they give priority to hiring professors with a professional career of at least three years outside the university system additional to the doctoral degree are the two major ways in which they differ from traditional universities. Due to
4560-429: The old diplomi-insinööri ("diploma engineer") title was completely replaced by Master of Science (Technology) in the Bologna process. All Finnish academic degrees are awarded both in Finnish and English and therefore the title is still awarded as diplomi-insinööri with Master of Science (Technology) as the official translation. Conversion was straightforward and academic credits were transformed linearly. In Greece,
4636-637: The other hand, the term college in Greece may refer, among others, to the institutions that are officially titled Centres of Post-lyceum (secondary) Education. These have a solely professional, i.e. non-academic, orientation according to existing Greek law, and are so far only private. However, they run in collaboration with foreign authorities, such as universities and accreditation organisations, that may recognise them academically. They may offer professional bachelor degrees of minimum three years, as well as master's and doctorate degrees. An Istituto tecnico superiore (abbreviated ITS – Higher Technical Institute)
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#17327651747194712-432: The permission to grant doctoral degrees (e.g. Hesse or Saxony Anhalt). Otherwise, doctoral programs must be carried out in cooperation with degree-awarding institutions such as universities. Furthermore, Berufsakademie is a college type strongly inspired by the dual education system . A Berufsakademie is called a university of cooperative education in English and only grants bachelor's degrees. This type of institution
4788-927: The prestigious denomination "university" in all countries. They had to use other, more general terms (which in many languages are false friends of the English term "high school", sometimes with modifiers), including Fachhochschule in German , Haute École in French ( Belgium and Switzerland ), Hogeschool in Dutch , Høyskole in Norwegian , Scuola universitaria professionale in Italian , etc. There are different varieties, including vocational universities of applied sciences (also named polytechnics or institutes of technology ), vocational universities of liberal arts, etc. In recent years, many vocational universities have received full university status, such as
4864-458: The right to confer doctoral degrees is still generally reserved to Universitäten . In 2016, however, Fulda University of Applied Sciences became the first Fachhochschule to be conferred this right for its graduate center for social sciences. Several Fachhochschulen run doctoral programs where the degree itself is awarded by a partner university in Germany or abroad (similar to the doctoral programs in German research institutes , such as
4940-440: The state) from research-focused universities, and the degrees granted are not necessarily interchangeable. The education at vocational universities combines teaching of both practical skills and theoretical expertise. It can be contrasted with education in a usually broader scientific field, which may concentrate on theory and abstract conceptual knowledge. There is also the historical background that an educational institution
5016-578: The table. Also note: In Germany, a Diplom (Universität) student can enter a doctoral program directly (if the student meets the admission requirements). A Diplom (FH) student has to have excellent grades to directly enter a doctorate program. With the Higher Education Act of the Land Lower Saxony as of August 2010, outstanding Bachelor graduates can commence their doctorate at the universities of this German state. In addition,
5092-418: The universities offer higher education to all. The term vocational university is not used. In contrast to traditional German universities, a Fachhochschule (translated "university of applied sciences") has a more practical profile. Universities of applied sciences grant academic bachelor's degrees and master's degrees . In some federal states, research-intensive universities of applied sciences have
5168-493: The word is combined with the academic profession. Acceptance of the Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) and the Diplom (FH) varies from country to country and from university to university. Usually holders of any of the degrees are considered for admission to postgraduate (not necessarily doctoral) studies. The acceptance or rejection of the diploma not only varies because of different academic standards, but also because of political, regulatory and administrative reasons. The variations in
5244-640: Was a two-year period of coursework in courses of mainly (but not only) introductory nature, the Grundstudium (meaning basic studying period ). After (and during) this period, in addition to exams for passing the modules, students attained a series of usually four intermediate exams to obtain the Vordiplom (meaning pre-diploma ). The second period, the Hauptstudium (meaning main period of study ), consisted of two years of coursework in courses of advanced level, an additional period of several months in which
5320-478: Was called a university in the Middle Ages only if a certain classical canon of subjects was taught (typically including philosophy , medicine and theology ). In modern times, other subjects, namely natural and engineering sciences, became more important, but institutions of tertiary education focusing on these subjects and not offering the classical canon have been until recently or are still denied
5396-415: Was expected for a Univ. Diplom degree. The programme was slightly shorter and often one semester was spent by the students doing an internship . Those with some previous vocational qualification in a subject related to their studies were typically exempt from the requirement to do an internship. Typically, the studies in such a program were more organized and structured than the studies at a university, with
5472-459: Was first created in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and now exists in Hamburg , Hesse , Lower Saxony , Saarland , Saxony , Schleswig-Holstein , and Thuringia , but not in the other German states. In 2009, Baden-Württemberg transformed its Berufsakademie into a new type of institution, which until now only exists in that state, a "Duale Hochschule". In English, this type of institution
5548-414: Was required. It also implies that Diplom (FH) holders can join a master's degree program. It does not imply the degrees are the same, a fact stretched multiple times in the cited reference. An actual comparison, in case it is needed, is done via ECTS points which are retroactively calculated/assigned to old Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) and Diplom (FH) degrees, when needed. This calculation is e.g. done when
5624-399: Was simply called a Diplom or rarely a Diplom (Univ.) and took usually between four and six years (240–360 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System credits), depending on subject and curriculum. When obtained at a so-called University of Applied Sciences (or Fachhochschule ), the diploma degree is called a Diplom (FH) and took mostly four years (240 ECTS credits). The Diplom
5700-433: Was usually awarded in the natural sciences, business, theology and engineering, while students of humanities, arts and languages finished with a Magister . (The degree in social sciences differed from university to university.) All kinds of Diplom degrees were usually first degrees. However, the Diplom / Diplom (Univ.) was also the highest non-doctoral degree in science, business or engineering in Germany. The duration of
5776-443: Was usually not restricted to students who had already obtained the Vordiplom . The extent of the final exams and the exams to obtain the Vordiplom was set by each university individually in its regulations. Normally, the content of two different modules of the preceding period of coursework was examined in each of the examinations, which could be oral or less often in writing. Most students needed approximately six months to complete
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