University of technology, university of
applied sciences or just university? The terminology is confusing, in
particular for those who are used to the British system of universities and
affiliated colleges. In Germany,
you will look in vain for colleges; instead you encounter three different types
of universities that have no equivalent in English-speaking countries like the UK,
US or Australia.
Still, Germany’s
system is not unique: you find similar institutional distinctions in Austria, the Netherlands
and Scandinavia.
General universities (i.e. institutions
that just call themselves “university”) offer a wide spectrum of academic
disciplines, from the humanities and sciences to medicine and law. Engineering
subjects can also be found at general universities, but they are concentrated
at universities of technology (TU or TH in German) and universities of applied
sciences (UAS or FH/HS in German). All universities in Germany,
no matter which category they belong to, are independent institutions without
any affiliations. They can conduct their own examinations and award their own
degrees, except for a few disciplines like medicine, pharmacy and law, where
centralised state exams are prescribed.
People used to a commercialised system
of higher education with “first-class”, “second-class” etc. institutions have sometimes
voiced the opinion that the UAS are “inferior” to the other two types of German
universities. This is not the case. The difference is a functional one and not
one of quality. As their name says, the universities of applied sciences have
been established with the primary intention to make scientific knowledge and
research findings applicable to the needs of private companies, social service
agencies and government institutions. They do not train “pure” researchers,
which is also the reason why they do not award doctoral degrees. However, if a
UAS student discovers her or his passion for “pure” research at a later stage,
it is always possible to cross over to a general university or university of
technology.
When it comes to the practical
application of their skills, graduates of UAS frequently perform better than
their more theoretically educated fellow graduates. Additionally, most UAS are
closely integrated into the economies of their respective home regions. In other
words: Regional industry and public administration are tied into the research
and teaching at the UAS in the form of concrete cooperation projects. This
helps students with finding internships, relevant topics for their theses and
suitable jobs upon graduation.
The fact that UAS are commonly smaller
institutions with a more limited student population and a shorter tradition to
look back on has led to their widespread discrimination in international
rankings. These rankings are generally unable to grasp the intricacies of Germany's
multi-facetted university system. The quality of education offered by the UAS,
the relevance of their findings in applied research, the tight organisation of
their curricula and their often superior services (including the better guidance
and supervision of students) have been proven by many surveys and studies. Some
UAS have in fact acquired an academic and scientific reputation far over-taking
that of many larger general universities or universities of technology.
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