Practical
Information
Implementation of
the Bologna Declaration
Part II: Germany
by Robert
Sedgwick
Editor, eWENR
 German
unification in 1990 ushered in an educational reform program aimed largely
at superimposing the West German system of higher education over the eastern
system.
Some of the
changes included updating technical standards, increasing enrollments
and downsizing faculty and staff in East German institutions.
In addition,
many of the traditional academies (Fachschulen) were shut down
and polytechnics (Fachhochschulen) established in their place.
As the century
grew to a close however, attention shifted to the shortcomings of the
(former) West German system.
The ensuing
critical dialogue revolved around a number of issues but mostly focused
on the duration of study programs, introduction of tuition fees and internationalization
of German higher education. Several reform measures were implemented as
a result of these debates.
At present,
the majority of German universities are participating in the European
Credit Transfer System (ECTS), a large-scale pilot program, which
is part of the European Union-mobility program ERASMUS
(the European Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students).
The federal
government also promulgated a new higher education framework law in 1998,
which — among other things — lifted the ban on tuition fees.
Not surprisingly,
the move has generated considerable controversy in many circles within
Germany where education has always been paid for by the state.
Although
most universities support the new law, they have stopped short of charging
fees for fear that state governments may further intensify budgetary cutbacks
in education initially engendered by the immense costs of unification.
Hence, it
is not yet clear precisely when these fees will be introduced.
Federal and
state governments are also trying to eliminate the homogeneous character
of the higher education system by actively encouraging competition among
individual institutions.
In addition,
budgetary cutbacks in education have compelled universities to consider
alternative means of funding themselves (e.g. charging tuition). As a
result, they are gaining greater autonomy in areas such as strategic planning
and administrative policies.
Another issue
being discussed is greater internationalization in Germany's higher education
system. Critics have long decried the inattentiveness of the country's
universities to the needs of foreign students, the lengthy duration of
degree programs and the incompatibility of German degrees internationally.
More recently
they have pointed to the precipitous drop in the number of foreign applicants
from Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The concern here is that foreign
students, who often go on to become business and political leaders in
their home countries, will go elsewhere to study if German universities
can't provide them with what they're looking for.
In the long-term
this will serve to diminish opportunities for German foreign investments
and exports.
Germany has
introduced two new internationally recognized degrees, the bakkalaureus
(bachelor's) and the magister (master's), to:
Enhance the international compatibility of German qualifications.
Increase student mobility.
Make the country's study programs more attractive to foreign students.
Many of the
new degree programs, still in the experimental stages, are being offered
in English.
Below we
have outlined the traditional degree structure, which has not been abolished,
and the two new academic qualifications introduced in line with the Bologna
Declaration.
Old System
Stage
I: The fachhochschulen (polytechnics) award the diplom
(FH) in engineering, business administration and the social sciences
after four years. Fachhochschulen are distinct from universities
in that their programs have different entry requirements, shorter duration
periods and are more practically oriented.
Stages
I and II: Students who enter universities can earn one of three types
of qualifications: 1) the diplom degree awarded in science,
engineering, economics and social sciences; 2) the magister artium
(master of arts) in arts and humanities; 3) the staatsexamen
(state examination) in fields regulated by the state (teaching, medicine
and law). Although programs leading to these degrees require a minimum
duration period of four to five years, most students take much longer
graduate.
NOTE:
The diplom, magister artium, and staatsexamen degrees incorporate
both first and second levels of higher education. Holders of these diplomas
have completed the second stage of university study.
Stage
III: The final stage of higher education usually leads to the doktor
(doctoral degree) and the habilitation (higher doctorate)
awarded by universities. Admission to a doctoral degree program requires
an above average grade in the final examinations for the diplom, magister
or staatsexamen degrees. The time needed to earn a doctoral degree
depends on the amount of work required to complete the dissertation, something
which is agreed on between the student and his/her professor. Earning
a doctorate requires writing a dissertation and the completion of an oral
examination. There is no coursework for this degree in Germany.
New System (Reforms)
Two new degrees,
the bakkalaureus and magister, have been introduced
and will coexist alongside the traditional one-tiered system.
None of the
old German qualifications will be abolished; the diplom, magister
and staatsexamen will continue to serve as the standard final qualifications
for German programs of study despite their incompatibility abroad. It
has been left up to individual institutions to decide whether to offer
the new qualifications alongside the traditional German degrees.
Because the
old degree system is not being discarded (at least not for the moment),
the German government is introducing a Diploma Supplement to enhance the
international compatibility of these qualifications. The Diploma
Supplement Deutschland follows the model developed by the European
Commission, the Council of Europe
and UNESCO/CEPES.
Its
purpose is to provide sufficient independent data to improve the international
"transparency" and fair academic and professional recognition
of qualifications (diplomas, degrees, certificates, etc.). The Diploma
Supplement is designed to provide a description of the nature, level,
context, content and status of the studies that were pursued and successfully
completed by the individual named on the original qualification to which
the supplement is appended.
In addition
to lifting the ban on tuition fees, the German Higher Education Framework
Act of 1998 also laid the groundwork for introducing a two-tiered system.
The new law complies with the Bologna Declaration's objective of dividing
higher education into two clearly differentiated cycles: a first degree
(undergraduate studies) and a second degree (graduate studies).
The bakkalaureus
was introduced to meet the demands of the changing labor market. Duration
requirements for the new bachelor's programs are a minimum of three and
a maximum of four years.
More than
600 new study programs (bachelor's and master's) have already been launched
or are under preparation. In 1999/2000 there were 4,122 bakkalaureus
students and 2,580 magister students, but the numbers are expected
to increase dramatically in the next few years.
Despite the
enthusiasm generated by the new two-tiered system, many university faculties
have been slow to jump on the bandwagon, preferring instead to wait and
watch for further developments.
It is not
clear whether the introduction of internationally recognized degrees will
altogether replace the traditional qualifications. However, the Association
of Universities and Other Higher Education Institutions in Germany
(HRK) predicts that the new two-tier system will fully eclipse the old
system within the next 15 years or so.
Until then
however, the two systems will exist side by side, making the introduction
of the diploma supplement extremely important.
Accreditation:
The introduction of new degrees and new degree programs has created additional
challenges for universities, particularly with regard to establishing
quality assurance for both students and employers. Hence, a nationwide
accreditation council, the Akkreditierungsrat,
was set up in 1999.
The council's
primary task is to certify new agencies that will be accrediting the new
bachelor's and master's degree programs. In certain cases, the Akkreditierungsrat
itself may accredit degree programs.
The federal
and state governments, along with the HRK, are ensuring that the emerging
national system of quality assurance is in full compliance with the European
Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). Most of
the country's accrediting agencies are currently members of ENQA.
In addition
to the establishment of a national accreditation council aimed at monitoring
the new degree system, the German Science
Council (Der Wissenschaftsrat) is also calling for the accreditation
of private institutions of higher education.
Internationalization:
Both the federal and state governments have funded a number of pilot projects
offering bachelor's and master's degrees. The response to these projects
has been overwhelming, with the number of institutions wanting to participate
in them far outstripping the number of available programs.
Further internationalization
of German higher education is being facilitated through the reformulation
of student visa requirements and work permits for study and research in
Germany.
The introduction
of more liberal policies regarding the maximum duration of stay, the pursuance
of post-doctoral studies or internships and proof of sufficient financial
means to fund one's stay in Germany are all designed to make the country
more attractive to foreign students.
Germany is
also increasing the number of programs taught in English to facilitate
the integration of international students into the German system of higher
education.
To improve
the linguistic preparedness of foreign applicants, a new Test
of German as a Foreign Language (TestDaF) is being introduced to assess
language skills based on the requirements of individual study programs.
The test is comparable to the internationally administered TOEFL
for English.
According
to a survey conducted by the European Commission, German universities
were already in 1996 participating in 135 integrated programs of study
with other European institutions. In particular, Germany has been cooperating
with France to establish a number of integrated study programs leading
to a double degree and a jointly supervised doctoral degree.
These efforts
culminated in the March 2000 founding of the Franco-German
University in Saarbrücken.
For further
information about German higher education, please refer to the links listed
below. Also, the online version of Studien-
&Berufswahl features an updated list of all German programs
of study, and provides general information about higher education in the
country.
Useful
Links for Germany
Accreditation
Council (Akkreditierungstrat)
Association
of Universities and Other Higher Education Institutions in Germany
(Hochschulrektorenkonferenz — HRK)
Bund-Länder
Commission for Educational Planning and Research Promotion
Studieren-in-Deutschland
The
German Academic Exchange Service
The
National Unions of Students in Europe
Standing
Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder
in the Federal Republic of Germany (Kultusministerkonferenz
- KMK)
Federal
Ministry of Education and Research
SOURCES:
"The
Bologna Declaration on the European Higher Education Space: Follow-up
Report on Developments in Germany"; Prepared jointly by the Standing
Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder
in the Federal Republic of Germany, the Federal Ministry of Education
and Research, and the Association of Universities and Other Higher Education
Institutions in Germany; Nov. 24, 2000.
Country
Education Profiles: Germany; National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition;
Australia, 1992.
A Guide
to Higher Education Systems and Qualifications in the European Community;
Commission of the European Communities; The Netherlands, 1991.
Kehm, Barbara;
"German Higher Education at the Millennium"; International Higher Education;
Center for International Higher Education; Boston College, Winter 1999.
Landfried,
Klaus "German Experiences in Higher Education Reform: The Two-Tier System
of Degrees"; Presented at the International Seminar The Bologna Declaration
and the Greek Approach; Athens, Jan. 19, 2001.
Definitions:
Transnational Education
Higher
education can take on many different forms when exported. Here are
a few of the types of exchanges and related terms that education
professionals are likely to encounter.
Transnational
education: Any teaching or learning activity in which the students
are in a different country from that in which the institution providing
the education is based and in which program information, materials,
and/ or staff must cross national borders.
Affiliation,
linkage, partnership: Indefinite terms indicating that there
is some type of formal or informal agreement between institutions.
American-model
education: Education offered outside the United States that
is similar to U.S. education in some way. A few characteristics
might include teaching in English and using U.S. curricular materials,
focusing on instruction in the liberal arts rather than early specialization,
assessing student progress continually, and encouraging student
inquiry rather than relying on lecture and memorization-based instruction.
American-model programs may or may not be U .S. accredited or affiliated
with U .S. programs.
Articulation:
The systematic recognition by an institution A of specified study
at another institution B as partial credit towards a program at
the institution A.
Branch
campuses: Additional campuses set up by an institution in new
locations to provide the institution's educational programs to a
new audience. To be regionally accredited as a branch campus, students
must either be able to complete at least 50 percent of credits towards
a degree at the campus or complete a degree there that was started
elsewhere.
Corporate
programs and services: Many large corporations offer training
programs that cross national borders (in some cases including programs
that award academic credit from educational institutions) for their
employees or other audiences. Companies also often sell curriculum
and training services in other countries.
Distance
education programs: Educational programs that are delivered
by means of satellites, computers, correspondence, or other technological
methods, often across national boundaries.
Franchises:
Arrangements through which an institution A approves a second institution
B in another location to provide one or more of A's programs to
students in B's geographic area.
Study
abroad: Students from country A go to another country B to live
and study at an institution in country B.
Twinning:
Agreements between institutions in different countries to offer
a joint program. Courses offered within the program are designed
to be the same at either institution. Often one of the institutions
will offer only part of the program (one year or more)-then students
must transfer to the other twin to complete their program.
These
definitions, compiled by Lia Hutton and the National Committee on
International Trade in Education,
originally appeared in the Fall 2000 issue of The Advising Quarterly,
copyright AMIDEAST; E-mail: aq@amideast.org
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