Courses Offered by the Faculty
The new curriculum structure comprises a two-tiered system. The Bachelor is the first tier, which was designed as the ‘primary professionally-qualifying university degree’ and is meant to impart entry-level job qualifications. The second tier, the Master’s degree, broadens the scope of an undergraduate education on the basis of advanced courses.
These new degree programmes are arranged in modules. Modules are thematically-defined learning units and are subject to examinations. Academic performance is measured in terms of ‘credits’, which are given only after the pertinent examinations are successfully passed. The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is a transparent organisation ensuring the recognition, accumulation and transfer of university credits.
However, due to objections from industry, the actual date of the final changeover for academic programmes conferring engineering degrees remains a contentious issue. Our faculty has thus decided to introduce the two degree systems in parallel.
In order to temporarily retain established German Diplom curricula, we have restructured the relevant study courses as far as possible in order to satisfy the requirements of the new system. This is particularly advantageous for BTU students, as they will have the possibility to transfer smoothly from the old system to the new one (and vice versa).
Students may continue to enrol in the Diplom academic programmes at least up to the 2008/2009 winter semester. Once the changeover is completed, students who were already enrolled under the old system will still have the opportunity to finish their original academic programme.