Academic Degrees
Table of contents
At TU Dresden, you can earn the following academic degrees:
- Bachelor
- Master
- Diplom and
- State Examination
A university entrance qualification (e. g. Abitur – A levels) is required in order to graduate from Bachelor's, Diplom and State Examination degree programs. Master's degree programs require a completed degree course. This is usually a Bachelor's degree.
Master's, Diploma and State Examination degrees each represent the same level of qualification. Afterwards, a doctorate (earning a doctoral degree) is possible.
All academic degrees offered are adaptable to the European Higher Education Area and meet the requirements of the Bologna Declaration. This means that the degrees are recognised throughout Europe and that the academic achievements can be credited at any German and European university. This makes it possible to change the place of study and the study program as well as to spend time abroad.
The study information system provides information on which academic title is earned through the completion of each degree program at TU Dresden.
Bachelor
In the Bachelor's program, students acquire academic fundamentals, application-oriented basic knowledge and occupational qualifications. Social and other key skills complement the degree program.
In some Bachelor's degree programs (especially in the humanities), several subjects are studied simultaneously with main subjects and/or supplementary areas. At the end of the program, a bachelor thesis has to be written.
TU Dresden awards the academic degree "Bachelor of Science" in the natural and engineering sciences and the academic degree "Bachelor of Arts" in the humanities and social sciences.
The Bachelor's degree is the first university degree that qualifies students for a profession. Subsequently, students can start professional activity or continue with a Master’s degree program. Another option is to continue with a postgraduate Diplom degree program.
Master
The Master's program enables a further deepening or specialisation in the same or similar subject area or an interdisciplinary extension of existing qualifications. The Master's program prepares students for academic work at universities as well as for occupations requiring in-depth scientific training. There are also postgraduate courses that award the student a Master's degree. These require professional experience.
The Master's thesis, which is an independent scientific thesis, completes the degree program. At TU Dresden, the academic degrees "Master of Science" and "Master of Arts" are awarded.
Diplom
The Diplom program, which is mainly offered for engineering sciences, is divided into a basic course of study (usually two years) and a subsequent main course of study. The main course of study serves to deepen the skills acquired so far and to specialise scientifically. For this purpose, courses of study or focal points have to be chosen according to one's own interests and future plans. In so-called postgraduate courses, the Diplom can be acquired following a previously completed Bachelor's degree. In this case, the Diplom program is roughly equivalent to a Master's program.
Advantages
- There is no limit to the number of places in the courses of study, specialisations or major fields of study after the basic course of studies. In contrast to the Master's program, there is no need to re-apply for the main course of studies.
- The module grades of the basic course of studies are not or only partially included in the final grade. Thus, it is possible to achieve a good degree in the main course of studies, which is designed according to one's own interests.
- In general, the study program includes an industrial placement semester so that students can gain experience in industry or research institutions – both at home and abroad – during their studies.
State Examination
The study programs Food Chemistry, Medicine, Human Medicine (Model Course), Dentistry as well as the Teacher Training Programs are completed with a state examination. State examinations are taken in degree programs in which the state supervises the practice of the profession. Those who practise such professions usually bear great responsibility towards other people. Training and examinations are therefore also regulated uniformly – both nationally or at state level.
Overview
