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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPAMESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION,SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1990 > PART1 Chapter4 5 3

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PART 1 Issues and Perspectives ofHigher Education
Chapter 4 Higher Education in Other Countries
5 The Federal Republic of Germany
3 Educational Programs in Universities


Educational programs in universities are focused on specialized education. Students' course of study in their major fields comprise two stages: the initial stage in which students are engaged in broad basic study related to their major field, and the second stage in which students are engaged in study in the major field in depth. The initial stage usually lasts for four semesters (or two years). At the end of this stage, students take an examination (called intermediate or preliminary examination). At the end of the second stage, students take a final examination. Both the kinds of subjects to be studied and the number of hours to be devoted to each subject are laid down in the examination regulations enacted by each university with the approval of the Land Ministry of Education. The standard length of the course covering the initial and second stages is specified as four years by law.

Depending on the major field of study, the final examination is either an examination administered by each university itself (leading to a Diplom or Magister) or a state examination. The final examination for teacher training, medicine and some other courses is a state one. For the past several years while universities have every year admitted 150,000 to 160,000 students, the number of graduates has been between 80,000 and 90,000 a year. It can be considered that this trend has been brought about by diverse factors, including a substantial number of dropouts and students' prolonged stay in universities. In addition, the fact that the average proportion of students successfully passing the final examination exceeds 90% seems to imply that many students defer taking the final examination until they believe they are very likely to pass the examination. The average duration of students' enrollment and the average age of graduates differ among different fields of study. The average duration of students' enrollment in 1986 was 7.6 years for universities. 5.9 years for teacher training colleges, and 6.3 years for colleges of arts and music. The average age of graduates was 28.4 for universities, 26.9 for teacher training colleges, and 26.9 for colleges of arts and music. According to a survey conducted in the middle of the 198O's, the number of students dropping out before obtaining a certificate of graduation accounted for slightly more than 20% of all students.

No definite courses of study leading to a doctorate have been institutionalized. Doctoral candidates have only to pass the examination of the dissertation they have prepared. It takes usually three to five years to ear a doctorate. In some universities experimental courses have recently been introduced in which a group of doctoral candidates conduct joint study and research.

Candidates for faculty members at universities are required to obtain a doctorate and then prepare a thesis for a Habilitation (a proof of academic achievements for future professors at universities) while working as assistants at a university or they are supported by a fellowship. The number of students and researchers conferred a Habilitation was about 1,.000 in a year, and their average age in 1988 was 39.8.

Formerly there were professors, assistant professors and lecturers at universities. All these positions have been renamed as professors, which are classified into C4. C3 and C2 under a Federal Law on Salaries for Public Employees. In addition to professors, there are research assistants ( Wissenschaftliche Assistenten) who are appointed from among young researchers holding a doctorate, and senior assistants (Oberassistenten) who are appointed from among students who have earned a Habilitation. The promotion of professors to a senior rank (i.e.. the promotion from C2 to C3 and from C3 to C4) is prohibited within the same university. Those professors who wish to be promoted to a senior rank usually apply for a position at another university. This prohibition is interpreted as an attempt to help activate the educational and research activities of individual universities.


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