DEHEMS project. Description of the Professional Domains ENGINEERING. Country: Germany

Transcription

1 DEHEMS project Description of the Professional Domains ENGINEERING Country: Germany 1

2 1 Which study fields/study areas are covered by this professional domain? In Germany, the following fields of study are listed in the statistics as belonging to the professional domain of Engineering: General Engineering (52) Mechanical Engineering (including Mechatronik - MECHanical Engineering ElecTRONIC Engineering) (521) Mining (521) Electrical Engineering (522) Chemical Engineering (524) Traffic/Nautic Engineering (525) Civil Engineering (582) 2 Which types of institutions are offering this professional domain? Engineering is offered by universities (here often, the so-called: Technical Universities) and Universities of Applied Sciences. The former schools of Engineering were in the 1970s transformed into University of Applied Sciences. Additionally, Universities of cooperative education (Berufsakademien) as well as other institutions of higher education offer courses in this professional domain but to a smaller degree. At these institutions, the students are employed at a company and studies part-time at the university of cooperative education. 3 Please give a quantitative overview about the professional domain 3.1 Number of offered study programs There are overall nearly 900 study programs in the field of engineering at German higher education institutes. Most of them are already transferred into Bachelor and Master programs. Only around 7 percent (66) of the programs lead to the traditional degrees of "diplom" or "magister". Unfortunately, there are no numbers for the sub-group "General Engineering" as this statistical category encompasses all fields of engineering which do not fit in one of the other sub-groups (e.g. solartechnique etc.). Based on this, a research would have been very exhausting and would not necessarily represent the same study programs as summarized in the statistical category "General Engineering". 2

3 Table 1 Number of offered study programs in the field of Engineering University University of Applied Science Study field TOTAL BA MA Other BA MA Other Mechanical Eng Chemical Eng Electrical Eng Civil Engineering Mining Engineering Traffic/Nautic Engineering TOTAL Source: Despite, the stated number of around 200 students enrolled at Universities of Applied Sciences (see table 2) in the field of Mining engineering, there could not be found a program in this field at Universities of Applied Sciences. It can only be assumed that these students are in a program which will not be continued Number of HEI offering the program There is no exact statistic about the number of HEI offering this program. It can be assumed that at least all Technical Universities (14) are offering engineering programs as well as most Universities of Applied Science (around 200). A good estimation of HEI offering the program would therefore be around 200. Universities of Applied Science not offering engineering programs are Business Science oriented institutions as well as institutions offering mostly courses in the area of education, therapy and social work. 3.3 Number of enrolled students (increasing/decreasing?) The number of students in the field of engineering was more or less stable in the years 2003 to 2007, but in 2008 there was a sudden increase of around 7 percent. Table 2 Number of enrolled students in the field of Engineering (wintersemester 2008/09) TOTAL Uni FH Female Foreign General Engineering % 13% Mechanical + Chemical Eng % 13% Electrical Engineering % 24% Civil Engineering % 15% Mining Engineering % 27% Traffic/Nautic Engineering % 10% TOTAL % 16% Source: Destatis (Fachserie 11, Reihe 4.2) 3.4 Number of graduates (last available cohort) The number of graduates in the field of engineering was decreasing in the period 1997 to Since 2004 the number of graduates is increasing again. In 2008 it has again reached the level of

4 Table 3 Number of graduates in the field of Engineering ( Year of examination ) Total Bachelor Master Other PhD PhD quota General Engineering % Mechanical+ Chemical Eng % Electrical Engineering % Civil Engineering % Mining Engineering % Traffic/Nautic Engineering % TOTAL % Source: Destatis (Fachserie 11, Reihe 4.2), table 08, table PhD quota (Type B). Engineering as a practical oriented field has a PhD-quota of 6 percent which is according to the overall average across all subjects. Possible reasons for this quota are the attractive employment opportunities for engineering graduates on the labour market as well as the expectations of employers which do mostly not include a PhD degree. There could not be found an explanation for the surprisingly high PhD rate in the field of mining. 3.6 Gender distribution As expected, the percentage of female students is rather low (see table 2). The highest percentage can be found in civil engineering probable due to its close relation to architecture. 3.7 Quota of foreign students and students with a migration Background The overall quota of foreign students is 16 percent which is a slightly higher than the overall average. Still, electrical engineering as well as mining engineering has a quota of foreign students over 20 percent. This might be due to the often "claimed" attractiveness and high reputation of German engineering. Another factor might be the increasing number of English taught courses in particular in the area of Master courses. 4 Please give for each study programme covered by the professional domain a short descriptions refering to the following aspects In the following, the main engineering programs will be shortly presented: Mechanical Engineering, Process/Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Civil Engineering. Despite the statistical technique of counting Mechanical and Chemical Engineering students in one group, both programs will be described separately as they are offered at most universities as independent subjects. Nautic and Mining Engineering will not be presented as they represent a comparatively small number of students. 4

5 4.1 Mechanical Engineering General description and duration Mechanical engineering is the biggest engineering field in Germany. Mechanical Engineers develop and work with machines that process, produce and pack products, robots, miniature machines used in micro-technology and medicine, and energy and process engineering. 1 The curriculum in mechanical engineering includes independent of HEI type courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, design engineering and electrical engineering. Additionally, most curricula include technical fundamentals like technical mechanics, mechanical components, thermodynamics, materials manufacturing and mathematical modelling and simulations. Courses in IT, foreign languages and business are also relevant for the future work as engineer and are often therefore offered (and demanded) by most HEI. Besides of these theoretical courses/seminars, the study includes also practical parts like experiments and measurements as well as learning to use factory design programs at the computer. After learning the basics, the student can choose a specialization in the later years. Typical specializations offered are: energy and process engineering, traffic engineering, micro and automation engineering, biomedical engineering, mechatronics, computer science in mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering. Mechatronic is an attractive new field for many students as it deals with the combination of mechanical components with electrial engineering and computer compenents in order to create one system. Due to the competence and employability debate, many HEI aim to teach their students how to combine methodical, social, business and technical skills. Also courses in presentation as introductions into commercial and ecological fundamentals gain in attractiveness. Differences between universities and universities of applied sciences lie mainly in the project work which is massively used by universities of applied sciences as modes of teaching. The regular duration of this program is 9 to 10 semesters (4.5 to 5 years). In the process of the Bologna reform, the study structure changes to a 3- year (Bachelor) plus 2-year (Master) structure. At Universities of Applies Sciences the Bachelor sometimes takes 7 semesters as one practical semester is included Formal general curricula elements like practical training period As already written above many Bachelor programs at universities of Applied Sciences takes 7 instead of 6 semesters as one semester practical training in a company is included. But, also programs at universities normally have a longer internship as study requirement. Many universities also organise these - normally 6 month long - placements at companies that they maintain contact with. Most HEI also demand so called pre-internship in the area of metal processing, metal working in which the future students are learning the basic manual skills like welling and milling Degrees and certificates; state of art particularities The classical degree is the "Diplom-Ingenieur", but in the run of the Bologna reform the degrees are slowly changing to "Bachelor of Engineering" and "Master of Engineering" or "Bachelor of Science" or "Master of Science". 1 CHE-Ranking: 5

6 The final thesis is normally written in a company about a clearly defined issue that has been agreed between the company and the HEI. 4.2 Chemical Engineering General description and duration Process engineers are the cooks of the engineers. They deal with the question of change in terms of type and composition. (Chemical) engineers are interested in how wheat becomes bread and how crude oil is compressed to make petrol or into a tablet. 2 The task of chemical engineers is to transfer single (chemical, biological, environmental or physical) processes in the laboratory or the kitchen into mass production. Chemical Engineering is hence the science of chemical, biological, physical "transformation". Besides the development and planning of constructions the process engineer also deals with the realization of his/her plans and the following process regulation. The curriculum includes in the first semesters mathematics, physics, thermodynamics, chemistry, biology and mechanics, data processing, materials science, measurement and control engineering and engineering design. Later on students learn how to design equipment for different procedures, how heat and matter can be transmitted, which procedures work with heat or chemistry, mechanically or biologically, and how in the pollution control engineering course solar installations and fuel cells work Formal general curricula elements like practical training period As already written above many Bachelor programs at universities of Applied Sciences takes 7 instead of 6 semesters as one semester practical training in a company is included. But, also programs at universities normally have a longer internship as study requirement. Many universities also organise these - normally 6 month long - placements at companies that they maintain contact with. Most HEI also demand so called pre-internship (13 weeks) in the area of metal processing, metal working in which the future students are learning the basic manual skills like welling and milling Degrees and certificates; state of art particularities The classical degree is the "Diplom-Ingenieur", but in the run of the Bologna reform the degrees are slowly changing to "Bachelor of Engineering" and "Master of Engineering" or "Bachelor of Science" or "Master of Science". The final thesis is normally written in a company about a clearly defined issue that has been agreed between the company and the HEI. 4.3 Civil Engineering General description and duration Civil engineers are involved in planning, building and operating all sorts of construction projects and natural systems. They work alongside architects but in contrast to the study of architecture the focus is less on art and aesthetics but rather on technolog and environmental protection. A civil engineer plans, construct, calculates, builds and operate constructions. 2 CHE-Ranking: 3 CHE-Ranking: 6

7 In the first semesters students study mathematics, physics, chemistry, mechanics and computer science, but also law and business studies. Later on the curriculum shifts to the different practical areas and all the fields initially. A necessary subject for civil engineers is structural engineering which deals with the design and safety of constructions. Other subjects are construction management and geotechnical engineering (e.g. building tunnels). Possible specializations at the end of the course are civil engineering (underground), structural engineering (surface), city and regional planning, water engineering, environmental technology or management, geotechnics or construction supervision and management. Like in other engineering fields, most programs also include some courses in business administration, management and foreign languages. Civil engineering is highly structured throughout Germany with minor differences between universities. But, there are differences between the different types of HEI. As in other subjects, civil engineer is taught in a more practical orientation at universities of applied science. While students at the university of applied sciences learn basic subjects such as mathematics with a view to possible applications, their fellow students at the university will first look at the scientific fundamentals, find mathematical proofs and listen to lectures about fluid dynamics, in which flows are simulated using computerised models. 4 Like in other fields, the trend is towards more interdisciplinary approaches in civil engineering. Thus courses such as "Computational Engineering" combine the content of civil engineering courses with neighbouring areas such as mechanical engineering, mechanics or computer science Formal general curricula elements like practical training period As already written above many Bachelor programs at universities of Applied Sciences takes 7 instead of 6 semesters as one semester practical training in a company is included. But, also programs at universities normally have a longer internship as study requirement. Most HEI also demand so called pre-internship at a construction site Degrees and certificates; state of art particularities The classical degree is the "Diplom-Ingenieur", but in the run of the Bologna reform the degrees are slowly changing to "Bachelor of Engineering" and "Master of Engineering" or "Bachelor of Science" or "Master of Science". 4.4 Electrical and Informatic Engineering General description and duration Electrical engineers deal with the question how electric energy is produced, transferred, distributed and used. Parallel Informatic engineering deals with the question how information is transferred and processed. The curriculum includes at most HEI mathematics, physics, computer science and mechanical engineering in the first years followed by electrical engineering, materials science, semiconductor engineering, mechanics, electronics, energy engineering, telecommunications engineering, system theory and measurement and information engineering. There is a wide range of possible specializations, like: 4 CHE-Ranking: 5 CHE-Ranking: 7

8 Energy management Micro and Nano-electronic High-frequency engineering Automation/regulation/measurement engineering Information and Communication technology Computer Engineering Optical systems Teaching modes are lectures, exercises, and lab tutorials, whereby students polish what they have learned as part of the group, go through case studies and solve problems about the different issues Formal general curricula elements like practical training period As already written above many Bachelor programs at universities of Applied Sciences takes 7 instead of 6 semesters as one semester practical training in a company is included. Often they also require a sixweek placement that must be completed prior to the start of the course as a prerequisite for studying. Many students also write their Bachelor or Master thesis in a company. Also at universities, several weeks of placements in industry are required as part of the course. Usually some weeks have to be completed before starting the course (pre-placement/pre-internship) Degrees and certificates; state of art particularities The classical degree is the "Diplom-Ingenieur", but in the run of the Bologna reform the degrees are slowly changing to "Bachelor of Engineering" and "Master of Engineering" or "Bachelor of Science" or "Master of Science". 5 Please summarize the general impact of Bologna on this study field as well as the general issues discussed in this regard A study about the acceptance of the Bachelor and Master-degrees in the area of engineering (bases on an employer survey) published in 2009 states that 93 percent of all study programs in the area of engineering are already transferred into Bachelor- and Masterprograms. 6 As most universities have only recently started these new degree programs, the number of graduates is still relatively small. In general, universities of Applied Sciences are more advanced in the transformation than classical universities. This is mainly due to the fact that the transformation to Bachelor programs was somehow easier at Universities of Applied Sciences as the former Diploma programs took 4 years (8 semesters) and many of the new Bachelor programs take now 3,5 years, so the diploma course was only shortened by one semesters. The authors of this study also refer to the fact, that the critical voices against Bachelor and Master degrees are mainly raised by employers which have not yet employed a Bachelor or Master graduate. Those who have already employed the "new" degrees are far less critical against it. They rather experienced that the graduates had adequate and all necessary qualifications. The authors, hereby, contradict the position that an engineer needs at least 5 years of schooling to work as engineer. Currently, the main discussion in the area of engineering is the lost of the old title "Dipl. Ingenieur". The supporters of this position claim that this traditional diploma had a very high reputation abroad and 6 Konegen-Grenier, Christiane and Koppel, Oliver (2009): Akzeptanz und Karrierechancen von Ingenieuren mit Bachelor- oder Masterabschluss. In: IW-Trends - Vierteljahresschrift zur empirischen Wirtschaftsforschung. Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln, 36. Jahrgang, Heft 4/2009 8

9 should not be abolished by a master title. Instead, they suggest to award both titles "Master of Engineering" and as title-addition: Diplom-Ingenieur" so that German graduates don t loose the comparative advantage of having this "highly-reputated" title 7. The supporters of this idea refer to the Austrian practice, where the Higher Education law allows adding a traditional title to the new degrees Bachelor and Master. This position is supported by the main stakeholders in the area of engineering: German Association of German engineers (Verband Deutscher Ingenieure e.v. - VDI), the TU-9 Initiative (all leading technical universities in Germany) The VDI did a survey among 500 students and found out that around 75% support this idea. Also the 16 federal chambers of engineering as well as the German faculty day of engineering and informatics supported a resolution to add the "Dipl. Ingenieur" to the new Master title. The opposite side is represented by the AUS7, an association of seven international oriented universities of Applied Sciences which interpret this proposal as a preferential treatment of universities which will strengthen the separation between classical universities and universities of Applied Sciences. 5.1 Please describe the role of stakeholders in this professional domain 5.2 Are there any stakeholders outside HEI which have an influence on content and structure of the professional domain? If yes, what kind of stakeholders? 1. The Association of German Engineers (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure - VDI e.v.) is the biggest association of Engineers in Germany. Founded in 1856 this Association represents the German engineering in society and politics. Besides of representation in major political and industrial committees, the VDI also publish a weekly journal and has defined a generally accepted manuscript of technical regulations. The VDI offers also further education courses and organizes workshops and conferences. In 2010, the VDI hat around members - besides of engineers also natural scientist and IT-specialist can apply for membership. 2. TU9 German Institutes of Technology e.v. is an association of nine big German Technical universities of which three are also part of the "elite-initiative ". The TU9 was informally founded in 2003 and is since January 2006 a formal registered society. The objective of TU9 is to represent the university engineering education towards the society, economy and politics. It might interpreted that the forming of the TU9 was a reaction to the Bologna reform and the decision of the technical universities to represent their opinion and their demand as unified front. Whereas formerly, the TU9 was against the Bachelor degree as qualification for engineers for the labour market, they support now the Bologna process but want to be involved in the transformation details. 3. "Fakultätentage der Ingenieurwissenschaften und der Informatik an Universitäten e.v." - (Faculty Day of Engineering and Informatics ) is a federation of 130 university faculties in the area of engineering and informatics in Germany. It is the umbrella organization of the following faculty days: Faculty Day of Civil Engineering and Geodesy Faculty Day of Electrical Engineering and Information technology Faculty Day of Informatics Faculty Day of Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering 7 It also demanded that the PhD. Title gets the addition of "Dr. Ing." Referring again to the high reputation of the German doctoral title in engineering which is not comparable to a PhD.l 9

10 Overall, the Faculty Day of Engineering and Informatics represents 2,500 professors, 15,000 university employees and students. It is a quite young organization founded in 2006 mainly as reaction to the massive reformation of the German Higher Education system as consequence of the Bologna reform. The main tasks of this organization are to: Represent the German engineering faculties To stay in contact and discussion with industry, state, politics and research organizations To conduct Lobby Work To represent the engineering faculties with "one voice" in the Bologna process To support the university engineering education To rise the number of female students and graduates in the area of engineering and informatics 4. (Federal) Chamber of Engineers (Bundesingenieurkammer) represents the 16 chamber of engineers in each federal state and hereby, around engineers. The main tasks are besides lobby work on national level and European level, to support the chambers of engineers in the federal states and to foster their network, to inform about social, educational and professional political questions in the area of engineering, to inform about the engineering profession. Additionally, the chamber of engineers collects data about engineers (secondary data based on national statistics) and publishes it as "Engineer statistic" (see point 7). Additionally, the accreditation agencies are stakeholders for the field of engineering like in other fields. Here, in particular, the accreditation agency ASIIN has specialized in the accreditation of engineering and informatics study programs. 5. UAS7 - Seven Universities of Applied Sciences - Alliances for Excellence is an Association of seven German Universities of Applied Sciences. It was established in the early seventies with the objective to help German industries maintain their international competitiveness. The objective of this association lies mainly in the area of international marketing, international competitiveness and quality management but they also appear as a lobby group for university of applied sciences and their interests in Germany. 5.3 Does the state play a major role as influential stakeholder? (e.g. in Germany certain subjects are state examined whereas the HEI defines the content of exams in most fields) No. Engineering is not a state-examined subject. Still, there are federal engineering laws which ensure that the title "engineer" is only granted after a certain years of education at higher education institutes. 6 Please describe the transition process from Higher Education to the Labour market 6.1 Is the transition process individualized or is it defined by national legislation? The process is individualized. After graduation, the engineering graduates apply directly for a job or continue studying for a PhD. 6.2 Are there any additional elements/exams/working periods required to become a full member of the profession? (e.g. like in medicine in most countries) No, the graduation of an engineering study program allows carrying the title "Engineer". 10

11 7 Are there any domain specific data sources or regular research conducted (e.g. surveys, statistics by an association); Please describe the main findings? Technical descriptions should be part of 4_DOP_ProfessionalDomains) The Association of German Engineers (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure - VDI e.v.) in cooperation with the Cologne Institute for Economic research is regulary publishing studies dealing with the question of labour market conditions for engineers (see: But, these are not survey in the narrow sense but rather monitors. Regular surveys are not known. Updated statistics about engineers based on secondary sources are provided by the Federal Chamber of Engineers (Bundesingenieurkammer). It summarises data about employment, unemployment and employing organizations (see: 8 Is the Life Long Learning Process in any way regulated/demanded for graduates of this professional domain? If yes, who regulates it and what are the general rules? No, there is no regulated Life Long Learning Process. Further education is expected and recommended but not demanded for engineers. 11