The first issue of the social media series sheds light on the number of degree programs at Goethe University Frankfurt.
Goethe University Frankfurt has 16 faculties. In everyday use, the rather inaccurate term “subjects” is sometimes heard. But when it’s a matter of what can be studied here at all, the number is far higher: Goethe University Frankfurt offers 155 degree programs, of which 63 are Bachelor’s and 83 are (consecutive) Master’s programs, 4 are teaching degrees, 4 are state examination programs and 1 is a theology program. Looking at the different subject groups, the figures vary considerably: While faculties 06-10 (humanities, cultural studies and arts) chalk up 37 Bachelor’s and 46 Master’s degree programs, the number in faculties 01-05 (law, economics and social sciences) is much lower: Here, there are only 11 Bachelor’s and 17 Master’s degree programs.
Lena Opitz from Academic Controlling explains the counting method: “You could increase the figure to 165 degree programs if you were to include the 10 continuing education programs at Master’s level. But these are a bit of an exception because they are part-time.” If you are wondering why there are only 4 teaching degrees although so many different subject combinations are possible, this is because only the four qualifications for teaching in different types of school are recorded in the statistics, i.e. elementary school, secondary school, grammar school and special needs school. “Beyond that, there are, of course, the 23 teaching subjects that can be combined,” explains Opitz. She says that some statistics, such as the Higher Education Compass of the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), record and count teaching degrees differently, which sometimes results in a contradiction that does not de facto exist. “Depending on the matter in hand, subjects and degree programs are recorded differently, which by all means makes perfect sense.”
Can it be said that there are more degree programs today than in the past? “We can certainly say that the Bologna Process has led to a diversification of degree programs, but not necessarily to more subjects. This can also be deduced, among other things, from the fact that 18 of our consecutive Master’s degree programs are taught in English, of which two are taught in English along with one or more languages other than German,” says Lena Opitz. A new degree program will start in the coming winter semester: Goethe University Frankfurt will offer the Master of Arts in “International Literatures and Book Markets” in collaboration with the University of Marburg; another partner is Frankfurter Buchmesse (Frankfurt Book Fair).
