A Fachhochschule (plural: Fachhochschulen) or "University of Applied Sciences" in Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland is a university specialized in certain topical areas (e.g. technology or business) and without postgraduate doctoral programs -- in some ways comparable to polytechnics. The term polytechnic, from the Greek πολύ polú meaning many and τεχνικός tekhnikós meaning arts, is commonly used in many countries to describe an institution that delivers vocational or technical education and training, other countries do not use the term and use alternative terminology. ...

Germany

Instead of some verbatim translation of the term Fachhochschule, the German Fachhochschulen adopted the translation University of Applied Sciences. The Fachhochschulen were founded in the 1970s, usually by re-arranging pre-existing educational institutes, like schools of engineering, building academies or polytechnicals. Their teaching focus is, as the English name implies, on the practical application of science, while the traditional universities focus on scientific studies. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ...

Since their founding a "war" has been going on on many levels, including politics, academia, but often also between individual teachers and students of traditional universities and universities of applied sciences. The universities of applied sciences seek recognition as being "real" universities, while traditional universities insist on being the only "real" universities. This has resulted in rather strange effects, e.g. that professors at traditional universities have started to use the title Prof. (univ.) to distinguish themselves from professors at universities of applied sciences. This habit is perceived as being somewhere in the range of silly to arrogant. Another effect is that the Fachhochschulen are called equal but different in political documents. Plato is credited with the inception of academia: the body of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations. ...

Since the introduction of Bachelor and Master degrees, both types of universities grant both degrees.

One big obstacle was the German government's hiring and salary policy for civil servants. Two different career paths exist for graduates. Bachelors from both types of universities join the career path gehobener Dienst (roughly: above average service) and are paid significant less than graduates with a master degree. The later follow the höherer Dienst (roughly higher service) career path.

Bologna process in Germany

During the Bologna process the degrees in are changing. After finishing the process there is no more difference between a Bachelor or a Master from University and Fachhochschule. With a master from both there is the possibility to enter a doctoral degree program and with both bachelor degrees it is normally not allowed to enter a doctoral degree program. The purpose of the Bologna process is to create the European higher education area by harmonising academic degree standards and quality assurance standards throughout Europe for each faculty and its development. ...

Also with the Master degree of both kinds of universities the degree holders can enter the höheren Dienst.

Only the students of business law have to fight longer for equal opportunities because the Diplom Wirtschaftsjuristen are lawyers but they are not allowed to work as normal lawyers or to give judicial advice.

Austria

The Austrian government decided to establish Fachhochschulen in 1990. In the academic year of 2004/05, there were 18 institutions officially considered as Fachhochschulen plus a number of other providers of Fachhochschulstudiengängen with a total of 25,554 students. About a third of the 136 Fachhochschulstudiengänge are organized as part-time courses of studies. This article is about the year. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

Technical college A technical college focuses on teaching work skills. ...