' (, plural: ') is the generic term in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
for institutions of
higher education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...
, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right to confer
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
s. In contrast, ''Hochschule'' encompasses ''Universitäten'' as well as institutions that are not authorized to confer doctorates.
Roughly equivalent terms to ''Hochschule'' are used in some other European countries, such as ''
högskola'' in Sweden and Finland, ''
hogeschool'' in the Netherlands and Flanders, and ' (literally "main school") in
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
, as well as in
post-Soviet countries (deriving from
высшее учебное заведение) in Central Europe, in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
(
висше училище) and
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
.
Generic term
The German education system knows two different types of universities, which do not have the same legal status. The term ''Hochschule'' can be used to refer to all institutions of
higher education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...
in Germany that confer
academic degree
An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including und ...
s, that is both regular
universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...
(''Universitäten'') and
''Fachhochschulen''.
Specialised term
Rather than as an umbrella term, ''Hochschule'' is also increasingly used as a specialized term, i.e. for institutions that:
* do not cover a large diversity of academic fields, but focus on certain areas;
* do not have the right to award
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
s, but
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...
s and
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. s.
Institutions that are called ''Hochschule'' meet one or more of these criteria, which differentiate them from an ''Universität''. In recent years, a number of German ''Fachhochschulen'' opted to name themselves ''Hochschule'' or ''Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften'' (university of applied sciences) rather than ''Fachhochschule''. Additionally, there are specialized ''Hochschulen'' which focus on a particular set of disciplines, e.g., ''Kunsthochschulen'' (art schools), and share the same legal status as regular universities.
In most German states, a ' is not a ''Hochschule'' by either of the definitions because the bachelor's degrees conferred by such are professional degrees, which are ''de jure'' not academic degrees. However the state of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
, from where this type of tertiary sector education originally emerged, has recently elevated these institutions to the status of a ''Hochschule'' as
Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University. The degrees awarded by the latter are academic degrees and equivalent to those awarded by ''Fachhochschulen'' and regular universities.
See also
* a , despite its name, is not a as described here
References
{{Authority control
German words and phrases
Higher education in Germany
Types of university or college