Implementing Bologna

Goal - better courses

More structure in the Master's courses, semesters abroad that don't lose time or cause any further setbacks, with all examinations moved to the end of the course: during the 1990s, this vision was the driving force behind the course reforms at the RUB.

Strategy – one step ahead of the rest: Master's pilot

Long before Europe's universities signed the so-called Bologna Declaration to create a European Higher Education Area, the RUB advocated graduated degree courses, launching a pilot Master's degree in 1993. Key elements included in-process course examinations and a Bachelor's degree after seven semesters as initial internationally acknowledged professional qualification, as well as conveying key vocational qualifications such as language, IT and presentation skills.

Implementation – experience pays

The courage to go ahead with the pilot was rewarded with falling drop-out figures and shorter degree times. The RUB then took off with the European Bologna Process. It was one of the first universities to change its degree courses right across the board to the graduate Bachelor's/Master's system. It also reformed its teacher training courses along the same lines: students do not decide to do teacher training until they have passed their Bachelor's degrees, in other words after obtaining a clear understanding of the subject and of what the teaching profession entails.

The RUB brought the reform of its degree course structure to a rapid conclusion. It is now one of Germany's leading universities in consistently converting to the graduated courses and was therefore able to make an early start in further revision of the contents in order to introduce further improvements to the course conditions.