Germany has evolved to be one of the most desired destinations for higher education studies and research amongst international students worldwide, with many world-renowned universities located in the country. However, the students interested to study in Germany are often confused between studying in FH or a TU. As a matter of fact, the students often fail to understand the difference between the two distinctly. So let us first know what they are.
What Is FH And TU In Germany?
In Germany, University is termed as Universitaet. Now, there are majorly two types in fields of science, i.e., the Fachhochschule (FH), also known as the University of Applied Sciences and the Technische Universitaet (TU)., also known as the Technical University. Both FH and TU look similar as they have quite a few similarities, which generally confuses the students.
Let us understand the similarities first:
- Both FH and TU offers Bachelor’s as well as Master’s program.
- The system of grades and credit points are the same in both FH and TU.
- The method of attendance of lectures, seminars, and exams are similar in both FH and TU.
- Academic credentials and degrees are provided in both FH and TU.
Difference Between FH And TU
Howsoever similar they might appear prima facie, the two have a variety of distinctions, the knowledge of which is of extreme importance for the students. Let us discuss all the relevant differences in the details below:
| Basis of difference | Fachhochschule (FH) or The University of Applied Sciences | Technische Universitat or Technical Universities (TU) |
| Focus in the curriculum | The focus is more on practical education and experience in real-life companies. | The curriculum focusses on the theoretical and research-based study. |
| Source of students | Mostly students with prior work experiences apply here for gaining extra knowledge in their respective chosen fields. | Fresh students straight from high school apply for bachelor’s or master’s. |
| Faculty | The faculty members are Doctorates in their respective fields with work experience of at least 3 years. The faculty is primarily from the corporate industry, who have chosen to teach later in their career. | The faculty are generally the ones who continued with their careers in the science stream. Most of them remain involved in research and frequent submission of papers and treatises. |
| Work Load | The workload in Fachhochschule is comparatively low, as the focus is drifted more towards practicality. | The work load in Technical universities is way more than the Universities of Applied Sciences. You have to submit a lot more reports as well as designs. |
| Flexibility in choices of elective subjects | Generally, the FH has a very fixed curriculum with some levy here and there. The freedom for students to select the subjects of their choices is generally less here. The number of Master’s courses provided by FH is also a lot lesser than the TU. This is the reason why the customization of preferred subjects becomes difficult, and students have to study exactly what the courses have to offer. Therefore, these are less flexible. | The Technical universities provide a larger number of electives choices compared to the compulsory subjects that you can choose from to a degree. Technical Universities provide a wide variety of Master’s courses, making it easier for students to choose their preferred subjects. Therefore, these are more flexible. |
| Batch size | The number of students per batch is quite a lessor. There are just about 20 to 30 students per classroom at the University of applied sciences. Therefore the ability to interact with professors and friends is a lot easier. | The number of students per batch is vast. There are just about 100 to 300 students per classroom in the Technical Universities. This compromises the ability to interact with professors and friends. More students lead to lessor attention per student. |
| Job orientation | The University of applied sciences are more job-oriented | Technical Universities are less job-oriented. They are more focussed on academics. However, experience-wise, they don’t differ much. |
| Ability to do a Ph.D. | Some states are giving the right to do a Ph. D. to the Universities of Applied Science. However, these are not much prominent. | The right to give out Ph.D. is more or less exclusive to the German universities or Technical Universities. For ease in assimilation afterward in the Ph.D. programs, these universities are better choices. |
| Value of degree | A Graduate from the University of Applied Sciences is eligible to pursue Post Graduation at the Technical University. | A Master’s degree from a Technical University is considered to have a greater value in the employment market. |
| Internship | The curriculum has integrated internship programs. You have work in a company to gain the credits for the specified period as a compulsion. You are not eligible for the degree without the completion of such an internship. | The curriculum offers few industry-oriented practical exposure courses. But unlike the University of applied sciences, it does not restrict the grant of degree for industry work experiences. |
Is TU better than FU?
Yes, it is indeed an unspoken impression that the Technical University enjoys a better reputation than Fachhochschule. However, this does not demean the quality of education provided in Fachhochschule. Sometimes, you get even better support and supervision in the University of Applied Sciences, because of comparatively smaller study groups.
When you are going to any job interview, the things industries take a look at are your presentation skills. Can you deliver the presentations with confidence, or are you hesitant? The attendance in workshops and seminars, other certifications gained along with the Master’s interests the interviews, thereby creating a good impression.
No matter how much perception difference there may be, you always have a chance to improve. The workload in Technical Universities is higher, which makes the impression that students there are more polished and skilled. However, with Fachhochschule, you can solve this issue if you have invested a lot in yourself by doing a lot of workshops, seminars, co-curricular and other certifications. You hold better chances of selection than a student of a big university with lower self-investment.
Moreover, with time the trends are rapidly changing and reducing the differences between the two. The Technical Universities are now offering practical as well as industry-oriented courses along with their academic-oriented ones. On the other hand, Fachhochschule is also gradually being allowed to offer doctorate degrees.
