Spotlight on the Internationalization of Teaching

To help lecturers and departments with the introduction of English-taught courses, the Vice President International Affairs and the Corporate Center University Development and Organization have issued a handout that describes the support measures available and shows where there is further scope for designing courses. It was recently approved by the Senate.

Guidelines for English-language offers in studies and teaching

The four-page paper makes it clear that completing Bachelor’s degree programs in German must remain possible, while Master’s degree programs, by contrast, can be offered entirely or partly in English. This applies both for existing and new Master’s programs. Partnerships with universities abroad for conferring joint degrees are possible. Decisions in this regard lie with the respective department, but the Student Body should be involved. Courses taught in English not only serve to open up TU Dortmund University even further for international students but can also be particularly attractive for German-speaking students, depending on the subject culture and professional environment.

In Bachelor’s degree programs, individual English-taught courses can be offered, but the proportion in the compulsory electives must not exceed 40 percent. For compulsory courses, a maximum limit is to be specified in the examination regulations. Nothing higher than Level B2 can be made a requirement, as this equates to school students’ knowledge of English. To learn technical or specialist English, the Division of Foreign Languages at the Center for Higher Education already offers department-specific courses. Examinations for the Bachelor’s degree should continue to be possible in German, and support offers such as tutorials should also be provided in German. The purpose of course contents taught in English is above all to introduce students to academic work and professional practice in an international context.

Successful internationalization at TU Dortmund University

TU Dortmund University has already tested various models for English-taught Master’s programs: The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology has decided to switch teaching in its Master’s programs from German to English. The Department of Physics offers a joint degree in particle physics together with two universities abroad. The Department of Statistics and the Department of Business and Economics, in turn, have launched a new English-taught Master’s degree program in Econometrics with partners in the UA Ruhr. Interdisciplinary questions arise, for example, in conjunction with diversity management, transitional phases and external funding opportunities.

Future goals

In the University Development Plan 2022-2026, TU Dortmund University has set itself the goal of increasing the proportion of international students from currently 13 to 22 percent. To achieve this, the portfolio of courses taught in English must be expanded even further. In addition, students should also be able to gain international experience on their home campus within the “Internationalization@Home” scheme. Through more English-taught courses, they would be able not only to upgrade their language skills but also to enter into closer contact with international academics, whose number should also increase in the future, from currently 12 to 20 percent. After all, the university’s Internationalization Strategy encompasses not only teaching but also research.

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