Three Questions to Professor Stefan Turek About Admissions in the Summer Semester
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So far, new students at TU Dortmund University could enroll only for Computer Science in the summer semester – the university has now added three more Bachelor’s degree programs: Mathematics, Technomathematics, and Mathematics & Economics. In this interview, Professor Stefan Turek, Dean of the Department of Mathematics, describes the target group for this new offer and explains which elements of the curriculum have been adjusted and how students can get off to a good start.
Professor Turek, why has the Department of Mathematics decided to allow admissions in the summer semester too?
By starting degree programs in the summer semester, we can reach additional groups of new students interested in studying mathematics: On the one hand, those school leavers who, for various reasons, were unable to begin studying in the winter semester. On the other hand, students changing subjects or universities are also able to join us – without having to wait until the fall. But the restructuring of the introductory phase that this has necessitated also has advantages for students starting as normal in the winter semester. As we now offer one of the two basic modules every semester, students can repeat it more easily if need be.
How is the department facilitating this additional start to the degree programs?
Firstly, the basic module “Linear Algebra I” will run twice a year. Secondly, we are offering compulsory elective modules that can be taken with or without prior knowledge. The content stays the same, only the order of study changes. This has eliminated the need for re-accreditation. As a result, we were able to flesh out and implement the idea in the various committees within just one year that emerged in the summer of 2023 of offering the three specialized degree programs in the summer semester too. We would like to thank everyone involved from the Rectorate, administration, teaching and many other departments for their continued support in making the additional start reality and for promoting it. We are delighted that things are now getting underway!
How does the department support candidates interested in enrolling in the summer semester?
To give prospective students the best possible support, we offer individual advice. To this end, we have drawn up sample study plans to illustrate how a degree program starting in the summer semester can look. We look particularly at their choice of minor subjects. For Computer Science and Economics, starting in the summer semester is a smooth process; for other minor subjects, we work together with the prospective student to find the best option. In addition, at the beginning of the semester we will organize a brief orientation phase together with our two student councils for Mathematics and Mathematics & Economics so that students can meet each other and get off to a great start at the university. This new offer has already met with a good response despite the short lead time, and we have already successfully enrolled the first dozen students for the 2024 summer semester.
Further information
School leavers and students interested in studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Technomathematics or Mathematics & Economics in the 2024 summer semester can find further information and advice on the website of the Department of Mathematics.
Anyone interested in these degree programs can also send their inquiries directly to the department via e-mail.