School of Social Sciences

• The School in Numbers
• Fields of Research and Teaching
• Interdisciplinary Co-operation
  
  • Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies
  • Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in European Studies
• Study Programmes
  • Bachelor Programmes
  • Master Programmes
• Courses

The School in Numbers
The School of Social Sciences has about 700 students.

About 26 full-time professors and research assistants are teaching and doing research at our School. They are supported by 25 additional professors, private lecturers and assistant lecturers. Several of them are practitioners from policy consulting firms, and the Council and Parliament of the European Union.

Fields of Research and Teaching
Our School is divided into two major branches: political science and sociology.
The political science branch is specialised in the following areas:

• Political Theory
• State and Domestic Policy
• Comparative Politics
• European Integration
• International Relations 

• Sociology
• Comparative Social Analysis
• Critical Theory and Cultural Sociology
• Economic Sociology
• Educational Sociology
• Methods of Empirical Social Research and Social Structure Analysis
• Microsociology and Qualitative Methods of Empirical Social Research
• Migrational Sociology

To ensure a high standard of research and teaching, we regularly evaluate our lectures, seminars, and research activities.

Besides, we are able to offer our students a well-equipped School library with several thousands of books, a wide selection of newspapers, journals and magazines, and online access to thousands of electronic journals and many online-databases. 


Interdisciplinary Co-operation
Our School members are also very active in interdisciplinary co-operation projects, both in research and teaching, both within the university and beyond in cooperation with firms, associations, and political institutions in Germany and abroad.
Major co-operation areas are peace research, research on developing countries, research on Japan, European Integration research and migration research.

Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS)
Closely linked to our Scholl is the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS), an interdisciplinary research institute, which brings together scientists from different disciplines such as demography, geography, history, politics, law, economics, ethnology, sociology, intercultural education, intercultural management, gender studies, linguistics, literature, and psychology.
The institute explores different aspects of spatial mobility and intercultural experience from both historical and contemporary perspectives. Research at IMIS is centred around the following, interdisciplinary topics:

• Migration and Migration Policy in Germany, Europe, and the Atlantic Area
• Migration, Integration, and Social Science Theories
• Migration and Integration in Law and Politics: Status Quo and Future Tasks
• Interculturalism, Generation Gap, Gender and Family Research
• Migration, Integration, the Labour Market, and Occupaional Qualification
• Migration, Integration and Language
• Integration and Education

Study Programmes

Bachelor Programmes
We offer the following Bachelor programmes:

• "Bachelor Sozialwissenschaften" (BA Social Sciences) 
• "Bachelor Europäische Studien" (BA European Studies)
• Joint Bachelor (2-Fächer-Bachelor) in "Politikwisssenschaft" (Political Science) or "Soziologie" (Sociology)

Master Programmes
We offer the following Master programmes:

• "Master Soziologie: Dynamiken gesellschaftlichen Wandels" (Master Sociology: Dynamics of Societal Change) 
• "Master Politikwissenschaft: Demokratisches Regieren und Zivilgesellschaft" (Master Political Science: Democratic Governance and Civil Society)
• "Master Europäisches Regieren: Markt - Macht - Gemeinschaft" (Master European European Governance: Market - Power - Community)
• "Master Internationale Migration und interkulturelle Beziehungen" (Master International Migration and Intercultural Relations)

Courses
First of all, some general information: be prepared to encounter different forms of courses at our School:

Seminar ("Seminar")
Most of the courses at our School are seminars. Seminars usually have 10 to 40 participants. The idea behind the seminar system is to allow students to intensively and differentiatedly deal with a given issue. Students are expected to actively participate in discussions and group work. To earn ECTS-Credits, students will mostly be asked to give a presentation or to write an essay of approximately 10 to 15 pages. There are seminars both on Bachelor and on Master level.

Lecture ("Vorlesung")
Some elementary courses, which are mandatory for a large number of students, are also organised as lectures. In lectures, the professor will give an oral presentation to impart knowledge about a particular subject. Students are asked to listen, make notes and work the content of the lecture over at home. To earn ECTS-Credits, students usually have to pass a written exam at the end of the course (Klausur), which covers the topics the lecture dealt with.

Tutorial ("Tutorium")
For several elementary seminars and lectures supplemental tutorials have been introduced at our School. Tutorials are usually led by advanced students. In comparatively small working groups students have the opportunity to discuss the contents of the related lecture respectively seminar and/or additional readings. Frequently, the tutors will also assist students in preparing presentations or final examinations.

“Academic Quarter” ("Akademisches Viertel")
A particularity of schedules at German universities is the so-called “academic quarter”: courses scheduled at a certain hour – with or without the addition "c.t." (“cum tempore” = “with time”) – usually start 15 minutes after and end 15 minutes before the full hour. A course that, according to the course calendar, takes place from 8 am to 10 am thus begins at 8.15 am and ends at 9.45 am. To indicate that a course commences at the exact time, the abbreviation “s.t.” (“sine tempore” = “without time”) is used. Thus, a course set out to 8 am s.t. beginns at 8 am sharp and ends at 9.30 am. This system also makes it easier for students to walk from one university building to another between classes.

Course calendar ("Veranstaltungs- und Personalverzeichnis", VPV)
For every semester, the University publishes a course calender at the end of the preceding semester. This course calendar contains

• a list of all courses that are offered at the different Faculties,
• important addresses of the University administration, and
• semester dates (beginning, end, holidays).

The course calendar is available online.
Next to the University course calendar, the individual Faculties publish so-called “commented course calendars” (kommentierte Vorlesungsverzeichnisse), which entail more detailed information about the contents of courses, the literature that needs to be read, etc. You can also find a list of all courses that are currently offered at the School of Social Sciences on our website (for more information, please click on the course title). IMPORTANT: To register for courses, please use the university online system Stud.IP.

University of Osnabrück

• The University offers efficient and innovative study programs.
• It is not a “degree factory” but provides good tutoring and close contact with professors.
• It is of manageable size: routes are short and orientation is easy.
• The University of Osnabrück is characterized by a family-friendly atmosphere and offers a whole range of services to students with children.
• It is in close touch with companies, local authorities and institutions and offers good job and internship prospects.
• And certainly also important to students: in Osnabrück you can combine a high quality of life with low cost of living.

Background
The University of Osnabrück is a young and lively university that was founded in 1973. It’s not a campus university; its buildings are integrated into the historic city. At present, the University of Osnabrück is a medium-sized university with about 10,000 full-time students and 800 international students.

Innovative Research and Teaching
The University of Osnabrück offers more than 160 innovative study programs in the Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Law and Business with accredited, internationally recognized degrees. It also has a long tradition of interdisciplinary research and currently has five internationally renowned interdisciplinary research institutes.
Moreover, the University of Osnabrück is internationally orientated: it has been a pioneer in introducing modular Bachelor and Master Programmes. It applies the European Credit Transfer System and is integrated into numerous international research networks.

International Cooperation
Since the University of Osnabrück has been founded in 1973, the number of its international co-operations has been ever increasing. To date, the University of Osnabrück maintains exchange programmes with more than 200 institutes of higher education and links to over 500 academic institutions in more than 60 countries.

Services for International Students
The International Welcome Centre offers a wide range of services for international students: It provides information about the University and the City of Osnabrück and helps students to make contact with people in the University administration and the different faculties. The International Welcome Centre supports students with paperwork prior to arrival in Osnabrück and with the search for suitable accommodation (for exchange students and students with scholarships).
International students are picked up from the central station prior to the start of the Welcome Week. During the Welcome Week students and staff from Osnabrück University support international students in dealing with formalities such as registering at the town hall or opening a bank account. They also introduce students to everything they need know about the University in general such as service institutions, (German) language courses, study organisation, the University Library, how to find the different buildings etc. But of course there’s also a pub-crawl, a guided city tour and excursions to the Osnabrueck region.
Next to official German courses that are offered, students have the possibility to join a special “Tandem” programme that brings an international student and a German student together with the aim of each learning the other’s language.
During the semester a wealth of cultural activities, excursions and get-togethers are organised for international students. There is a tutorial programme in the student residences and a mentor programme for exchange students and students with scholarships.

Semester dates

The academic year at the University of Osnabrück is devided into two semesters: the winter and the summer semester. The winter semester runs from October to March with courses from mid-October to mid-February, the summer semester runs from April to September with courses from the beginning of April to mid-July. The course-free periods are destined for writing exams and term papers, and for work placements.

Summer semester 2011

• Beginning of the semester: April 1, 2011
• Beginning of the courses: April 11, 2011
• End of the courses: July 16, 2011
• End of the semester: September 30, 2011

Winter semester 2011/2012

• Beginning of the semester: Oktober 1, 2011
• Beginning of the courses: October 17, 2011
• Christmas holidays:  December 17 to December 31, 2012
• End of the courses: February 11, 2012
• End of the semester: March 31, 2012

Summer semester 2012

• Beginning of the semester: April 1, 2012
• Beginning of the courses: April 16, 2012
• End of the courses: July 21, 2012
• End of the semester: September 30, 2012

ECTS
An important requirement for student mobility is the recognition of credits earned abroad or at other universities. ECTS, the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, allows students to earn transferable credits in individual courses.
ECTS was introduced in 1989, within the framework of Erasmus. ECTS was set up initially for credit transfer. The system facilitated the recognition of periods of study abroad and thus enhanced the quality and volume of student mobility in Europe.
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System is a student-centred system based on the student workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme.
Student workload in ECTS consists of the time required to complete all planned learning activities such as attending lectures, seminars, independent and private study, preparation of projects and examinations. ECTS is based on the principle that 60 credits measure the workload of a full-time student during one academic year. The student workload of a full-time study programme in Europe amounts in most cases to around 1500-1800 hours per year and in those cases one credit stands for around 25 to 30 working hours.
The performance of the student is documented by a local/national grade. It is good practice to add an ECTS grade, in particular in case of credit transfer. The ECTS grading scale ranks the students on a statistical basis. Therefore, statistical data on student performance is a prerequisite for applying the ECTS grading system. Grades are assigned among students with a pass grade as follows:

• A best 10%
• B next 25%
• C next 30%
• D next 25%
• E next 10%

A distinction is made between the grades FX and F that are used for unsuccessful students. FX means: “fail- some more work required to pass” and F means: “fail – considerable further work required”. The inclusion of failure rates in the Transcript of Records is optional.

Learning Agreement
The Learning Agreement contains the list of courses to be taken with the ECTS credits which will be awarded for each course. This list must be agreed by the student and the responsible academic body of the institution concerned. In the case of credit transfer, the Learning Agreement has to be agreed by the student and the two institutions concerned before the student’s departure and updated immediately when changes occur.

Transcript of Records
The Transcript of Records documents the performance of a student by showing the list of courses taken, the ECTS credits gained, local or national credits, if any, local grades and possibly ECTS grades awarded. In the case of credit transfer, the Transcript of Records has to be issued by the home institution for outgoing students before departure and by the host institution for incoming students at the end of their period of study.
At the end of their stay, exchange students receive a “Transcript of Records” containing their ECTS points. These ECTS points are used to calculate course credits earned in Osnabrück at the student’s own university.

Diploma Supplement (DS)
The Diploma Supplement is a document attached to a higher education diploma providing a standardised description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies that were successfully completed by the graduate. The Diploma Supplement provides transparency and facilitates academic and professional recognition of qualifications (diplomas, degrees, certificates).

ECTS for Exchange Students at the University of Osnabrück
Before you come to Osnabrück, please discuss your schedule with the examination office at your home university to make sure that the courses you plan to take at the University of Osnabrück will be recognized after your return. LLP-/Erasmus-Students need to fill in a Learning Agreement, which has to be signed by the Erasmus Coordinators of their home faculty/university and our school/university).
At the end of your stay, you will receive a “Transcript of Records”, which lists the courses you have taken and the ECTS-Credits you have earned (Contact person: Karoline Bachteler).

Source and further information:
Information of the European Commission on ECTS

Stud.IP 
Stud.IP is Osnabrück University’s e-learning plattform. Via Stud.IP you can register for the courses you want to take. Once registered for a course, you will be able to access and download course materials such as texts, presentations, and exercises, but also to upload own handouts and homework. Furthermore, your lecturer will be able to contact you directly should the time and place of a course change.
Stud.IP is not only an information but also a communication plattform: you can exchange internal messages with your fellow students or the university staff, and write joint documents with your lecturers and fellow students.
And these are only some of the central functions of Stud.IP. You also have your individual “homepage”, on which you can present yourself (studies, hobbies, etc.). You can search for people and courses, and draw up your schedule or an an address book. But just discover Stud.IP yourself…!
To use Stud.IP, you will have to obtain a password from the Computer Centre ("Rechenzentrum"). Once you are provided with this password, you will be able to access Stud.IP from any computer with internet access – be it at home, in the university library, or in the School’s computer lab (CIP pool).
You are looking for the easiest way to get to know everything about Stud.IP? Just attend the Welcome Week that is offered by the International Office. During the Welcome Week, a presentation of Stud.IP will be given and you will receive your password.

CIP-Pools and W-LAN
Our School has a modern computer lab ("Sowi-Lab") for students with 12 computers in room 04/251. The computers run on Windows XP. You can use all MS Office programmes, SPSS, Biblist, and Firefox. Furthermore, the computers are equipped with CD drives and USB ports. The Sowi-Lap is open from Monday to Friday 08:00-20:00. To access the Sowi-Lab you need a ten-digit code, which you can receive in the School's IT-Office in room 04/109 that is opened on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00-12:00 and on Thursdays from 14:00-16:00. To log on to the computer, you need your Computer Centre username and password (the same as for Stud.IP and your uos-e-mail address).
The copy and print machine in strongroom on the second foor of the School building can be used with a PrintCard. PrintCards can be bought and topped up at the StudiOS Info-Point (building No. 19/E16, Neuer Graben 27) or the school library of law and economics (building No. 21, Heger-Tor-Wall 14).
If you are just looking for internet access you may also use the computers in the main library and the school libraries. Besides, you can log on to the WLAN network of the university with your own computer. For instructions please consult the Computer Centre’s website.

Libraries
The University of Osnabrück has one main library (called “Alte Münze”), three school libraries and several institute libraries. The libraries are equipped with more than 1.5 million books, a wide selection of newspapers, journals and magazines, as well as online access to more than 50.000 electronic journals and more than 2.000 online-databases.

Main library “Alte Münze” and reading rooms for Philology / Cultural Sciences
Alte Münze 16/Kamp
D-49074 Osnabrück

School library of Social Sciences
Seminarstraße 33
D-49074 Osnabrück

School library of Law and Economics
Heger-Tor-Wall 14
D-49078 Osnabrück

 

Language Courses
As German is still the main language of research and teaching at the University of Osnabrück, however, we strongly recommend you to take part in one of the German language courses that are offered by the University’s Language Centre every semester. There are numerous German language courses on different levels which are designed to

• improve your knowledge of German,
• introduce you to special terminology used in the different fields of study (e.g. social sciences), and
• introduce you to forms of learning and teaching at the University of Osnabrück and to methods used in academic work.

Entry-level tests take place at the beginning of every semester. You will be informed about the different courses and entry-level tests during the Welcome Week respectively Welcome Day. Moreover, further information can be found on the Language Centre’s notice board or website.

Next to the official German language courses that are offered, students have the possibility to join a special “Tandem” programme that links two students with a different mother tongue - e.g. a French and a German student - with the aim of learning each others language. For further information about this programme please contact the Language Centre.
Of course you can also improve your German outside the University: several language schools in Osnabrück offer German language courses for foreigners. Amongst others, the “Volkshochschule Osnabrück”, a publicly funded education centre, holds low-price courses at all levels.