Joseph-Schumpeter Institute Wels

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Pap, Oct 29, 2009.

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  1. Pap

    Pap New Member

    Do you have any previous experience with Joseph-Schumpeter Institute Wels?
    It appears to be in Austria...
    Note I am not providing any web site link (for obvious reasons)
     
  2. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    Who do you mean with "you"?
    Or is this post a mistake and your original intention was to send a PM to somebody? ;)

    BTW, I don't have any experience with Joseph-Schumpeter Institut Wels. But I know it and I think it is a quite odd type of institution. However, I think it is unlikely that anybody here has any experience with it because that institute is a German speaking institution.

    Joseph-Schumpeter Institut Wels is a private school - but not a university - which offers a type of education that exists only in Austria. That type of education is called "Lehrgang universitären Charakters" in German but I don't know how to translate that name. It means something like "university-style course".
     
  3. Pap

    Pap New Member

    Hi Mintaru..
    No this post is not a mistake...I had some questions, since:
    1) This instituite is also English speaking (I would not say much for adv. purposes)
    2) I was hoping to find some people knowing German/Austrian and try explain what is meant by "Lehrgang universitären Charakters"
    3) There is much debate going on about if the courses offered by this (and some affiliated Unis) can lead to Uni degree.

    I hope this is more clear now ;)
     
  4. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    Yes, it is equivalent to an RA MBA.

    1) I know that Joseph-Schumpeter Institut Wels offers some courses in English, but I'm quite sure that this institute itself does not offer any full degree courses in English. However, Joseph-Schumpeter Institut Wels (like its sister-institute Hans-Sachs Institut Wels, which offers an MPA) is a 100 percent subsidiary of WWEDU World Wide Education GmbH, and that company offers an executive MBA in English in cooperation with Turku University Of Applied Sciences in Finland. This MBA is granted by Turku University and therefore has GAAP status, but some of the courses are offered by Joseph-Schumpeter Institut Wels.

    2) It is not easy to explain what is meant by "Lehrgang universitären Charakters". I think it's necessary to mention some quite recent history of Austrian education. Back in 1997, Austrian law did require that an "Universität" (German for university) is a public institution. With other words it was, de facto, illegal to create a private Austrian university because such an institution could not exist under Austrian law - simply because it is private.
    But in 1997 the Austrian government tried to give private institutions the right to grant academic degrees. However, there was huge - and I mean really HUGE - opposition from Austrian universities and opposition parties. The compromise was to give these institutions the right to offer academic degrees (only Master's degrees) but deny them the so called "Universitätsstaus" (in English: university status), which is a legal status in German speaking Europe equivalent to the status of a regionally accredited university in the US. These institutions are called "Ausseruniversitäre Bildungseinrichtungen", in English: non-university educational establishments. The result was a quite odd situation. Austria is probably the only country in the world which has "non-universities" with the right to grant academic degrees. However, it should be noted that every degree course offered by these institutions needs to be accredited by the Austrian ministry of education. But that's not the end of the story. In 2001, the Austrian government successfully reformed Austrian education laws. Since then it is possible to create private Austrian universities. These universities and all degree courses offered by these universities need to be accredited by the newly created Austrian Accreditation Council, in German "Österreichischer Akkreditierungsrat". But this does not mean that the degree prorams at 'non-university educational establishments' were instantly replaced by these new programs at Austrian private universities. Until 2003 it was still possible to accredited new degree programs at 'non-university educational establishments'. It was originally planed to abolish this type of education as late as 2010, but in 2008 this date was even extended to 2012.

    BTW, WWU Privatuniversität Wels AG, an other subsidiary of WWEDU World Wide Education GmbH tried two times (in 2007 and 2008) to get accreditation as a private university by the Austrian Accreditation Council but it failed both times. However, I don't know why.

    3) No, a course offered by these institutions does not lead to university degree because these institutions are no universities. (see 2) However, these courses lead a an academic degree! Austria is probably the only country in the world were this distinction makes sense.

    I hope I was able to help you...

    mintaru.
     
  5. Pap

    Pap New Member

    Thanx!!!
    It explains much...Really helpful info!!!
    What about the Bologna treaty?
     
  6. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    The Bologna treaty is one of the two main reasons why "Lehrgänge universitären Charakters" are phased out. The other one is the fact that some other European countries (like Germany, for instance) do not recognize academic degrees from institutions without university-status, also (but not only) because the Bologna treaty applies only to schools with university-status.

    Back in 1997/98, the Austrian first degree was the so called Diplomstudium, generally after five years of study. The granted title generally was 'Magister', with the exception of engineering where the granted title was 'Diplom-Ingenieur'. The other three exceptions were medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine where the granted title was a professional doctorate after five years in veterinary medicine and after six years in the other two disciplines. (note: a professional doctorate as first academic degree, directly after high school) The 'Diplomstudium' was/is the prerequisite for the Austrian research doctorate. The "Lehrgang universitären Charakters" did exist alongside this system, and the granted degree was (and still is) a Master's degree.

    In the new Austrian degree system after the implementation of the Bologna treaty, the new first degree is the Bachelor's degree after generally three years of study. This is followed by a Master's degree after two years. A Bachelor's and a Master's degree, after together five years of study, are the new prerequisite for an Austrian research doctorate. However, the old Master's degree after a "Lehrgang universitären Charakters" is not equivalent to the new Master's degree! That new degree is considered equivalent to the old 'Diplomstudium'. The professional doctorates still exist.

    I hope this answers your question. ;)
    mintaru.
     
  7. Pap

    Pap New Member

    Enligting Mintaru!!!!
    Thanx!!
    Cheers :)
     

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