Employability driving curricular design:“Complementary curricula” at the UoV

Arthur Mettinger & Herbert Hrachovec24.11.2008

The role of “employability” in UoV curricula

“double function” of Bachelor degrees:- foundation for specialization at Master level- sustainable (long-term) employability for

Austrian and European labour market

realization of flexible, modularized curricula that answer

students’ future needs:- possibilities of “branching” inside curriculum- additional knowledge & skills through “complementary curricula” (CC)

Curricular structures at Bachelor level

Austrian law: 180 ECTS

Typology developed autonomously at University of Vienna:

180 ECTS used for one subject area only (sciences)

120-150 ECTS used for „major“ + 30-60 ECTS usable for„complementary curricula“(humanities, social sciences, educational

sciences, philosophy, …)

Design of CC: The curricular perspective• CC are modularized „mini-curricula“ of 15/30 ECTS

• obey the same rules as all curricula at UoV:- student-centred- learning outcome oriented- go through the same quality procedures as „regular“ curricula

• targeted at „non-specialized“ students

• non-consecutive and consecutive

• reflect the rich variety of subjects offered at the UoV

• marked in DS

„The buffet“: the UoV‘s offer (52 CC)

• academic year 2007/08:- economics, statistics, philosophy

• academic year 2008/09:- „classic“ humanities & social sciences- new interdisciplinary CC (cultural studies,

media, ..)

• academic years 2009/10 ff:- more narrow focus on employability- discussions with stakeholders from university

and the labour market

Choice: The students‘ perspective

• free choice of CC according to interest and/or future professional interest• „Major“-curriculum may recommend CC but cannot prescribe

them• offer of CC will be continually expanded in order to keep up

with recent developments and demands of thelabour market

Challenges

• how can the UoV best meet the students’ needs?• how can the UoV best take the demands of the (European) labour market into account?• how can the UoV make use of CC for enhancing student mobility?• which principles should the creation of new CC be based on?• which criteria should be applied to give up CC?

Remarks on freedom and employment prospects

Herbert Hrachovec

Department of Philosophy

University of Vienna

Outline

some legal history

troubles, improvements ?

comparisons

free choice

even more free choice

freedom and future job security

“Im Hinblick darauf, daß das Fach Philosophie eine Sonderstellung im Vergleich zu allen anderen Wissenschaften ein-nimmt, wurden für die freien Wahlfächer keine spezifischen Empfehlungen ausgesprochen. Den Studierenden soll dadurch auch die Möglichkeit geboten werden, im Interesse künftiger beruflicher Flexibilität Qualifikationen, die über das Fach Philosophie hinaus gehen, in freier Entscheidung zu erwerben.“

oops

BA philosophy Vienna

BA philosophy Graz

60 ECTS(freie)Wahlfächer

BA philosophy Salzburg