Faculty of Social Science

In order to guarantee a continuing good quality in teaching and research the strategic aims of the Faculty are regularly checked and adjusted with instruments of quality assurance.

The Faculty of Social Science started dealing with quality management early on; the interest in a continuing improvement of teaching in particular is documented by a number of measures:

• Participation in the Bochum Master Reform Programme since 1993/94
• Since 1994/95 it supports and practises close mentoring of first-term students in a tutoring system
• 1995 foundation of an association of Faculty members and graduates of the Faculty for the promotion of the cooperation between academia and practice ("SOPRA")
• 1996 first presentation of a comprehensive teaching report
• 1998 introduction of an achievement-oriented funding on department level
• 1998 – 2001 participation in a BLK-project "Modularisation of the Courses at the Humanities and Social Science"
• 1998/99 development and implementation of a first plan for structural development
• Since 1998/99 regular interviews among the participating students of the events in the form of panel surveys for the collection of data on the situation, behaviour, demand and satisfaction of the students
• 2001 resolution of the Ruhr-Universität on the introduction of a sequential consecutive BA/MA Degree Course (Bachelor/Master) by the Humanities and the Social Science. The RUB was the first university in Germany to realise the reform of the Master Degree for all subjects of the Humanities and the Social Science.
• 2006 accreditation of the degree courses Social Science as one-subject Bachelor and as one-subject Master as well as the two-subject Bachelor courses Politics, Economics and Society or Culture, Individual and Society respectively.
• By the summer term of 2007 complete reorganisation to consecutive Bachelor and Master Degrees.

The Faculty has reorganised and optimised its courses of study completely. An integrative approach of Social Science in research and teaching which has always determined the profile of the Faculty is in the foreground. The guiding theme is the close linking of the individual Social Science disciplines as well as a mutually complimentary scientific education with application orientation. The Bachelor and Master course Social Science (one subject) aims at a clear inter-discipline scientific and research methodological orientation. The focus in the two-subject model is more theme and vocation field oriented.

Not only the accreditation but also the demand for the degree courses confirms the excellent compilation of the faculty. In the winter term of 2006/2007 for instance, there were 6500 applications for the approximately 280 first-term places. In order to guarantee good conditions for studying there are some local restrictions on admission.