A comparison of the theoretical and practical components of the US and German higher-education systems; what we can learn from the German approach to better prepare our students for ever-changing technology

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/25/2011 - 1:30pm

Title	A comparison of the theoretical and practical components of the US and German higher-education systems; what we can learn from the German approach to better prepare our students for ever-changing technology
Publication Type	Thesis
Year of Publication	1995
Authors	Brownell, Eugene Baars
Academic Department	computer science
Thesis Advisor	Cook, Curtis R.
Degree	Bachelor of Science in International Studies in Computer Science
Number of Pages	22
Date Published	06/1995
University	Oregon State University
City	Corvallis
Thesis Type	Undergraduate
Keywords	comparison, German, higher-education, technology, United States
Abstract	The curriculum of technical degrees at higher education institutions in the United States needs to continuously adapt to ever changing technologies. One way to accomplish this is to adopt a more dynamic approach that separates the practical and theoretical components of the university education, and where the student concentrates on each part. An example is the German system, where the students learn about the theory through classes at the university and learn the practical application of the theory through industrial internships. I propose that universities concentrate on theory in the classroom while requiring each student participate in several semester-long internships in the industry to gain appreciation of the practical application of the theory. This, coupled with more industry involvement curriculum ensures that students will not learn out-dated material, and will make the US more competitive in the world market.