2023 graduates give positive assessment Excellent study conditions and successful career start for TU Braunschweig graduates

The graduates of the 2023 academic year confirm that TU Braunschweig provides excellent academic support from teaching staff, a very high standard of teaching and a very good structure for the degree programme. The survey is part of the Graduate Studies Cooperation Project (KOAB), in which over 80 universities in Germany participate. The graduates were surveyed 1.5 years after graduation.

Excellent study conditions and high graduate satisfaction

In the survey, the majority of graduates from Technische Universität Braunschweig’s class of 2023 expressed a high level of satisfaction with the study conditions at the TU. In particular, 82 per cent of them rated the academic quality of teaching as very good. Around two-thirds also rated the academic support provided by teaching staff and the structure of the degree programme as very good. Almost three-quarters (73.5 per cent) completed their degree within the standard period of study plus two semesters. The main reasons for the extension were delays due to COVID-19 (48.5 per cent), the final thesis (38.4 per cent) and high academic demands (30.5 per cent).

TU President Prof. Angela Ittel is very pleased with the survey results: “The results of the survey of graduates from the class of 2023 at Technische Universität Braunschweig are extremely encouraging. The high satisfaction ratings confirm the excellent study conditions we offer at our university. The quality of our study programmes is particularly evident in the fact that two-thirds of those surveyed stated that they would study at TU Braunschweig again. This positive feedback motivates us to continue doing everything we can to offer our students the best conditions for a successful degree.”

Potential for optimisation

There is still room for improvement in terms of practical and career-related elements of the programme. In comparison, the rating for compulsory internships is significantly more positive, with 45 per cent rating them as (very) good, compared to career preparation, which only 26 per cent place in the same category. Teacher training students in particular criticise the fact that practical examples (35%) and subject didactics (48%) are less frequently part of the training than theoretical principles and concepts (61%). At the same time, however, 79% of respondents consider practical examples and subject didactics to be highly relevant for their future teaching profession. Half of the respondents rated the didactic quality as very good.

“The overall very positive results of the survey show that we are doing a lot of things right at TU Braunschweig,” says Vice-President for Studies and Teaching, Prof. Knut Baumann. “The graduate survey is an important tool for us to evaluate the quality of our teaching. The survey has shown that our graduates generally have a very successful start to their careers, which we are very pleased about. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of teaching quality and career preparation. This is where we can start and improve further.”

Successful start to career

According to the survey, the graduates of TU Braunschweig are predominantly very satisfied with their professional situation. Two-thirds of them found employment within one to three months and three-quarters are in permanent employment. According to the survey, the number of TU Braunschweig graduates in regular employment is over 60 per cent, which is higher than at comparable universities, where the average is 48.4 per cent. The gross monthly income of TU Braunschweig graduates is also higher than the comparative value of similar universities, with salaries between €4,501 and €4,570. Three-quarters of those surveyed are therefore very satisfied with their professional situation, particularly with their current job responsibilities (69 per cent), the professional position they have achieved (67 per cent) and their current income (53 per cent). The majority (40.1 per cent) work in manufacturing, industry or construction. Of these, 40.7 per cent of female graduates are employed in technical activities such as design, planning and development. Although the respondents mainly work in companies (43 per cent) that operate internationally, they have close regional ties. Almost two-thirds have remained in Lower Saxony, mainly in the Braunschweig and Hanover regions.