For a better overview: University of Erfurt relaunches STUDIMAT online tool

Sometimes it's not so easy to keep track of your choice of degree programme. Especially when - as at the University of Erfurt - you have to study two subjects, major and minor. In Erfurt, almost all subjects can be combined, but some are only available as majors or minors. And a few are NC degree programmes for which an earlier application date applies - even if they are combined with an NC-free subject. And: A two-subject Bachelor's programme is also studied if a Master's programme is to be followed by a teacher training programme. In this case, however, certain combinations are obligatory, depending on the teaching profession and future school subject. What offers Erfurt students numerous perspectives and exciting combinations is therefore not so easy to convey in the counselling and application process.

It was precisely against this background that the university developed the online study selection tool "STUDIMAT" in 2014/15, which was named a "digital university pearl" by the Stifterverband. It guides prospective students almost playfully through the selection process and presents the appropriate combination of subjects at the end. In addition, there is information about application deadlines and information about possible aptitude tests. Current and former students also report on their experiences with the respective subjects.

"In the meantime, however, our STUDIMAT had become a bit outdated visually and was not optimally usable, especially on mobile devices," explains Anja Traute, marketing employee at the university, one of the main reasons for the relaunch. And online editor Claudia Behnke-Hermann adds: "With the move of the tool to the university website, we are now also finally maintaining all the data - the information about the degree programme, the testimonials in our Campus Life blog and the combination rules for the STUDIMAT selection - in one system." At the same time, the relaunch has improved user-friendliness (usability) and implemented some technical improvements that enable a quick response to changes in the examination regulations.

In particular, prospective students who want to teach at schools in the future have a lot to consider when choosing their degree programme. For example, teacher training in Thuringia provides for subjects that must be an obligatory part of the range of subjects taught in the future. And: teaching subjects are not always the same as subjects of study (e.g. English vs. German Studies). For this reason, STUDIMAT not only enables the selection of future teaching subjects, which are only "translated" into the corresponding bachelor's programmes as a result, but also provides a choice of only those combinations that are possible for the teacher training programme for primary, regular and special schools. "We are glad that we were also able to move this important tool to the university website in time for the study orientation phase and before the application period for the winter semester 2022/23," Anja Traute is pleased to say.

STUDIMAT can be accessed via all Bachelor's degree programme detail pages on the university website and directly via the address www.uni-erfurt.de/studimat and can be tried out straight away.