Surveys
There are many reasons for conducting graduate studies. For example, the data collected is an important indicator of the quality of higher education. Accreditation agencies require graduate studies to be carried out, as this allows them to check the appropriateness of the curricula, the range of study programs, the focus on needs, practical relevance, and problem references at the university.
The information provides various university-wide institutions with insights into study and career paths, which they can pass on to students. If necessary, the range of key and additional qualifications can be expanded on the basis of the results. The practical experience of former students should help to improve the quality of studies and better structure the relationship between the university and the job market.
The long-term goal of the project is the university-wide implementation of graduate studies in the Quality Assurance and Quality Development System of Osnabrück University.
Procedure
From October 2025 to mid-February 2026, the around 2,400 graduates of the 2024 examination year (graduation in the winter semester 2023/24 and summer semester 2024) will be contacted with the request to participate in the Osnabrück University graduate survey. The survey is aimed at graduates of all subjects and degree types (with the exception of Doctorates), and is conducted exclusively via an online form. Once the survey has been completed, the data will be entered and processed by the Institute for Applied Statistics (ISTAT). Further evaluations are then carried out by the Teaching Evaluation Service Center of Osnabrück University.
Questionnaire
The questionnaire contains questions on the course of studies, Evaluation of study conditions at Osnabrück University, career entry and progression, use of acquired skills, and current employment. It takes about 45 minutes to answer the questions. Since the winter semester 2015/16, a separate questionnaire variant has also been offered for graduates of teacher training programs and, since the winter semester 2022/23, a questionnaire variant for graduates of law studies.
Go directly to the graduate survey.
Time of survey
As there is no standard transition to employment, there is also no optimal time to conduct such a graduate survey. With a survey one to two years after graduation, it can be assumed that while many graduates have already gained their first professional experience they can also still remember and evaluate their previous studies. This survey date is also in line with some international standards (Netherlands, Norway, DZHW etc.), which enables reliable international comparisons.
Reasons for participating in the survey
- Completing the questionnaire offers you the opportunity to reflect on your own study experiences.
- You have the opportunity to give Osnabrück University feedback on your study situation.
- The university and your department will consider your experiences and opinions.
- Your feedback will contribute to a critical examination and improvement of ...
- the courses on offer and the study conditions,
- the university's advisory and service facilities and
- the practical and career orientation of the degree program.
- You give future generations of students the possibility to benefit from your experiences.
- On request, you will of course also receive the results of the survey.
Procedure
Parallel to the survey of graduates from the 2024 examination year, a repeat survey of one year class will take place in the winter semester 2025/26. In this round, the 2021 year class (graduated in winter semester 2020/21 and summer semester 2021) will be surveyed again, provided the graduates have given their consent. From October 2025 to mid-February 2026, they were contacted by ISTAT with the request to participate in the repeat survey. Participation was realized via an online form. Once the survey has been completed, the data will be entered and processed by the Institute for Applied Statistics (ISTAT).
Questionnaire
The focus of the repeat survey is less on a review of the studies and more on questions about career entry, educational and career progression and job satisfaction, the use of acquired skills as well as questions about continuing professional development and career mobility. This includes aspects of career development, which were already recorded in the initial survey but change over time, as well as new questions that become more relevant with the duration of employment. Time-constant aspects of the initial survey are not surveyed again (e.g. information on the course of studies, situation after graduation, first employment).
Time of survey
Four to five years after graduation, most graduates will have gained professional experience. They can provide information about their professional development, the requirements of their professional activities and their own acquired skills. Such information is particularly important with regard to improving career-oriented education or central services, such as career counseling or other career services at Osnabrück University.
Reasons for participation in the survey
- Completing the questionnaire offers you the opportunity to reflect on your first professional experiences in connection with your studies.
- You have the opportunity to provide Osnabrück University with feedback on the appropriateness of the course in relation to your professional activities.
- The University and your department will consider your experiences and opinions.
- Your feedback will contribute to a critical review and improvement ...
- the courses offered and the study conditions,
- the university's advisory and service facilities and
- the practical and career orientation of the degree program.
- You give future generations of students the opportunity to benefit from your experiences.
- On request, you will of course also receive the results of the survey.