The reform is the result of discussions on a national and European level.

With more than one hundred study programmes, the University of Innsbruck offers a wide and ambitious programme selection. Even more diverse and demanding, are certainly the life worlds of the students, which is why the University of Innsbruck aims at making the study- or learning paths more flexible, taking into consideration   the requirements of the disciplines and quality demands. This process of making the programmes more flexible, demands a higher level of responsibility for the students. The allegation that studying was too much like school, which is often heard in discussions on the implementation of the Bologna process, should be invalidated this way. In the sense of the actual objectives of the reform process and the self-conception of the University of Innsbruck, students should no longer be “passive recipients of knowledge” and “collectors of ECTS-Credits”, but actively shaping their own (further) education.

In accordance with the specifications of the curricula, students should be able to decide, whether they want to advance their studies in a (research) field, or expand their already acquired expert and personal competences by studying other, non-subject and/or interdisciplinary skills. The selection made is listed in the final certificate and in the Diploma Supplement respectively. In any case, the discourse between students and researchers, but also between students and society and the employment market, should be promoted with the “new curricula” process.

Vice Rector Bernhard Fügenschuh says that “’new curricula’ creates many possibilities for developers of curricula”. Studies can be “broadened” with regards to the subject, which among other things promotes quality-assured permeability and facilitates the admission to continuing Master’s programmes. Moreover, ‘new curricula’ gives students – irrespective of their socio-economic background – the unique chance to join an international mobility programme or international, intercultural exchange (on site). A central common denominator of ‘new curricula’ is that students are in the focus as self-dependent, active and researching learners.

The curricula will be amended step-by-step. The first study programmes, which switch to the new study structure, are the Master’s programmes at the Faculty of Humanities 2.