Facts and background of the Graduate Survey

Information about the Graduate Survey

What is the aim of the Graduate Survey? How is the survey organised? What information is collected and how is the data used? Key questions about the Graduate Survey are answered here.

Aim of the Graduate Survey

The aim of the graduate survey is to obtain valid information about the quality of the degree programmes, the further career of the former students, as well as the match between their academic education and the requirements of the working world.

The data obtained serves the quality development of study and teaching and supports the TU Darmstadt in setting its strategic goals. Additionally, the data provides information for prospective and current students.

Organisation of the Graduate Survey

All alumni of a graduation year are invited to take part in the survey one to two years after obtaining their degrees. The survey period takes place every winter semester from October to February.

The Graduate Survey of the TU Darmstadt is part of the nationwide Graduate Study Cooperation Project (KOAB), in which currently 80 institutions of higher education are involved. The project is coordinated by the Institute for Applied Statistics (ISTAT)

Since winter semester 2022/23, the TU Darmstadt Graduate Survey is integrated into the project Study Programmes and Professions in Hesse commissioned by the Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts. The implementation takes place within the KOAB framework.

Contents of the Graduate Survey

The Graduate Survey includes questions on the following topics:

  • Retrospective evaluation of the completed degree programme
  • The transition to a subsequent course of study or to professional life
  • Information on the current (professional) situation
  • Sociodemographic information

Additionally, the questionnaires include survey highlights and university-specific questions that vary each year.

Usage of the survey data

The data collected from each graduation year is analysed in various forms and levels of aggregation:

  • Key survey results are analysed at subject group level and published on our results page
  • Results at degree programme level are processed in report form for the departments and fields of study
  • Results on specific groups and questions are analysed in numerous specific reports for each graduation year

Key results at the level of the degree programmes are included in the institutional evaluation within the framework of the integrated quality management of the TU Darmstadt

Further information about data usage and data protection in the Graduate Survey can be found in our FAQ

Do you have further questions or are you interested in a specific analysis?

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