|
|
ECTS, the European Credit Transfer System, was developed by the Commission of the European Communities in order to provide common procedures to guarantee academic recognition of studies abroad. It provides a way of measuring and comparing learning achievements, and transferring them from one institution to another.
The ECTS system is based on the principle of mutual trust and confidence between the participating higher education institutions. The rules of ECTS, concerning information on courses available, agreement between the home and host institutions, and the use of credit points are set out to reinforce this mutual trust and confidence. Each ECTS department will describe the courses it offers in terms of not only content but also adding credits to each course.
ECTS credits are a value allocated to course units to describe the student workload required to complete them. They reflect the quantity of work each course requires in relation to the total quality of work required to complete a full year of academic study at the institution, that is, lectures, practical work, seminars, private work- in the library or at home, and examinations or other means of assessment.
ECTS credits are relative value. In ECTS, 60 credits represent the workload of a year of study; 30 credits are allocated to a semester and 20 credits to a term. The University of the West operates on a semester system. It does use a credit system for home students; also, a substantial number of faculties have allocated ECTS credits to their courses in order to facilitate international exchange.
The Institutional Co-ordinator for ECTS at the University of the West:
Prof.dr. Nicolae Avram, Vice-Rector
(avram@quasar.uvt.ro)
The origins of our University can be traced back to Decree-Law No 660, issued on the 30th of December 1944, which stipulated that a university for the western part of the country should be set up in Timisoara.
Its first faculties either have disappeared or have become independent institutions. The metamorphosis of this higher education institution into a University occurred at the end of September 1962. This is why the date of October 1st, mentioned in The University Charter as the Official Day of our University is significant not only as it marks a new beginning for our academic community but also as it crowns the efforts of completing a difficult process, unfolding between setting up and consolidation and acknowledgement of our institution.
1968 was the year when, having a prestigious academic staff for all classical domains, our institution could have become the full-grown University which this part of the country and illustrious figures of our national and local public and intellectual life had been contemplating and struggling for.
A difficult period followed particularly for the humanities, and for sciences. Such domains as music, drawing, history, geography, natural sciences, chemistry, disappeared one by one, while the philological education significantly narrowed down its scope. Consequently, many of the University's facilities were transferred to other institutions. It was the year 1989, the year of the Romanian Revolution that meant a turning point in the development of our institution. It led to the normal condition of today. Thus, the present structures and achievements make the University of the West, Timisoara, worthy of interest for potential partners.
An essential change of mentality has occurred in the very way of conceiving the academic institution, following the model of similar democratic institutions in the West. An ample institutional reform has been set going, starting with the re-defining of the University's mission, followed by the establishment of objectives to be pursued for the carrying out of that mission. Truly international in its outlook, the university is formally linked with over 100 universities worldwide. Student exchange receives top priority in these co-operation agreements.
The University of the West is now a classic-type higher education establishment providing training in both sciences and the humanities. It comprises eleven faculties:
The University of the West has also created an active Astronomic Observatory, a Seismic Station and a Research Institute of Condensed Matter.
The Department of International Relations and University Image is a service centre for international and home students and academics. It provides a host of well-structured information on studying at the University of the West to international students whether still in their home country or on starting their studies in Timisoara. Its staff goes to great length to facilitate the start in Timisoara for international students trying to help them with the difficulties that may occur during the study period in Timisoara. Its mission is to sustain the internationalisation policy of the university and to create and maintain the university image as a forum for education, science and culture in the western part of Romania.
To fulfil its mission the Department of International Relations and University Image follows two main directions: programs (European programs such as: TEMPUS, SOCRATES, LEONARDO DA VINCI; global bilateral agreements with universities world wide; possibilities to study abroad for the Romanian students) and public relations (dissemination of information, organising special events, media relations, technical assistance for international projects, etc.)
The academic year at the University of the West consists of two semesters / the autumn (fall) semester and the spring semester.
The autumn semester usually runs from the beginning of October to the mid January with a break of two weeks in teaching at Christmas.
The spring semester starts from mid February and lasts until the end of May.
Each semester has 14 weeks, excepting the last studying year when the last semester has only 10 weeks. After every semester there is an exam session lasting four weeks.
Each semester, a student has to accumulate 30 credits from compulsory courses and optional courses. In the first years the weight of compulsory courses is greater, in order to establish a frame bed of fundamental knowledge, while in the last years the weight of optional courses increases. There is also a policy of specialization of the studies through the choice of optional courses in the last two years. That means that, while in the first two years there is a single list of optional courses from which the student chooses in order to complete the 30 credits per semester, for the last two years there is a number of so called special courses which are backed by lists of titles to choose from. The special courses allow for a certain specialization.
Over-seas students wishing to study at the University of the West must satisfy formal admission requirements:
All the documents needed for the admission have to be translated in Romanian, English or French and legalised. Students who come via an exchange program (such as Socrates/ Erasmus) must be nominated by the institution where they are currently enrolled. Their home university will provide them with all necessary application forms and information. Deadline for application to study at the University of the West is November, 1st.
As in most European University towns, it is difficult to find inexpensive student accommodation. However, every year our Social office takes great efforts to make housing available for international students. The Social office offers a limited number of rooms in one of our Halls of Residence, situated in the Campus, for a fee. Allocation will be based on the principle of first come, first served. University of the West has under construction a new hall of residence where more places will be allocated in the future.
If you don't want a student flat and would rather prefer to rent a place elsewhere in Timisoara, please get in touch with any of the housing agencies (but remember - getting housing through an agency is quite expensive!) or contact directly the persons who rent rooms (for about 150 DM per month a flat with one room).
In addition to its academic function, the University of the West encourages a diversity of extra- curricular activities on campus.
The natural settings and touristic sights within easy reach by train, bus or car provide numerous opportunities for outdoor activities, sightseeing and for learning about the cultural assets of Banat region.
The department was founded in 1948, as part of the Pedagogical Institute of Timisoara, under the name of Department of Mathematics and Physics. In 1952 the Mathematics-Physics section, and in 1960 the Geometry section were created.
After the decision to turn the Pedagogical Institute into the University of Timisoara (October 16, 1962), the Department of Mathematics-Mechanics was setup with the following majors: Geometry, Mathematical Analysis and Mathematics-Physics.
In 1974 the Department of Mathematics-Mechanics together with the departments of Physics, Biology and Physical Education were combined into the new Department of Natural Sciences, functioning like that until 1990.
In 1990 the Department of Natural Sciences was divided into the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Physics.
In 1971 the Computer Science major was created, in 1981 that of Mathematics-Physics, in 1984 that of Computer Science for evening classes, in 1992 that of Applied Mathematics, in 1995 that of Pure Mathematics, in 1998 that of Mathematics - Computer Science and in 1999 that of Applied Mathematics in Economy.
In 1995 the Computer Science College with an Information Technology specialization was created, and in 1997 a new College of Birotics was created.
As part of the University of the West Timisoara, the Faculty of Mathematics was intended, from the very beginning, to prove that Mathematics and Computer Science are, simultaneously, science and art, subject and modelling tool, with exceptional instructive and educational valences, able to promote rigor and imagination, elegance and creativity spirit.
The Faculty of Mathematics trains:
The following academic programs are available at the Faculty of Mathematics:
The admission exam consists in the following tests:
For successful completion of each year of study, students have to pass the exams with certain grades. Grades are given on a scale from 1 to 10 (a grade of 5 is required to pass an exam). Some exams may be passed in advance.
The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) has been under way since October 1, 1996. Our department is also partner in a Socrates ECTS pilot program.
There are 60 credits associated to each academic year (30 credits per semester). Students have to accumulate 120 credits in the first two years (but not less than 30 credits per year). The same restrictions apply to the last two years.
The ECTS coordinator at the university level is:
Prof. Dr. Nicolae AVRAM
Tel: + (40) 56 220786; Fax: + (40) 56 190333
E-mail: avram@quasar.uvt.ro
The ECTS and SOCRATES coordinator at the faculty level is:
Prof. Dr. Viorel NEGRU
Tel: + (40) 56 194068, ext: 234; Fax: + (40) 56 194002
E-mail: vnegru@info.uvt.ro
The department has three ECTS coordinators:
Prof. Dr. Dumitru HARAGUS - Mathematics coordinator
Tel: +(40) 56 194068, ext: 112; Fax: + (40) 56 194002
E-mail: haragus@hilbert.math.uvt.ro
Prof. Dr. Stefan MARUSTER - Computer Science coordinator
Tel: +(40) 56 194068, ext: 234; Fax: +(40) 56 194002
E-mail: maruster@info.uvt.ro
Prof. Dr. Viorel NEGRU - Socrates coordinator
Tel: +(40) 56 194068, ext: 234; Fax: +(40) 56 194002
E-mail: vnegru@info.uvt.ro
Undergraduate students have to choose the topics of their graduation theses (Diploma Theses) at the beginning of the third year. The thesis is completed under the supervision of a scientific advisor, member of the faculty staff. For graduation the students have to pass a final round of exams (eliminatory tests) and to defend their thesis before a commission (at minimum 6 grade), obtaining the B.Sc. degree.
They can continue with 1 year or 1.5 years of graduate studies in order to obtain the Master?s degree. Master studies end with a specialization thesis (Master Thesis), after which they can begin teaching in universities, or working in research departments, or they can apply for a Ph.D. program.
Our department also guides the postgraduate training programs for Mathematics and Computer Science high school teachers. The Computer Science Department offers a postgraduate program in Distributed Computer Science (1.5 years), addressed especially to the graduates of faculties with related profiles.
Situated in the Western area of the country, Timisoara is the most important city of the Western part of Romania. Initially placed in a strategic position in the middle of a marshy plain, Timisoara later developed as a borough on the Bega River (a sailing canal). It has commonly been regarded as the capital of historical Banat, the South- Western region of Romania.
Timisoara was the first electrified city in Europe and the first tram in the country ran here.
The town is an important academic centre where about 30,000 students attend the courses of four first-rank universities in this country: The University of the West, the 'Politehnica' University, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy and the Banat University of Agricultural Sciences. Most of the students live on modern campuses
As to entertainment, Timisoara offers excellent concerts and recitals and other cultural, artistic and touristic facilities. There is an Opera House, three theatres (Romanian, Hungarian and German), art galleries, museums and architectural monuments. It also has beautiful parks on both sides of the Bega river, a large number of swimming pools and sports grounds, a sports hall, and three stadiums. The Green Forest area represents an oasis of fresh air in the north- eastern part of the city. Timisoara will ever remain a symbol in the consciousness of the contemporary world as the place where our 1989 Revolution started and as an example of harmonious multi-ethnicity and multi-confesionality, where multi-linguistic and multi-cultural character is a natural everyday reality.