On 1 April 1974, the very first semester began at the University of Oldenburg.

In the summer semester of 1974, 2,507 young people began their studies in Oldenburg. They could choose between eight diploma programmes (social sciences, economics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, spatial planning, education) and sixteen teaching degree programmes as part of the ‘single-phase teacher training’ pilot scheme. The latter was one of the major reform programmes intended to bring about a fundamental reorganisation of the education system in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was only at our university that this model was put into practice, from 1974 onwards. However, it came to an end as early as 1979, as there was no longer any political will to continue it.

Over the decades, the university has grown significantly: around 15,500 students were enrolled in 2024. The university now offers around 180 degree programmes across six Schools. These include long-standing favourites such as Special Educational Needs, German Studies and Economics, as well as specialised Master’s programmes such as Marine Sensors, Slavic Studies and Health Services Research. More and more students are opting for one of the 16 degree programmes taught in English, such as Molecular Biomedicine, Renewable Energy or Applied Economics and Data Science.