The university supports Master's students with above-average performance through the new Honours Programme. Participants will receive personalised advice on career opportunities, be strengthened in their research interests - and gain exclusive access to networking opportunities. Chemistry student Jenna Hendrix is participating in the first run of the honours programme.
"The Honours Programme enables particularly talented Master's students who are interested in science to develop further - both professionally and personally," says Dr Susanne Haberstroh, Head of the Department for Study Affairs. "They gain exclusive insights into the first-class research at the University of Oldenburg. They also gain important soft skills and methodological knowledge and network on a long-term and interdisciplinary basis - crucial steps for embarking on an academic career."
The programme is starting with a pilot phase, which has just been launched and will initially involve twelve students from all School departments. The programme is to be developed so that students can choose from a range of courses according to their interests. Six courses, mostly in English, are planned, as well as a certificate at the end of the programme.
Chemistry student Jenna Hendrix is participating in the first run of the honours programme. The first run of the Programme combines various modules supporting the students in getting fit for an academic career: for example, the workshop "The Powerful Voice: Speaking with Dynamism and Power" is planned, as well as a workshop on preparing for academic conferences. In future, the programme may include seminars and lectures on social and scientific topics of the future, workshops on scientific work, project management and career options in the academic world, networking meetings and excursions - for example to the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen as a strategic partner of the University of Oldenburg.
Individual support is also provided by the coordination team and supervisors from the respective subjects. Students can take part in conferences and concretise their own research projects. A highlight of this programme is a visit to the "Posters in the Bundestag" exhibition in June, where students from all subjects at German universities and colleges present their research.
More about the Honours Programme:
The Honours Programme is implemented as part of the "Programme for Excellence" project, which supports highly talented researchers in various career phases. The funding comes from "zukunft.niedersachsen", the joint science funding programme of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the Volkswagen Foundation.
read more here: Honours Programme // University of Oldenburg
The next round will begin in April 2027, with 30 places for students from all six Schools. Interested students can apply from the beginning of next year. They will then have access via three routes: their grades, a proposal from the School or a self-application - each supplemented by a letter of motivation, Bachelor's degree certificate and letter of recommendation from a lecturer. A committee chaired by the Vice President for Learning and Teaching then selects suitable participants based on criteria such as credits, motivation, commitment, research interest and diversity.