Study programmes

Study programmes are approved in accordance with the formalised processes of the internal system of TUKE (document Internal Quality Assurance System of Higher Education at TUKE). An independent, impartial, objective, professionally informed, transparent and fair assessment of a study programme at TUKE is guaranteed by an independent body, the TUKE Accreditation Committee. Students, employers and other stakeholders are involved in this process (composition of the TUKE Accreditation Commission). It is guaranteed that the persons assessing and approving the study programmes are different from those preparing the study programme proposal (composition of the Study Programme Board, the TUKE Accreditation Board and the TUKE Accreditation Commission). (SP 3.1)

Documents

• Internal Quality Assurance System of Higher Education at TUKE
• The decision on the authorisation of the Technical University of Košice (TUKE) to develop, conduct, and adjust study programmes
• Statute and Rules of Procedure of the TUKE Accreditation Commission
• Organisational and Meeting Rules of the TUKE Accreditation Board
• Organizational Directive Education H1

The quality of the course of study, a more detailed definition of the rights and obligations of students of the first, second and third level of education, teachers and other employees is set out in the TUKE Study Regulations. The study programme is carried out directly at the university or at one of the faculties of TUKE. The rules, forms and methods of teaching, learning and assessment of learning outcomes in the study programme allow for the achievement of learning outcomes and flexibility of learning trajectories while respecting the diversity of students and their needs, and stimulate students to take an active role in the learning process and the development of their academic career (TUKE Study Regulations, TUKE Scholarship Regulations, Organizational Directive Education H1, equal opportunities for men and women). (SP 4.1, SP 4.2)

TUKE enables its students to receive appropriate education outside of TUKE in domestic and foreign institutions, especially through the support of mobility. The results of this education are recognised by the university. (SP 4.2)

Students can take advantage of unique international mobility and internship opportunities through 360 partnerships in nearly 31 countries around the world. In addition to EU countries, this includes global destinations such as the USA, Brazil, New Zealand, India, China, Taiwan, Japan and others. It also has the benefit of a double degree with a partner university in France.

Cooperation between TUKE and its partner institutions abroad takes place through:

• exchanges (mobility) of teaching and research staff and students of all three levels of higher education,
• joint research and sharing of results, producing publications,
• organising joint conferences and participating in events abroad, seminars and cultural programmes,
• implementation and participation in various projects,
• membership of mobility networks,
• initiatives related to TUKE's membership in various associations.

Students engage in scientific research, artistic and publishing activities. (SP 4.3)

Students have the opportunity to set up startup companies during their studies or get involved in scientific and innovation projects. Support for young innovators is provided by the TECHNICOM University Science Park through the TUKE Startup Centre and the TUKE Incubator.

The competition for the best doctoral thesis at TUKE is regularly organized as part of the Week of Science and Technology in Slovakia in the month of November, which is announced by the Vice-Rector for Science, Research and Doctoral Studies on the TUKE website. Call announced by the Rector of TUKE or faculty calls for applications for research grants for young researchers and PhD students up to 30 years of age at TUKE / faculty, which are published on the TUKE / faculty website.

Students can also participate in the Student Scientific and Professional Activities (ŠVOČ). The assignment of independent work in exercises, the defence of assignments in exercises, semester and year projects leads students to strengthen their intrinsic motivation to continuously improve, leads them to adhere to the principles of academic ethics. TUKE uses teaching methods and methodologies supporting collaborative work and study (project-based learning, problem-based learning, agile, etc.). Career counselling is provided byThe Career Counseling Office within Support and Services Department for TUKE students. (SP 4.4, SP 4.5)

The TUKE Study Regulations, Study Plans of Study Programmes and Course Information Sheets set out the rules, criteria and methods for the assessment of learning outcomes. The criteria for obtaining interim and final evaluation are published by the lecturers through the Academic Information System MAIS. The timetable of studies, including the examination period for the award of assessments, is determined by the Academic Year Schedule at TUKE. (SP 4.6, SP 4.7, SP 4.8)

In the case of the defence of term and year papers, board examinations and state examinations, the evaluation of students in the study programme is carried out by several teachers. If possible, also exercises and lectures. (SP 4.9)

Students have the opportunity to seek redress against the results of their assessment, while fair treatment of those seeking redress is guaranteed. A student may retake any examination. If he/she feels that the evaluation is unfair, he/she may file a complaint with the Vice Dean for Education of the faculty concerned. If he/she is not satisfied with the resolution of the complaint, he/she will submit the complaint to the Control and Complaints Department at the Rector's Office of TUKE, which will decide on the next course of action. In the event that the objectivity of the evaluation process has not been demonstrated, a commission review will be carried out.

The student representative in the student section of the Academic Senate of TUKE and the Academic Senate of the Faculties may, within the framework of interpellations, transfer suggestions related to student dissatisfaction in evaluation to the Management of TUKE / Faculties. (SP 4.10)

Documents

• TUKE Study Regulations
• Organizational Directive Education H1
• Principles of organization, evaluation and termination of doctoral study and principles of establishment of branch commissions for doctoral studies at TUKE
• TUKE Scholarship regulations
• Code of Ethics

TUKE has defined and publicly easily accessible rules of study in all phases of the study cycle, which are the admission procedure, the course and evaluation of studies, recognition of education, termination of studies, awarding of degrees and issuance of diplomas and other documents on the acquired education, in the TUKE Study Regulations and in the Regulation of the Admission Procedure of TUKE. For students with specific needs, TUKE has established the TUKE Access Centre serving students during the admission procedure and during the study itself, in the selection of compulsory elective courses and the pace of study. (5.1)

The criteria and requirements for applicants are published in advance and easily accessible on the main TUKE website. The admission procedure conditions guarantee equal opportunities to every applicant who demonstrates the necessary prerequisites for graduation. TUKE has established rules in the Methodological Guideline on the procedure of academic recognition of documents of education completed abroad for the recognition of studies and in the Methodological Guideline The competence of TUKE and its faculties in the European Community's Erasmus+ programme part of the study and thus supports both domestic and international mobility of students. Technical University of Košice is part of the strong Ulysseus consortium of eight major European universities and research centres. The Ulysseus Alliance is one of 50 European universities. The Alliance, led by the University of Seville (Spain) with the involvement of five other complex universities in Europe (University of Genoa, Italy; University of Côte d'Azur, France; Technical University of Košice, Slovakia; University of Münster, Germany; University of Montenegro) and two universities of applied sciences (Management Center Innsbruck, MCI | Business School, Austria; and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland), will enable students, researchers and graduates to move freely between partner universities, undertake internships in companies and carry out high-impact research projects. More information is available on the ulysseus.eu website. The competence of TUKE and its faculties in the European Community's Erasmus+ programme is available on the Erasmus+ TUKE website (SP 5.2, SP 5.3)

The effective use of tools to ensure research integrity and to prevent and deal with plagiarism and other academic fraud is guaranteed in the implementation of study programmes at TUKE, which is declared in the Code of Ethics for TUKE employees, the TUKE Disciplinary Regulations for Students and the Organisational Directive Final and Qualification Theses. Students can send complaints to the Control and Complaints Department of the Rector's Office of TUKE. The student representative in the student section of the Academic Senate of TUKE and the Academic Senate of the Faculties may transfer suggestions related to student dissatisfaction to the Management of TUKE / Faculties within the framework of interpellations. (SP 5.4, SP 5.5)

Successful completion of a study programme is confirmed by TUKE by awarding an academic degree, issuing a university diploma, as well as by issuing further documentation (a supplement to the diploma) explaining the acquired qualification, including the achieved learning outcomes, the context, level and content of the successfully completed study. This documentation is in accordance with TUKE Study Regulations, Organizational Directive Education and Principles of organization, evaluation and termination of doctoral study and principles of establishment of branch commissions for doctoral studies at TUKE. The Academic Information System MAIS and Library information system ETD lib TUKE are used to check that the conditions for the award of an academic degree have been met. (SP 5.6)

Documents

• TUKE statute
• Internal Quality Assurance System of Higher Education at TUKE
• TUKE Study Regulations
• Principles of organization, evaluation and termination of doctoral study and principles of establishment of branch commissions for doctoral studies at TUKE
• Organizational Directive Education H1
• Rector's Order Amount of tuition fees and study-related fees for the relevant academic year

TUKE guarantees for study programmes teachers whose qualifications, workload distribution, level of results of creative activities, practical experience, pedagogical skills and transferable competences enable to achieve learning outcomes, whose language skills correspond to the languages of implementation of the SP and whose number and work capacity and workload distribution correspond to the number of students and the staffing intensity of educational activities. The filling of posts of university teachers, posts of researchers, posts of professors, associate professors and other university teachers and posts of senior staff at TUKE is governed by the Principles of the Selection Procedure for the Filling of Posts of University Teachers, Posts of Researchers, Posts of Professors, Associate Professors and Other University Teachers and Posts of Senior Staff at TUKE. The professional qualifications of teachers providing study programmes shall be at least one level higher than the qualifications attained by its completion. (SP 6.1. SP 6.2)

Organizational structure of TUKE

TUKE has a designated person who has the relevant competences and has the main responsibility for the implementation, development and quality assurance of the study programme. This person shall hold the post of professor in the relevant field of study on a fixed weekly basis; in the case of a bachelor's degree programme, he/she shall hold the post of professor or associate professor in the relevant field of study on a fixed weekly basis. The requirements are laid down in the Internal Quality Assurance System for Higher Education at TUKE and the Organizational Directive Education. (SP 6.1, SP 6.2)

A profile subject of a study programme is a subject that contributes in a fundamental way to the achievement of the graduate's profile, i.e. the objectives and learning outcomes of the relevant study programme. Profile study subjects at TUKE are normally provided by university teachers in the functionary position of professor or in the functionary position of associate professor, who work at TUKE in the relevant field of study or related field for a fixed weekly working time. The rules for the selection of persons providing profile subjects of the study programme and for the selection of their creative activities are laid down in Annex 2 of the Internal Quality Assurance System for Higher Education at TUKE. (SP 6.3, SP 6.4)

Persons who supervise the final theses carry out active creative activity or practical activity at a level corresponding to the degree of the SP in the subject matter and thematic focus of the theses supervised. Supervisors of dissertation theses are persons holding the position of professor or associate professor or other similar position in a research institution contractually cooperating with TUKE in the provision of the third-level programme. (SP 6.5)

Teachers of study programmes develop their professional knowledge through research activities, cooperation with practice and participation in professional conferences and seminars. They improve their language skills in the framework of their 3rd cycle studies and subsequently on a voluntary basis. They improve their pedagogical skills by participating in a course on university pedagogy and quality management of university teaching provided by the Department of Social Sciences (OSV is part of the school-wide Department of Languages, Social Sciences and Academic Sport of TUKE). They acquire additional skills by attending professionally oriented courses and training courses according to the needs of the relevant department. (SP 6.6)

Documents

• Principles of the Selection Procedure for the Filling of Posts of University Teachers, Posts of Researchers, Posts of Professors, Associate Professors and Other University Teachers and Posts of Senior Staff at TUKE
• TUKE Study Regulations
• Organizational Directive Education H1
• Principles of organization, evaluation and termination of doctoral study and principles of establishment of branch commissions for doctoral studies at TUKE
• Organisational Directive Final and Qualification Theses

Teachers providing profile subjects of study programmes shall demonstrate the results of creative activity in the relevant field(s) of study in which the study programme is carried out at the required level, depending on its level:

• at least at an internationally significant level if it is a third-level programme of study;
• at least at an internationally recognised level in the case of a second-degree programme or a programme of study combining a first and a second degree;
• at least at a nationally recognised level if it is a first-degree programme.

TUKE has designated persons who provide profile subjects of the study programme or have responsibility for the development and quality assurance of the department of habilitation and inauguration procedures in the relevant area of assessment.

The results of creative activity in the relevant field of study in which the study programme is carried out at the required level, depending on its degree, are demonstrated by TUKE teachers providing profile subjects of the study programme by submitting the Output of Creative Activity and updating the Scientific/Artistic/Pedagogical Characteristics.

Documents

• Internal Quality Assurance System of Higher Education at TUKE, Annex No. 2 Rules for the Selection of Persons Providing Profile Subjects of the Study Programme, Persons Responsible for the Department of Habilitation Proceedings and Inauguration Proceedings and for the Selection of Five Outputs of the Creative Activity of the aforementioned Persons at TUKE
• Principles of the Selection Procedure for the Filling of Posts of University Teachers, Posts of Researchers, Posts of Professors, Associate Professors and Other University Teachers and Posts of Senior Staff at TUKE

TUKE has secured sufficient spatial, material, technical and information resources for study programmes, which are a guarantee for achieving the set objectives and learning outcomes. These include, in particular, lecture halls, classrooms, study rooms, laboratories and laboratory apparatus and other necessary equipment, technical means and equipment, studios, workshops, project and art studios, science and technology parks, technology incubators, school enterprises, practice centres, training schools, teaching and training facilities, sports halls, sports grounds, university library, access to study literature, information databases and other information resources, information and communication technologies and external services. The corresponding funding is declared annually in the TUKE Annual Management Report. (SP 8.1)

If the educational activities are provided by distance or combined methods, TUKE has secured systems for course content management and learning management and students are guaranteed access to course content, other study materials and information and communication technologies designed for online communication with the student (Microsoft Teams, CISCO Webex, Learning Management System (LMS) MOODLE, etc.). (SP 8.2)

TUKE has a support staff of study advisorswhose competence and number correspond to the needs of students and teachers of the study programme in relation to the educational objectives and outcomes. Their task is to inform students about the structure of the relevant study programme, about the choices of courses and to provide them with consultations in drawing up their personal study plans, to alert the management of TUKE or the faculty to possible problems in the educational process and to cooperate with the study department of the faculty in solving the students' study issues. (SP 8.3)

TUKE maintains binding partnerships that enable the participation of relevant stakeholders in quality assurance, implementation and curriculum development. (SP 8.4)

In addition to science, research and education, TUKE also supports social, cultural and sports activities that are accessible to the general public. Career and socio-psychological counselling – assistance in the process of adaptation to university studies, especially for foreign students, is provided by a university-wide Support and Services Department for TUKE students (The Career Counseling Office, The Social-Psychological Support Office).

TUKE provides students with adequate social security, sports, cultural, spiritual and social activities during their studies. (SP 8.6, SP 8.7).

Social support – provision of social scholarships, pregnancy scholarships, scholarships from TUKE/faculty own resources and pregnancy scholarship.

Sports activities – organised sport in the SLAVIA TUKE a Akademik TU sports clubs.

Department of Academic Sports offers students a diverse physical education programme that meets their expectations and a variety of opportunities for staff to participate in physical activities and relaxation. Another significant role is active engagement in improving students' physical fitness and performance in order to implement an active lifestyle.

The OAŠ also provides the training and representation of the University's most outstanding athletes at university events (Finals of Universities, Academic Championships of Slovakia, Slovak Universiade). OAŠ organises autumn and spring sports days for TUKE students as well as one-time sports events, tournaments in different sports and various physical education courses (boating, swimming, skiing, cycling).

Within the framework of physical education (compulsory and elective), TUKE students have the opportunity to choose from various types of sports: basketball, badminton, bodyweight, body work, fitness, football, floorball, mountain biking, karate, Nordic Walking, Pilates, the SM-System, table tennis, tabata, hiking, and volleyball, including physical education courses (e.g. mountain biking, wakeboarding and water skiing course, ski and snowboard course, summer sports course, hiking course, fit-camp). 

For these sports and physical activities, TUKE has its own stadium with natural grass and a tartan athletics track, an artificial grass pitch, six gyms, a specialised fitness room, a baseball field and a specialised table tennis room. In 2023, the OAŠ established a diagnostic room to assess the functional state of the body, somatometric measurements, prevention and regeneration of the body.

Cultural activities – Collegium Technicum choir, Jahodná folklore ensemble, Borievka folklore ensemble, Campus Gallery exhibition space, TUKE Symphony Orchestra is being created. Current information is disseminated by student television and radio.

Spiritual counselling – TUKE University Pastoral Centre

Advice on mobility – Section for International Relations and Mobility

Social activities – university clubs V­-klub, T­-klub.

General advice, orientation in the organisation of studies and the TUKE campus, study opportunities and extracurricular activities: Support and Services Department for TUKE students.

TUKE publishes a university journal called HALÓ TU.

The offer of TUKE extracurricular activities for students is available in the Student Life section.

Students of the SP have access to and support in participating in domestic and international mobility and internships. Mobility and internships are long-term (ULYSSEUS, CEEPUS) or short-term (projects according to the specific offer, internships in private companies). Support on the TUKE Erasmus+ website. Technical University of Košice is part of the strong Ulysseus consortium of six major European universities and research centres. The Ulysseus Alliance is one of 50 European universities. The Alliance, led by the University of Seville (Spain), together with the involvement of five other complex universities in Europe and two universities of applied sciences, will allow students, researchers and graduates to move freely between partner universities, undertake internships in companies and carry out high-impact research projects. More detailed information is available on the ulysseus.eu website. (SP 8.8)

TUKE provides individualized support and creates appropriate conditions for students with specific needs within the TUKE Access Centre (BBC TUKE). TUKE is one of two methodological centres for students with specific needs in Slovakia, which are established on the basis of Section 100(8) of Act No. 131/2002 Coll. on Higher Education and on Amendments and Additions to Certain Acts. BBC TUKE has been fulfilling its main function in the spirit of the Higher Education Act as a support centre for students with specific needs, both during the admission procedure and during the study itself, for 22 years (establishment on 1 July 2000). These activities include the assessment of the abilities of students with specific needs and the preparation of proposals for appropriate assistive technologies, support services and educational methods to increase their self-sufficiency in their studies and the overall level of access to educational resources. On the basis of this assessment, the student is placed in the appropriate category in accordance with the Decree of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Slovak Republic No. 458/2012 on the minimum entitlements of students with specific needs, and recommendations for individual forms of support for students with specific needs are developed. In this activity, it cooperates closely with the study departments of individual faculties, vice-deans and coordinators for the support of students with specific needs. In addition to these main tasks, BBC TUKE also performs technical advisory activities, provides technical resources and implements trainings for users of special technology, including software, methodological and training activities for supporting students with specific needs before and during higher education. (SP 8.9)

Documents

• Organizational Directive Education H1
• TUKE University Library
• Digital Library of the TUKE University Library
• Management of Classrooms and Lecture Halls at TUKE
• Annual Report on the Activities of TUKE and Annual Report on the Management of TUKE

TUKE collects, analyses and uses relevant information for effective management of study programmes and other activities (SP 9.1) TUKE processes the following data:

• Data on applicants.
• Data on students.
• Feedback from students.
• Feedback from employers.
• Feedback from alumni.

Survey for the 1st year of the 1st level of education

Measurement of the satisfaction of incoming students is aimed at monitoring the quality of study promotion, which is carried out electronically using the academic IS module “Student Surveys”. It is a survey for students in the 1st year of the 1st level of education. The survey is launched simultaneously for students of all TUKE faculties and is anonymous.

Winter and summer semester evaluation survey

Students' satisfaction with the course of study and the objectivity of course evaluation is measured through surveys, twice per academic year after the end of each semester (for the winter and summer semesters). In this survey, students also have the opportunity to comment on the quality of study programmes, the quality of teachers, the quality of support services and the quality of the TUKE environment. The winter semester evaluation survey and the summer semester evaluation survey are launched electronically using the academic IS module “Student Surveys”. The survey is launched simultaneously for students of all TUKE faculties and is anonymous.

Survey for international students of TUKE

The aim of the survey for international students of TUKE is to identify the most significant/important/most prominent problems that international students encounter after their arrival in Slovakia. The conclusions of this survey are evaluated and used in the process of adaptation of foreign students to TUKE. The survey is launched in the winter semester electronically using the academic IS module “Student Surveys”. The survey is launched simultaneously for all foreign students of TUKE faculties studying in a foreign language and is anonymous.

Tracking TUKE graduates' employability

The task of monitoring graduate employment is to meet the needs of TUKE in the field of quality assurance of education and continuous development. The tracking system not only provides feedback on studies at TUKE, but also provides the basis for the design of new and modification of existing study programmes, planning and implementation of teaching processes as well as other additional processes.

For the evaluation of data on graduates, students and applicants, it uses a management superstructure on top of the information system MAIS – COGNOS.

The surveys are accessible to TUKE students via the academic information system. The overall results on participation at individual faculties are published on the TUKE website.

All information about study programmes in Slovak and English is published on the website. (SP 10.1)

All up-to-date information about study programmes and studies at the University is publicly available on the TUKE website as well as on the websites of nine faculties:

• Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies
• Faculty of Materials, Metallurgy and Recycling
• Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics
• Faculty of Civil Engineering
• Faculty of Economics
• Faculty of Manufacturing Technologies
• Faculty of Arts
• Faculty of Aeronautics

Study programmes are managed through the MAIS Academic Information System, a complex information system used to manage studies in all three levels of education at TUKE.

• List of study programmes

The aim is to objectively evaluate the educational process, to identify the positives and negatives of the educational process, to analyse the causes (interest/disinterest, success/failure of studies) and to propose corrective measures.

Evaluation of study success (criteria)

• the number of students progressing in their studies (when enrolling in the study programme at the beginning of the academic year),
• study results, individually and continuously in subjects based on IS results,
• the number of students receiving an incentive scholarship.

Purpose: finding and eliminating the causes of failure in studies, deficiencies.

Student surveys (student opinion polls)

Student information on the level of education provided and the conditions for study. The survey is carried out twice a year, anonymously, by filling in a form via IS. The material and technical survey is provided by the Rector's Office of TUKE in cooperation with the Institute of Computer Technology. Participation in the survey is on a voluntary basis.

Purpose: elimination of deficiencies in organizational, personnel and material and technical provision of teaching and conditions for studying.

Evaluation of education indicators

TUKE and its components monitor and evaluate a set of educational indicators (admissions, progression, completion; learning, teaching, student-centred assessment; teachers; creative activity and habilitation and inauguration procedures). The assessment of learning indicators are mainly used in the continuous monitoring and periodic evaluation of the study programme and are evaluated once a year.

Hospitations

• Teaching information (teaching hospitation is mainly carried out by the head of the department responsible for the SP, the persons responsible for the individual courses and the person responsible for the study programme). The Vice-Rector and the Vice-Dean for Educational Activities may carry out teaching visits, in particular in the light of the results of a survey in which students evaluate the quality of educational activities and other suggestions relating to the quality of educational activities.
• Information from the state examinations.

Purpose: to control the level of education, the readiness of teaching, to control the evaluation of the competence of teachers, to control the participation and activity of students in teaching, to control the readiness of teaching.

Criteria for assessing teacher workload (scheduling)

• the effectiveness of teaching methods and teacher workload,
• annual evaluation of the pedagogical performance of staff in the field of pedagogy.

Evaluation of state examinations (criteria)

• results of the state examination from the subject Final thesis,
• the results of the individual exams in the subjects,
• number of students with the grade “passed with distinction”,
• number of awards for outstanding final thesis.

Tracking graduates' employability

The task of monitoring graduate employment is to meet the needs of TUKE in the field of quality assurance of education and continuous development. The tracking system provides not only feedback, but also the basis for the design of new study programmes, planning and implementation of teaching processes, etc.

Documents

• Internal Quality Assurance System of Higher Education at TUKE
• Organizational Directive Education H1
• Methodological guideline for obtaining and processing information reflecting the level of satisfaction of students and graduates of TUKE (Annex OS Education)
• Methodological Instruction on Quality Assurance Processes of Study Programmes at TUKE (Annex OS Education)
• Plan of hospitations
• Record of hospitation
• SAAHE Standards for the Higher Education Internal Quality Assurance System
• SAAHE Standards for Study Programmes
• Methodology for evaluating SAAHE standards