Diverging Paths: How German University Curricula Differ from Computing Education Guidelines

Study program recommendations are pivotal for the accreditation of study programs. In Germany, one of the most important recommendations used in the accreditation of computing curricula is published by the Gesellschaft der Informatik e.V. (GI), the largest German professional society of computer science. This work investigates the difference between reality at institutions and the GI recommendations. Systematically gathered syllabi of Northern Germany computing curricula have been coded both deductively and inductively according to Mayring’s qualitative content analysis (QCA) method. The descriptions of 197 mandatory courses belonging to 13 program descriptions were analyzed. In addition to the 17 subject areas already described in the GI recommendations, four new subject areas have been identified that can be considered widespread. On the other hand, four subject areas from the GI recommendations could not be found as part of the mandatory curriculum. The study identified a notable divergence between current study programs and the current GI recommendations. However, as only mandatory syllabi were investigated, this study contains some blind spots with regard to electives and study specializations as well as with regard to a regional selection bias. Secondary findings concern the handling of learning outcomes in German syllabus descriptions and the GI recommendations themselves.