Editing University of Münster

{{redirect-distinguish|University of Munster|Munster Technological University}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{short description|Public university in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = University of Münster
 | native_name            = Universität Münster
 | latin_name             = Universitas Monasteriensis<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search |url=https://archive.org/search?query=%22Universitas+Monasteriensis%22&sin=TXT |website=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
 | image_name             = Siegel Universitaet Muenster.svg
 | caption                = The [[Seal (emblem)|seal]] of University of Münster
 | coordinates            = {{coord|51|57|49|N|07|36|49|E|display=it|source:dewiki}}
 | type                   = [[Public university|Public]]
 | budget                 = € 803.6 million ({{Asof|2022}})<ref name="facts_and_figures">{{cite web |url=https://www.uni-muenster.de/profil/en/zahlen.shtml |title=Facts and figures |website=University of Münster |access-date=10 July 2024}}</ref>
 | rector                 = Johannes Wessels
 | chancellor             = Matthias Schwarte
 | established            = Jesuiten-Kolleg Münster 1588-1780<br/> Universität Münster {{Start date and age|1780|4|16|df=y}}
 | students               = 43,098 ({{Asof|2024}})<ref name="facts_and_figures"/>
 | campus                 = Urban, 285 buildings (2003)
 | city                   = [[Münster]]
 | state                  = [[Northrhine-Westphalia]]
 | country                = Germany
 | colors                 = {{ubl|[[RAL colour standard|RAL]] 9004 & [[RAL colour standard|RAL]] 5021|{{Color box|#3E3E3B|border=darkgray}} {{color box|#008E96}}<ref name="mscd">{{cite web | title=Corporate Design |publisher=WWU Münster | url=https://www.uni-muenster.de/imperia/md/content/wwu/cd/10.05.03_wwu_cd_manual_2.0_web_final.pdf |date=16 June 2016}}</ref>}}
 | logo                   = Logo Universität Münster.svg
 | logo_size              = 250px
 | affiliations           = [[U15 (German universities)|U15]]
 | website                = {{URL|1=https://www.uni-muenster.de/en/|2=www.uni-muenster.de}}
 | native_name_lang       = de
 | administrative_staff   = 1,924<ref name="facts_and_figures"/>
 | academic_staff         = 4,956<ref name="facts_and_figures"/>
}}

The '''University of Münster''' ({{langx|de|link=no|Universität Münster}}, until 2023 {{langx|de|link=no|Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster}}, WWU) is a [[public university|public]] [[research university]] located in the city of [[Münster]], North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.

With more than 43,000 students and over 120 fields of study in 15 departments, it is Germany's fifth largest university and one of the foremost centers of German intellectual life. The university offers a wide range of subjects across the sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Several courses are also taught in English, including [[PhD|PhD programmes]] as well as postgraduate courses in geoinformatics, geospational technologies or information systems.

Professors and former students have won ten [[Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize|Leibniz Prizes]], the most prestigious as well as the best-funded prize in Europe, one [[Fields Medal]] and two [[Nobel Prize|Nobel Prizes]]. The University of Münster has also been successful in the German government's [[German Universities Excellence Initiative|Excellence Initiative]].
[[File:Münster, Fürstbischöfliches Schloss -- 2014 -- 6769-71 (retouched).jpg|thumb|The ''Schloss'' is the administrative centre and the symbol of the university]]

==History==
The university has its roots in the '''Münster's Jesuit College''' (''Jesuiten-Kolleg Münster''), founded in 1588, and the convent of lay sisters Liebfrauen-Überwasser, founded in 1040, of which it took its seal. The convent was dissolved in 1773, so that its funds could be used to found the University of Münster on 16 April 1780.

[[Image:Bain News Service - The Library of Congress - Kaiser Wilhelm (LOC) (pd).jpg|thumb|upright|Emperor [[Wilhelm II of Germany]], after whom the University of Münster was named prior to its name change in 2023 ]]

In 1631, [[Pope Urban VIII]] and [[Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Ferdinand II]] issued privileges, allowing the establishment of a university in Münster. However, due to a lack of funding, they were only put to use in 1780, when the modern University of Münster was founded with four faculties: Law, Medicine, Philosophy and Theology.<ref name="Website">{{cite web|url=https://www.uni-muenster.de/profil/struktur.html|title=Geschichte der WWU Münster – Struktur|first=Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster|last=Online-Redaktion|website=www.uni-muenster.de}}</ref>

In 1843, it was renamed to '''Royal Theological and Philosophical Academy''' (''Königliche Theologische und Philosophische Akademie''),<ref name="Website"/> informally '''Münster Academy''' (''Akademie Münster'').

The ceremony of constitution was performed by [[Franz Freiherr von Fürstenberg]]. The university received the name '''Westphalian Wilhelm University''' (''Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster''), from [[German emperor|Emperor]] [[Wilhelm II of Germany|Wilhelm II]] on 22 August 1907.<ref name="Website"/> In 2023 the university was renamed as the University of Münster (''Universität Münster'').<ref>{{cite web |title=FAQ on the Change of Name |url=https://www.uni-muenster.de/kommunikation/en/FAQ_umbenennung.html |website=University of Münster |date=3 May 2023 |access-date=29 October 2023}}</ref>

=== European degrees ===
1999 saw the beginning of the [[Bologna Process]], which aimed to ensure comparability in the standards and quality of higher education qualifications. The [[Münster School of Business Administration and Economics]] was the first one to establish bachelor's and master's degrees.

In the winter semester 2006/2007 nearly all studies have been changed according to Bachelor/Master system. Exceptions are made in studies leading to the [[Staatsexamen]] in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and law.<ref>[http://zsb.uni-muenster.de/en/international_students/undergraduate/] ''Study guide – range of courses and corresponding degrees''. Retrieved 25. September 2012.</ref>

== Academics ==
[[Image:MuensterLIFA.jpg|thumb|right|The Centre for Medical Research at the university]]
[[File:Eingang der Musikhochschule Münster.jpg|thumb|right|Music Conservatory]]

* Faculty of [[Protestant|Protestant Theology]]
* Faculty of [[Catholic|Catholic Theology]]
* Faculty of Law
* Faculty of Economics ([[Muenster School of Business Administration and Economics]])
* Faculty of Health Science (Medicine and Dental Medicine)
* Faculty of Educational and Social Science
** Institute of Communication Science (IfK) (PR, Journalism, Media Science)
* Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science
* Faculty of History/Philosophy
* Faculty of Philology
* Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
* Faculty of Physics
* Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
* Faculty of Biology
* Faculty of Earth Science
* Faculty of Music ([[Musikhochschule Münster]])

== Campus ==
The central library of the university is the [[Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Münster]] (ULB), which is also the regional library of Westphalia. As of 2011, the library owns more than 6.2 million volumes of which 2.68 million volumes are held in the ULB, while 3.53 million volumes are held by the 146 faculty and department libraries. Of those, 47,350 are electronical articles and newspapers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ULB in Zahlen|url=https://www.ulb.uni-muenster.de/bibliothek/profil/bestand.html|access-date=11 February 2023|website=www.ulb.uni-muenster.de}}</ref>

=== Points of interest ===
* [[Botanischer Garten Münster]], the university's historic [[botanical garden]]

=== Student life ===
[[Image:AltNeuMS.jpg|thumb|right|The city of Münster is regularly ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world]]

The university offers a very active student life. The university's sports club ("Hochschulsport") offers more than 100 sport courses, sport tours, further education and international tournaments.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hochschulsport Münster &#124; Startseite|url=https://www.uni-muenster.de/Hochschulsport/|access-date=11 February 2023|website=www.uni-muenster.de}}</ref> The university's IT organization ("Zentrum für Informationsverarbeitung" (ZIV)) provides central services for information processing and communication technology. It offers IT facilities for the students with standard and special software.<ref>{{Cite web|title=IT - Home|url=https://www.uni-muenster.de/IT/en/index.shtml|access-date=11 February 2023|website=www.uni-muenster.de}}</ref> Foreign languages can be learned at the university's language center ("Sprachenzentrum"). It offers traditional language courses, tandem courses (two persons with different native languages meet in order to learn from each other) and language certificates (for example [[UNIcert]]).<ref>{{Cite web|date=30 September 2011|title=Sprachenzentrum &#124; Welcome|url=http://spz.uni-muenster.de/en/home|access-date=11 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930140807/http://spz.uni-muenster.de/en/home |archive-date=30 September 2011 }}</ref> The cultural programme also includes various museums, music (choirs, ensembles, orchestra), theatres and cinemas.<ref>[https://www.uni-muenster.de/en/living/culture/index.html] Homepage of the university's cultural programme</ref> Student organisations such as [[AIESEC]], [[AEGEE]], ''move'', ''[[:de:Marketing zwischen Theorie und Praxis|MTP e.V.]]'' and many more are well represented with high membership.  The city of Münster itself has a very active night life with more than 1,000 bars and clubs. As the city of the [[Peace of Westphalia]], Münster also has a very rich cultural life.

== Rankings ==
{{Infobox Germany university rankings
| QS = 384
| QS_N = 21
| QS_year = 2024
| QS_ref = <ref name="QS">{{cite web|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2024|title=QS World University Rankings 2024|access-date=16 July 2023|website=[[QS World University Rankings]]}}</ref>
| THE = =193
| THE_N = 19-21
| THE_year = 2024
| THE_ref = <ref name="THE">{{cite web|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2024/world-ranking|title=World University Rankings 2024|access-date=27 September 2023|website=[[Times Higher Education World University Rankings]]|date=27 September 2023 }}</ref>
| ARWU = 201-300
| ARWU_N = 10-19
| ARWU_year = 2023
| ARWU_ref = <ref name="ARWU">{{cite web|url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2023|title=2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities|website=[[Academic Ranking of World Universities]]|access-date=15 August 2023}}</ref>
}}
As per the [[QS World University Rankings|QS World 2024]] edition, the university was ranked 384th globally and 21st nationally.<ref name="QS"/> In the [[Times Higher Education World University Rankings|THE World 2023]] rankings, the institution placed 193rd on a global scale and between 19th and 21st within its home country.<ref name="THE"/> The university was also evaluated in the [[Academic Ranking of World Universities|ARWU World 2023]], where it fell within the 201-300 range worldwide and within the top 10-19 nationally.<ref name="ARWU"/>

The University of Münster is member of the association German U15 e.V. which is a coalition of fifteen major research-intensive and leading medical universities in Germany with a full disciplinary spectrum, excluding any defining engineering sciences.

The Leiden university ranking, ranks Münster as the third best German university in the size-independent ranking. Strong faculties include mathematics, chemistry, medicine and business studies. According to the Shanghai university ranking, the University of Münster is the fourth best German university for chemistry (46th best university for chemistry worldwide).

Two Max-Planck-Prize and five Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz-Winner are currently professors at the faculty of mathematics.

Münster has been successful with three excellence clusters "Cells in Motion" (discontinued), "Religion and Politics" and "Mathematics Münster: Dynamics - Geometry - Structure" in the German excellence initiative.

==Notable alumni==
{{main|List of University of Münster people}}

[[Image:MuensterCenTech2.jpg|thumb|right|The Centre for Nanotechnology (CenTech)]]
[[File:MuensterUniversityPhysics.jpg|thumb|right|The department of physics]]
[[File:Entrance English Seminar University Münster.jpg|thumb|right|Entrance English Seminar]]

==See also==
* [[Education in Germany]]
* [[List of early modern universities in Europe]]
* [[Muenster School of Business Administration and Economics]]
* [[Musikhochschule Münster]]
* [[CeNTech]] – Center for Nanotechnology
* [[European Research Center for Information Systems]] (ERCIS)
* [[Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine]]
* [[Uni Baskets Münster]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official|https://www.uni-muenster.de/en/}} {{in lang|de|en}}

{{German U15}}
{{Universities and colleges in North Rhine-Westphalia}}
{{Universities in Germany}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munster, University Of}}
[[Category:University of Münster| ]]
[[Category:Culture in Münster]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1780]]
[[Category:1780 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in North Rhine-Westphalia]]