To help prospective students navigate the wide range of options available, Fachhochschule Dortmund and Arts has launched a new digital tool: The Studi-O-Mat now offers an accessible, interactive introduction to the Fachhochschule Dortmund’s bachelor’s study programs.
Modelled after the Wahl-O-Mat—which helps voters make election decisions—the Studi-O-Mat serves as a similar guide for prospective students. Users who answer up to 23 statements and assessments about themselves with “Agree,” “Disagree,” or “Neutral,” will receive a personalized list of study programs at the end. The tool is designed to be as simple as possible to use; it can be accessed anonymously and without registration directly in the browser. It takes about five minutes to complete.
The Studi-O-Mat was developed at Fachhochschule Dortmund in collaboration with the Student Advising Office, the university’s IT department, and the university communications office. Even though the Studi-O-Mat calculates a percentage match based on the answers, it always presents all 27 bachelor’s study programs currently offered by Fachhochschule Dortmund. In other words, the Studi-O-Mat does not filter out options but rather reorganizes them. It sparks curiosity and encourages users to explore individual study programs in more detail. To ensure the results are transparent, the Studi-O-Mat also provides explanations of how the match with the user’s interests was determined.