Traditionally the German system does not
differentiate between undergraduate and postgraduate
studies. Up to 1998 the only degree awarded
in engineering was the `Diplom-Ingenieur', its
profile and level depending on the awarding institution,
i.e. a University (five-year courses of
study), a Fachhochschule (four-year courses of
study) or ± more recently ± a Berufsakademie
(three-year courses of study).