University of Maribor

​​​​​With its nineteen member institutions, the university is turning into a central development institution attracting talented students from all over the world and providing a development context where excellence is at home at all levels.

The management is aware that close ties between the university as a central educational and research institution and its local environment and the industry are of the utmost importance. For this reason, various activities aimed at integrating knowledge and R&D with the industry are being implemented in order to initiate concrete projects contributing to new jobs and new products with high added value. The University of Maribor is thus bringing together knowledge, research findings and the industry. The central project in this area is called IOT – Innovative Open Technologies. 

These are only a few examples indicating the direction of future development of the University of Maribor. However, various impressive accomplishments can already be celebrated. The development of the first Slovene nanosatellite going into space, the success of the students participating in the Student Formula project, permanent high scores in the Imagine Cup international student competition for innovativeness, technological solutions and development, the prestigious Reimagine Education award for the Demola project where students work on concrete solutions to problems found in companies – placing  the University of Maribor alongside the most prestigious universities – are only a few examples of UM's most notable achievements.

The University of Maribor is developing new fields, testing new teaching and learning methods and constantly searching for new methods of cooperation with its environment. Various international awards prove that the university is on the right track. This year, UM was ranked among the best global universities and earned the highest score among Slovene universities on Times Higher Education World University Rankings examining how universities fulfil their primary mission in different areas. In 2014, UM also received an award for the well-being of foreign students at HE institutions.

In Slovenia and abroad, UM is recognised as a university providing students with an excellent learning experience and producing top graduates. Now it is time for you to become a part of this creative and development-oriented story.​​

The beginnings of higher education in Maribor date back to the 19th century, when in 1859 bishop Anton Martin Slomšek moved the seat of the Lavantine diocese from St. Andraž in Lavantal (Austrian Carinthia) to Maribor and soon afterwards established a Slovenian seminary. That gave Maribor its first institution of higher education, which became an important focal point of Slovenian religious, national, cultural and scientific thought in the Slovenian Štajerska region. Important years were also 1863, when the two-year teacher-training school was established, and 1888, when it became a four-year school.

The immediate forerunner of the present-day University of Maribor is the Association of Higher Education Institutions in Maribor, which was established in the period between 1959 and 1961. The oldest among them was the School of Economics and Commerce, followed by the Technical College with departments of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, textile technology, civil engineering and chemistry. In 1960 the College of Agriculture, College of Law and School of Dentistry were established; the latter was closed in 1970. During that period the College of Organizational Studies was also established in Kranj, and in 1972 it became a member of the Association of Higher Education Institutions in Maribor. With six institutions of higher education Maribor became an important academic center, and in 1975 the University of Maribor was created.

The establishment of the University of Maribor and the expansion of research activities fostered the development of two-year colleges, which gradually became four-year colleges and finally faculties. The College of Nursing Studies was established in 1993, and two years later it also became a member of the University of Maribor. That same year the former Technical College was transformed into four new faculties. At the turn of the century the University of Maribor therefore consisted of 9 faculties and one university college. The following year it was joined by the University Library, which also became a member of the university.

At the turn of the millennium the University of Maribor was joined by another three new faculties: in 2003 a new Faculty of Medicine was established (the first students were enrolled in the academic year 2004/2005), and the previously established Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, based in Ljubljana, joined the University of Maribor, while the newly established Faculty of Logistics, based in Celje, opened its doors to the first students in the academic year 2005/2006.

In the academic year 2006/2007 the University of Maribor gained two new members. The former Faculty of Education split to form three new faculties: the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

The youngest members of the University of Maribor are the Faculty of Energy Technology, established in Krško in 2007 and the Faculty of Tourisms, based in Brežice, which opened its doors to the first students in the academic year 2012/2013.

Student Dormitories

Student Dormitories of the University of Maribor have 2867 beds in different 15 facilities at five different locations: Gosposvetska, Tyrševa, Lent, Smetanova and Gorkega - Quadro. They offer 633 single and 1117 double rooms with shared bathrooms and kitchens in traditional dorms as well as apartments. Rooms are equipped with new furniture, internet access and cable TV. 

Students may use other facilities, such as study rooms and the cyber classrooms. Students of music and art pedagogy have separate rooms, designed for their needs. The dormitories offer free internet access, laundry rooms, sports facilities (including fitness centres, outdoor playing fields, gyms, table tennis rooms, indoor swimming pools etc.), study and multimedia rooms and facilities for extra-curricular activities.

Student dormitories are mainly reserved for students with Slovene citizenship. Foreign students can apply for a place in the dorm in case if they are scholarship-holders of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia or ministries and If it is so  defined by international contracts. There is a limited number of rooms available for foreign students in the student dormitories. 

Administration office of Student dormitories in Maribor takes care only for accommodation of foreign students. For all other procedures Ministry of Education, Science and Sport in collaboration with University of Maribor is responsible. 

There is a movie about living in student dormitories of the University of Maribor, available with english subtitles (right column).

Tutoring and Mentoring

​After the introduction of study programmes in accordance with Bologna declaration, tutoring and mentoring systems began to develop at University of Maribor members. 

The primary objectives of the tutoring and mentoring system are:

• making the transition from secondary school to university easier,
• assisting students throughout their studies,
• establishing good relations between students, professors and the institution as a whole,
• overcoming the traditional higher education system,
• improving the performance of students and increasing the number of students advancing to the next year,
• improving the quality of the learning experience.

Tutoring models vary heavily among faculties. According to the year of studies, the tutor can be either a senior student or a professor.

Activities of the Career Centre of the University of Maribor

Individual and group career counselling 

Career counselling allows students, graduates and high school students to improve their employability skills and competencies and enhance their knowledge of career planning.

Our counsellors employ various counselling techniques and tools (questionnaires, etc.) that help counselees to attain self-knowledge, and help students, graduates and high school students in making career decisions. In addition to counselling students and graduates on how to write a cover letter and CV, how to design their career portfolios and how to conduct themselves in job interviews, our counsellors also provide information on the job market and various ways to approach the job hunt. 

Our career counsellors are available during office hours.

Events

The Career Centre of the University of Maribor organizes various events, such as lectures, seminars, workshops, roundtable discussions, meetings, as well as the Career Market career fair, where students and graduates are given the opportunity to meet various employers and partake in speed interviews. Students can also benefit from employer presentations at faculties and visit environments and undertakings they may work at in the future. For more information on events, click here.  

Information on job vacancies, internships and general career prospects

Students and graduates of the University of Maribor can obtain information on job vacancies and internship programmes, both in Slovenia and abroad, by consulting the CV database web portal, Facebook profile and the Career Centre of UM website. The Career Centre website features plenty of information on career prospects, employment opportunities and career development. 

Cooperation with companies/employers

The Career Centre of UM gives prospective employers several cooperation opportunities: from free-of-charge advertising of job and internship vacancies, access to CVs of students and graduates in the CV database web portal, establishing contact with interested students and graduates, to employer presentations at faculties and visits to companies/working environments.  

In order to facilitate and encourage cooperation between the University of Maribor, employers and the Career Centre, we provide employers with the opportunity to post topics for diploma or seminar theses or other assignments focusing on expert solutions.

​​UM has a broad-based vision and mission enabling faculties and other university members to specify their own visions and goals within the framework of UM's mission.

Mission

The mission of the University of Maribor is based on honesty, curiosity, creativity, freedom of spirit, cooperation and knowledge transfer in the field of science, art and education. Concerned with mankind and sustainable development, the University of Maribor expands knowledge, raises awareness, and promotes humanistic values as well as the culture of dialogue, quality of life and global justice.

Vision

The University of Maribor shall become a globally recognized innovation ecosystem, inspiring the creativity of both employees and students.