Index

What do I need to do if I want to transfer credits form previous studies/studies abroad to my Master’s in Medical Engineering?

Achievements from previous studies and studies abroad can only be accredited towards the Medical Engineering program if they have been evaluated positively by your accreditation officer for Medical Engineering.

In order to apply for accreditation of previously acquired credits and grades, please read the information on accreditation carefully and follow the process described here: https://www.medical-engineering.study.fau.eu/current-students/recognition-of-academic-achievements/

Whom do I need to contact if I want to move credits & grades from one module group to another?

Please contact Mrs. Jahreis of our Examinations Office (helga.jahreis[at]fau.de). Your study advisor cannot make any changes in your module/grade overview in Campo. It is only possible to move modules to a certain module group if it is in compliance with the rules explained in your module catalog (see the footnotes there). You can have your modules moved until the very end of your studies, before your final degree documents are issued.

Do I have to register for courses before the lecture period starts?

This answer might be very surprising for those of you who come from different academic system, but here at FAU you usually don’t need to register in order to be able to participate in a course (this applies to lectures, which make up the biggest part of our Master’s curriculum, because they usually have an unlimited number of participants). You can use the first weeks of the lecture period to attend different lectures without making a commitment to any of them. You can find out about the lectures that are offered in a certain semester as well as their time and place by reading the module catalog for your specialization and look up the respective courses in our online course platform Campo. You can just go and attend a lecture meeting one week and then continue to attend it if you like it or never attend it again. You neither need to inform your lecturer nor your study advisor of these decisions – they are completely up to you.

You only “commit” to a lecture to a certain degree when you register for its exam. The exam registration takes place a few weeks after the beginning of the lecture period, hence you have time to make up your mind. And even if you register for exams, you can still delete the registration until the end of the 3rd working day befiore the exam date, which means that you still have a lot of flexibility.

Only if you plan to attend a seminar (module group M4 in the Master’s program) or a practical course (module group M6 in the Master’s program), the rules are a little stricter. Since the number of participants for seminars and practical courses is limited, you have to pre-register for these courses (usually about a month before the lecture period starts). In order to find out about the modalities for registration (usually via our e-learning platform StudOn or via email to the lecturer in rare cases), please look up the course in our online course platform Campo and follow the instructions given there. Please note, however, that seminars and practical courses are only recommended for advanced students. You should only register for them if you have already acquired around 60 ECTS credits.

I have obtained more ECTS credits than I need for my degree. Which courses will be counted towards my Master’s degree?

This decision is up to you!

If you don’t communicate any preference to our Examinations Office, the modules with the best grades will be used by default to be counted for your degree and to calculate your final Master’s grade. The remaining modules will not be listed in your Master’s degree certificate, but in your transcript of records in the section “Additional achievements”. You can even move the modules which are marked as mandatory in your catalog to the section “Additional achievements” if desired.

If you have other preferences and want to have a certain module with a not so good grade, but which you find important,  listed in your Master’s cerificate, please inform Mrs. Jahreis of out Examinations Office (helga.jahreis[at]fau.de). You can make the decision until the end of your studies but you have to notify Mrs. Jahreis before your final degree documents are issued.

I am really struggling with my studies and life in Germany. What can I do?

The most important thing first: you are not alone! Almost all students are familiar with the experience of reaching a low point in their studies, feeling overwhelmed or not knowing what to do. The good news is that you can do a lot by yourself to feel better and experience success and satisfaction in your studies again. Here are some measures you can take right away:

…and talk about your struggles with fellow students. They may be feeling just like you and be glad that you bring up the topic. Everything is easier when you share it with others!

How are my average grades calculated in the Campo portal (FPO 2018 and onwards)?

All modules that are required to fulfill the ECTS requirements of a module group are included in the average grade for this module group, weighted according to their ECTS value. In doing so, the calculated grade value is not rounded up, but truncated after the first decimal place:

Example: module group M5 in the Master’s program (10 ECTS):

  • Performance with 5 ECTS: grade 1.0
  • Performance with 7.5 ECTS: grade 2.3

Average grade: (5 x 1 + 7.5 x 2.3) : 12.5 = 1.78

The average grade of 1.7 is included in the Master’s examination with 10 ECTS. The calculation of the master’s examination grade is based on 110 ECTS, since module group M6 is ungraded.

 

If you acquire more than the ECTS required for a module group, the examination office automatically selects the modules with the best grades necessary to fulfill the ECTS requirement of the module group when issuing the certificate. Additional modules are not included in the calculation.

If you have taken more than the required ECTS points in a module group and do not want the modules with the best grades in each case to be automatically credited, you can inform the Examinations Office before your certificate is issued which achievements should be included in your Bachelor’s or Master’s examination.

From the calculated overall grade of the Bachelor’s or Master’s examination, the second decimal place is truncated (i.e. not rounded), e.g. 2.35 becomes 2.3.

Can I use my conditional subjects for my Master’s course?

Yes, if you are satisfied with the grade you achieved in your conditional subjects you can use them for your module group “Free Choice Uni/M8” (according to Study Regulation/FPO 2018 and 2019). You cannot use them for any other group, as these other groups have to consist of Master’s level content, which the conditional subjects are not – by definition.

In order to have your conditional subject moved to the “Free Choice Uni/M8” section of your Campo account, just send an email to Mrs. Jahreis of our Examinations Office (helga.jahreis[at]fau.de) and ask her to do so.

I need a document stating the provisional end of my studies (confirmation for submission to immigration authorities). Where can I get such a document?

The authority for foreigners or non-residents (Ausländerbehörde/Rathaus) often requires a document in order to ensure your current status as a student (“ein aktuelles Schreiben der Universität über das voraussichtliche Studienende” or “Bescheinigung zur Vorlage bei der Ausländerbehörde/Confirmation for submission to immigration authorities”) in order to extend your study visa. You can download this document with the title “Bescheinigung zur Vorlage bei der Ausländerbehörde/Confirmation for submission to immigration authorities”  in the section “My Studies” – “Transcripts” in Campo.

The confirmation refers to the “individual duration of study pursuant to certificate of enrollment”. This means that if you studied during the official “covid semesters” (SS 20, WS 20/21, SS 21 and WS 21/22), these semesters are mentioned as such in your certificate of enrollment and count as zero. You need to submit your certificate of enrollment together with the confirmation at the Immigrations Office. Hence, the officers there will deduct the covid semesters from your duration of studies.

The confirmation also refers to the “approved extension in accordance with the examination regulations”. This means that, from the university’s point of view, all master’s students can get 2 additional semesters after the regular duration of studies of 4 semesters (4+2 = 6 semesters) if needed. In principle, this extension by two semesters is guaranteed. However, if you are a Non-EU student with a residence permit for study purposes, it is important for you to understand that the question of whether you can make use of this study extension or not depends on whether you can prove to the immigrations office that you are studying actively and successfully and qualify for a visa extension.

If you cannot access the confirmation in Campo it is due to the fact that you did not acquire enough credits in relation to your duration of studies, meaning that you are not studying actively and succesfully (enough). If this is true for you, please contact our General Study Advisory Service and ask for an individual letter.

 

Where can I find more information regarding examination and registration dates?

The registration periods for module examinations can be found on the homepage of the Examinations Office.

Registration for these examinations exclusively takes place via our online portal Campo. Please note that exam registration is only possible during the official exam registration period (see above).

What is my standard period of study?

Master

The standard period of study in the Master’s program is 4 semesters. You will automatically get an extension for a 5th and 6th semester if you re-register on time. After that, study time extensions for a 7th or 8th semester are possible, but you have to file an application and give justified reasons for it. The examinations commitee of the Faculty of Engineering decides whether the extension is granted or not.

If you want to know more about deadline extensions or extending the standard period of study, click here.