Programme and Examination Regulations for the Advanced Master’s Programme in Civil-Military Interaction taught in English at the Helmut-Schmidt-Universität/Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg (SPO MCMI) – leading to the degree of Master of Arts (MA) –
English translation is for information purpose only. In case of doubt or differences of interpretation, the German version shall prevail over the English text.
Adopted by the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences on 15 September 2016,
approved by the Academic Senate on 13 October 2016,
approved by the Ministry of Science and Research of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg on 23 February 2017 and by the Federal Ministry of Defence on 7 March 2017
and published in the University Gazette No. 02/2017 on 17 March 2017.
Table of Contents
Section 2 Programme Objective and Academic Degree
Section 3 Programme Implementation and Coordination Committee
Section 4 Programme Content, Duration and Structure
Section 7 Examination Committee
Section 8 Examiners and Assessors
Section 9 Recognition of Prior Periods of Study and Credit Transfer
Section 10 Admission to Module Examinations
Section 11 Module Examinations
Section 14 Assessment of Examinations and Grading
Section 15 Retaking Examinations
Section 16 Failure to Attend and Withdrawal from Examinations
Section 18 Violation of Examination Regulations and Procedural Shortcomings
Section 19 Transcript of Records
Section 21 Certificate, Diploma and Diploma Supplement
Section 22 Invalidity of Final Examinations
Section 23 Viewing Records and Examination Scripts
1These Programme and Examination Regulations govern the processes and procedures of the courses and examinations of the Master’s Programme in Civil-Military Interaction (MCMI). 2 This Master’s programme is offered by Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg (hereafter referred to as the “University”) in cooperation with the Civil-Military Cooperation Centre of Excellence (hereafter CCOE), Brasserskade 227a, 2497 NX The Hague, The Netherlands.
Section 2
Programme Objective and Academic Degree
(1) 1The Master’s Programme in Civil-Military Interaction (hereafter referred to as the “programme”) is intended to impart knowledge and skills which will enable students to exercise informed judgement in the area of civil-military cooperation in conflict and crisis regions, to take an academic approach to related issues and find methodological solutions to related problems, thus enabling them to perform military and civilian command functions. 2The aim of the programme is to enable students to apply their skills and acquired knowledge in their specific professional field. 3Moreover, it prepares students for their professional practice and trains them to think and work in an academic manner.
(2) Students who pass the Master’s degree examination will be awarded the degree of Master of Arts (MA).
Section 3
Programme Implementation and Coordination Committee
(1) 1This programme is offered by the University in cooperation with the CCOE. The University’s Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences will have academic responsibility for the programme. 2This especially includes responsibility for programme quality assurance.
(2) 1The Centre for Postgraduate Education (ZWW) will be responsible for the organisational support of the MCMI programme. ²This includes assisting with quality assurance and ensuring coordination with other University institutions.
(3) Course teaching and supervision will be carried out within the scope of teaching assignments in accordance with the University’s regulations governing postgraduate education.
(4) 1A Coordination Committee will be established to implement the programme. 2 It will be responsible for ensuring coordination between the CCOE and the University and for setting admission dates. 3The Coordination Committee will analyse the evaluations of the curriculum taught by the institutions involved and draw up proposals for further development of the programme. 4The Committee will report to the Faculty Council and the CCOE Director on programme development and will propose improvements.
(5) 1In the event of any changes to the content of the CCOE curriculum, the Coordination Committee will assess the new educational content in terms of credits in accordance with Section 40, Paragraph 2 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act (HmbHG) and submit its comments to the Faculty Council. 2The Faculty Council will decide whether the curriculum should be integrated unchanged or requires modification in accordance with Section 4, Paragraph 2.
(6) 1The Coordination Committee will consist of six persons who must be members of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences or the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, or be CCOE staff. 2Three members will be elected by the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences and the other three will be nominated by the CCOE Director. 3This must be based on mutual agreement between the committee members.
(7) 1Committee members will serve for a term of two years and may be re-elected. 2At least three committee members must be professors.
(8) The Coordination Committee will elect a chairperson and a vice chairperson from its members.
Section 4
Programme Content, Duration and Structure
(1) 1The programme will be interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary in nature. 2It will build on the CCOE curriculum in the area of civil-military cooperation, in particular the NATO CIMIC “Staff Worker Course” and “Higher Command Course”, and complement the practical and theoretical aspects of these courses through academic content taught by the University. 3The programme is aimed at future military and civilian executive personnel of the Bundeswehr and NATO. 4The standard period of study will be two years.
(2) 1The programme will be modular in structure. 2It will combine practical and academic elements and carry a total of 60 credits. 3It will consist of a foundational phase worth 20 ECTS credits (modules MCMI-G-01 to -04) and a consolidation and application phase worth 40 ECTS credits (modules MCMI-V-01 to -05 and MCMI-S-01 and -02). 4The consolidation and application phase includes a compulsory elective element during which two out of four modules (MCMI-V-01, -02, -04, -05) have to be completed. 5With regard to the practical elements, the student will be awarded the credits allocated to the MCMI-G-03 and MCMI-V-03 modules upon provision of proof of achievement of the required outcomes in the NATO CIMIC “Staff Worker Course” and/or “Higher Command Course”.
(3) 1The courses will be taught in German or English. 2Details of the modules offered, the language of instruction and the admission criteria as well as the type, duration and weighting of the module examinations are provided in the Annex to these regulations. 3Further information on the content and structure of the programme is provided in the module handbook as amended.
(1) 1The programme is open to applicants who can demonstrate that they have
1. achieved 240 ECTS credits for completion of a Bachelor’s programme at a German or foreign institute of higher education,
2. at least two years of professional experience, including at least one year with leadership responsibility, after obtaining a higher-education degree qualifying them to enter a profession and
3. sufficient knowledge of the English language to successfully complete the programme and the examinations.
2A Standardised Language Profile (SLP) of 3332 as certified by the Federal Office of Languages, or an equivalent document certifying proficiency of a standard corresponding to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages Level C1, will be accepted as proof of English language ability in accordance with Sentence 1, No. 3 of this paragraph. 3Applicants whose first language is English will be exempt from this requirement. 4Admission will not be granted in cases where a student, while previously pursuing the same programme, has failed an examination prescribed by the examination regulations at the final attempt or is no longer eligible to take the examination. 5The same applies if a student has failed an examination at the final attempt in another programme if that examination is prescribed by these Programme and Examination Regulations; compulsory elective examinations will not be taken into consideration in this context.
(2) 1In addition to documents demonstrating that the candidate meets the admission criteria as defined in Paragraph 1, Sentence 1, the application for admission must be accompanied by a letter of motivation and a declaration of preparedness to pay the fees set for this programme. 2The University’s student secretariat will verify that the applicant meets the admission criteria; in cases of doubt, the Examination Committee will decide.
(3) 1Notwithstanding Paragraph 1, Sentence 1, No. 1, admission may also be granted to students who earned at least 210 ECTS credits while obtaining a higher-education degree qualifying them to enter a profession and who can compensate the difference to the required 240 ECTS credits by providing evidence of further knowledge or skills which are acquired by completing those modules listed in Annex 2 that the Examination Committee specifies on a case-by-case basis in due consideration of the first higher-education degree qualifying for a profession. 2 Applicants who at the time of applying for admission are unable to provide evidence of such other knowledge or skills to the full extent required but who can provide evidence of having acquired at least 225 ECTS credits, may be provisionally admitted unless all available places have already been filled in accordance with Paragraph 4, Sentence 2. 3 Such provisional admission will expire after six months (regular end of the foundational phase) unless evidence of having acquired the full 240 ECTS credits is provided by then. 4No further rights will arise from provisional admission. 5A certificate of successfully completed bridging modules will be issued.
(4) 1Only a limited number of places are available on the programme. 2If the number of applications that meet the admission criteria as described in Paragraph 1 – in conjunction with Paragraph 3, Sentence 1, if applicable – exceeds the number of places available on the programme, a selection procedure will take place. 3 In this case, applicants who meet the admission requirements without recourse to the exemptions specified in Paragraph 3 will be preferred. 4Beyond this, the Examination Committee will base its decision in the selection procedure on the suitability and motivation of the applicants while taking into account the grades achieved in their higher-education entrance qualification, their first higher-education degree qualifying them to enter a profession, their professional experience and academic work in one of the areas covered by the programme, and on their relevant academic achievements.
(5) 1If the number of applications that only meet the criteria for provisional admission as described in Paragraph 3, Sentence 2, exceeds the number of places left on the programme, the decision on provisional admission will be made primarily on the basis of the number of confirmed ECTS credits (in descending order). 2Where two or more applicants have the same number of confirmed credits, a selection procedure as outlined in Paragraph 4 will take place.
(6) 1Applicants who are not admitted to the programme will be notified in writing; this notification will also include information on how to appeal. 2 The Appeals Committee will decide on appeals against this decision in accordance with Section 7, Paragraph 10 of the General Examination Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes at Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg.
(1) 1The curriculum will be divided into modules. 2Modules combine areas of teaching and learning into units that are defined in terms of topic and duration, impart certain skills and, as a general rule, end with an examination (module examination). 3Modules usually consist of several coordinated courses held over one trimester or up to three consecutive trimesters. 4Some of these courses require physical attendance.
(2) 1The credits for each module represent the student workload. 2Credits are calculated on the basis that one credit corresponds to a workload of 25 hours. 3The number of credits for one module is based on the number of working hours that are required on average for course attendance, preparatory and follow-up work, practical elements and examinations. 4The number of credits for a module can only be awarded in full and only after successful completion of the module by passing the required examination.
Section 7
Examination Committee
(1) 1The University’s Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences will establish an Examination Committee for its postgraduate programmes. 2The Examination Committee will be responsible for deciding on admissions to the programme, for organising examinations and for ensuring compliance with the provisions of these regulations but not for the assessment of examinations. 3The Examination Committee will receive administrative support from the University’s Examination Office in organising examinations. 4The examination records will be kept by the University’s Examination Office.
(2) 1The Examination Committee will consist of
1. three professors who are members of the University and who teach postgraduate courses at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences,
2. two students pursuing postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences.
2Committee members as defined in Sentence 1, No. 1 of this paragraph will serve for a term of two years, the members as defined in Sentence 1, No. 2 for one year. 3The Faculty Council of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences will elect the committee members and their deputies. 4The Faculty Council will elect the chairperson and vice chairperson from the committee members as defined in Sentence 1, No. 1 of this paragraph.
(3) 1The Examination Committee will regularly report to the Coordination Committee and the Faculty Council on the development of examinations and periods of study and will provide suggestions on further development of the programme and the examination regulations. 2The Examination Committee may delegate certain tasks and powers to its chairperson. 3This does not apply to decisions in accordance with Paragraph 7 and Section 17, except in cases where the allegations have been admitted.
(4) 1Meetings of the Examination Committee will be open to members of the University. 2 Matters concerning individual examinations will be dealt with in closed session. 3The Examination Committee will decide by a simple majority of votes cast at the meeting. 4Abstention from voting on examination matters is not permitted. 5In the event of a tie in votes, the chairperson or their deputy will have the deciding vote.
(5) 1Committee members will be entitled to be present during examinations that fall within the remit of the Examination Committee. 2They will be bound to confidentiality with regard to individual examination matters.
(6) 1Notification of decisions that may infringe the rights of a student must be made in writing, state the reasons for the decision, and provide information on how to appeal. 2Before a decision is taken, the student must be given the opportunity to make a statement.
(7) 1In the case of an appeal against a decision by the Examination Committee, the Committee will reconsider the matter. 2Where the Examination Committee fails to resolve or fully resolve the appeal, the Appeals Committee will decide in accordance with Section 7, Paragraph 10 of the General Examination Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes at Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg.
Section 8
Examiners and Assessors
(1) 1Examiners are regular academic staff who teach the examination subject at the University. 2A teaching assignment entails authorisation to conduct examinations for the particular module. 3In cases where examinations cannot be conducted by regular academic staff and no teaching assignment has been allocated, other examiners holding doctoral degrees or comparable qualifications in the examination subject may be appointed. 4They will be appointed by the Examination Committee. 5Their nomination will be announced two weeks prior to the relevant examination.
(2) 1University professors and habilitated lecturers are authorised to conduct all examinations in their discipline. 2Other regular members of the academic staff and visiting lecturers may only conduct examinations for the module in which they offer courses.
(3) 1Assessors for the associated oral examinations will be nominated by the examiners. 2To be nominated, an assessor must at least possess the qualifications that are to be determined in the examination or comparable qualifications.
(4) 1Examiners are autonomous and not bound by directives when it comes to their examination activities. 2Section 7, Paragraph 5, Sentence 2 will apply to examiners and assessors.
Section 9
Recognition of Prior Periods of Study and Credit Transfer
(1) Transfer of the credits obtained in a degree programme at another institute of higher education and recognition of prior periods of study will be granted if there are no fundamental differences between the knowledge and skills already acquired and those to be acquired in the relevant programme at the University.
(2) 1Recognition of prior periods of study and transfer of credits obtained at a foreign institute of higher education that is not covered by the Lisbon Recognition Convention will be subject to compliance with the equivalence agreements approved by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs and the University Rectors’ Conference as well as with arrangements made in the context of cooperation agreements between the University and other institutes of higher education. 2Where no such agreements have been concluded and where there are doubts about equivalence, the Central Office for Foreign Education should be consulted.
(3) 1Up to 30 ECTS credits may be awarded for knowledge or skills acquired and certified other than through studies at an institute of higher education, provided said knowledge or skills are of an equivalent standard to those acquired in the course of the programme and required for its successful completion. 2Based on the qualifications obtained in the NATO CIMIC courses “Staff Worker Course” and “Higher Command Course”, the student will be awarded the credits allocated for the MCMI-G-03 and MCMI-V-03 modules, which means that it will not be possible to recognise the full 30 ECTS credits for previously acquired knowledge and skills as defined in the first sentence of this paragraph.
(4) 1In cases where credit transfer is granted, grades will also be transferred – if the grade systems are comparable – and included in the calculation of the final grade. 2Where grading systems are not comparable, the remark “passed” will be added. Credit transfers and recognised prior periods of study will always be indicated as such.
(5) 1At the request of the student and after hearing the responsible subject representative, the Examination Committee will decide whether credit transfers and recognition of prior periods of study should be granted. 2The required documents should be included with the request for credit transfer and recognition of prior periods of study. 3Conditions may apply for credit transfers and recognition of prior periods of study. 4In cases that do not involve a student transferring directly from another institute of higher education, i.e. where the student has already successfully completed a degree programme, credit transfer as described in the preceding paragraphs will be limited to a maximum of 40 ECTS credits.
Section 10
Admission to Module Examinations
(1) 1Only those students will be admitted to module examinations who
1. are enrolled in the programme,
2. meet the requirements for admission to the particular module (see Annex),
3. meet the requirements for admission to the module examination (see Annex) and who,
4. in writing or any other form determined by the Examination Committee, have sent a request for admission to the module examination to the Examination Office by the deadline set by the Examination Committee.
2In cases where students fail to apply for admission to a module examination in accordance with No. 4, they will still be admitted to the forthcoming examinations in their chosen module if they meet the criteria specified in Nos. 1 to 3. 3Students may withdraw from a module by notifying the Examination Office by letter or email by the first Friday after the start of the module.
(2) 1Unless the documents required for admission as specified in Paragraph 1 have been submitted at an earlier stage, they must be enclosed with the request or submitted by the deadline set by the Examination Committee. 2The Examination Office will ensure that students do not exceed the permitted number of retake examinations.
(3) 1If the module overview contained in the Annex to these regulations states that a module requires physical attendance, regular attendance of the required classes will be a requirement for admission to the module examination. 2Regular attendance means that a student has been absent for no more than a third of the sessions in which physical attendance is required. 3In the case of a longer absence due to circumstances beyond the student’s control, the student may be admitted to the examination under certain conditions. 4A satisfactory explanation for the absence must be provided to the responsible lecturer and, in the case of absence due to illness, a medical certificate must be submitted as stipulated in Section 16, Paragraph 2, Sentence 2. 5The conditions will be determined by the lecturer responsible for teaching the course that was missed and must be reasonable and appropriate to document that the student caught up on the subject material missed.
(4) 1The Examination Committee will decide whether the student should be admitted to the examination. 2The Examination Committee may assign this task to the Examination Office. 3In cases of doubt, the decision will rest with the Examination Committee.
(1) Module examinations may take the form of a final examination or consist of several examinations combined into a module examination.
(2) Where more than one type of examination is listed in the Annex, the actual examination type that students will have to take will be announced no later than the first session of the particular course.
(3) Initial examinations will generally be held during the programme or within eight weeks of completing the module courses as directed by the examiners.
(4) Module examinations must be assessed no later than eight weeks after completion of the examination; Section 13, Paragraph 8 will remain unaffected.
(5) 1Students who have been admitted to a module examination are obliged to take this examination. 2At the written request of the student, the examiner may conduct the examination in a language other than English or German.
(6) 1Appropriate notification of the examination must be provided at least two weeks before the examination date unless this date is agreed on an individual basis. 2In the case of retake examinations, notification of the results of the previous examination must be provided no later than two weeks before the date of the retake examination. 3Before retaking an examination, the student must be allowed sufficient time to view the examination script.
(1) 1Written, supervised examinations involve set tasks to be completed by the student independently and only using the resources permitted by the examiner. They may also take the form of multiple-choice examinations. 2In the case of written multiple-choice examinations, the University’s regulations on multiple-choice examinations must be observed. 3The length of time allowed to complete written examinations ranges from 30 to 180 minutes; it must be specified in the Annex to these regulations and in the module handbook.
(2) 1Seminar papers and written assignments are written work discussing an academic problem or subject agreed between lecturers and students which must be completed within a certain time. 2 Essays, annotated bibliographies, etc. are special types of assignment.3 They may serve as part of a module examination or as final module examinations. 4The lecturers will determine the time allowed to complete these assignments.
(3) 1Oral examinations will be carried out by two examiners or by one examiner in the presence of one competent assessor. 2Oral examinations may be conducted individually or in groups of up to four students. 3Oral examinations will last 15 to 45 minutes per examinee. 4The assessor’s assessment must be heard before grades are awarded. 5The main topics and results of the examination must be documented in a record to be signed by the examiners and the assessors. 6Where space permits, oral examinations will be open to members of the University. 7At the request of the examinee, the examination may be held in private.
(4) 1Disputation, i.e. an oral defence, is an academic debate in which the candidate must prove their ability to argue a case and to exercise judgement. 2It starts with a short presentation by the examinee in which they describe the hypotheses, findings and conclusions of their paper. 3This is followed either by a discussion with the examiners in which the examinee “defends” their paper or by an oral examination (colloquium). 4Paragraph 3 will apply accordingly.
(5) 1A presentation is a talk on a topic which has been agreed between lecturers and students as part of the course (course examination) or the overall module (module examination). 2If an extended written version of the presentation is required in the form of a paper, the presentation and the paper will form the basis of the overall examination grade.
(6) 1A project report comprises the oral and written presentation of the results of a complex assignment involving problem solving. 2The controlled observation or examination and documentation of an academic or scientific process forms the basis of a report. 3The written account must be accompanied by a portfolio. 4The portfolio must contain different documents that have been gathered, organised systematically and annotated by the students and which reflect the learning process, learning performance and learning success of the students in the context of a course or module. 5Such documents may include, for example, descriptions of completed assignments, lecture records, learning or experience journals and presentations etc. 6The portfolio should comprise 10-20 pages. 7The lecturers will specify further criteria for preparing the portfolio.
(7) 1With the exception of written examinations, all written work such as papers must also be submitted in electronic format in order to permit the use of plagiarism detection software. 2Section 13, Paragraph, 6, Sentences 3-6 will apply accordingly.
(8) 1With the consent of the examiner, examinations – including final theses (Section 13) – may take the form of group work. 2In such cases, it must be ensured that each individual student’s contribution that is to be assessed as part of the examination is clearly distinguishable and assessable on the basis of indicated sections, page numbers and other objective criteria allowing individual performance to be attributed to the respective student.
(9) 1Where an examinee can satisfactorily demonstrate that they are unable to complete their examinations in the intended format or within the time allowed because of prolonged or chronic illness or permanent physical disability, the Examination Committee may, at the examinee’s request, allow them more time to complete the examinations or to take examinations of an equivalent standard in an appropriate format. 2The same applies to study credits. 3The examinee may be asked to provide appropriate evidence in accordance with Section 16, Paragraph 2.
(1) 1By successfully tackling an extensive academic problem (Master’s thesis), students demonstrate their technical and methodological skills, power of judgement and ability to independently plan and conduct an academic project using academic methods within a specified timeframe.
(2) 1The Master’s thesis module comprises the final thesis (to be completed within four months) and the disputation and carries 15 credits. 2To be admitted to the Master’s thesis module, students are required to have successfully completed the other modules as demonstrated by completion of the MCMI-S-01 module.
(3) 1The final thesis will be supervised by a professor or habilitated lecturer who has been approved as an examiner in accordance with Section 8, Paragraph 1. 2The student may propose a supervisor. 3Wherever possible and reasonable, the student’s proposal must be accepted.
(4) 1The supervisor will assign the topic of the final thesis. 2The student may propose the topic. 3The Examination Office will record the date of assignment and the topic. 4With the consent of the supervisor, the student may reject the topic once during the first third of the time allocated to complete the thesis if completion is not possible for reasons beyond the student’s control. 5In this case, a new topic will be assigned without delay. 6In cases of doubt, the chairperson of the responsible Examination Committee will decide. 7At the student’s request, the chairperson of the Examination Committee will ensure that the student is assigned a supervisor and a topic for the final thesis in good time.
(5) Final theses may be submitted in German, English or, with the consent of the Examination Committee, in another language.
(6) 1Three typed and bound copies of the final thesis must be submitted to the Examination Office by the deadline. 2Together with the printed copies, an identical electronic version of the thesis must be submitted to permit the use of plagiarism detection software. 3In the case of empirical theses, this also includes the data material and an electronic copy of any material obtained from the Internet. 4The time of submission will be recorded. 5At the time of submission, the student must confirm in writing that the thesis (or, in the case of a group thesis, the appropriately indicated section of the thesis) is their own work, that only the resources listed in the bibliography were used and that all passages taken either verbatim or in adapted form from sources or literature are indicated as such, with references provided in each case. 6In addition, they must confirm that the electronic version submitted is identical to the printed copies.
(7) 1Where the student can provide justifiable reasons for their request, the chairperson of the Examination Committee may extend the deadline for the final thesis by a further four weeks in agreement with the supervisor. 2In cases where work on the thesis is interrupted by illness or other important reasons beyond the examinee’s control, this period of interruption will not count towards the thesis completion time. 3The examinee must submit appropriate proof to the chairperson of the Examination Committee without delay. 4Section 16, Paragraph 2 will apply.
(8) 1Final theses must be assessed by the supervisor and an additional examiner. 2The examiners’ written reports should be submitted no later than 12 weeks after submission of the thesis. 3If the grades differ by more than 1.0 or if the thesis is deemed “unsatisfactory” by only one examiner, the chairperson of the Examination Committee will call for a report from an additional examiner. 4If the third examiner awards at least a grade of “sufficient” (4.0), the overall grade for the thesis will be calculated as the arithmetic mean of the grades awarded by the individual examiners, but will be no lower than “sufficient” (4.0).
(9) 1Students who have not accepted a topic for their final thesis within five years of commencing the course will no longer be eligible to take examinations as part of the programme. 2In cases of exceptional personal hardship and where the student can provide justifiable reasons for their request, the Examination Committee will extend this deadline accordingly; Section 16, Paragraph 2 will apply mutatis mutandis.
Section 14
Assessment of Examinations and Grading
(1) 1The grades for individual examinations will be determined by the responsible examiners. 2Examinations will be assessed using the following grades:
1 = very good (outstanding performance),
2 = good (performance which is well above average standards),
3 = satisfactory (performance which meets average standards),
4 = sufficient (performance which, despite its shortcomings, still meets required standards),
5 = unsatisfactory (performance which, due to its significant shortcomings, fails to meet required standards).
(2) 1Intermediate grading may be used to permit differentiated assessment of examinations. 2To this end, the grades will be increased or lowered by a value of 0.3; grades 0.7, 4.3, 4.7 and 5.3 will not be used.
(3) For examinations described in the Annex as “non-graded”, the student will only be awarded a grade of “pass” or “fail”.
(4) 1A student will only be deemed to have passed a module examination comprising several course examinations if they have passed all of the individual course examinations. 2The grade awarded for a module is the arithmetic mean of the individual grades in accordance with the weighting of the various course examinations as specified in the Annex; “non-graded” examinations as specified in Paragraph 3 will not be included in the grade for the module. 3The value obtained will be truncated to one decimal place without rounding. 4The same will apply in cases where an examination is assessed by several examiners. 5Accordingly, the following grades will apply:
up to 1.5 = “very good”
above 1.5 to 2.5 = “good”
above 2.5 to 3.5 = “satisfactory”
above 3.5 to 4.0 = “sufficient”
(5) 1The grades achieved in the module examinations will be weighted by the number of credits awarded. 2The overall grade awarded for the Master’s programme is the credit-weighted arithmetic mean of the grades for all modules and the credit-weighted grade for the final thesis, provided this has not been included in an overall grade for a module; Paragraph 4, Sentence 3 will apply accordingly. 3Non-graded examinations as specified in Paragraph 3 will not be included in the calculation of the overall grade. 4Where an overall grade of 1.3 or higher is awarded, the grade “passed with distinction” will be awarded.
Section 15
Retaking Examinations
(1) Examinees may not retake an examination for which they have been awarded a grade of “sufficient” (4.0) or higher.
(2) 1Examinees who have been awarded a grade lower than “sufficient” (4.0) for an examination are deemed to have failed and may retake the exam twice. 2The retake date will be the examination date fixed for the relevant module in the following academic year.
(3) In cases where a module examination consists of several course examinations, Paragraphs 1 and 2 will apply to the possibility of retaking the individual course examinations.
(4) 1If a Master’s thesis is deemed “unsatisfactory”, it may be resubmitted only once and must be based on a different topic. 2In justified exceptional cases, a Master’s thesis can be resubmitted a second time following a decision to that effect by the Examination Committee. 3 The topic of the Master’s thesis to be resubmitted must be accepted without delay, but no later than six weeks after notification of the grade of the first submission or notification of the Examination Committee’s decision to grant the opportunity for a second resubmission, as the case may be. 4If the Examination Office has not received a declaration of acceptance after this period of six weeks, for the purpose of setting the deadline for resubmitting the thesis, the topic is deemed accepted at this date. 5The Examination Office will inform the students of the latest possible date for accepting the new topic and the latest possible date of resubmission. 6In the case of resubmission, the topic may not be rejected.
Section 16
Failure to Attend and Withdrawal from Examinations
(1) In cases where a student fails to attend an examination or fails to observe an examination deadline as defined in these regulations or withdraws from an examination or fails to complete a written examination within the specified completion time, the student will be awarded a grade of “unsatisfactory” (5.0) for that examination.
(2) 1The student must notify the Examination Committee in writing without delay, providing a satisfactory explanation of the reasons for their non-attendance of or withdrawal from the examination. 2In the case of illness, the student is required to submit a medical certificate which must describe how the illness impairs the student’s ability to perform on an exam but which does not disclose the actual illness. 3The examiner or examination supervisor must be informed without delay if an examinee becomes incapable of completing an examination while the examination is already in progress. 4The obligation to provide notification as specified in Sentences 1 and 2 will remain unaffected. 5Once an examination has been completed, reasons for withdrawal can no longer be invoked.
(3) 1If the Examination Committee accepts the reasons, it will set a new date for the examination. 2At the request of the examiner, the Examination Committee may determine that a written examination will be retaken as an oral examination.
(4) 1Where requested by a candidate, provisions protecting working mothers (Maternity Protection Act and/or Maternity Protection Ordinance for Servicewomen) must be taken into account. 2The same applies to requests submitted by a candidate regarding periods of parental leave in accordance with the Federal Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act.
(1) 1In cases where a student attempts to influence the outcome of an examination by cheating, the examiner or examination supervisor will make a note of the incident and forward it to the chairperson of the Examination Committee immediately after the examination. 2If such behaviour comes to light during an examination, the student concerned will be permitted to continue the examination.
(2) Cheating in accordance with Paragraph 1 includes in particular the use of unauthorised resources during examinations, unauthorised collusion with other examinees or third parties during examinations, and plagiarism.
(3) 1The Examination Committee will decide whether an action constitutes an attempt at cheating in accordance with Paragraph 1. 2The examiner and the student concerned must be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations before a decision is taken.
(4) 1If the Examination Committee determines that an attempt at cheating in accordance with Paragraph 1 has occurred, the examinee will be awarded a grade of “unsatisfactory” (5.0) or “fail” for that examination. 2Where cheating is not discovered until after the assessment of the examination, the grade already awarded will be changed accordingly. 3In particularly serious cases, the Examination Committee may exclude the examinee from taking any further examinations.
(5) In cases where the Examination Committee determines that plagiarism has been committed and where the student has previously been guilty of cheating, it will always exclude the student from further examinations unless there are compelling reasons not to do so.
(6) 1If the Examination Committee takes a different view from the examiner concerned, it may consult the University’s ombudsperson for safeguarding good academic practice and dealing with academic misconduct prior to making a decision. 2Where the Examination Committee determines that no attempt at cheating as defined in Paragraph 1 has occurred, it will return the paper to the examiner for assessment, unless it considers that examiner to be biased. 3In this case, or if the examiner themselves does not wish to assess the paper for reasons of bias, the Examination Committee will appoint another examiner to whom it will forward the paper for assessment.
Section 18
Violation of Examination Regulations and Procedural Shortcomings
(1) 1The examiner or the examination supervisor may exclude examinees who wilfully disrupt the proper conduct of a written or oral examination from continuing with the examination. 2Section 17, Paragraph 1, Sentence 1 and Section 17, Paragraph 3 as well as Section 17, Paragraph 4, Sentence 1 will apply. 3If the Examination Committee fails to find any violation that justifies exclusion from the examination, the student concerned must be given the opportunity to retake the examination without delay; Section 17, Paragraph 6, Sentence 3 will apply accordingly.
(2) 1The responsible examiner or the Examination Committee must be notified without delay of any shortcomings in the examination procedure. 2At the request of the student concerned, the Examination Committee will decide whether an examination affected by procedural shortcomings must be retaken.
Section 19
Transcript of Records
Once all the data pertaining to examination results for a trimester have been recorded at the end of that trimester, the student, at their request, will be provided with a transcript of records documenting the courses and examinations they have completed.
(1) 1A student is deemed to have passed the Master’s degree examination if they have successfully completed all module examinations and the final thesis and have earned the 60 credits required. 2A student is deemed to have failed the Master’s programme, if they
1. have permanently forfeited their right to take examinations in accordance with Section 17, Paragraph 4 or Paragraph 5,
2. have been awarded the grade “unsatisfactory” or “fail” or are deemed to have been awarded the grade “unsatisfactory” (Paragraph 2 will remain unaffected) for a module examination at the final attempt or
3. have been awarded the grade “unsatisfactory” or are deemed to have been awarded the grade “unsatisfactory” for the final thesis after its final resubmission.
(2) Failing a compulsory elective module may be compensated by passing alternative modules with the required minimum of credits.
(3) Where a student has failed the Master’s degree examination at the final attempt, the chairperson of the Examination Committee will notify the student in writing, also providing information on how to appeal.
(4) At the student’s request, and upon presentation of appropriate proof, the Examination Office will provide the student with a certificate that indicates the examinations completed and the grades awarded and which clearly states that they failed the Master’s degree examination at the final attempt.
Section 21
Certificate, Diploma and Diploma Supplement
(1) 1Students will receive a certificate upon passing the Master’s degree examination. 2In addition to the overall grade, the certificate will also include the grades and credits for the individual module examinations and state the topic of and grade awarded for the final thesis. 3The certificate will also show the date on which the last examination was completed. 4It must be signed by the chairperson of the Examination Committee and bear the University’s seal.
(2) 1In addition to the certificate, the graduate will receive a diploma confirming the award of the final degree and stating the date of the certificate. 2The diploma will be signed by the chairperson of the Examination Committee and the Dean and will bear the University’s seal.
(3) 1Together with the certificate, the graduate will receive a diploma supplement in accordance with the regulations, as amended, which have been agreed between the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs and the University Rectors’ Conference. 2The diploma supplement will include in particular information on the University, the type of degree, the programme syllabus, the admission requirements, the programme requirements, the programme structure and the German higher-education system. 3To illustrate the graduate’s relative performance, the diploma supplement will also contain information on the distribution of grades over the last three academic years.
(4) The certificate, diploma and diploma supplement will be issued in German and in English.
Section 22
Invalidity of Final Examinations
(1) Where an examinee has cheated in an examination and where this is not discovered until after the certificate has been issued, the Examination Committee may retroactively declare that the examinee has failed this examination and, if appropriate, the overall Master’s degree examination.
(2) 1In cases where the admission requirements for an examination were not fulfilled, but where there has been no intent to deceive on the part of the examinee and where this is not discovered until after the certificate has been issued, this shortcoming will be considered remedied by the student passing the examination. 2If the examinee has intentionally and wrongfully obtained admission, the Examination Committee will declare that they have failed the Master’s degree examination.
(3) Section 7, Paragraph 6 will apply mutatis mutandis to decisions made in accordance with Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2, Sentence 2 of this section.
(4) 1The incorrect certificate and the diploma supplement or the corresponding certification will be withdrawn and, where appropriate, a new corrected certificate will be issued. 2In cases where Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2, Sentence 2 apply, the diploma confirming the final degree award will also be withdrawn if it has been declared that the examinee has failed the Master’s degree examination.
Section 23
Viewing Records and Examination Scripts
(1) 1On completion of each module examination, a student will be allowed to view their examination scripts and any related reports upon request. 2The request must be submitted to the Examination Office no later than one month after the announcement of the examination results. 3The Examination Office will decide on the place and date of viewing.
(2) Notwithstanding Paragraph 1, the examiners may allow students to view their examination scripts before the papers are sent to the Examination Office, especially by specifying particular dates when students may view their examination scripts without prior request.
These regulations will enter into force on the day after their publication in the University Gazette.
Annex
Letzte Änderung: 7. September 2021