Recognition of Previous Academic Credentials
The following documents must be submitted:
- Application for recognition (only available in German)
- If applicable, completed Learning Agreement (for stays abroad as part of the degree programme)
- Module description(s) / learning outcome descriptions of the courses at the higher education institution, if no (binding) Learning Agreement has been concluded
- If applicable, secondary hearing certificate for studies and examinations taken at other German universities
- Transcript of Records or other proof of achievement
- Current academic record of studies at the University of Potsdam (if applicable)
- If applicable, application for classification in the event of a change of higher education institution or degree programme
Only complete applications will be forwarded by the Office for Academic Affairs to the examination boards for processing. Please allow 6 weeks for processing.
You will be informed by the Office for Academic Affairs by e-mail as soon as the application has been processed by the examination board.
After you have received the processed application from the Office of Academic Affairs and have enrolled or are enrolled at the University of Potsdam, submit the application together with copies of the relevant certificates of achievement and, if applicable, a secondary hearing certificate to the Department of Academic Affairs, Office of Student Affairs/Examination Office.
Below you will find some additional information on recognition:
If you want to change to a new subject (regardless of whether you previously studied at the University of Potsdam or elsewhere), please choose the latest exam version. Older examination versions are no longer allowed to accept new students.
This means that you will also be recognised for failed attempts in a module. This cannot be changed, as the chair of the examination board decides which achievements are recognised and how. It is only important to know that recognition can also result in a reduction in the number of possible attempts in an examination.
The Office for Academic Affairs ("Geschäftsstelle für Lehre und Studium") is not the examination office ("Prüfungsamt"). When you receive your decision (i.e. the application with signature from the respective examination board chairperson), you must submit it independently to the examination office. To do this, you need the original of the decision (so it's best to make a copy for your own records beforehand) and copies of the relevant certificates of achievement (Certificates, Final certificate, Transcript of Records, etc.). You have 4 weeks after receiving the notification to submit everything to the Examination Office - otherwise it will expire.
If you are not yet studying at the University of Potsdam, then the 4-week deadline does not run until you enrol in your new subject.
If you do not agree with the decision, you have one month to lodge an appeal. The appeal should be sent to the above address. The appeal should explain where you feel the recognition of archievements is not correct and should also be justified accordingly.
You study three subjects (subject 1, subject 2 and educational sciences) (exception: joint study programme Maths-Physics). You must submit applications of any kind for each subject individually. The Faculty of Scienc is only responsible for the subjects biology, chemistry, geography, computer science, mathematics, physics, but not for mathematics and subject teaching at primary level (in this case, please contact the responsible examination board of primary school education).
In order to have achievements recognised within the framework of "StudiumPlus" or as "Schlüsselkompetenzen", you must complete a separate application for recognition. You can find this under the following link.
For degree programmes with an examination version that came into force after the winter semester 2013/14, the form under "BAMA-O-Katalog StudiumPlus vom Wintersemester 2013/14" applies. For degree programmes with older examination regulations, the "Antrag auf Schlüsselkompetenzen" applies. (This tends to be the exception and is usually only suitable for degree programmes that are coming to an end.)
In teacher training and Master's degree programmes, "StudiumPlus" or "Schlüsselkompetenzen" are not part of the study regulations and can therefore generally not be recognised.
Application for placement in a higher semester at the Faculty of Science
Here you will find some more information on the topic "Placement in a higher semester":
As the application for recognition is the basis for the decision on the application for classification, only submit the application for classification together with the application for recognition.
It is possible that, although you have submitted both applications, only the application for classification will be returned to you. The reason for this is the amount of work and time required to process the application for recognition. As soon as you have successfully enrolled, inform the Office of Student- and Academic Affairs so that the application for recognition can be finally processed.
For the Bachelor's degree programs at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, an even semester can only be studied in the summer semester and an odd semester only in the winter semester, i.e. it is only possible to be placed in a matching semester. For the Master's programs, the regulations may be different. For more information, please refer to the pdf document on the courses offered at www.uni-potsdam.de/de/studium/studienangebot/master.
