How is my final grade for modules calculated?
The academic expectations of students are outlined in each module description.

The person responsible for the module is responsible for the contents in the module description and for calculating the final grades for the module. The module descriptions for all modules can be found at Info-Portal: Teaching > Modules.

When and how do I find out what grade I received?
According to the General Examination and Study Regulations for bachelors and master’s programmes written examinations should be graded within four weeks after the examination took place. The results of oral examinations should be announced immediately after the examination is completed.

The Online-Portal provides every student with access to his/her transcript of records, which includes all recorded grades for completed modules. 

According to the General Examination and Study Regulations, results of a partial performance in CA should be released before the next partial performance is due.

I would like to see my graded work. What do I need to do?
According to the General Examination and Study Regulations for bachelors and master’s programmes you may file a request with your examiner to see your graded work within four weeks after the grades have been made known. Some study areas/chairs offer opportunities to view graded work without the need to file an application for an appointment.

How many times may I repeat an examination?
According to the General Examination and Study Regulations for bachelors and master’s programmes, academic work which does not receive a passing grade may be repeated two times. Final assignments (bachelor, master, and diplom theses) may only be repeated once.

When do the repeat examinations need to take place?
You are required to take the first repeat examination within one year of the first examination. This means, you have two semesters in which you can take the examination. The second repeat examination needs to take place in the next two semesters following the first repeat examination.

Examples:

• First examination (1st attempt) not passed in the summer semester of 2016 = first repeat examination (2nd attempt) needs to take place in the summer semester of 2017
• First repeat examination (2nd attempt) not passed in the winter semester of 2017 = second repeat examination (3rd attempt) needs to take place in the winter semester of 2018
  
  

I have received an irrevocable failing grade on module examination. May I continue to study at BTU?
If you have irrevocably failed an examination, then you have the choice to change degree programmes. The failed module may not be a mandatory module in the new degree programme.

I have received an irrevocable failing grade on an elective module examination. May I continue to study at BTU?
If you have irrevocably failed an elective module examination, it is possible to choose another elective module of the module area. You can take a new elective module twice, provided your chosen module area offers enough modules.  The failure of a module is permanent and recognized across all German universities. The failed module may never be an elective or compulsory elective module in another degree programme.

How long do I maintain my status as a student after irrevocably failing an examination?
The registrar's office will inform you in writing of your irrevocably failed module and at the same time provide you with information about your legal rights. You will also be informed of the opportunity to change your degree programme by a certain deadline. If you do not choose to change your degree programme, then university administration will automatically remove you from the register of students.

 How do I register for my thesis?

Hand in the request form Thesis Registration and Submission to the Admissions & Registrar’s Office, to check, if you fulfil the admission requirements. The admission requirements are listed in the General Examination and Study Regulations (RahmenO Bachelor/Master) § 24 as well as in your Examination and Study Regulation.

After the verification of the admission requirements through the Admissions & Registrar’s Office you can request the assignment of the thesis topic by your supervisor. Please note that in your study programme might exist additional regulations for set deadlines and dates according to the assignment of topics as well as for the involvement of the examination board. The date of the assignment of the topic is the beginning of your working time for the thesis.

After the assignment of the topic through your supervisor you need to hand in the formThesis Registration and Submission to the Admissions & Registrar’s Office within 5 work days. Is the registration to the module successful, you will be able to see the registration as well as the date of submission (examination date) in your BTU/university-account. Your supervisor will also be informed about the punctual registration by the Admissions & Registrar’s Office.

I would like to write my thesis with a company. This wants a non-disclosure agreement. How do I proceed?

If the oral promise of the student and supervisor is not sufficient and insists on a special contractual arrangement, a written agreement in accordance with the attached model confidentiality agreement will often be sufficient.

If the company insists on additional protection of secrets, special protective measures may be taken in justified exceptional cases against sensitive data.

Sensitive company data requiring confidentiality can only be entered separately by the student and this data can only be submitted as a separate appendix to the final thesis. For the exact procedure and in order to receive the corresponding forms, such as the model for the lock note, the student should contact the person for the study programme before registering for the thesis.Instructions on how to proceed with non-disclosure agreements in companies for closing work, including all forms and further information, can also be found on the intranet.

Can I return the topic of my thesis?

The topic of the Bachelor Thesis can only be returned once and within the first four weeks of working time. A return of the topic of a repeat Bachelor Thesis is only permissible, if you have made no use of this possibility during your first Bachelor Thesis. The return is to be declared in written form by your supervisor at the Admissions & Registrar’s Office and go on record there.

How can I request an extension of my working time?

An application for the extension of the working time of the written thesis in to be submitted in written form to the Admissions & Registrar’s Office. In case of sickness the application is to be submitted immediately with a medical certificate. The working time is to be extended by the Admissions & Registrar’s Office according to the medical certificate. If the total time of extension exceeds six weeks, the Examination Board decides on an extension of the working time or a reallocation of the topic. In the latter case the working attempt counts as not taken and the student can reapply for admission to the Bachelor Thesis.

In other cases, the justified application for extension of the working time with the statement of the supervising examiner is submitted to the Admissions & Registrar’s Office two weeks before the submission date at the latest.  The request will then be given to the Examination Board for evaluation. If the reason is accepted, the Examination Board can extent the working time by a third.

How and where do I submit my thesis?
The thesis must be submitted within the office hours of the Admissions & Registrar’s Office in triplicate printed and bound copies as well as in electronic form. Outside office hours, a mailbox is available in the hallway of the Admissions & Registrar’s Office. For creative work (e.g. architecture course), special regulations can be made in the subject-specific examination and study regulations.

When do I need to turn in my final assignment if the deadline to turn it in falls on a weekend or a holiday?
If the deadline to turn in your final assignment falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, then the rules in the  Administration Process Law § 31, Para. 3 apply: "If the deadline falls on a Sunday, legal holiday, or Saturday, then the deadline is pushed to the end of the next business day. This rule does not apply if the deadline was purposely set on such a date while aware of this rule."

What do I need to state in the "Declaration" of my final assignment?
According to the General Examination and Study Regulations for Bachelor's §12 (9) and the General Examination and Study Regulations for Master's §24 (4), a declaration of independent work needs to be included in a final assignment and should be written as follows:

Declaration

The author declares that he / she has written the thesis at hand independently, without outside help and without the use of any other but the listed sources. Thoughts taken directly or indirectly from external sources (including electronic sources) are marked accordingly without exception. Sources used verbatim and contentual were quoted according to the recognised rules for scientific working. This thesis has not been submitted in the same or similar form, not even partially, within the scope of a different examination.

Thus far it also has not been publicised yet.

I herewith agree that the thesis will be examined for plagiarism with the help of a plagiarism-detection service.

Place, Date                Signature of the author

This declaration applies to homework, essays/reports, and final assignments (bachelor, master, and diplom theses).

My final assignment was assigned a grade of "fail (5.0)". What can I do?
According to the General Examination and Study Regulations for bachelors and master’s programmes, a final assignment may be repeated once. A second repetition is not permitted.

Can I do the colloquium online?
The current regulations of the framework regulations for Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes allow the colloquium for the final thesis to be conducted as a video-based examination. The prerequisite for this is that both examiners and students agree to this. The framework conditions for conducting oral video-based examinations were laid down in the 1st amendment to the framework regulations and can be found there. Further information can also be found under online exams.

I failed an exam and would like to make use of a free attempt, how do I go about it?
You can apply for a free attempt

• After your first attempt at the exam if you sat it within the regular duration of the programme
• After your second attempt if you sat for your first attempt during the regular duration of the programme and repeated the exam after two semesters

at the office of the person in charge of your study programme during the opening hours and before registering for the repeat examination.

I passed my exam but would like to improve my grade. How can I use an improvement attempt?
Passed exams may be repeated to improve the grade if you sat the exam within the regular period of study. The application procedure is identical to that of a free attempt i.e. at the office of the person in charge of your study programme during the opening hours and before the respective deadline.

What happens if I fail my improvement attempt or get a worse grade?
The better grade will always be credited.

How often can I make use of a free attempt and/or an improvement attempt?
You can make use of this rule a total of two times. This means you can either use

• Two free attempts, or
• Two improvement attempts, or
• A free attempt and an improvement attempt
  

during your entire course of studies.

This does not apply to practical study sections and the Bachelor Thesis. Your Examinations and Study regulations may exclude this rule.

I have transferred to BTU from another university. Who is responsible for providing recognition of my previously completed academic work?
In order to get your academic work completed at another university recognized towards certain modules at BTU, you need to file an application to the Admissions and Registrar´s Office. You need to acquire recognition within two semesters after enrolling at BTU. The person in charge of the module will verify the content of the module after which the examination board will approve. An application for recognition of a module, where you have already completed at least one attempt, is excluded.

I would like to do a semester abroad. What do I need to do in order to get credit for the course work and exam?
You should always secure a Learning Agreement before studying abroad. A Learning Agreement is mandatory for students studying abroad through ERASMUS. More information is provided by the International Relation Office on the Information Sheet on Academic Recognition ERASMUS.

When you return from your semester abroad, you have two semesters to apply to the head of your degree programme's examination board for recognition of your academic work completed abroad.
 

What happens if I cannot complete a module examination as it is due to personal reasons?
If you are unable to do so due to

• A longer illness or
• Disability or
• Pregnancy or
• Maternity or
• Taking care of someone with a child in their household or
• Taking care of a close relative (close relatives are children, parents, grandparents, spouses and cohabitation partners)

you can file an application for compensation for disadvantages. This has to be submitted to the examination board with the supporting evidence before registration of the module. They will then decide, together the examiner and you to what extent you are able to be examined. If the reason arises after registration of the module, you need to file the application promptly, however, this must happen before doing the module examination.

How is the final grade for the final certificate determined?
According to the General Study Regulations for Bachelor and Master Study Programmes, when forming the final grade for the final certificate, the mean of all grades achieved in modules completed with an examination is weighted with the amount of credits achieved. Only the first decimal place will be considered in the final grade; remaining decimal places will be deleted without any rounding.