Recognition of credits and grades

All students of Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences have the opportunity to complete an exchange programme with full recognition of their studies and examination results according to the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). All that is required is a signed Learning Agreement defining what academic achievements will be recognised and how. This will ensure that credits for any modules completed abroad are transferred.

Formalities to take care of before your stay abroad

With the aid of the Learning Agreement, the academic achievements at the host university are compared with those at the home university. Students interested in studying abroad can thus devise their own individual curriculum from the courses offered by the host university. Taking the information provided in the module descriptions as a basis, the draft Learning Agreement is checked by the relevant ECTS Coordinator (economic and social sciences: chair of the examination board, engineering: dean of studies) to ensure that the courses are equivalent, any necessary changes agreed on with the student and then it is signed by both the student and the ECTS Coordinator. Finally, the agreement is signed by the International Office (ECTS Institutional Coordinator).

This procedure means that even before the beginning of their semester abroad, students have legal certainty over what academic achievements will be recognised at Nordhausne University of Applied Sciences because the agreement sets down details of the specific credits awarded for each examination taken abroad. Moreover, a duly completed and signed Learning Agreement is one of the requirements for participation in an exchange programme such as Erasmus+.

All the necessary documents and forms are available for download here: a step-by-step guide to studying abroad.

Formalities to take care of after your stay abroad

Consequently, the actual grade conversion at the end of the semester abroad is merely a formality that no longer involves the examination board. A separate application for recognition of academic achievements is no longer necessary at this point. All students need to do is enter their examination results – as listed in the Transcript of Records at the host university – in an ECTS grade conversion form in accordance with the Learning Agreement and hand this form in to the International Office. The International Office will then check that the information is correct, enter the corresponding German grades using a conversion table approved by the Committee of International Relations and forward this to the examinations office. All the necessary documents and forms are available for download here: a step-by-step guide to studying abroad.

If students do not agree with the achieved recognition of their grades, they should contact the International Office. If the matter cannot be resolved, they can file a complaint by sending an informal letter to the International Office. The recognition matter will then be passed on to the examination board responsible for the respective degree programme. Decisions of the examination board can be appealed in accordance with the respective valid examination regulations.