Which achievements may be recognized or credited? Which deadlines apply? And what do I do?
Below you will find information on how you can have periods of study as well as study and examination achievements that you have completed in other degree programs and/or at other universities recognized or credited to your current study program.
A distinction must be made as to whether you have completed the coursework at our university in another degree program, at another university in Germany or at a foreign university. Please refer to the following sections for more information:
Even though the terms recognition and transfer of credits are often used interchangeably, they are not exactly the same. If in some places there is only talk of recognition or credit transfer, both are generally meant.
Recognition refers to achievements or qualifications gained at a university (cf. Section 35 (1) LHG)
Transfer of credits relates to knowledge and skills gaind outside the higher education sector, e.g. as part of a training program (Section 35 (3) LHG)
The legal basis for recognition and credit transfer is the Recognition and Credit Transfer Statutes of Pforzheim University and the State Higher Education Act (LHG).
The recognition and transfer of credits is only granted upon application, with one exception. Each semester, the application has to be submitted within the first six weeks ("six-week deadline") after the start of lectures. If you miss this deadline, you will have to re-apply the following semester. It is therefore in your own interest to submit the application at the beginning of your studies in order to know for sure whether and which examinations are going to be recognized or credited. Once examinations have been taken, they will no longer be recognized or credited retrospectively.
As soon as the form is complete, i.e. all required signatures have been collected, please submit the form to P.O. Box 28 (Examinations Office). You will find the post boxes in the W1 building (ground floor by the photocopiers).
There is one exception to an application for a change of degree program within related degree programs at the HS PF. Related programs are
- all Bachelor's degree programs in Business Administration
- in the field of Mechanical Engineering, the Bachelor's degree programs "General Mechanical Engineering", "Mechanical Engineering/Product Development", "Mechanical Engineering/Production Technology and Management",
- all Bachelor's degree programs in the field of industrial engineering
In those cases, examination achievements and failed examinations are recognized ex officio. Students do not need to submit an application for recognition.
If you need more time to collect all required documents and obtain the necessary signatures for reasons for which you are not responsible, please apply informally by e-mail to the Examinations Office BEFORE the six-week deadline so that recognition or the transfer of credits can take place within the same semester.
Please contact the International Office at HS PF for information on the process and requirements for the recognition of examinations taken at a university abroad.
Information and contact details can be found on the website Studying abroad (Studying at a partner university) of the International Office under “Semester abroad - step by step” in the section Learning Agreement & Course Selection and Grade Recognition.
Further information and contact details can be found on the following websites:
Students of the Business School
Students of the School of Engineering
Students of the School of Design
There are two options to change programs at the HS PF.
Change within related degree programs
All business administration degree programs, the two mechanical engineering degree programs and the industrial engineering degree programs are related.
If you change to a related degree program within the school, recognition is granted ex officio. This means that the examination results are automatically recognized. Students do not need to submit an application for recognition. NOTE: In addition to examination achievements, failed examinations are also recognized.
Transfer to an unrelated degree program
When changing to an unrelated degree program, recognition is only granted upon application by the student. Please note the six-week deadline for this at the beginning of each semester. You can find more information on the deadline above under Application six-week deadline. NOTE: Failed examinations are not recognized.
Further important information on changing degree programs, e.g. applying for a 1st semester or a higher semester (application deadline, documents, etc.) can be found in the FAQ Change of degree program.
a) Responsibilities
It must be clarified whether the subject belongs to a specific interdisciplinary degree program subject area. In such cases, the chair of the examination board of the interdisciplinary subject area, who is usually the same as the head of the subject area, decides.
If the subject does not belong to an interdisciplinary degree program subject area, the chair of the examination board of the respective degree program to which the student belongs is responsible for credit transfer. This will usually be the Dean of Academic Affairs of the subject.
b) Required documents
Please bring the following documents with you:
- a completed application form for credit transfer
- proof of the course attended and the ECTS ("credits") and SWS (semester hours per week) completed
- proof of the course content of the course attended (course description from the official course catalogue; if there is no such catalogue: at least the outline)
- proof of the duration of the examination taken and its grade
further documents at the request of the chair of the examination board; it may be particularly helpful if you bring your own notes from the course you have completed with you
Anyone who has already passed the Bachelor's preliminary examination at another university of the same type (i.e. at a university of applied sciences) in the same or a related degree program and is able to prove this by submitting a corresponding certificate may submit an application for credit transfer.
Information, in particular on the required documents and the responsible persons as well as application forms, can be obtained from the StudiCenter.
This application has the effect that participation in examinations in the 2nd study phase is possible regardless of the number of open credits in the 1st study phase and that the tight study time limits for open subjects in the 1st study phase no longer apply.
The application for credit transfer or recognition must be submitted within a cut-off period of six weeks after the start of lectures in each semester.
