Important Questions for Prospective and Current Students

Important questions and answers for current students

  • If you exceed your standard period of study by more than two semesters (this would be the case at the end of the 9th semester in most Bachelor's degree programmes; Architecture: 8th semester / International Business Management: 10th semester), you will receive grade 5 (= fail) for all examinations that you have not yet taken for the first time by then. The standard period of study is determined by your study and examination regulations. You would then have to take a second attempt in the 10th semester and a third attempt in the 12th semester at the latest. For an examination which, according to the study and examination regulations, is in the 2nd or 3rd term of studies, you can use a fourth attempt; however, you only have one fourth attempt for the entire degree programme. You only have two attempts for the Bachelor's thesis. It is therefore advisable to register the Bachelor's thesis by the end of the 9th semester (cf. RaPO §8 and §10 as well as APO §18 and §20).

    Changes due to COVID-19

    In a Bachelor's degree programme with a standard period of study of seven semesters (please note the exceptions Bachelor of Architecture and International Business Management!), students who were enrolled in summer semester 2020, winter semester 2020/2021, summer semester 2021 and winter semester 2021/2022 and were not on leave of absence have an individual standard period of study of eleven semesters instead of seven semesters. The individual standard period of study would therefore be postponed by one semester for each "COVID"-semester mentioned above. You would only fail the first attempt (= grade 5) after two further semesters, in the above-mentioned case at the end of the 13th semester, for open exams that won't be taken by then (cf. Art. 99 BayHSchG).

    Examples:

    1. Students have been enrolled at OTH Regensburg since the summer semester 2020 and has not been on leave of absence since then. They would therefore only fail an exam (grade 5) at the end of the 13th semester, if the examination is not taken/written by then.

    2. Students began their studies in the summer semester 2021 and have not been on leave of absence since then. They would therefore only receive "deadline-fives" at the end of the 11th semester, if the exam(s) is/are not taken by then.

    3. Students began their studies in the summer semester 2021, but were on leave of absence for one semester in the winter semester 2021/2022. At the end of the 10th semester, they would therefore receive "deadline-fives" for first-attempt examinations, if they are not taken by then.

     

    The General Student Advisory Service or your academic advisor (cf. faculty homepage) can offer you guidance on this. You can obtain legally binding information on your individual course of study and deadlines from the Examinations and Internship Department. For general information on your individual standard period of study, please refer to your certificate of enrolment, which you can download from the Student Service Portal.


  • To be on the safe side, please apply for another degree programme at the OTH Regensburg or at another university/university of applied sciences within the respective application deadlines. You may apply for admission into the first and also simultaneously into a higher semester. After exam grades are announced, it is usually no longer possible to apply for degree programmes with admission restrictions (NC) for the coming semester, since the application deadline will already have been expired by then.

    Before the application deadline, please contact the Examinations and Internships Office, the General Student Advisory Service or your departmental advisor for advice on possible deadlines, etc.

    If necessary, please also contact the BAföG office for advice on whether further financing is possible if you have to change your course of study.


  • You may no longer study the same degree programme at OTH Regensburg.

    You can apply (within the application deadlines) for any other degree programme at OTH Regensburg and, if applicable, start in a higher semester. It is possible to apply for the first and at the same time for a higher semester at OTH Regensburg.

    In this case, it is up to the university you would like to be enrolled in to decide which study programmes you may resume at that university. For information, please see or contact the university you would like to attend. You could use the Hochschulkompass search engine to find suitable universites/universities of applied sciences.


  • These might be some Ideas for you:

    • Check for (possible) extended application deadlines for another degree programme at OTH Regensburg or at another university/university of applied sciences. It's important that if you would like to put in your application at another university, you would have to clarify whether you would be allowed to continue studying in your degree programme despite the so-called forced termination of enrolment! Please contact the student advisors at the respective universities.
    • You can also use the study placement exchange website Studienplatzbörse (available in German only; provider: Hochschulkompass) to search for a study programme you could be accepted into. 
    • Ask at a university/university of applied sciences whether you are allowed to continue studying there in your current course of study (prerequisite: possession of a subject-related higher education entrance qualification / general higher education entrance qualification).
    • Apply for a first (or higher) semester in another (completely new or similar) degree programme during the next application period at the OTH Regensburg:

    Application deadlines for admission restricted (NC) degree programmes in the first semester:

    summer semester: usually from 15 November to 15 January

    winter semester: usually from 01 May to 15 July (Bachelor´s in Architecture, Industrial Design and Midwifery: until 15 June!)

    Application deadlines for non-restricted admission degree programmes in the first semester:

    summer semester: usually 15 November to 01 March

    winter semester: usually 01 May to 15 September

    Application deadlines for admission into a higher semester:

    summer semester: 15 November to 15 January

    winter semester:  01 May to 15 June

    • Furthermore, an apprenticeship might be another option for you. For further information please contact:

    Employment Agency in Regensburg (Arbeitsagentur Regensburg)

    Regensburg.Berufsberatung-152(at)arbeitsagentur.de

    (Please include your telephone number so that the adivsors can call you back.)

    0800 4 5555 00 (Hotline is free of charge)

     

    Please also note the following:

    • Termination of enrolment - If you have lost your student status, please contact your (familiy) insurance compnay, the BAföG officef (if you receive BAföG) and clarify your insurance status with your health care insurance company.
    • If necessary, cancel your student dormitory room!
    • see also: www.studienaussteiger.de or www.switch-zur-ausbildung.de (available in Germany only)

  • Basically, after two semesters of successful studies at a university of applied sciences, you acquire the subject-related university entrance qualification, with which you are allowed to study "closely related courses at universities". For this purpose, you must accumulate all credit points required in the first two semesters (usually 60 CP).

    Please check with the university you would like to attend, as this university decides on the similarity on a case-to-case basis. There might be special regulations concerning teaching degree programmes.

    For the University of Regensburg, please call the Central Student Advisory Service: Tel. +49 941 943 2219.

    For restricted-admission programmes at universities, only a limited number of students are accepted in Bavaria for applicants who apply after two successful semesters at a university of applied sciences and for applicants for a second degree programme. They will most likely have to start their studies at the university in the first semester.

    With a Bachelor's degree from a university of applied sciences, you receive the general university entrance qualification and you qualify to study all degree programmes at the university. Again, only a limited number of places are allocated in each case in admission-restricted courses of study.

    You can print out a grade confirmation from QIS (SSP) at any time. For a stamped confirmation, please take an already printed copy to the  Examinations and Internships Office in Seybothstraße 2, rooms V012 to V018.

     


  • You are a student of OTH Regensburg until the end of the semester and can use your student ID in the form of the OTH Regensburg Card to its full extent until then.

     


  • Our ZWW (Centre for Continuing Education and Knowledge Management) offers an extensive range of continuing education courses and will be happy to advise you. Here you will also find important questions and answers about part-time study and continuing education.


  • If you would like to change your course of study, you can apply for the desired new degree programme within the application deadlines of the OTH Regensburg and, if necessary, start in a higher semester (see questions no. 6 and 8). An application to a first and at the same time to a higher semester is possible and even recommended. The application procedure for internal students changing programmes is basically the same as for students applying for the first semester; all documents must also be submitted again (see FAQs and information on applying for a higher semester). If you have to apply again via hochschulstart.de (due to admission restriction in the desired degree programme), please use your BID and BAN identification from your previous application procedure (Important: Your user account at hochschulstart.de will be deleted after one year of inactivity--> in this case please re-register!). At HISinOne, the portal of OTH Regensburg, a new application is required.

    Please do not de-register until you have been admitted to the intended degree programme. With the digital application for enrolment you will then again receive a new student identification number.

    Please do not re-register in your current degree programme if you plan to change! If you are admitted to the new programme, please transfer the re-registration fee during enrolment; if you receive a rejection or do not wish to change after all, you can also transfer the amount in the time period after grade announcements (without an additional letter of explanation).

    Note: If you plan to end one degree programme and start a new one from the 2nd semester on, please contact the Bafög office beforehand to clarify whether funding for the new degree programme is still possible.


  • It is important that you consult with the Foreigners' Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) BEFORE changing your course of study! A change that is justified in a promising way is usually possible and is normally supported by the Foreigners' Registration Office.

    Please note!!! However, if you do not inform the Foreigners' Registration Office in advance that you have changed your degree programme, you may be expelled from the country!

    If you have any questions, please contact Lena Frischholz (international-students(at)oth-regensburg.de) from the International Office.


  • If you are considering dropping out of your studies or have already done so, you can contact the following offices for advice (e.g. for vocational training):

    BFZ-Nuremberg:

    Kerstin Lemuth-Weissbrod

    E-mail: kerstin.lemuth-weissbrod(at)bfz.de

    Phone: +49 (911) 93197273

    Mobile: +49 (171) 5686606

    Chamber of Handicrafts: https://www.handwerk.de/infos-zur-ausbildung/bewerbungs-und-karrieretipps/angebote-fuer-studienaussteiger

    Training consultant from the IHK Regensburg: https://www.ihk-regensburg.de/hauptnavigation/aus-und-weiterbildung/ausbildung/berufsorientierung/quereinstieg-ausbildung/karrierewechsel-studium-neustart-dual--1351062

    Regensburg Employment Agency:

    E-mail: 152-Berufsberatung-vor-dem-Erwerbsleben(at)arbeitsagentur.de.

    (Please include your telephone number in your e-mail so that they can call you back).

    Phone: 0800 4 5555 00 (Hotline is free of charge)

     


  • Please contact Andrea März-Bäuml, Senate Representative for Students with Disabilities/Chronic Illness, to determine if you have additional support needs. E-mail: andrea.maerz-baeuml(at)oth-regensburg.de or phone 0941/943 9710


  • The Studentenwerk Niederbayern/Oberpfalz is your contact for BAföG. If you are not eligible for BAföG, there are various loans and possibly also scholarships that can be applied for. Please contact the Social Counselling Service Sozialberatung of the Studentenwerk Niederbayern/Oberpfalz.

    Scholarships can also help you finance your studies. There are various criteria for obtaining a scholarship; excellent grades are not always necessary. Contact the Career Service to make an appointment for an individual scholarship consultation.


  • The OTH Regensburg offers various seminars for learning and working techniques through the Career Service Programme or the general studies programme (Social and Methodological Competence). With the general studies programme, it may even be possible to obtain credits for your studies with the seminars.

    In addition, there is the possibility of learning counselling at the Psychosocial Counselling Service.

     


  • 1. If you have an advanced technical college entrance qualification (Fachhochschulreife) and are studying at a university of applied sciences, you may be able to obtain the subject-related higher education entrance qualification (fachgebundene Hochschulreife). Please read about this here: https://www.gesetze-bayern.de/Content/Document/BayQualV/true (available in German only)

    2. Where can you study to become a teacher? https://studienwahl.de/studienfelder/lehraemter/bayern (available in German only)

    3. To find out which degree programmes offered by universities in Bavaria are considered to be related to certificates of subject-related higher education entrance qualifications according to §§ 1, 4 and 5 QualV , please refer to the document you can download from here (Zuordnungliste  - available in German only).

    4. Search for teacher training courses nationwide: www.hochschulkompass.de

    5. Example of a teacher training course at a Bavarian university of applied sciences: Engineering Education, Landshut University of Applied Sciences https://www.haw-landshut.de/hochschule/fakultaeten/interdisziplinaere-studien/studiengaenge/ingenieurpaedagogik-bachelor.html

    6. Special measures to acquire a teaching qualification: https://www.km.bayern.de/lehrer/lehrerausbildung/mittelschule/quereinstieg.html (available in Germany only)

    7. Example of a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration followed by a Master's degree in Business Education with the possibility of becoming a teacher: https://www.uni-bamberg.de/lehramt/lehramtberuflicheschulen/wirtschaftspaedagogik/

     


Important questions and answers for prospective students

  • Please first complete the online application form and upload the required supporting documents in the application portal. For degree programmes with restricted admission, registration at www.hochschulstart.de is required before applying at the OTH Regensburg. You can apply for several degree programmes at the same time.

    Be sure to read the FAQs on how to apply, the information on applying, and the information on the homepage for prospective students.

    Application deadline for a first semester Bachelor degree programme:

    summer semester: from 15 November to 15 January
    winter semester: normally from 01 May to 15 July (Important: Bachelor´s in Industrial Design and Architecture until 15 June!)

    For Master's programmes, different application deadlines apply.


  • f you are currently enrolled, you do not need to submit or upload the de-registration certificate until you enrol in the new programme in September/February - not when applying. It is only important that your application status states that you are participating in the process.

    For internal degree programme changers:

    Please do NOT re-register for your current degree programme. If your application for the new programme is not successful, you can still re-register in mid-August / end of February and pay the fees then (see also question and answer on changing programmes).

     


  • The majority of Bachelor's degree programmes at the OTH Regensburg have restricted admission (so-called "NC procedure"). However, we also offer admission-free study programmes and those that require an aptitude test.

    Basic information on the restricted admission procedure (local selection procedure):

    The restricted admission numbers (NC) are never fixed beforehand, but are always set afterwards, when the admission procedure has been completed. These numbers show the grade of the last applicant admitted to a degree programme. Restricted admission (NC) is necessary if more applications are submitted for a degree programme than the OTH Regensburg can accept for enrolment.

    Admission via waiting semesters works as follows:

    To start with, about 90% of the study places are allocated according to qualification, i.e. according to the average grade of the university entrance qualification (HZB). About 10% of the study places are allocated on the basis of the waiting period. The rank of the applicants is determined by the improvement of the average grade based on the half-years that have elapsed since acquiring the university entrance qualification. Periods of study at a university in Germany are not included in the waiting period and will not improve your grade. You will receive a bonus of 0.1 on the average grade of the university entrance qualification for each semester of waiting time accumulated. A maximum of 10 waiting semesters can be counted towards your average grade; your grade will then improve by 1.0.

    You do not need to apply for admission based on waiting semesters; this is automatically checked on the part of the OTH Regensburg. In terms of waiting periods, no one can predict what the exact cut-off point will be in the coming semester, as this is also only determined after the application process. For your orientation, you can find the cut-off numbers of the last semesters in the individual degree programmes here.

    There are special quotas for certain groups, such as graduates of technical schools (FOS/BOS), for hardship cases, for vocationally qualified persons without an entrance qualification for applied sciences (Fachhochschulreife), for second degree applicants, for applicants of a dual study programme in the integrated model, for foreign applicants. Please read the FAQs of the Admissions and Organisation Office.


  • A pre-study placement must be completed in degree programmes within the faculty of Social and Health Care Sciences and in the degree programme Industrial Design, ideally at the time of enrolment - but at the latest shortly before the start of your studies. The pre-study placement is not required upon application. The outstanding pre-study placement certificate may be listed in your application portal under "Missing documents". Please note that this will not affect your chances of admission.

    In many other degree programmes, the pre-study placement may be completed during your studies.

    The OTH Regensburg does not arrange specific companies for the pre-study placement; please take care of this yourself. A list of companies in which the pre-study placement could be completed can be found at www.connecta-regensburg.de.


  • You will find an application form for crediting of competencies acquired on our homepage. Please submit this application form for the first semester no later than 10 days after the start of your studies, completed and with documentary proof of grades from the examination office of your previous university. The examination board of the faculty decides on the creditability. If you are applying for a higher semester, this application must already be submitted with your application (see point 8). Examination achievements of the current semester can also be credited to you retrospectively. The General Student Advisory Service is unfortunately unable to make a statement on which examinations will be credited to you; this is decided by the examination board of the respective degree programme.


  • You will find an application form for crediting for competencies acquired on our homepage. Please complete and submit this application form for the first semester no later than 10 days after the start of your studies, together with relevant proof. The examination board of the faculty decides on the creditability. In the General Student Advisory Service, we are unfortunately not able to make any statements about which examinations will be credited to you. This is decided by the examination board of the respective study programme.

    When applying for a higher semester, this application must already be submitted with the application for admission (see point 8).


  • Please read first:

    - FAQs about the application procedure

    - Information on applying for admission into a higher semester

    You will find an application form for crediting for competencies acquired on our homepage. Please upload this application together with the grade certificates from your previous university when applying. Enter all exams that are to be credited.

    The following applies when applying for admission into a higher semester:

    In principle, a transfer is possible. Whether you are accepted for admission depends in particular on which of your previous achievements the faculty can credit to you and on whether there is a place available in the semester in question. When attributing an applicant to a certain semester, it is not the number of proven semesters but the actual progress of the studies that is important; this is decided by the examination board of the faculty. Modules and examinations are compared. In the General Student Advisory Service, we are unfortunately unable to make any statements as to which examinations will be credited to you.

    In some degree programmes, such as Business Studies and Social Work, students can only be admitted to a higher semester if other students drop out early as these programmes usually reach their student limits.  Since students rarely drop out after the first semester, admission to the 2nd semester is rarely possible in admission-restricted programs; from the 3rd semester on, the chance is usually greater.

    Application deadlines for admission into a higher semester:

    • summer semester: from 15 November to 15 January
    • winter semester: from 01 Mai to 15 June

  • In principle, an application for admission into a higher semester is possible for every semester (see point 8). The prospects vary depending on the course of study. In some admission-restricted programmes, such as Business Studies and Social Work, admission to the second semester is very rarely possible, as too few places are available for the many transfer applications. From the 3rd semester on, the chance is usually greater.

    Please read point 6 regarding possible crediting. Please note that when applying for a higher semester, only those examination achievements can be taken into consideration for crediting which can be verified by 15 June or 15 January at the latest. Examination achievements acquired in the current semester can therefore only be credited at the beginning of the following semester upon application. For this reason, changing to another university after the first semester is unrealistic.


  • Please note the information in the FAQs of the application for admission!

    For the crediting of examination achievements you will find an application form on the homepage.

    Interesting link: https://www.weiter-studieren-in-bayern.de/

     


  • Application deadline for a first semester:

    summer semester: from 15 November to 15 January.
    winter semester:  from 01 May to 15 July

    (Important: Bachelor´s in Industrial Design and Architecture 15 June!)

    If you are abroad at this time, it is best to proceed as follows:

    If you have access to the internet, you can easily apply online at the OTH Regensburg. You can find out which documents have to be uploaded for the application in the FAQ's for application for admission.

    Enrolment also takes place online. Only the data protection agreement must be printed out, signed and scanned. However, it is possible to submit this at a  later time if necessary.

    If you do not have access to the internet yourself, you can have someone you trust take care of your application and enrolment.

    Please note:

    Applicants who have received an offer of admission must enrol online, making sure to meet the deadline. You will be informed of the enrolment deadline and any further procedures in the application portal once you have completed the online acceptance declaration (for restricted admission degree programmes: both online acceptance declarations; via hochschulstart.de and HISinOne). You will then receive the notification of admission from Hochschulstart (for admission restricted degree programmes) by post or e-mail; whichever you prefer. The deadline for online enrolment is usually mid-August/early September for a winter semester or mid-February/early March for a summer semester. Please keep in mind that the application, the enrolment and also supporting documents must be uploaded in due form and time.


  • Master's degree programmes are offered at universities as well as colleges nationally and internationally. The number of Master's degree programmes offered in Germany is increasing every year. In addition, there are many ways of completing a Master's degree programme including full-time, distance learning, part-time or dual studies, where they are offered in private and public educational institutions. In order to help you sort out the abundance of possibilities, some decision criteria for evaluating a suitable Master's program can be found below:

    General information on Master's programmes within Germany can also be found at the following Internet addresses as well as at events such as Master's degree programme fairs:

    Master's programmes diverge in the following criteria both in their different study locations and their different programmes within the universities:

    • Duration (usually 2 to 4 semesters)
    • Cost (part-time Master's programmes usually require a fee)
    • Admission requirements
    • Application deadlines

    Therefore, it is advisable to look for information on the online portals of the universities and colleges as well as to take advantage of counselling offers at the university locations. In order to gain insight into certain Master´s degree programmes as seen from a student´s perspective, you can contact the respective student councils and alumni networks.


  • In principle, dual studies at the OTH Regensburg are possible in many study programmes (on request, if needed). At the OTH Regensburg, both combined study programmes and study programmes with in-depth practice are offered.

    In the combined study programme, you combine your studies with vocational training and acquire a vocational training qualification (IHK or HWK) in addition to your university degree. In most cases, this model lasts 9 semesters instead of 7.

    In the study programme with in-depth practical experience, you combine your studies with a job in a designated company, where you will be working during the semester breaks and during your practical semester.

    Under Hochschule Dual you will find more information about the models.

    Under dual studies degree programmes at the OTH Regensburg, you will also find information on which companies the university is currently cooperating with. In principle, you are also welcome to ask other companies that do not yet cooperate with the OTH Regensburg about the possibility of a dual study programme. This company would then have to contact the representatives in the Career Service (contact: see link "dual study degree programmes") of the OTH Regensburg as soon as possible so that the formalities for a cooperation agreement can be clarified.

    In order to be accepted for admission in your programme at the OTH Regensburg, you would then have to apply, as described above, with a copy of the training contract (combined studies) or employment contract (studies with in-depth practice). In study programmes with in-depth practical experience, it is also possible to start after the 2nd or 3rd semester. In this case, the employment contract can be submitted at a later time.

    Application procedure in the combined study model:

    in admission-restricted degree programmes, there is no guarantee of being accepted for admission, also for dual studies programmes.

    However:

    On the one hand, there is a special quota of 6% (see FAQs) for admission of dual applicants in the combined study model, so that an admission beyond the actual restricted admission limit is possible. Unfortunately however, we cannot guarantee admission here either, because when the quota of 6% has been reached, dual studies applicants must also be rejected.

    On the other hand, there is the possibility of a so-called "advance admission": In order to be certain that you will be admitted into a degree programme before the start of the one-year practical phase, you can apply for the combined study model one year before the actual start of your studies at the OTH Regensburg. In this way, if you have already been accepted for admission, you can reserve or defer it and enrol without any problems after completing the one-year practical phase. Please read the FAQs for a detailed description of this procedure. The procedure described there is also recommended for degree programmes without admission restrictions, as this could change from year to year.