Index

I have reached the required 120 ECTS for my master’s program and would like to finish my studies. Which steps do I need to take?

If you still need to communicate to Ms. Jahreis from the Examinations Office which modules you want to use in which module group, please contact her by email or in person and let her know your desired assignments of modules  (of course always in accordance with the rules for the inclusion or exchange of modules in certain module groups).

To initiate the issue of your final documents, please fill out the form for the issuing of graduation documents linked here and send it to Ms. Jahreis by email.

If you would like to attend the next graduation ceremony of our Faculty of Engineering, please register here.

 

What do I need to know about living in a student dorm or shared apartment (“WG”)?

Knowing the general community rules for living with other students in a dorm or shared apartment is crucial for your stay in Germany. Not only will it help you keep your accommodation and avoid you costly repairs, fines etc. – it will also ensure a harmonious community life. Please find a comprehensive brochure in different languages here.

Do I need to attend lectures?

In contrast to seminars and lab courses, attendance in lectures is not mandatory. You will find that most of your lecturers provide you with materials via our online platform StudOn, thus making it possible for you to revise the content at home. For many lectures, you will find recent or older recordings on our video platform www.fau.tv

Despite these resources, it is strongly recommended that you attend lectures in person! Many scientific studies have shown that students who attend lectures in the lecture hall have a higher chance of passing their exams and obtaining their degree. Here you can find scientifically proven tips on how to use lectures and lecture recordings to your benefit.

I have questions about entering the job market in Germany? Whom can I ask?

The website and phone hotline “Make it in Germany” by the German government gives you general information about the different options to work in Germany and their respective requirements.

Mr. Michael Hümmer from the German Employment Agency offers regular in-person consultation hours at our Faculty of Engineering. You can make an appointment with him via email.

Our FAU Career Service offers useful workshops and events regarding topics such as job opportunities, presenting youself well during job interviews etc. In addition, they review your application documents and give you helpful tips on how to improve them.

It is highly recommendend to make use of these resources at the beginning of your studies, as it gives you time to acquire crucial skills your application profile might be lacking. Don’t wait until the end of your studies to inform yourself!

 

When and how do I apply for an extension of my study period?

Six semesters are granted for the master’s program, provided that you do not fail any exam in your last (= 4th) attempt. If you cannot finish your studies in 6 semesters max., you have to apply for an extension of studies.

You can only apply for an extension for the next upcoming semester (extensions beyond the susequent semester are not possible). In order to apply for an extension for the next semester, you must submit the application form for an extension of studies to Mrs. Helga Jahreis of our Examinations Office, ideally mid-semester of the current semester (by the end of December for an extension for the summer semester and by the end of  May for an extension for the winter semester). The decision is made by the examinations commission of the Faculty of Engineering and will be communicated to you as soon as possible.

Which potential dangers do I have to be aware of in Germany?

1. Scams/involment in criminal activities (laundry washing): Unfortunately, international students are often the target of scammers/criminals, either in the form of an accommodation scam or a job scam. Please watch this video so that you are able to recognize the most common scam situations and avoid them. If you accept an illegal job, you will be punished for criminal activity!

2. Fraud via email (phishing emails etc.): If you receive emails alerting you about the urgent need to click on a link and enter your personal data, be very suspicious and verify who the sender is! German banks, our university computer center and other official institutions in Germany will never approach you in such a way, therefore, chances are high that you are confronted with an email scam. Don’t react and direct the email to your spam folder. When in doubt, call the official institution and ask them whether they sent you such an email. Please note that our FAU professors and other FAU staff will NEVER send you emails to aks you for favors, e.g. to send them money or to buy things for them (google play cards or similar). If you receive such an email from an FAU member, it means that their email account has been hacked. Please report this to our Computer Center: rrze-zentrale[at]fau.de

2. Getting severely ill due to lack of vaccination: The German authorities recommend these vaccines to all individuals living in Germany, all of which are covered by your German health insurance and therefore free of cost for you. Make sure to find a general medical practitioner (family doctor) as soon as you arrive in Germany and make an appointment with them to discuss which vaccines you need. The last thing you want to happen to you is to get severly ill while you are in a foreign country and don’t know anybody who can support you. Luckily, this is easy to avoid if you take care of getting all required vaccines. The same applies to your spouse and children if you came to Germany with a family.

 

 

What should I keep in mind if my plan is to work in Germany after graduation?

The ideal job candidate for engineering positions on master’s level on the German job market is expected to do more than just receive orders and complete the tasks they are assigned.

You are expected to:

– have good grades,

– possess a solid German level (B1 or higher),

– be communicative, a team player and a good networker,

– have own opinions on work-related topics and to come up with your own, creative solutions for problems.

You have to convey the above aspects in job interviews to show recruiters that you fit well into their team. The best way to train this kind of skillset is to engage actively in your studies, e.g. by forming study groups, joining a student initiative and interacting with many different students (including German students) on campus. Since these communicative, cultural and social skills cannot be learned last-minute at the end of your studies, you should approach the whole duration of your studies as a journey towards a future job in Germany (or Europe, for that matter). Start on day one of your studies and make use of the regional benefits of the Medical Valley by attending company and networking  events, trade fairs, job fairs, scientific talks etc.

The best way to always be updated on these events is to:

– read the emails by you study advisor,

– follow your favorite FAU labs on social media,

– follow your favorite companies on social media,

– follow regional tech hubs such as the Medical Valley Center and Zollhof Tech Incubator on social media,

– regularly have a look at the notice boards on campus.

Futhermore, we highly recommend that you participate in the info and advisory sessions offered by our FAU Career Service and book a personal consultation with the representative of the German Employment Agency, who offers regular one-to-one consultation on campus: michael.huemmer[at]arbeitsagentur.de.

How can I withdraw from registered examinations? (Info valid from WS 24/25)

  • You can withdraw from any examination (regardless of whether it is a first attempt or a repeat examination) up to the end of the third working day (Monday-Friday, excluding public holidays) before the examination date. Within this period, you can withdraw from examinations via the Campo portal without giving any reasons. Withdrawal cancels your registration for the examination and you must register for the examination in the following semester if you wish to take it then.
  • You can still withdraw shortly before each examination (after the deadline of three working days) if you have a valid reason. This reason could be illness, which must be confirmed by a medical certificate for the examination day(s). The medical certificate must include a description of your symptoms and a diagnosis (exact requirements for the certificate can be found here, but any medical certificate with symptoms and diagnosis is sufficient). A scan of the medical certificate and this form (“notification of illness”) must be sent immediately by e-mail to our Examinations Office (helga.jahreis[at]fau.de). Afterwards, the original certificate must also be submitted within 7 days (by post or in person). If you miss this deadline, the examination will be graded as “insufficient”.
  • If you are unable to take part in an examination for other reasons for which you are not responsible (e.g. traffic jam, accident or strike in public transport), you must also inform the Examinations Office (helga.jahreis[at]fau.de) immediately, otherwise the examination will be graded as “unsatisfactory”. The reasons for the withdrawal must be credibly explained by e-mail to the Examinations Office (with supporting documents, photos etc.).
  • If you are unable to submit your medical (or other) certificate before the examination or on the day of the examination, the Examinations Office may grant you a grace period of 7 days after the examination date at the latest to submit the missing document. Please note, however, that students are not entitled to this grace period.
  • If you fall ill during an examination, you can and should leave the examination. In this case, you have to inform the exam supervisors and must consult an officially authorized medical doctor immediately after leaving the exam. An information sheet and a list of the officially authorized medical doctors can be found here.
  • If you take the exam as normal, you confirm that you are healthy and can take the exam – you cannot subsequently apply for the cancelleation of your exam attempt (not even with a medical certificate).
  • If you do not appear for an examination that you have registered for and do not submit a medical (or other) certificate to the Examination Office in good time, the examination will be counted as a failed attempt. This also applies if you have only informed your examiners (which would be polite in the case of a smaller course with few participants), but not the Examinations Office (which you must always inform).

 

How do the examination and grading system at FAU work? (Info valid from WS 24/25)

First of all, it is important for you to understand that the exam system at FAU is probably very different from what you are used to from your home country. Hence, it is not recommended to approach the exams at FAU with your expectations and preparation strategies that you are used to, as they may lead you to failure and consequently, at lot of frustration.

On a positive note, you have a good chance at doing well in your exams if you are aware of the following:

  • You will not be able to pass exams if you just memorize the lecture content and reproduce it in the exam. You can also not expect that the exam questions will cover exactly what has been taught in the lecture and exercises. The teaching philosophy at FAU is that you should understand the course contents on such a deep level that you are able to apply the acquired knowledge to new tasks, even if you have never seen those tasks before. The exam design and questions vary from semester to semester. If you have to take a repeat exam, it is not going to look the same as your previous exam.
  • All exams can only be taken once per semester. They either take place in the first exam period (= first two weeks of the holidays) or in the second one (last four weeks of the holidays – the second exam period partly coincides with the beginning of the new semester). Exams will only be offered in one of those two periods. Please be aware that both examination periods can be slightly extended (regarding their start or end date), if there are public holidays within those periods or major time/room conflicts occur. It is therefore not recommeded to book flights/holiday trips etc. close to the exam periods.
  • You have to register for exams via the Campo system. It is only open for registration for three weeks in the middle of the lecture period. Your lecturers and study advisor will let you know when the exam registration starts. Attending a lecture doesn’t mean that you have to take the corresponding exam or are automatically registered for it. You have to register for every exam you want to take otherwise you cannot participate!
  • You generally have a maximum of four attempts for each exam (exception: you have only two attempts for the master’s thesis). If you fail an exam you can decide if and when you want to register for the repeat exam. For the few mandatory modules in your program (see footnotes in your module catalog), you have to pass the exam at some point during your studies, but you can decide if you want to take the repeat exam(s) in the following semester(s) or later. We strongly recommend that you register for your repeat exams in the semester following your failed attempt, as it is not guaranteed that the repeat exam will be offered for a prolonged period of time. You should avoid postponing exams and tendencies of procrastination, as you will self-sabotage your studies this way (please keep your duration of studies and your study visa in mind!). If you fail a non-mandatory exam, you can choose not to register for the repeat exam but to take another exam from the same module group instead. For this new module, you will start again with your first exam attempt.
  • If you fail a fourth attempt for any exam, you are deregistered from our Medical Engineerig program and cannot return to it.
  • If you have registered for an exam and don’t feel well-prepared you can undo your registration via your Campo account until the end of the third working day (Mon-Fri, public holidays don’t count) before the exam day. After that deadline, you can only cancel your registration with a medical certificate, which you have to send to our examinations officer Mrs. Jahreis (helga.jahreis[at)fau.de).
  • If you have passed an exam you cannot repeat it in order to improve your grade. Failed exam attempts will not be listed in your final transcript of records or Master’s certificate. All passed exams will be listed in your transcript of records.
  • The best grade in the German academic system is 1.0, the worst passing grade is 4.0:
Grades Interpretation
1.0/1.3 Very Good
1.7/2.0/2.3 Good
2.7/3.0/3.3 Satisfactory
3.7/4.0 Sufficient
4.3/4.7/5.0 Unsatisfactory

I have failed an exam attempt for a module. What should I do now? (Info valid from WS 24/25)

If you have failed an examination in the compulsory elective area (=all module groups in the master’s program with the exception of the compulsory modules, see footnotes in your module catalog), you have two options:

  1. You can repeat the same examination in one of the following semesters. Please note that there is no automatic compulsory registration, but you must actively register yourself for the repeat exam in your desired semester via the Campo portal during the official exam registration period.
  2. Alternatively, you can simply not register for the repeat examination and instead register for other examinations from the same module group.

In any case, you must fulfill the ECTS requirement for the module group by the end of your studies, e.g. you must have passed modules worth 10 ECTS or 20 ECTS from the respective module group.

In the elective area (Free Choice Uni/M8 and Flexible Budget Faculty of Engineering and Economics/M7), you can also either repeat your original examination or choose to register for a new examination permitted for this area.

In both cases, if you register for a new examination, the failed attempts of the old module will not be transferred. You therefore start each newly registered exam again with a first attempt.