FAQ Students of the Biotechnology B.Sc. Degree Programme
- For a successful course of study, you should definitely read your Examination Regulations carefully. The attachments to the Examination Regulations in particular contain important information.
- The study plan provides an overview of the courses taking place in the individual semesters.
- In the course catalogue you will find the dates of the courses.
- The module handbooks describe the individual courses. You can use these to get preliminary information; they are often needed when changing universities.
- You will find a lot more information on the All about studying page.
Answers to Many Questions
Below, please find a collection of the most frequently asked questions about the course of studies. These are sorted by topic. The statements refer to the current Examination Regulations 04.2022. If you are still studying under older Examination Regulations, please refer to the requirements of these Examination Regulations. If you have any questions, please contact Subject-Specific Academic Counselling (Fachstudienberatung).
We do not assume any liability for the information provided. The content of your Examination Regulations is always binding.
Examinations in the Degree Programme
Which Requirements Must Be Fulfilled for an Examination Registration?
- Admission is granted upon application.
- Successful participation in the practical trainings associated with a module is considered a necessary preliminary examination requirement.
- Before registering for the third attempt at an examination that has not been passed so far, proof must be provided of attendance at an individual consultation with the examiner.
How Many Times May Examinations Be Repeated?
An exam can be taken once and repeated twice. In total, the same exam can therefore be written 3 times. Before the third attempt, a consultation appointment with the examiner must take place and be certified by the examiner.
If the third attempt has also not been passed, a supplementary oral examination can be applied for at the Examination Board of the faculty within four weeks.
Can I Try to Improve My Exam Grade?
If the examination is passed, one attempt at improvement is possible. Improvement attempts can be made a total of three times, but only once per examination. Furthermore, the improvement attempt must be made within three examination periods.
If an improvement attempt has been made, the better of the two exam grades will always be taken into account.
Practical Trainings in the Degree Programme
1st and 2nd Semester
There are no formal requirements for participation in the practical trainings. However, in order to be able to follow the content of the module/practical training, appropriate basic knowledge is required. Please refer to Annex 3 of the Examination Regulations for these basic qualifications.
Practical Semester and Final Thesis
How Will the Final Semester of the Master’s Degree Proceed?
The last semester of the degree programme is dedicated to the Master's thesis. The Master's thesis takes 20 weeks to complete, with a minimum of 14 weeks. It
comprises 25 credit points. After submission of the thesis, the colloquium will take place, usually in the form of a lecture on the Master's thesis followed by a scientific discussion of the topic. The colloquium is assessed with 5 credit points. The overall grade of the Master's examination is formed from the weighted average of the grades of all examinations as well as the grades of the Master's thesis and the colloquium. The individual grades are weighted according to the respective credit points to be achieved.
How Do I Get a Research Project for My Practical Semester or Master's Thesis?
It is the students' responsibility to look for a Master's project or a practical semester. You should apply early, the process can take a long time and, often, there is no feedback. The work can be done both in industry and at university. In both cases, you will need to contact a supervising professor who will monitor and assess the work. It therefore makes sense to think about your subject orientation early on and contact the relevant teachers.
The working groups at our faculty also always offer interesting work. In-House Jobs for Students.
Which Requirements Must Be Met in Order to Register for a Practical Semester?
- You must be studying in a degree programme with practical semester.
- Application for admission to the practical semester must be made to the Examination Board. Only those can be admitted who can present successfully completed examinations totalling at least 40 credit points, and have successfully completed all examinations and practical trainings of the compulsory modules
Which Requirements Must Be Met in Order to Register for the Master's thesis?
- Admission to the Master's thesis must be applied for to the Examination Board. Only those can be admitted who have completed all module practical trainings and have passed all examinations except for one. In the Biotechnology with Practical Semester (4 semesters) Master's degree programme, the completed practical semester is also an admission requirement for the Master's thesis.
- Those who have completed all examinations of the degree programme and have successfully completed the Master's thesis as well as, in the Master's degree programme with a practical semester, the practical semester, shall be admitted to the colloquium upon application. Further details are regulated in § 31 RPO. The colloquium should take place within two months after submission of the Master's thesis.