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Official Announcements Issued by the President of Münster University of Applied Sciences Hüfferstraße 27 48149 Münster
Phone +49 251 83 64055
21 November 2018
No. 107/2018
Pages 752-777
General Part of the Examination Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes at Münster University of Applied Sciences (AT PO), as amended by the XIIth amendment order of 21 November 2018
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General Part of the Examination Regulations for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes at Münster University of Applied Sciences (AT PO), as amended by the XIIth amendment order of 21 November 2018
On the basis of Section 2(4) and Section 64(1) of the Higher Education Act of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Higher Education Act – HG NRW) of 16 September 2014 (Official Gazette of North Rhine-Westphalia, p. 547), as last amended on 17 October 2017 (Official Gazette of North Rhine-Westphalia, p. 805), the Senate of Münster University of Applied Sciences has issued the following Examination Regulations:
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Table of Contents Page
I. General Information ...................................................................................................................... 3 Section 1 Scope of Application ........................................................................................................... 3 Section 2 Purpose of Examination ..................................................................................................... 3 Section 3 Scope and Structure of Examination .................................................................................. 4 Section 3 a Maternity Leave ............................................................................................................... 4 Section 4 Examination Committee ..................................................................................................... 4 Section 5 Examiners ........................................................................................................................... 6 Section 6 Examination Data ............................................................................................................... 7 Section 7 Transfer of Credit................................................................................................................ 7 Section 8 Credit Points ....................................................................................................................... 8 Section 9 Assessment of Examination Performance ......................................................................... 9 Section 10 Examination Resits ......................................................................................................... 10 Section 11 No-Show, Withdrawal, Examination Offences, Breach of Regulations .......................... 11
II. Module Examinations and Assessment Components ............................................................ 12 Section 12 Objective, Type and Scope of Module Examinations..................................................... 12 Section 13 Admission to Module Examinations ............................................................................... 13 Section 14 Holding of Module Examinations ................................................................................... 14 Section 15 Written Examinations ..................................................................................................... 15 Section 16 Oral Examinations .......................................................................................................... 16 Section 17 Assessment Components .............................................................................................. 16 Section 17a Bonus Points for Continuous Assessment Components ............................................. 17
III. Dissertation and Colloquium ................................................................................................... 17 Section 18 Dissertation ..................................................................................................................... 17 Section 19 Allocation and Completion of Dissertation ..................................................................... 18 Section 20 Submission and Assessment of Dissertation ................................................................. 19 Section 21 Colloquium ...................................................................................................................... 20
IV. Examination Result, Subsidiary Modules............................................................................... 20 Section 22 Examination Result ........................................................................................................ 20 Section 23 Final Examination Certificate, Overall Grade, Certificate and Diploma Supplement ..... 21 Section 24 Subsidiary Modules ........................................................................................................ 22
V. Final Provisions ......................................................................................................................... 22 Section 25 Viewing of Examination Scripts ...................................................................................... 22 Section 26 Invalidity of Examinations ............................................................................................... 22 Section 27 Entry into Force, Transitional Provisions ........................................................................ 23
Annex Examination Requirements for the Multiple Choice Method
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I. General Information
Section 1 Scope of Application
(1) The General Part of the Examination Regulations is applicable for all Bachelor’s and Master’s
programmes at Münster University of Applied Sciences. There may be derogations for cooperative degree programmes. The General Part, along with the relevant Special Provisions, constitutes the Examination Regulations of the respective degree programme.
(2) The Special Provisions of the Examination Regulations govern, in particular:
- The entry qualification and other entry requirements, the aim of the programme, and the
academic degree to be awarded,
- The normal programme length, the structure of the programme, and the intake cycle for the degree programme,
- The number of modules, their content, the learning objective, the teaching format, the
individual course requirements, the module workload,
- The requirements for periods of study abroad as an integrative part of the degree programme, for placement semesters or for other phases of professional practice,
- Admission to the dissertation, as well as the type, length and time allowed for the
completion of the dissertation,
- Admission to the colloquium, and the form that the colloquium takes.
Section 2 Purpose of Examination
(1) The Bachelor’s examination in a specific degree programme constitutes the qualification for
entry into a profession. The purpose of this examination is to establish whether the candidate has acquired the basic specialist knowledge and particular skills to meet the specialist and personal requirements of professional practice and to keep pace with changes in the professional world.
(2) The Master’s examination in a specific degree programme constitutes the qualification for entry
into a profession. The purpose of this examination is to establish whether the candidate has acquired the in-depth specialist knowledge required to carry out independent scholarly work, and to apply scientific findings and recognise the significance of these findings to society and professional practice.
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Section 3
Scope and Structure of Examination
(1) The Bachelor’s or Master’s examination consists of continuous assessment examinations and a final examination part. Continuous assessment examinations are module examinations; they should be held at a time when the relevant module has been completed on the candidate’s course. The final examination part usually consists of a dissertation (Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis) and a colloquium held subsequent to the dissertation. The topic of the dissertation is usually allocated at the end of the penultimate semester, ensuring sufficient time for the colloquium to be held by the end of the final semester.
(2) The design of the course and the examination procedure, including the final examination,
should be such that they can be completed within the normal programme length. Examination procedures must enable candidates to have recourse to statutory protection periods and parental leave, and must account for time lost in caring for others.
Section 3 a Maternity Leave
(1) According to the requirements of the Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG), students are not
permitted to take an examination within the protection period before and after the birth (six weeks before the birth and eight weeks after the birth), unless they have expressly declared themselves willing to do so.
(2) Such declaration shall be submitted in writing to the Examination Committee. Declarations
may be withdrawn at any time with future effect, but only prior to taking the examination.
(3) Otherwise, a separate examination date will be arranged for the candidate, on request, if the
regular examination date falls within the maternity protection periods (see Paragraph 1).
Section 4 Examination Committee
(1) An Examination Committee shall be established for every degree programme at Münster
University of Applied Sciences for the purpose of organising examinations and performing the assigned tasks. The Examination Committee will usually consist of
1. The Chair, 2. His or her Deputy, 3. Two additional professors,
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4. An academic staff member or a technical and administrative staff member, 5. Two students.
The Department Executive Committee of the department concerned elects members of the Examination Committee by group; in the case of interdisciplinary and/or interdepartmental degree programmes, special rules shall be specified in the Degree Programme Agreement. Those persons referred to in Nos. 1 and 2 of the second sentence must belong to the group of persons with professor status, and must either represent a discipline at the relevant department or must teach there. Those referred to in Nos. 4 and 5 of the second sentence should belong to the relevant department. Authorised representatives shall be elected for the members of the Examination Committee referred to in Nos. 3, 4 and 5 of the second sentence. The term of office for student members is one year, and generally four years for the other members. The Examination Committee elects the Chair of the Examination Committee and his or her deputy by a majority vote of the committee; they may be re-elected.
(2) The Examination Committee shall ensure observance of the Examination Regulations and the
proper conduct of examinations. It is responsible in particular for ruling on appeals against decisions taken in examination procedures. Each semester, the Examination Committee additionally publishes the average length of the actual time spent studying. The Examination Committee reports to the Department Executive Committee on the development of examinations and of times spent studying and, in the event of deviations from the normal programme length, proposes to the Department Executive Committee measures for shortening the period of study. The Examination Committee takes measures to organise examinations itself − without prejudice to the head of the department’s or head of central scientific unit’s responsibility. The Examination Committee may delegate all its routine tasks to the Chair of the Examination Committee; this does not apply to ruling on appeals.
(3) The Examination Committee shall be quorate where more than half of the members referred
to in Nos. 1-5 of the second sentence of Paragraph 1 who are eligible to vote are present and where, at the same time, there is a majority of members referred to in Nos. 1-3 of the second sentence of Paragraph 1. The Examination Committee decides by simple majority vote. In the case of equal votes, the Chair shall have the casting vote. Student members of the Examination Committee shall have no vote on educational/academic decisions, especially concerning the recognition/transfer or any other assessment of credits and examinations, or the appointment of examiners and observers. Student members of the Examination Committee shall not participate in consultations and adoptions of resolutions on matters concerning the setting of examination questions or concerning their own examination.
(4) Members of the Examination Committee shall have the right to be present during
examinations, with the exception of student members who must take the same examinations in the same examination period.
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(5) Members of the Examination Committee, their authorised representatives, and the persons referred to in Section 5 are sworn to secrecy. Those who are not in civil service employment shall be sworn to secrecy by the Chair.
(6) Unfavourable decisions by the Examination Committee shall be communicated to the
candidate without undue delay. The candidate shall be given the opportunity beforehand to comment on the circumstances of relevance to the decision. Section 2(3) No. 3 of the Administrative Procedures Act for the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia (VwVfG NRW), in particular concerning exceptions in respect of the right to be heard and the obligation to state reasons in the case of the assessment of academic or artistic work, shall remain unaffected.
Section 5 Examiners
(1) Faculty members of Münster University of Applied Sciences may serve as university
examiners, as may, by way of exception, persons with experience in professional practice and in education, where necessary or appropriate to fulfil the purpose of the examination (e.g. as a second examiner of the dissertation). Examination performances may only be assessed by persons who themselves have at least the same qualification as that to be established in the examination, or an equivalent qualification. Examiners shall conduct examinations independently of any instruction.
(2) At least two examiners under Paragraph 1 shall assess performance in examinations that
conclude a degree programme and performance in resits where no provision is made for a compromise option in the event of a definitive fail. In addition, oral examinations shall always be held by several examiners or by one examiner in the presence of a competent observer.
(3) Examiners and observers shall be appointed by the Examination Committee. Candidates may
propose examiners for their dissertation. Where possible, the candidate’s proposal shall be taken into account. The Examination Committee shall take care that examination duties are distributed as evenly as possible to examiners.
(4) The Examination Committee shall ensure that the candidate is told who the examiner or
examiners will be in good time. Notification should be given at the same time as admission to the examination, usually no later than two weeks before the examination. In the case of dissertations, notification shall be given together with the allocation of the topic of the dissertation, where the candidate’s request for an examiner has been accommodated.
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If the candidate’s request for an examiner is not accommodated, notification shall be given no later than two weeks before the allocation of the dissertation. It shall suffice to make the notification by posting a notice and/or by posting the information on the internet.
Section 6 Examination Data
(1) For the purpose of organising examinations and performing the tasks assigned according to
the Examination Regulations, the Examination Committee or its Office shall collect, save and process the following data of candidates who are enrolled on the degree programme or who have been admitted as cross-registered students:
1. Last name and first name, 2. Registration number, 3. Date of birth, 4. Sex, 5. Term-time address, 6. Home address, if different to term-time address, 7. Email address, (mobile) phone number, and possibly fax number, 8. Number of examination attempts and examination subjects, 9. Examination grades.
Collected data referred to in the first sentence shall be deleted five years after removal from the register, unless students have consented to a longer storage period.
(2) The Examination Committee or its Office shall archive written examination scripts (e.g. written
examinations and dissertations) for five years after the relevant examination has become non-appealable. The examination scripts may also be handed over to the candidate, together with the obligation to retain these script for the appropriate length of time. The provisions of the Code of Administrative Court Procedure are applicable to non-appealability.
Section 7 Transfer of Credit
(1) At the student’s written request, credits earned on accredited degree programmes at other
state or state-recognised higher education institutions, at state or state-recognised colleges of cooperative education or on degree programmes at state or state-recognised higher education institutions abroad shall be recognised by the Examination Committee responsible for the degree programme at Münster University of Applied Sciences, provided that there is no
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significant difference to the credits being replaced, in terms of skills gained. The same applies with regard to degrees awarded at the end of a degree programme under the first sentence.
(2) It is incumbent on the person making the request to provide the necessary information about
the credit to be transferred. It is incumbent on the competent Examination Committee to prove that a request under Paragraph 1 does not meet the requirements for credit transfer.
(3) Decisions on requests under Paragraph 1 should be taken within three months. The prescribed
period under the first sentence shall begin once the information required pursuant to Paragraph 2 is available. The person making the request shall be informed in writing about the ruling on the request and − if the request cannot be granted − accompanied by appeal instructions.
(4) In the event of the refusal to transfer credit further to the request under Paragraph 1, the person
making the request may apply for review of the decision by the Presidential Board if the credit transfer is not related to a degree programme that concludes with a state examination or an ecclesiastical examination; the Presidential Board shall make a recommendation to the Examination Committee responsible for the credit transfer on how to handle the request.
(5) Where arrangements and agreements on equivalence in higher education (agreements on
equivalence) have been concluded between the Federal Republic of Germany and other states, benefiting students from foreign countries by way of derogation from Paragraph 1, provisions in the agreements on equivalence shall take precedence. The same applies in the case of cooperative agreements and/or double degree programmes that Münster University of Applied Sciences has with other higher education institutions.
(6) At the student’s written request, Münster University of Applied Sciences shall recognise other
skills and qualifications based on the documents presented if the content and level of the skills and qualifications are equivalent to the credits being replaced. The provisions of Paragraphs 2 and 3 shall apply accordingly to the processing of the request under the first sentence.
(7) The Examination Committee responsible for the degree programme shall decide on the
transfer of credits under Paragraphs 1 to 6, in case of doubt after consulting the persons serving as examiners who are responsible for the modules.
Section 8 Credit Points
(1) Leistungspunkte (credit points, CP) quantify the workload required for the modules, the
dissertation and the colloquium. They reflect the time needed in relation to the workload for
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the whole academic year. The workload is measured based on the entire average workload required for the course and associated examinations, including preparation and follow-up time. One Leistungspunkt equates to one credit point (CP) according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
(2) Sixty credit points are set for the workload for a full academic year; one semester is usually
worth 30 credit points.
(3) Credit points are awarded upon passing an examination.
(4) The student has successfully completed the course when he or she has earned the total
number of credit points designated in the compulsory modules and final examinations for the degree programme.
Section 9 Assessment of Examination Performance
(1) As a rule, examination performances shall be assessed, differentiated by grades, unless the
Special Provisions provide otherwise. Grades for individual examination performances shall be determined by the relevant examiner. Candidates shall be notified of how their examination performances have been assessed within six weeks at the latest; the Special Provisions of the Examination Regulations may stipulate a shorter period. It shall suffice to make the notification by posting a notice and/or by posting the information on the internet; the provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act for the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia (VwVfG NRW) apply.
(2) The following grades shall be used to assess examination performances:
1 = very good = an outstanding performance; 2 = good = a performance that is significantly above average
requirements; 3 = satisfactory = a performance that meets average requirements; 4 = fair = a performance that, despite its shortcomings, still meets the
requirements; 5 = fail = a performance that fails to meet the requirements due to
significant shortcomings.
By way of further differentiation of the assessment, grades reduced or increased by 0.3 may be used; 0.7, 4.3, 4.7 and 5.3 may not be awarded as grades.
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(3) If several examiners are involved in an examination, then each person only assesses the part of the examination that he or she has set, unless examination performances are concerned that conclude a degree programme, or it is the final possibility to resit an examination, or the Special Provisions explicitly state otherwise. The examination grade is derived from the arithmetic mean of the individual marks, which may be weighted. When determining the examination grade, all decimal places are initially taken into account; the final result of the examination grade, however, is shown with only one decimal place, after deleting all other decimal places, without rounding.
(4) When grades are derived from intermediate values
a computed value up to 1.5 ................................................... results in the grade “very good”, a computed value exceeding 1.5 up to 2.5 ........................... results in the grade “good”, a computed value exceeding 2.5 up to 3.5 ........................... results in the grade “satisfactory”, a computed value exceeding 3.5 up to 4.0 ........................... results in the grade “fair”, a computed value exceeding 4.0 .......................................... results in the grade “fail”.
(5) For the overall grade, not only the absolute grade, but also a relative grade (ECTS grade) is
stated, or alternatively an ECTS Grading Table.
Section 10 Examination Resits
(1) Students may resit parts of university examinations that they have failed or that are considered
to be a fail. The resit should be held in the semester after the unsuccessful attempt. The latest date for the examination resit may be specified in the Special Provisions.
(2) Students who have failed module examinations may resit them twice. Within the degree
programme, students may request a further examination attempt in a module, to be held as an oral examination. The request for a further examination attempt shall be made within one month of the announcement of the grade obtained in the last resit of the module examination. The further examination attempt shall be held within twelve months. If the request period under the third sentence expires or if the further examination attempt is not taken within the next twelve months, then the module examination is considered to be a definitive fail, unless the candidate is not responsible for the no-show.
(3) A failed dissertation and a failed colloquium may each be retaken once.
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(4) An examination performance graded as at least “fair” (4.0) may not be retaken.
(5) If a candidate who has already failed the colloquium once neglects to register for the
colloquium again within one year, the right of examination re-entry shall expire, unless the candidate is not responsible for missing the deadline. The Examination Committee shall decide whether or not the student qualifies for re-entry.
Section 11 No-Show, Withdrawal, Examination Offences, Breach of Regulations
(1) An examination shall be assessed as a “fail” (5.0) if the candidate fails to show up to an
examination without valid reasons or if he or she withdraws from the examination after it has started without valid reasons or if he or she fails to do the examination within the set time. The first sentence shall apply accordingly if the candidate fails to submit his or her dissertation within the specified time.
(2) Withdrawals must be declared without delay. Candidates shall immediately notify the
Examination Committee in writing of the reasons for their withdrawal or no-show, with appropriate proof. If the candidate was ill, he or she, without being requested to do so, shall enclose a medical certificate attesting the inability to sit the examination due to illness (without stating any information about the findings or diagnosis). Medical certificates shall be obtained without delay, i.e. generally on the day of the examination or on the day after the examination at the latest. As a rule, the competent Examination Committee must have received the original medical certificate by the third working day after the examination.
(3) In cases of reasonable doubt, the Examination Committee may, in the proper exercise of its
discretion, request the presentation of a second medical opinion, e.g. if a candidate asserts his or her inability to sit an examination due to illness more than twice within a period of six calendar months. This medical certificate should also only attest the candidate’s inability to sit the examination due to illness, without stating any information about the findings or diagnosis.
(4) If the Examination Committee accepts the reasons given, the candidate will be informed that
he or she may reapply for entry to the relevant examination.
(5) If a candidate attempts to influence the examination result by cheating or by using inadmissible
aids, then the examination performance in question shall be considered to be a “fail” (5.0). The Examination Committee shall decide whether or not the candidate attempted to influence the examination result.
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(6) Candidates who disturb the regular examination process may be excluded from the examination by the relevant examiner or invigilator, usually after a warning; in this case, the examination performance will be graded as a “fail” (5.0). The reasons for the exclusion shall be placed on record.
II. Module Examinations and Assessment Components
Section 12 Objective, Type and Scope of Module Examinations
(1) A module examination is a continuous assessment examination, held in written or oral form,
in a module provided for in the Special Provisions; other types of examination are possible.
(2) The aim of module examinations is to determine whether the learning objectives defined in the
module descriptions have been achieved.
(3) Examination requirements shall be geared towards the learning objectives to be taught, based,
among other things, on the course content stipulated by the curriculum for the module concerned in accordance with the Special Provisions.
(4) In consultation with the examiners, the Examination Committee shall normally uniformly and
authoritatively set the type of examination, the time allotted for the examination or the duration, as well as the scope of the examination, two months before the examination date at the latest for all candidates of the relevant module examination. It shall suffice to make the notification by posting a notice and/or by posting the information on the internet.
(5) Module examinations may be structured into two or more elements or, in
technically/didactically justified cases of exception as set out in further detail in the Special Provisions of the Examination Regulations, also in partial examinations. Section 9 is applicable to the assessment of partial examinations, unless the Special Provisions of the Examination Regulations require only a pass. If the module examination consists of two or more elements as a combination of different types of examination or tasks in a written examination relating to different courses within a module, then the individual elements shall first be assessed using points only, and only graded across all elements at the end.
(6) Examination performances in a module examination may be replaced by equivalent
performances in an entrance examination in accordance with Section 49(12) HG NRW. Under these Examination Regulations, they shall be considered as module examinations.
(7) A candidate has passed the graded module examination when his or her examination
performance is assessed as “fair” (4.0) or better.
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(8) Module examinations are also permitted as group work, as long as each individual candidate’s contribution, to be assessed as the examination performance, is easily distinguishable and assessable based on the indication of sections, page numbers or other objective criteria enabling a clear differentiation of each candidate’s work. The work scope increases in line with the number of candidates.
(9) If in the first academic year the candidate earns less than two-thirds of the scheduled credit
points in the module examinations on the degree programme, then the department or central scientific unit is obliged to offer and give individual study counselling, on condition that the candidate accepts this offer.
Section 13 Admission to Module Examinations
(1) Admission to a module examination is only possible for candidates who
1. are enrolled at Münster University of Applied Sciences or who have been admitted as
cross-registered students, 2. meet the study requirements laid down in the Special Provisions, 3. have earned the credits required according to the Special Provisions, where applicable, 4. have passed the module examinations from previous semesters, where applicable, if this
is provided for in the Special Provisions.
The Examination Committee shall decide on exceptions.
(2) The application for admission shall be submitted in writing to the Examination Committee by
the date stipulated by the Examination Committee (physically or via the internet). An application may be submitted simultaneously for several module examinations if these are to be held within the same examination period. The Special Provisions may stipulate special application procedures (first sentence of Section 64(3) HG NRW).
(3) Unless previously submitted, the following documents shall be enclosed with the application
or handed in at a later date set by the Examination Committee:
1. Evidence of the admission requirements required under Paragraph 1, 2. A declaration concerning previous attempts to take the relevant examinations and
concerning previous attempts to take a university examination, and concerning whether the right of examination re-entry has expired after missing a resit deadline,
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3. A declaration indicating whether, in the case of oral examinations, the candidate objects to the admittance of other students.
If the candidate is unable to enclose a document required under the first sentence in the prescribed manner, the Examination Committee may allow evidence to be furnished in a different way.
(4) The Examination Committee shall decide on admissions. It shall suffice to make the notification
by posting a notice and/or by posting the information on the internet.
(5) The candidate may withdraw from the module examination by making a written declaration to the Chair of the Examination Committee one week before the set examination date at the latest without giving any reason, and without it counting towards the number of examination attempts available. The cut-off date for withdrawing from term papers under the first sentence is the day on which the term paper is allocated, right up until the allocation of the term paper.
(6) Candidates may swap a set compulsory elective module once in the course of the degree
programme, even if the candidate has been awarded a fail or a definitive fail in the examination for this compulsory elective module.
(7) Admission shall be refused if
a) the requirements under Paragraph 1 have not been met or b) the documents are incomplete and no additional documents have been supplied by the
date stipulated by the Examination Committee or c) the candidate has been awarded a definitive fail on the chosen degree programme in an
examination required in accordance with the Examination Regulations at a higher education institution within the area in which the Basic Law (GG) applies; this shall apply accordingly to degree programmes that are very close in content to the previous degree programme.
Otherwise, admission may only be refused if the candidate has lost his or her right of examination re-entry in the same degree programme by missing a resit deadline within the area in which the Basic Law (GG) applies.
Section 14 Holding of Module Examinations
(1) As a general rule, module examinations are held out of class.
(2) At least two examination dates are set for module examinations each academic year.
Examination dates shall be set such that no courses have to be cancelled due to a clash.
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(3) Candidates shall be notified of examination dates in good time, generally no later than two
weeks before the relevant examination. It shall suffice to make the notification by posting a notice and/or by posting the information on the internet.
(4) At the examiner’s or invigilator’s request, candidates shall prove their identity by presenting an
official photo ID card.
(5) If a candidate claims credibly, by presenting a medical certificate or in any other way, that he
or she is incapable of achieving the examination performance, in whole or in part, in the intended form or in the time allotted, due to a disability or a chronic disease, then the Examination Committee may grant the candidate longer time to complete the examination performance or may allow the candidate to provide an equivalent examination performance in another way. The Examination Committee shall ensure, where possible, that compensation is made for any disadvantages faced by a candidate by designing the examination conditions accordingly. In case of doubt, the Examination Committee may request further supporting documents.
Section 15 Written Examinations
(1) In written examinations, candidates should demonstrate their ability to complete tasks and/or
work on topics on the basis of the necessary basic knowledge in the allotted time and with limited aids, applying the methods commonly used in the subject. Written examinations constitute both written examinations and term papers.
(2) In written examinations, candidates complete the tasks and/or topics set by the examiner
under supervision in the allotted time, with limited aids. Written examinations may be held in whole or in part in electronic form and/or using the multiple choice method.* Before holding electronic examinations, it must be ensured that the electronic data can be identified clearly, and assigned permanently and clearly to candidates. Students shall be given ample opportunity before the examination, e.g. during the course, to familiarise themselves with the electronic examination system. Data protection regulations shall be observed. One hour is the minimum time allotted for a written examination; the maximum time is four hours. The examiner shall decide which aids are permitted.
(3) In term papers, a topic assigned by the examiner, and possibly also other requirements, shall
be analysed in writing in the allotted time. Term papers are also permitted as group work, as long as each individual candidate’s contribution, to be assessed as the examination performance, is easily distinguishable and assessable based on the indication of sections, page numbers or other objective criteria enabling a clear differentiation of each candidate’s work.
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A paper version and an electronic version of the term paper shall usually be submitted to the member of the teaching staff by the deadline.
* Current case law on examinations using the multiple choice method is shown in the Annex.
Section 16 Oral Examinations
(1) In oral examinations, candidates should demonstrate their ability to understand connections
in the relevant module and how specific issues fit into these connections.
(2) The length of oral examinations shall be set by the Examination Committee in consultation
with the examiners. Around 20-45 minutes shall be set aside for each candidate.
(3) Oral examinations are held as individual examinations or as group examinations. Group
examinations shall be designed such that candidates can be assessed individually.
(4) A record shall be kept of the main content and results of the oral examination, especially the
facts relevant to grading. The result of the examination shall be made known to the candidate subsequent to the oral examination.
(5) Students intending to take the same examination during a later examination period may, on
request, attend an oral examination as a silent observer, space permitting, unless the candidate has objected to the presence of silent observers during registration for the examination. Permission to attend an oral examination shall not extend to deliberations or to the announcement of the examination result.
Section 17 Assessment Components
(1) Assessment components may have to be completed as a requirement for admission to module
examinations, the dissertation or the colloquium, supplementing the dissertation.
(2) Assessment components shall consist of either a certificate of attendance or an individually
identifiable achievement (demonstration of achievement) that is performed alongside a course and that relates to the content of the relevant course in terms of subject-matter and requirements.
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Achievements may be demonstrated by papers, term papers, student research projects, presentations, designs, or end-of-placement reports, etc. The type of achievement shall be determined on a case-by-case basis by the member of the teaching staff responsible for the course, and announced at the start of the course.
(3) Demonstrations of achievement are merely assessed as a “pass” or a “fail. Any number of
resits are possible in the case of failed demonstrations of achievement.
(4) Assessment components for earning credit may be replaced by equivalent performances in
an entrance examination in accordance with Section 49(11) HG NRW.
(5) If the candidate has a disability, Section 14(5) shall apply accordingly.
§ 17a Bonus Points for Continuous Assessment Components
The assessment of a module examination may be improved by assessable continuous assessment components, where such components are offered on the course. To this end, the points earned in the assessment component are added to the points awarded for the examination performance, meaning that they are taken into account in the assessment of the module examination. A maximum of one fifth of the points required to pass the examination may be acquired through continuous assessment components. As a general rule, points earned in continuous assessment components may only be transferred up to the examination period of the next semester. Acting on a proposal from the examiners, the Examination Committee shall authoritatively set the type and scope of continuous assessment components in good time before the start of the lecture period for that semester.
III. Dissertation and Colloquium
Section 18 Dissertation
(1) The aim of the dissertation is to demonstrate that the candidate is capable, within a set period,
of independently working on a task from his or her subject area both as regards details of the subject and interdisciplinary contexts, using scientific and practical methods. As a rule, the dissertation is a written assignment, the length of which shall be governed according to the Specific Provisions.
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(2) Dissertations may be allocated and supervised by any full-time member of the teaching staff who serves as an examiner in accordance with Section 5(1) (first supervisor). At the candidate’s request, the Examination Committee may, in accordance with Section 5(1), also appoint an honorary professor or a person entrusted with a relevant teaching assignment to supervise the dissertation, where it is established that the proposed topic of the dissertation cannot be supervised by a full-time member of the teaching staff who is responsible for the subject. The candidate shall be given the opportunity to propose topics for his or her dissertation.
(3) At the candidate’s request, the Examination Committee shall ensure that the candidate is
allocated a topic for his or her dissertation in good time.
(4) Dissertations are also permitted as group work, as long as each individual candidate’s
contribution, to be assessed as the examination performance, is easily distinguishable and assessable based on the indication of sections, page numbers or other objective criteria enabling a clear differentiation of each candidate’s work, and meets the requirements under Paragraph 1.
Section 19 Allocation and Completion of Dissertation
(1) The topic of the dissertation shall be allocated by the Examination Committee. The time of
allocation shall be the day set and announced by the Examination Committee. The date shall be placed on record.
(2) The time allotted for completion of the dissertation shall be set out in the Special Provisions.
The topic and task shall be such as to enable the dissertation to be completed within the set period.
(3) In cases of exception, the Examination Committee may grant a request, made before expiry
of the deadline, for an additional period of up to four weeks for the completion of the dissertation. The first supervisor should be consulted concerning the request.
(4) If the request under Paragraph 3 is made due to illness, a medical certificate demonstrating
the student’s inability to complete the dissertation shall be submitted at a time directly related to the illness. The medical certificate under the second sentence should not contain any information about the findings or diagnosis. The Examination Committee may, in the proper exercise of its discretion, request the presentation of a second medical opinion. This second medical certificate should also only attest the candidate’s inability to complete the dissertation, without stating any information about the findings or diagnosis.
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(5) If the request for an extension under Paragraph 3 is due to other reasons, the candidate shall specify in detail why he or she is not responsible for the extension requirement. If the reasons lie within the sphere of responsibility of a third party, such as a company, a confirmation issued by the third party shall be submitted.
(6) The topic of the Bachelor’s thesis may be turned down once, without specifying any reason,
within the first two weeks of the time allotted, that of the Master’s thesis within the first four weeks. In the case of a resit under Section 10(3), the candidate may only turn down the topic if he or she did not resort to turning down a topic when producing the first dissertation.
(7) If the candidate has a disability, Section 14(5) shall apply accordingly.
Section 20 Submission and Assessment of Dissertation
(1) The dissertation shall usually be submitted within the specified time to the Examination
Committee, including at least three paper copies and a file, unless the type of dissertation renders this impossible. The time of submitting the dissertation shall be placed on record.
(2) Where the dissertation is delivered by a mailing company, the time at which the dissertation
was delivered to this company is authoritative, and shall be proven at the Examination Committee’s request.
(3) The candidate shall provide a written assurance that he or she has prepared the dissertation
independently − in the event of group work, his or her part of the dissertation, marked accordingly − and that he or she has not used any other sources or aids other than those stated and identified in citations.
(4) The dissertation shall be assessed by two examiners, appointed by the Examination
Committee. One of the examiners should have supervised the dissertation (first supervisor). If the examiners assess the dissertation differently, then the grade of the dissertation shall be derived from the arithmetic mean of the individual marks if the difference between the two grades is less than 2.0. If the difference is 2.0 or more, a third examiner shall be appointed by the Examination Committee. In this case, the grade of the dissertation shall be derived from the arithmetic mean of the two better individual marks, in accordance with Section 8(4). However, the dissertation may only be assessed as “fair” (4.0) or better if at least two of the grades are “fair” (4.0) or better. All assessments shall be substantiated in writing in the form of an examiner’s report.
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Section 21 Colloquium
(1) The aim of the colloquium is to determine whether the candidate is able to orally express and,
without assistance, to justify the results of the dissertation, the principles on which it is based, its interdisciplinary framework and its wider references, and to assess its significance for science and/or practice. At the same time, the elaboration of the topic of the dissertation shall also be discussed with the candidate.
(2) The application for admission shall be submitted to the Examination Committee. A declaration
concerning previous attempts to take the relevant examinations, and concerning whether the candidate objects to the presence of silent observers, shall be enclosed with the application. The candidate may apply for admission to the colloquium at the same time as registering for the dissertation; in this case, the student shall be admitted to the colloquium as soon as all of the necessary supporting documents and documentation have been presented to the Examination Committee.
(3) The Examination Office shall invite the student to the colloquium. One week’s notice should
be given. The invitation may also be made informally. In any case, it shall be placed on record.
(4) Colloquia are always held as oral examinations; they should be held and assessed jointly by
the examiners appointed for the dissertation. In the case of the fourth sentence of Section 20(4), the colloquium should be held by the examiners whose individual marks were used to determine the grade of the dissertation. Colloquia take around 30 minutes. In other respects, Section 16 shall apply accordingly for the holding of colloquia.
(5) In the case of a colloquium resit, Section 10(5) in particular shall be observed.
IV. Examination Result, Subsidiary Modules
Section 22 Examination Result
(1) The student has passed the Bachelor’s or Master’s examination if he or she has passed all
module examinations that are compulsory under the Special Provisions, and if the dissertation and colloquium have been assessed as “fair” or better.
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(2) The student has failed the Bachelor’s or Master’s examination if one of the examination performances specified in Paragraph 1 has definitively been assessed as a “fail” (5.0) or is considered to be a “fail” (5.0). Notification shall be given of a failed examination of or the loss of the right of examination re-entry under Section 10(5), accompanied by appeal instructions. At the student’s request, the Chair of the Examination Committee shall issue a certificate stating the examinations taken and the grades awarded, as well as the performances that have yet to be achieved for the examination. The certificate must state that the candidate has definitively failed the examination or lost his or her right of examination re-entry under Section 11(5).
Section 23 Final Examination Certificate, Overall Grade, Certificate and Diploma Supplement
(1) A final examination certificate attesting that the student has passed the Bachelor’s or Master’s
examination shall be issued without delay, where possible within four weeks of the last examination performance. The final examination certificate shall contain the grades obtained in module examinations, the topic and grade of the dissertation, plus colloquium, and the overall grade obtained in the examination. The computed value, which may possibly be reduced or increased by 0.3 in accordance with the second sentence of Section 9(2) or calculated as the arithmetic mean in accordance with Section 9(3) and (4), shall be given in brackets after the grade in each case. Examination performances under the second sentence that were not achieved at Münster University of Applied Sciences, but which were transferred under Section 7, shall be marked accordingly in the final examination certificate.
(2) In accordance with Section 9(2), the overall grade obtained in the examination shall be derived
from the arithmetic mean of the individual grades referred to in Paragraph 1. In the process, grades are weighted in accordance with the allocated credit points, unless the Special Provisions provide otherwise. If the arithmetic mean of the overall grade is 1.2 or better, by way of derogation from Section 9(4), the overall grade of “with distinction” shall be awarded.
(3) The final examination certificate shall be signed by the Chair of the Examination Committee.
The certificate shall contain the date on which the last examination performance was achieved.
(4) The final examination certificate should also simultaneously certify the conferral of the
academic degree. The certificate shall contain the date of the final examination certificate, and shall be signed by the head of the department or of the central scientific unit and by the Chair of the Examination Committee. An English translation of the degree certificate shall be enclosed with the German certificate.
(5) The diploma supplement shall be issued as an additional document, based on the
requirements of the German Rectors’ Conference.
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Section 24 Subsidiary Modules
The candidate may sit an examination in modules other than those that are compulsory (subsidiary modules). At the student’s request, the result of these module examinations shall be appended to the final examination certificate; however, the result shall not be considered when determining the overall grade.
V. Final Provisions
Section 25 Viewing of Examination Scripts
(1) At the candidate’s request, after the completion of the examination procedure, the candidate
shall be permitted to view his or her written examination scripts, the examiner’s reports relating to the relevant examination, and the records of the examination.
(2) The candidate shall submit a request for viewing to the Examination Committee within one
month of the issuing of the examination certificate or of the notification stating that the candidate has failed the Bachelor’s examination. The provisions on the “restoration to original condition” laid down in the Administrative Procedures Act for the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia (VwVfG NRW) shall apply accordingly. The Chair shall determine the place and date for viewing.
(3) At the candidate’s request, he or she shall be permitted to view examination scripts relating to
a module examination immediately after taking the examination in each case. The request shall be made within one month of the announcement of the examination result. In other respects, Paragraph 2 shall apply accordingly.
Section 26 Invalidity of Examinations
(1) If a candidate cheated in an examination and this fact does not become known until after
handing over the final examination certificate or the certificate in accordance with the third sentence of Section 22(2), then the Examination Committee may correct grades for examinations in which the candidate cheated accordingly, and may declare that the candidate has failed the university examination in whole or in part.
(2) If the requirements for admission to an examination were not met, without the candidate having
intended to cheat about this, and this fact does not become known until after handing over the
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final examination certificate or the certificate in accordance with the third sentence of Section 22(2), then this shortcoming shall be remedied by stating that the candidate has passed the examination. If the candidate has wrongly obtained admission by intent, then the Examination Committee shall decide on the legal consequences, taking into account the Administrative Procedures Act for the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia (VwVfG NRW).
(3) The incorrect final examination certificate or the incorrect certificate under the third sentence
of Section 22(2) shall be withdrawn and reissued, where applicable. No decision under Paragraph 1 and under the second sentence of Paragraph 2 may be taken after a period of five years has elapsed subsequent to issuing the final examination certificate or the certificate under the third sentence of Section 22(2).
Section 27 Entry into Force, Transitional Provisions
The General Part of the Examination Regulations shall come into force on the day after its publication. It shall be published in the Official Announcements of Münster University of Applied Sciences.
Issued on the basis of resolutions of the Senate of Münster University of Applied Sciences of 28 January 2008, 26 January 2009, 1 February 2010, 20 June 2011, 26 March 2012, 3 December 2012, 21 October 2013, 2 June 2014, 10 November 2014, 25 April 2016, 15 May 2017, 25 June 2018 and 19 November 2018.
Münster, 21 November 2018
The President of Münster University of Applied Sciences
[Signature illegible]
Professor Dr. Ute von Lojewski
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Annex
Examination Requirements for the Multiple Choice Method
According to case law (such as the Federal Constitutional Court (BVerfG) and the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia (OVG NRW)), examinations based on multiple choice questions must meet the following requirements:
1. Need for a legal basis:
“Written examinations may only be held using multiple choice questions as the type of examination if the Examination Regulations contain abstract/general provisions on the work of the Examination Committee and examiners in defining the task and on the conditions for passing the examination that take account of the special nature of multiple choice questions.” Saxony Higher Administrative Court (OVG) of 10 October 2002 (4 BS 328/02) “Due to the structural specific nature of multiple choice questions, the examinations in question each require abstract/general rules that reflect the principles governing examination rules and regulations arising directly from Article 12(1) of the Basic Law (GG), Article 3(1) GG, and the rule of law, which deviate from those for conventional written examinations.” Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia (OVG NW) of 4 October 2006 (14 B 1035/06)
2. The abstract/general rules in detail:
2.1 The task shall be checked beforehand for “defectiveness” in a control procedure, to
ensure that the examination does not contain any unsolvable examination questions, questions with inconsistent multiple solutions, questions with acceptable response options, and questions with double responses; if this is the case, they shall be corrected. In addition, questions with wording that is inconsistent, incomprehensible and/or ambiguous are also unsuitable. Furthermore, questions where the “correct” answer to be ticked is actually wrong are also unsuitable. Examinations based on multiple choice questions shall therefore be designed by two examiners or checked by another competent person.
2.2 The requirements for success or failure shall be established beforehand, i.e. the number
of correct answers required to pass the examination or to achieve a particular grade must be regulated in abstract form before assessing the results. For example: the examination is passed when students obtain around 50% or 60% of the total score.
2.3 In addition to the absolute pass mark under Point 2.2, it is also necessary to determine
a pass mark in relation to the top performance that is deemed possible or to the normal performance (referred to as the relative pass mark). For example: the relative pass mark is derived from the candidates’ average score minus 10%.
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3. Types of assessment (examples):
3.1 “Single choice”: in this case, there is only one correct answer. For the assessment, the sum of correct answers is determined.
3.2 “Multiple select”: there may be several correct answers. Assessment is not so clear in
this case; Niehues/Fischer1 propose determining the sum of correct answers in this case, too. The Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia (OVG NW)has also expressed its opinion on this problem: “However, the assessment procedure is wrong in law, since points are deducted for a wrong answer that were achieved for a correct answer. The simple multiple choice questions, based on a right-or-wrong assessment, selected for the written examination, harbour a high risk of guessing. It is therefore understandable that the examiner tried to address this in the method of assessment he chose. However, an examination procedure whose results have repercussions on occupational freedom must be designed such that it is suitable for gaining insight into candidates’ professional knowledge. A method of assessment in which correctly answered examination performances are assessed as having not been earned or been poorly earned because other examination questions were answered correctly, lacks such suitability.”2
4. The 20% rule
The provisions on examinations based on multiple choice questions shall only apply if the proportion of points achievable using the multiple choice method is at least 20 per cent of the total examination performance to be achieved. “In spite of the structural peculiarities of multiple choice questions as a component of examinations, the smaller the proportion of multiple choice questions within the written examination, the less it appears necessary to have detailed rules on matters such as absolute and relative pass marks. Because then, requirements, students’ response behaviour and their results can be seen clearly and differentiated as is the case with conventional tasks.”3
1 Niehues/Fischer – Prüfungsrecht, 5th edition 2010, ISBN 978-3-406-59542-4 2 OVG NW of 16 December 2008 (14 A 2154/08) 3 OVG NW of 16 December 2008 (14 A 2154/08)
