Transfer of credits

Advice on the accreditation of exam results when changing the course of study or the university

1. In accordance with paragraph § 63a Hochschulgesetz (HG) for universities, exam results which have been achieved in courses of study at other state universities and state-recognized universities, or at state and state-recognized professional colleges, or in courses of study at state and state-recognized universities abroad, will be recognized if requested on application, insofar as the qualifications certified are not substantially different from those which they are intended to replace.
2. In the chosen course of studies at a university of applied sciences, if a required* exam was finally not passed in compliance with exam regulations, or if the entitlement to an exam has been forfeited for another reason, then this constitutes a barrier to matriculation/enrolment, in accordance with paragraph § 50 Abs. 1 Nummer 2 HG. In such a case admission to a course of study is ruled out. This applies with respect to courses whose content is substantially similar to those hitherto studied. The examination board decides what constitutes substantially similar content.
   *required within the scope of validity of German Basic Law (Grundgesetz).
3. Exam results which were achieved in other courses of study at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences count as exam results achieved at other universities.
4. In the case of re-enrolling in the same course of study at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, within the framework of changes in exam regulations, all the exam results hitherto achieved will be recognized by official channels, including failed attempts.
5. In such cases when students are simultaneously enrolled in two courses of study, in which identical modules are offered and for which identical exams must be passed, then exam results, including failed attempts, are rated in both courses at the same time.
6. There is no right to apply in cases numbered 2, 4 and 5 above, in accordance with paragraph §63a HG.
7. If you would like to change your course of study within the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences, or to switch from another university to us, you must submit an application for admission to a higher semester of that course. Please note that since the summer semester 2023, the application procedure for higher subject semesters has been switched to digital. Applications are therefore only possible via our application portal by the deadlines stated there. You can find further information on how to apply at https://www.h-brs.de/en/changing-universities
8. If you would like to apply for a first semester in your chosen course of study and have the results of your previous study course be recognized, then you must send the application for transfer of exam results directly to the examination board of the respective faculty. You will find the application form for this under https://www.h-brs.de/sites/default/files/related/transfer_of_credits-_1…
9. The deadline for applying for the transfer of exam results, achieved at other universities or in other courses of study at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, is 30th April for the summer term and 31st October for the winter term. The deadlines for applying for admission to a course of study remain unaffected by these deadlines.
10. The examination board carries out the process of recognition. It decides whether to transfer the results, in case of doubt in consultation with the examiners.
11. It is the responsibility of the student to provide the required information about the results to be recognized. The onus of proof that an application does not fulfil the conditions for transfer of exam results in accordance with paragraph 1 lies with the examination board.
12. Decisions on applications in accordance with paragraph 1 will be made within a period of six weeks from the presentation date of the complete documentation as defined in paragraph 3.
13. On written request by the student, the examination board of the respective faculty will assess the appropriate course semester, according to the number of points achieved on a scale based on the accredited ECTS* points in relation to the total achievable ECTS points in the respective course of study. If the number after the decimal point is lower than five, then the score will be rounded down for the whole semester; otherwise the score will be rounded upwards.
    *European Credit Transfer System
14. If the requested transfer of exam results is denied, for reasons related to the application in accordance with paragraph § 63a HG, the student can apply to have the decision reviewed by the Präsidium; the Präsidium will then make a recommendation to the examination board on how to proceed with the application.
15. On written request by the student, other knowledge and qualifications based on submitted documentation can be recognized if such knowledge and qualifications have the same value as the exam results they are intended to replace, taking into account their content and level.

If you have any questions about the transfer of individual results, or the assessment of your higher semester in a course, please contact the examination board which is responsible for the respective course of study. You will find the contact data in the faculties under https://www.h-brs.de/de/studium.