FAQ

Studienleistungen (SLs) and Prüfungsleistungen (PLs) are the two categories of assessment tasks. SLs are ungraded (just pass/fail), and students have unlimited attempts to pass them. Students do not have to register for or withdraw officially from SLs but must merely inform the instructor of a seminar whether they wish to submit an SL or will be unable to complete an SL for a seminar. A reason, excuse or doctor’s certificate is not necessary. PLs are graded, and the grades of all PLs in a degree program are totaled, weighted and averaged to make up the overall final grade point average of the degree. Students must officially register with the examinations office to take a PL in the relevant semester and officially withdraw if they no longer wish to take the PL. See section 3 for more information about withdrawal.

The PL registration period is fixed: 15-30 November for the winter term and 15-31 May for the summer term. Students must complete the registration form provided by the Akademisches Prüfungsamt (Examinations Office; see their website.) So-called Veranstaltungsbegleitende Prüfungen (seminar-accompanying PLs) have different registration dates: 15-31 October for the winter term and 15-30 April for the summer term.

Students do not register for SLs with the Examinations Office, but must confirm with the instructor that they wish to complete the SL for that seminar.

The withdrawal procedure varies depending on the type of PL.

For a written exam: Students may withdraw at any time between registration and one week before the PL takes place without supplying a reason; withdrawals within the final week require a certified reason (e.g. doctor’s certificate), otherwise a failed attempt will be recorded.

For an oral exam: students may withdraw at any time between registration and one day before the PL takes place. Withdrawals on the exam day require a doctor’s certificate.

For other types of PL: Students may withdraw at any time between registration and the beginning of the PL, which is the date the topic of the PL was determined with the examiner.

More information and forms: https://www.uni-hannover.de/de/studium/im-studium/pruefungsinfos-fachberatung/pruefungsanmeldung#c104842

Students have three attempts to pass a PL. A failed PL can be repeated in the same class with the same instructor or with a different class/instructor of the same module. If all three attempts of a written or oral exam are failed, students will be given the chance to take a so-called Ergänzungsprüfung (supplementary exam), which will be given in a different format from the original exam. Please note that Ergänzungsprüfungen can only be given to students who actively failed an exam. Students who failed due to absence have no right to take this final exam. If the Ergängzungsprüfung is failed, the student will be unenrolled from that major/minor subject entirely. Term paper PLs do not have Ergänzungsprüfungen, but may be repeated if failed. In this case, only the final passed term paper will be registered in the QIS system.

The form of the PL is determined by the Prüfungsordnung (examination regulations) and cannot be changed by individual instructors. SL requirements vary and are listed in the course information for each individual seminar. In the English Studies Department, most PLs are written exams, oral exams, or term papers. SLs can be a variety of different tasks, including tests, essays, oral presentations, other written tasks such as annotated bibliographies or summaries, and creative projects. SLs usually prepare students to take a PL, so they are worth investing time in even though they are “only” ungraded.

This varies for different modules. As a rule, PL grades for all modules will be entered electronically in the QIS system by each instructor. Students will be able to see their grades in their transcript via QIS. SLs are a bit different. An SL cannot be entered into QIS until all SLs for the relevant module are passed. In some modules, the instructors will keep their own records and enter the passed module SL into QIS. Students will be able to see it in their transcript only when all SL parts are passed. In other modules, students will be asked to fill in a Modulschein (module certificate) and submit it to the relevant instructors for each seminar within the module. Once all the SL parts are passed and signed, the module coordinator will sign the certificate, which can then be submitted to the student advisor for English Studies (currently Ute Reuter for FüBA, TE and MEd, and Ruth Mayer for NAS) to be entered into QIS. A module will appear as complete in QIS when all the SL and PL parts are passed. We recommend students always keep a record (scan or photo) of each certificate until it appears in the transcript in case something is lost between all the steps.

In the English Studies Department, there are different types of classes including lectures, seminars and practical classes. The terms seminars and classes are often used interchangeably. Classes are grouped together in modules. Most modules have two classes, but there are exceptions (modules with only one class or up to five classes.) Each module has one PL and one or more SLs. The PL is usually attached to a particular class within the module; in some modules, the students may choose in which class they do the PL. Most classes require an SL, which means students usually do one PL per module and one SL per class within the module. The exceptions are:

• Intermediate British Literature and Culture: PL only in BritF2, SL only in BritF3
• Intermediate American Literature and Culture: PL only in AmerF2, SL only in AmerF3
• Bachelor Thesis: PL only
• Schlüsselkompetenzen (Key Competencies): 1 SL in each part; no PL.
• NAS Professional Skills: no PL
• NAS Research and Internship: no SL
• Master Thesis: PL only

Sprachpraxis (Language Practice) classes are worth 2.5 ECTS, and most other seminars are worth 5 ECTS. There are some exceptions, so please check the Prüfungsordnung (exam regulations) for your degree program to be sure. If a module is worth e.g. 10 ECTS and contains two seminars, then each seminar is worth 5 ECTS. Students must pass all the SLs of a module to obtain the ECTS. The PL of a module is not assigned separate ECTS, but must be passed in order to complete the module. Each ECTS point is equivalent to 30 hours’ work including in-class time, homework preparation time, and SL/PL preparation time. Therefore, a seminar with 5 ECTS will require roughly 150 hours’ work.

No. For seminars which count towards two different modules, students must decide which module they want the credit for and complete another, separate seminar for the other module. For example, all advanced literature classes count for the module Advanced Literature as well as the modules Focus and Focus Elective. If a student decides to count a class for the Advanced Literature module, then a different seminar must be taken for the Focus module. Each seminar may only be counted once. Students may not pass a class for credit for one module and then repeat that same class for credit for a different module.

Regular attendance and participation are expected in all classes. Attendance is compulsory in all Language Practice, Literature and Didactics classes. Students are allowed to miss up to two lessons in cases of sickness and emergency. Students who miss more than two must discuss with the instructor whether it is still possible to complete the SL for a seminar. In cases of sickness, emergency or familial difficulties, we are willing to find compromises. In cases when too many classes were missed to allow effective participation and completion of the SL, instructors will recommend repeating the class in another term. Please note that work and lecture scheduling conflicts will not be accepted as reasonable excuses. In these situations, students are recommended to find other classes which suit their schedules better or take the class in another term.

The study-relevant stay abroad is only compulsory for those students who wish to graduate with the Master of Education Lehramt Gymnasium with a foreign language as a teaching subject. Only one stay abroad is compulsory, so students who are studying both English and Spanish can choose whether to do an English stay or a Spanish stay, to combine them, or to do one of each.

The study-relevant stay abroad is prescribed by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education and has three criteria:

• it must be study-relevant (so the student must be in a teaching or studying role, or in a working role related to either the major or minor subject)
• it must be in a country or environment where the language is used as a native, official or working language
• it must be for at least 12 weeks.

The stay may take place at any time between 3 years before beginning to study the language in the Bachelor program up to the point of registering for the Master’s thesis. Thus, students have plenty of time to complete it. A range of stay types is possible, including but not limited to: doing a high school year abroad, studying at a partner university, working as a teaching assistant in any level of education, working with children in another kind of teaching role (e.g. summer camps, au pair, etc.), or working in a field related to the major or minor subjects.

Students who are not pursuing the Master of Education to qualify as a teacher do not have to complete a stay abroad unless they wish to, and they do not have to adhere to the criteria set by the Ministry of Education and therefore have more options in terms of length, type and location of stay.

For more information: https://www.engsem.uni-hannover.de/de/studium/international

Schlüsselkompetenzen (SK, key competencies) is a module in the Bachelor programs. The requirements vary for different programs (see below). This module must only be completed once, so students do not need to do one for each subject. The module contains only Studienleistungen, not Prüfungsleistungen.

Fächerübergreifender Bachelor (Lehramt)

SK A: “Digitale Lernlandschaften – Inklusive Bildung” is an online module taught by the School of Education. Currently, it is only offered in the summer term.

SK B: These classes cover key competencies for future teachers (learner diversity and inclusion, digitalization of the classroom, intercultural competence, German as a foreign language) and are taught in many institutions, including English Studies, other subject departments, the School of Education and the Zentrum für Schlüsselkompetenzen. Students must only complete one class and make sure it is labelled as being for Lehramt students. Classes for students in the außerschulisch program will not be credited.

SK C: This is the Außerschulisches Praktikum or Berufsfeldrelevantes Praktikum (professional internship). It must be undertaken in a field related to either major or minor, but not in a Gymnasium grammar school. Some suggestions: kindergartens or primary schools, tutoring agencies, youth groups or sports teams, publishers, the cultural sector (museums, galleries, theatres), or the media (television stations, radio stations, newspapers, journals). Students must complete one four-week internship and submit a report to receive credit.

Additionally, Lehramt students must complete Modul A Grundlagen der Erziehungswissenschaft/ Psychologie” and the four-week school internship “SPS: Schulpraktische Studien/ Allgemeines Schulpraktikum (ASP).”

Fächerübergreifender Bachelor (Außerschulisch)

SK A: Students must complete one class in the category language, media or performance skills and make sure it is labelled as SK A. The class may be taken within the major or minor subjects, the Leibniz Language Centre or at the Zentrum für Schlüsselkompetenzen.

SK B: Students must complete one class in the category professional skills and make sure it is labelled as SK B. The class may be taken within the major or minor subjects, or at the Zentrum für Schlüsselkompetenzen.

SK C: See SK C for Lehramt for more information. Students in the außerschulisch program must complete two four-week internships or one eight-week internship and submit a report to receive credit.

Bachelor of Science Technical Education (TE)

Students must obtain a total of 10 credits with at least one class from each section, A, B and C. The classes may be taken within the major or minor subjects, the Leibniz Language Centre or the Zentrum für Schlüsselkompetenzen.

SK A: Students must do at least one class in the areas of academic research and writing or “Digitale Lernlandschaften – Inklusive Bildung.”

SK B: Students must do at least one class in the areas of: languages, communication skills, or computer skills. 

SK C: Students must do at least one class in the areas of professional skills: media skills, digitalization, German as a foreign language, inclusion and diversity, or personal management and time management skills.

Additionally, TE students must do modules in Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik (Bildungswissenschaften) for 15 credits and a four-week internship in a vocational school.