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Recognition of Competences Acquired Outside of University

If you have already acquired competences and qualifications outside higher education institutions, you can apply for these competences to be credited to your studies.

Drei Studierende im Foyer des Hauptgebäudes

The following competences and qualifications acquired outside of higher education can be credited to you:

  • Formally acquired competences (e.g. in vocational training), verifiable through recognised curricula and final and examination certificates,
  • non-formally acquired competences (further and continuing education, VHS courses, etc.), verifiable by certificates and course descriptions, or
  • informally acquired competences (e.g. through work experience, voluntary work), verifiable e.g. through qualified references.

Your competences will be credited at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, provided that the equivalence of the competences can be determined in terms of content and level. Up to 50 percent of a degree programme can be replaced by this.

The basis for the crediting of competences acquired outside of university is § 24, section 5 of the Brandenburg university act and § 24, section 5 of the framework regulations for studies and examinations.

Application

The application for the recognition of competences acquired outside of the university must be completed in full and signed and submitted to the examination service by e-mail.

The crediting can only take place after enrolment at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. We recommend submitting the application directly at the beginning of your studies, because if you have already started the examination procedure in a module or have definitively failed an examination, credit for this module is no longer possible.

To obtain credit for competences acquired outside of the university, you have to go through the following steps:

Are there modules in your degree programme that have a high degree of congruence with competences and qualifications you have already acquired? Use the module handbook of your degree programme for a comparison. You can find it on the respective website of your degree programme.

Please note: If you have already started the examination procedure in a module or have definitively failed an examination, credit for this module is no longer possible.

It is advisable to seek academic advising before submitting an application. There you will be supported in the selection of suitable modules and the application. If you already know for which modules you would like to apply for credit, you can also contact the person responsible for the module. You can find the information in the module handbook.

Complete the application form in full. On page 2, enter which competences you have already acquired and to which modules in your degree programme these could correspond.

You can download the application form from the MyCampus homepage under "Information from the department of student affairs" and send it to the functional address pruefungs-service@fh-potsdam.de.

Always attach a curriculum vitae in tabular form to the application with detailed information on the stages of your education, training and further education biography and, if applicable, on professional activities. In addition, please enclose evidence of the relevant educational and professional phases as well as the acquired knowledge. Evidence can be as individual as the educational pathways, e.g.:

  • Final certificates of vocational training
  • Employment references
  • Certificates of further and continuing education
  • Curricula and course descriptions
  • Job descriptions
  • Work samples, concept papers
  • and much more.

The burden of proof for credit transfer lies with the student. This means that you must provide all the necessary information required for your application to be examined beyond doubt. Otherwise, the university can stop processing your application prematurely and deny credit due to insufficient information.

The application is first checked for formal correctness and completeness at the examination service. Subsequently, the examination board of the relevant department or the study commission of the relevant degree programme evaluates the content and makes a decision. In addition, an examination interview may take place.

You will receive a written notification of the crediting decision.

Credits earned outside of higher education and credited to the degree programme are marked on the degree certificate.

Initial counselling & contact

Make an appointment with the student counselling service for an initial consultation on credit transfer. If you have any questions regarding the assessment of the content of your achievements, please contact the person responsible for the module or the academic advisor of your department or department/degree programme.

As the Study and Examination Service, we will be happy to provide you with information on the application process, the processing of applications, the booking of achievements as well as questions relating to changing universities and degree programmes.

Information on submitting applications, notifications and accounting for benefits

Dipl.-Ing. Marion Hardel

Deputy Head of Study and Examination Service
Main administrator for the Examination Service

Advice on application procedures and placement in higher subject semesters

Beatrice Schwarz

Beatrice Schwarz, B. Sc.

Administrator for Application and Study Service