Duration of Studies, Profiles, Graduation and Academic Title
All Bachelor degree programmes and subjects have a standard course length of six semesters and are worth 180 Credits. In each case there is a Bachelor thesis worth 12 Credits. Once all the necessary exams and the Bachelor thesis have been passed, the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) is awarded.
Subsequent Master degree programmes usually have a standard course length of four semesters and are always worth 120 Credits (however some intensive programmes achieve this after a standard course length of three semesters). Usually there is a Master thesis worth 30 Credits, however on some degree programmes they are worth 20 or 25 Credits. Master degree programmes are mostly research-oriented, in keeping with the University’s profile. Once the Master examination has been passed, the degree of Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.Sc.) or Master of Education (M.Ed.) is awarded.
Entrance requirements mean that 300 Credits are always reached with a Master degree. The first semester of a Bachelor degree programme usually only starts in the winter semester, whereas most Master degree programmes can start in either the summer or winter semester. In principle this makes the transition be- tween stages of study easier.
The degree programmes’ curricula are always divided into one section of core subject studies, one section of transferable skills, and the writ- ten thesis; this is stipulated in the General Exam Regulations (APO) of the University. Compulsory and elective modules that relate strictly to the specialised subject of that degree programme are included in the core subject studies, transfer- able skills always includes modules to develop key competencies, and specifically on Bachelor degree programmes opportunities for developing a profile with a view to personal study goals as well; therefore, most Bachelor degree programmes distinguish between at least one specialised subject-oriented profile (with a view to a subsequent Master degree) and one vocational profile (with a view to the transition to the jobs market). Whilst both forms became a compulsory feature in the first few years after the Bologna Reform, recently Bachelor degrees have appeared which omit any special vocational profile on account of their already strongly research-oriented structure.
Degree programmes can also be divided into study phases, and this is mainly done at Bachelor level (e.g. orientation phase in the first and second semesters, major in semesters four to six). They can also be focused on specific areas of study with appropriate elective modules. In addition, the University has decided that specialised areas of study are worth at least 30 Credits, or in exceptional cases at least 24 Credits (e.g. Bachelor degree subjects with a total worth of just 66 Credits); these then are certified separately in the Certificate of Graduation.
Depending on the faculty and tradition of the subject, core subject studies may also include non-specialised areas of competence and/or minor subjects or applied subjects. A special role is given to two-subject Bachelor degree programmes, where two subjects are studied with equal weighting. Each of these subjects receives 66 Credits, and depending on choice of profile possibly another 18 Credits; the Bachelor thesis of 12 Credits is written on one of the subjects. In some cases the subjects on a two-subject Bachelor degree are offered with a teaching-related profile and therefore enable transition to studying for Master of Education in order to qualify to teach in high school. Because of relevant study programme target agreements with the Federal State of Lower Saxony, registration for the teaching-related profile is statistically separated from the non-teaching-related profiles, therefore if necessary differentiated class sizes can be set. Modules specifically offered for the teaching-related profile can therefore only be taken by students who are appropriately registered; non-teaching-related profile offers are also open to these students without restriction.
Since the subjects of a two-subject Bachelor degree are always designed to be multifunctional, the higher education degree of Bachelor of Arts is also awarded on completion of the teaching-related profile. The Bachelor degree in this case also has an independent vocational qualification profile and opens up access to non-educational occupations. This is possible in the end because the core curricula of the subjects remain constant regardless of the choice of profile. In this way, graduates with the teaching-related profile can usually also transfer to a Master degree in that subject (however usually with provisos in science subjects which are designed to be oriented towards single subject degrees).