Recognition of studies abroad

Economics courses, courses from the departments of politics and public administration, law and psychology: Academic Recognition Officers, F260/F263 (not the professors)

Business and Economics Education courses: Ms Roswitha Burkhart, F255

Courses from the Department of Literature and the Department of Linguistics

Other departments: Please contact the respective Erasmus Coordinator.

When?

• Best BEFORE you go abroad: You can sometimes find the required description of the course (complete syllabus and not just a short paragraph) on the host university’s website.
• At the START of your studies abroad: if you’ve received a course description in the first class.
• When you present your application for recognition upon return to Konstanz: not to be recommended. It often then turns out that the course cannot be recognised.

How? You can find an example here.

Recommendation: Even if a course at your host university is recognised as a substitute for a course at our University, it’s nevertheless worthwhile attending the course in Konstanz too before you go abroad. This will show you the depth of the course at our University and you can then expand your skills by attending the course at your host university, making it easier for you to perform well at your host university and thus have more time for other things. 

The following courses are not recognised:

• Courses which overlap by more than 1/3 with a course already attended or planned
• A course which is similar to another course attended abroad
• A course in a subject which is not part of the student’s curriculum

You can find specific details under the individual study programmes. 

To have credits earned abroad transferred to Konstanz you must submit an application. You can decide yourself which credits are transferred.

Please submit all the documents required for recognition altogether; separate documents won’t be accepted. Please hand everything in by email or as a hard copy in person in F260/F263 or put it in the grey letterbox next to F258.

Deadlines:

May 1st if you studied abroad in the winter semester

November 1st if you studied abroad in the summer semester or for a year

• The signed “Application for Recognition” form with all the courses which you are presenting for recognition as substitutes or as electives. Please enter the title in two languages, i.e. in English and then either in German or in the national language of your host university.
• A copy of your transcript (this is usually sent automatically to the International Office in Konstanz. You’ll then be notified by email when you can collect it).*
• A copy of the email containing details of provisional recognition of courses, if applicable.

*If you would like to have your courses recognised in time to apply for the Bachelor seminar, please submit the application to us no later than three days before the registration period ends. Only in that case are you allowed to hand in a provisional transcript.

You’ll receive an email within three weeks if we need you to submit further documents. Otherwise you’ll be able to see in StudIS which courses have been recognised.

Please note: If it is urgent (for example if you are applying for an internship), then please contact the academic recognition team in person and as early as possible and discuss it with them.

Individual grades earned abroad are converted on the basis of the Senate’s latest recommendation for the conversion of grades for coursework and examination achievements earned abroad to the grading system of the University of Konstanz (dated 13.6.2016). This has been adapted by the department.

Please note: If 2 courses attended abroad are combined to one course within the recognition process in Konstanz then the grade is calculated as follows:

Grade x ECTS = X
Grade x ECTS = X
Sum of ECTS Sum X
Sum X ÷ sum of ECTS = Final grade

Those courses are listed here that you can have recognised for your graduate studies and as substitute courses in the respective areas of specialisation. You can find out in the information provided on the areas of specialisation how many ECTS and in which subjects you can have courses recognised in the electives.

The following courses from the foundation programme are possible substitutes:

• Statistics I, Statistics II
• Macroeconomics I
• Economic Policy, Public Finance I
• Fundamentals of Corporate Accounting, Business Functions, Introduction to Marketing
• Accounting and Accounting Policy, Corporate Finance

In the elective area, no courses are recognised which duplicate content from other courses, are “thin” in terms of content or are too basic.

In the advanced module

• Microeconomics II (9 ECTS credits)
• Econometrics I (8 ECTS credits)
• Open Economy Macroeconomics or Capital Market Theory (6 ECTS credits)
• Macroeconomics II (6 ECTS credits)
• International Investment and Finance (5 ECTS credits)

In the required elective module

between 10 and 25 ECTS credits. Alongside economics courses, exam achievements in courses outside the department, i.e. in non-economics subjects, can also be recognised.

All ECTS credits in the electives and transferable skills courses may also be earned abroad. Language courses can count as transferable skills; all other recognition of courses in the area of transferable skills must be agreed individually.

Those courses are listed here that you can have recognised as substitutes (SUB) in your graduate studies. Also listed are how many ECTS and in which subjects you can have courses recognised as electives.

In the advanced module:

• Fundamentals of Vocational and Business Education I (4 ECTS-credits)
• Fundamentals of Vocational and Business Education II (4 ECTS-credits)
• Personnel Economics I (5 ECTS-credits)
• Personnel Economics II (5 ECTS-credits)
• Econometrics I (8 ECTS-credits)
• Civil Law (3 ECTS-Credits)
• Proseminar Introduction to scientific working (3 ECTS-Credits)
• International Investments and Finance (5 ECTS-credits)
• Didactics I (3 ECTS)
• Introduction to Teaching (3 ECTS-credits)
• Business and Economics Didactics I (3 ECTS-credits)

In the required elective module:

Programme Concentration I (advanced studies in economics) Economics courses in the areas of Marketing & Management, Accounting & Finance, Industrial & Labour Market Economics or Economy & State on the scale of at least 16 ECTS credits. Recognition by the Department of Economics.

Programme Concentration II (general education required elective): Courses in the respective required elective on the scale of at least 16 ECTS credits. Only one of the following 13 general education required electives may be chosen:

• Political Science*
• History
• German
• English
• French
• Italian
• Spanish
• Russian
• Computer Science/Information Engineering
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Sport

* Recognition by the Department of Economics.

For all other recognition, please contact the staff member(s) responsible.

In the advanced module

• Fundamentals of Vocational and Business Education I (4 ECTS credits)
• Fundamentals of Vocational and Business Education II (4 ECTS credits)
• Human Resource Development I (5 ECTS-Credits)
• Human Resource Development II (5 ECTS-Credits)
• Introduction to Decision Theory (5 ECTS credits)
• Personnel Economics (5 ECTS credits)
• Econometrics I (8 ECTS credits)
• Civil Law (3 ECTS-Credits)
• Proseminar Introduction to scientific working (3 ECTS-Credits)

In the required elective module,

25 ECTS-credits respictively 10 ECTS-Credits if you do an internship semester. Alongside economics courses, exam achievements in courses outside the department, i.e. in non-economics subjects, can also be recognised.

All ECTS credits in the electives and transferable skills courses may also be earned abroad. Language courses can count as transferable skills; all other recognition of courses in the area of transferable skills must be agreed individually.

In the advanced module:

• Econometrics I (8 ECTS credits)
• Open Economy Macroeconomics (6 ECTS credits)
• Capital Market Theory (6 ECTS credits)
• Monetary Economics (5 ECTS credits)
• Advanced Corporate Finance (5 ECTS credits)
• International Investment and Finance (5 ECTS credits)

In the required elective module:

Various courses from the portfolio of required elective modules on the scale of between 6 and 21 ECTS credits. Alongside economics courses, exam achievements in courses outside the department, i.e. in non-economics subjects, can also be recognised.

All ECTS credits in the electives and transferable skills courses may also be earned abroad. Language courses can count as transferable skills; all other recognition of courses in the area of transferable skills must be agreed individually.

Advanced module:

• Microeconomics II (9 ECTS credits)
• Introduction to Decision Theory (5 ECTS credits)
• Experimental Methods (5 ECTS credits)
• Econometrics I (8 ECTS credits)
• Perception and Cognition (8 ECTS credits)
• Social Psychology I and II (8 ECTS credits)

On the scale of 24 ECTS credits in the required electives:

Courses from the Department of Economics or the Department of Psychology: Cognition and Perception, Biopsychology, Learning, Emotion, Motivation & Memory, Developmental Psychology, Diagnostics & Personality or other psychology courses attended abroad.

In the advanced module:

• International Investment and Finance (5 ECTS credits)
• Marketing Management (5 ECTS credits)
• Econometrics I (8 ECTS credits)

In the required elective module

Alternative 1 with a minor from another department

38 ECTS credits. You may choose one of the following minors:

• Politics
• Public Administration
• Law
• Computer Science
• Sociology
• Philosophy
• History
• British and American Studies

The currently valid provisions in Annex C of the “Examination Regulations for the Bachelor Study Programmes in the Humanities at the University of Konstanz” apply.

Alternative 2 with economics courses or courses from another department.

You may earn 23-41 ECTS credits. Alongside economics
courses, exam achievements in courses outside the department, i.e. in non-economics subjects, can also be recognised.

All ECTS in the electives as well as transferable skills courses may also be earned abroad. Language courses can count as transferable skills; all other recognition of courses in the area of transferable skills must be agreed individually.

Topics from economics courses for the required electives

• Worthwhile additions to your economics studies
• The course may not overlap by more than 1/3 with a course you’ve already attended or are planning to attend.
• Courses are also welcomed which our University doesn’t offer. After all, that’s one of the reasons why you are going away...
• The course is listed in your transcript with its title at the host university and the ECTS credits earned there (converted to German ECTS, if applicable) together with the converted grade.

Non-economics courses for the required electives

In the areas of specialisation A, C, D, E, and F of the bachelor programme in Economics, in the area of required electives A9, C9, D9 and F9 you can also complete academic performance assessments in these minors: British and American Studies, German Literature, French Studies, Italian Studies and Spanish Studies, History, Computer Science, Classics and the Ancient Near East, Philosophy, Politics, Law, Slavic Literature, Sociology, Linguistics.

In the information provided on the minor subjects (Annex C, always pick the latest version) you can see in which categories the courses must fit. You can mix from all subjects!

From economics (modules 6 to 10)

Module 6: Fundamentals of Finance

• International Investment and Finance

Module 7: Fundamentals of Business Administration

• Fundamentals of Corporate Accounting,
• Accounting and Accounting Policy

Module 8: Statistics and Econometrics

• Statistics I
• Statistics II
• Econometrics I

Module 9: Fundamentals of Economic Theory

• Microeconomics I or Macroeconomics I

Module 10: Introduction to Finance

From amongst interdisciplinary topics, required electives: Module 11: Electives

You must complete electives on the scale of at least 20 ECTS credits from the fields of mathematics, computer science, economics, law or public administration. The Standing Examination Board may allow further subjects.

Possibilities for recognition depend on your chosen programme concentration:

In Programme Concentration I with a focus on economics, a total of 52 ECTS credits can be recognised as Economics electives and General Business Administration 3. For the recognition of any didactic courses, please contact your departmental student advisory service.

In Programme Concentration II with a general education required elective, you can have 10 ECTS in Economics recognised - 5 ECTS in electives and 5 ECTS in General Business Administration 3.

Courses in your minor can also be recognised (not subject didactics); the Academic Recognition Officer at the Department of Economics is in charge of recognition for Politics and Public Administration; for all other subjects please contact the person responsible in the respective department.

Here we list those courses that you can have recognised for your graduate studies as substitutes and in the elective area.

As substitute courses for

• Financial Econometrics
• Bank Management
• Accounting Theory
• Portfolio Management
• Risk Management

In the area of electives,

at least 17 ECTS credits from master’s courses in mathematics, statistics and economics, which are not part of the sub-modules listed above. The Standing Examination Board may approve further subjects.

In principle, courses from the areas of specialisation and sometimes also from one of the two seminars (not the seminar in your area of specialisation) from abroad can be recognised. Please always check personally beforehand.